Dan The Man's Super Duper Super Bowl Preview Final Issue

Saturday, 06 February 2010 11:34

SUNDAY FEB 7TH 6:25 PM EST CBS TV(CURRENT BET PHOENIX LINE) COLTS - 4.5 TOTAL 56.5

We are just hours away from the biggest game of the year, the ultimate battle for the ultimate prize in pigskin. Who will be holding the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy when its all said and done on Super Sunday? All week long I am going to break the game down from all angles leading up to my prediction, which if past history is any indication, take it to the bank, Sans Rip Torn, safe deposit box, or bagel and locks factory, as I have been correct in each of the last six years. Super Bowl 44 should be one of the greats of our lifetime, lets find out why.

OFFENSE

COLTS- (ranks) 7th overall 26 points-363.1 yards/per game (2nd passing/32nd rushing/ 2nd receiving)

Any time you have Peyton Manning under center you have a great chance to win any game no matter what the situation. Add that Manning has been here before, at the same exact stadium, in a Super Bowl, and you can feel even better. To be honest though both QB’s in this game are excellent and on offense it will come down to the role players for each teams offense. For the Colts the key is going to be TE Dallas Clark and the ability to catch passes out of the backfield and make big gains by RB Joseph Addai. The trouble though is the Colts have the 32nd ranked rushing attack in the NFL and even with the talent they have at the position this is going to be a game where establishing the run is vitally important to open up the huge passing games of both teams. The Colts have great WR’s though in Reggie Wayne and Pierre “take my order’ Garcon and the emergence of Austin “Collie Flower” has been marked. The O- Line has been solid for years in protecting Manning and opening holes for the RB’s and backup RB Donald Brown could be a factor as well and he was in the win over the Jets while Addai was out with an injury.

SAINTS-(ranks) 1st overall 31.9 points-403.8 yards/per game (7th passing/6th rushing/7th receiving)

The “Who Dat” Crew has been simply amazing for the Saints of offense all season long and has taken over games in the postseason. Even though it sputtered at times in the miraculous win over the Vikings, the Saints offense still made the big plays when they needed to and in the end was the reason they were able to get to the Super Bowl. Drew Brees has firmly established himself as one of the best QB’s in the NFL and having the amount of talented weapons he has only make him that much more dangerous. When you look at the Saints WR core as a whole , they are scarier then the Colts , albeit by a tiny margin, but that being said their size and speed overall is much bigger than the Colts and they have the ability for huge plays down field. Marques Colston and Devery Henderson have been lights of all season long and Robert Meachem has tremendous big play capability. RB Reggie Bush could be a huge difference maker in this game as he is such a threat to catch passes out of the backfield as well as down field and Pierre Thomas has been deadly at times as well.

EDGE-SAINTS- When you look at the Saints offense as a whole there are just more weapons and more ability for big plays than with the Colts. This game is going to see its share of points, hence the biggest total in Super Bowl History at 56.5 , but its gong to come down to a handful of huge plays on offense and the Saints have the slight edge on making that happen.

DEFENSE

COLTS-(ranks) 18th overall 19.2 points-339.2 yards per game (24th rush/14th pass/13th recieveing)

We all have gotten tired of hearing about DE Dwight Freeny’s injury, being touted like the most important ankle injury in the history of science, and whether he plays or not , not being the very likely scenario, It will not kill the Colts D, but will definitely hurt it. The Colts defense has improved each season since their last Super Bowl title and will definitely be a factor one way or another in Super Sunday. Yes Freeny’s pass rush ability will be sorely missed whether he plays at all or is able to give it a go on a hobbled ankle, but there are huge bright spots throughout the D and that is whole the Colts will need to rely on to slow down Drew Brees and company.

SAINTS-(ranks) 25th overall 21.3 points-357.8 yards per game (21st rush/26th pass/24th recieveing)

All you had to do was watch the wins over Arizona and Minny to never want to play QB in the NFL. The Saints D was all over Kurt Warner, basically sending him into retirement, and the same might end up being the fate of Brett Favre as well after the romp job the Saints D line did against two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Look for more of the same in the Super Bowl has the Saints just have too much of a size advantage to not create some mismatches in finding ways to not only put pressure on Peyton Manning, but actually get to him and put him on the turf. Look for the Saints offense to help their defense big time by putting the Colts in a hole and forcing Peyton to press and then bringing the kitchen sink at him.

EDGE-SAINTS - You can’t put too much stock on one player in the NFL unless you are talking about a quarterback, but Freeny’s possible absence is a huge one and with him these defenses were just about even , without him the edge definitely goes to the Saints and their relentless and brutal pass rush. The Colts have tremendous talent at all levels of their defense, but something just tells me we are going to see Peyton Manning on his behind more than maybe even in his career. If the Saints can cause an early turnover or get Manning out of his comfort zone this game, this game could go a much different way than many experts think.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Special teams might be understated in the regular season, but in the postseason and especially the Super Bowl , they can be what make or break a game. We have seen huge swings in games in recent years by special teams and as many of you all well know having been on either end of it, the kicking game can win or lose the biggest game of them all.

