After a season consisting of failure for many, disappointments for most and tailgating for all, we have finally arrived in South Florida for that final game — the Super Bowl between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.
Whether you are watching the Super Bowl for the action on the field, the enthralling commercials, or just because there is literally nothing else to watch on Super Bowl Sunday, you will certainly be focused on the CBS programming for a couple of hours this Sunday. While the commercials are bound to be excellent, my focus will be on the game, and most likely a Colts victory.
When looking at this game, the first thing that stands out is certainly the matchup between the signal callers for the respective teams. Drew Brees vs. Peyton Manning is about as good of a matchup at quarterback seen in a Super Bowl in recent history.
While it is hard to say you could go wrong with either of these superstars, the real separating factor between the two is experience. Peyton Manning has played in every big game situation imaginable, and he has already gone through the process of transforming his reputation from playoff loser to champion.
On the other hand, Brees is a newcomer to such a high level and will undoubtedly be feeling the pressure of the big stage. Even though I can do little to knock either quarterback, I am going to have to go with Peyton Manning’s squad.
Though quarterback play is the hottest topic for this particular contest, the other skill positions on the offense are where the Colts really gain their biggest advantage in the game. In terms of consistency you cannot beat the one-two punch of wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark. They each racked up 100 regular season receptions and are bound to cause matchup problems for the Saints, and young receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon are ready to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way.
In addition, with the amount of offensive firepower in this game, there is no doubt that defense is on the backburner for a game that should be a complete shootout. It is hard to argue with this logic given that the Saints led the league in offense, and the Colts have been consistently known as an offense-first team.
While this is the case, I would not be surprised if the Colts defense comes up with a few big stops, especially early in the game to help set the tone and give Manning a chance to get out to an early lead. On the other hand, the New Orleans defense has been nearly impossible to predict, as they looked excellent against the Cardinals in the divisional round while letting up big numbers to the Vikings in the National Football Conference championship.
The Saints defense did, however, keep their team in the game with five turnovers, though these will be much harder to come by against the patient Peyton Manning, rather than the self-proclaimed “gunslinger” Brett Favre.
Considering both teams have relied on turnovers throughout the playoffs, it is very hard to make a call on which defense will show up. With this being said, the two are equal defensively — with one outside factor: The Colts have a better opportunity to force turnovers against a less experienced Saints team.
Overall, then, there is no doubt in my mind that the Colts will win this game, in spite of the Saints’ talent and overall resiliency. This is a team that could have gone undefeated if they wanted to, but instead chose the route of winning a Super Bowl. Peyton Manning and his team have had one goal since day one: Win a Super Bowl.
Sunday night, the Indianapolis Colts will achieve that goal.