COLTS- Other than the fact that their place kicker Matt Stover has been in the league since the merger, he has kicked in many high pressure situations in the past and can be relied upon as a trust worthy big game kicker , but not one that can nail field goals from anything over 46 yards or so with any certainty, which could be a factor late in this game. The return game for the Colts is where there is a major drop off when you compare it with the Saints. KR Chad Simpson has had a return for a TD this year, but is largely inconsistent and not nearly as big a factor as Reggie Bush is and PR T.J Rushing is nothing to write home about. Sending Pierre “Garcon” Garcon to return some punts could be a factor if the Colts take that chance. . Punter Pat McAfee has had a nice year averaging 44.3 yards per punt with a long of 60 yards this season.

SAINTS-This is where the Saints could have a huge advantage if there are lots of punts by the Colts in this game as they have one of the deadliest in the game in Reggie Bush waiting for McAfee punts and could be huge when it comes to field position. Until two weeks ago I would have said the kicking advantage goes squarely to Matt Stover even though he is 60 years old, but after little used Garret Hartley, who took over for the injured John “Big Top” Carney earlier this season hit one of the biggest kicks in recent NFL history to beat the Vikes, his confidence is soaring. KR Courtney “Mike “ Roby has been huge as of late and along with Bush give the Saints a huge edge in the return game. Punter Thomas Morstead has an almost identical per punt average as Pat McAfee at 43.6 yards.

EDGE-SAINTS - Both teams have bright spots , but the Saints just have more of them and with Reggie Bush returning punts Nola has the ability to really change field position whether they kick to him or not. If it comes down to a field goal both kickers aren't reliable from long yardage, but both seem to have the ability to be lights out from 46 yards or less and with Hartley's youth and confidence that continues to grow I like him just a skosh more than Stover.

COACHING

COLTS- “The Quiet Orator” as Colts head coach Jim Caldwell is called, well basically just by me, has had an incredible first season after taking over from the legendary Tony Dungy. Up to this point you really can't have a better first year than Caldwell has and the way he has done it, with quiet confidence and high motivation, has been something to behold. The fact that the Colts have played in a Super Bowl just three years ago definitely gives them and their 19 players that have previously played in a Super Bowl an advantage , but the fact that it is Caldwell’s first year does not give him an advantage as a coach. Caldwell was heavily criticized in December for sitting his starters in the second half and basically ruining the Colts chances for a perfect season as the Jets rocked them and in essence made the playoffs cause of Caldwell’s decision,. That seems like long ago and all has been forgiven as the concept did work at the Colts are now playing for their 4th Super Bowl title.

SAINTS-Sean Payton has had his ups and downs since taking over the Saints in 2006, and many of the downs had nothing to do with football. What Payton has been able to do for the Saints post Hurricane Katrina has been nothing short if amazing and getting them to tier first Super Bowl in franchise history just continues to show how great of a coach he is. His offensive schemes and overall game plan will be huge against a Colts team that has the best audible calling QB in the NFL in last 20 years. The fact that Payton has been with the Saints for the last five season gives him an edge as far as familiarity is concerned , but what is more important for Payton and the Saints is his ability to seemingly make the right calls at the end of games over and over again which is one of the biggest reason the Saints have come this far and could be a huge factor on Super Sunday.

EDGE-PUSH Both coaches have compelling stories and special ability to motivate their teams to the highest level. With neither coach ever having been to the Super Bowl , but with Caldwell a decent part of his team being there in 2007, there is no marked edge. Payton has an edge in offensive scheming as he is one of the best in the g,me , and Caldwell is a little more adept to defensive calls as that was the position he played for four years at Iowa, but has been an offensive coach for his entire college and professional career. Bottom line though is both teams respect their head coach 110% and on game day this will be a true battle of wits and a coaching decision could absolutely be a major deciding factor in whom wins the title and both these coaches are capable of making that game changing decision in their own right.

PREDICTION (RATED ON A 1-5 SUPER BOWL BAGELS AND LOCKS SCALE)

SAINTS 35- COLTS 25- Many people feel there is too much going against the Saints as far as talent on the other side of the ball, a poorly ranked pass defense and of course Peyton Manning, the great Double Stuff Oreo Racing league champion of our time, but I believe those people are not only wrong, but very wrong. If anything is stacked against one of the teams it is against The Colts. First off they likely will be playing without their most important defenders and maybe will have their best WR hobbling. Second they are playing against a true team of destiny, one that almost moved permanently to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina, went 3-13 that year and since have become one of the best and most talented teams in the league. They really had no business beating the Minnesota Vikings to get to this game, but somehow found a way to do so. All cosmic signs are pointing to a Nola victory and just in case you for got their QB Drew Brees is one of the best in the league as well. This will turn out to be one of the more memorable Super Bowls in recent memory, but in the end it will be the Saints pulling away from the Colts after forcing huge turnovers and playing almost perfect on offense. At around 10 PM Est time on Sunday Night Bourbon Street will see the greatest celebration in its history and how could anyone other than Colts fans not be truly happy about that.

PLAY- 5000 BAGELS (WITH A SIDE OF MARDI GRAS BEADS SCHMEAR) ON THE WHO DAT , WHO DAT GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS!!!!!!

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Dan The Man's Super Duper Super Bowl Preview Final Issue

Dan The Man's Super Duper Super Bowl Preview Final Issue

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