Super Bowl XLI (41)
It is one week until Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. This is going to be a good one. Although it officially ends the Pittsburgh Steelers' claim on the trophy (though we knew that was actually over sometime around week 3 of the season), I'm psyched and this is going to be an awesome game.
This game has some truly interesting elements about it. You've got the most potent offense in the league (Colts) versus the stingiest defense in the league; you've got Colt's quarterback Peyton Manning, a brilliant quarterback in his prime, already destined for the hall of fame, versus Rex Grossman of the Bears, an upstart quarterback with barely two years experience in the league and legions of football fans secretly hoping--with a Schadenfraude peculiar to sports fans--that he crashes and burns in a heaping ball of flames.
The Colts got to the big dance by coming back from an 18 point defeciet to beat the "Whoops, We're In The Playoffs Again?"-Patriots, who, with all due respect, are the closest thing the NFL has come to a dynasty since the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowls in '92, '93 and '95. The Patriots deserve respect, which is why it's incredible that the Colts did what they did against them. The Colts showed versatility, using both the pass and the run to catch up and then edge-out the Pats after the game was all but lost. I'm a Colts believer. Not a Colts fan, mind you, but a believer.
The Bears played basically a dismal game against the feel-good New Orleans Saints who, if they were not expected to win, were at least expected to show up to the game. In all fairness, the crummy weather in Chicago had a big effect on the game, it started sleeting around the middle of the first half and got progressively worse. Not the best conditions for the dome-bound Saints. Furthermore, the Saints were racked by turn-overs, with at least four in the game, and a litany of dropped interception attempts. In the end, they just couldn't pull it together, and the Bears' running game pummelled them. It sure wasn't Grossman's passing. The guy went 11 for 26 with 144 yards and one touchdown, while his counterpart, the Saints' Drew Brees, went 27 for 49 with 354 yards and 2 TDs. Compare that to nearly 200 yards and 3 TDs rushing for the Bears, to a mere 56 yards and no TDs for the Saints.
Basically, if the Colts can defend against the Bears' run, they should be in good shape, because Grossman can't do anything under pressure, let alone pass for enough yardage to wage a serious threat. The amount of passing yards they allowed from Brees shows their pass defense wasn't too slick. If they allow Manning to do that, they are finished. The Bears' only hope is to play tough defense and work the running game between Jones and Benson, and maybe flop a few passes out there. If they can do that, they'll be okay and will maybe even cover the spread, but not win. Peyton Manning wants this too badly. Granted, neither of them have ever been to the big dance, so no one knows how they will respond, however, between the two, Manning is the hands-down favorite when it comes to performing under pressure.
Personally, I'm betting on the Bears to cover the 7 point spread. Anything can happen here, but I highly doubt that will include an outright win by the Bears. Whatever you can say about Grossman, he made it this far. I look for him to get rattled in the first half and give up an INT or two, and for the Colts to lead by two TDs. Then I think Grossman will settle in and find some sort of mystical groove, maybe even pass for a TD, but mainly let the running backs to the work. That will be enough to battle back to even up the score, even with the Colts piling on an extra couple of TDs. Whatever happens, in the end I think the Colts will give it just enough to take the game.
The only other alternative in my mind is that the Colts blast the Bears from the very beginning under a relentless passing assault. The Colts let it get somewhat close in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, just so it stays exciting and doesn't look like they are running up the score, but then they'll just end up pummelling the hapless Bears.
Still, I'd bet on the Bears to cover.
This game has some truly interesting elements about it. You've got the most potent offense in the league (Colts) versus the stingiest defense in the league; you've got Colt's quarterback Peyton Manning, a brilliant quarterback in his prime, already destined for the hall of fame, versus Rex Grossman of the Bears, an upstart quarterback with barely two years experience in the league and legions of football fans secretly hoping--with a Schadenfraude peculiar to sports fans--that he crashes and burns in a heaping ball of flames.
The Colts got to the big dance by coming back from an 18 point defeciet to beat the "Whoops, We're In The Playoffs Again?"-Patriots, who, with all due respect, are the closest thing the NFL has come to a dynasty since the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowls in '92, '93 and '95. The Patriots deserve respect, which is why it's incredible that the Colts did what they did against them. The Colts showed versatility, using both the pass and the run to catch up and then edge-out the Pats after the game was all but lost. I'm a Colts believer. Not a Colts fan, mind you, but a believer.
The Bears played basically a dismal game against the feel-good New Orleans Saints who, if they were not expected to win, were at least expected to show up to the game. In all fairness, the crummy weather in Chicago had a big effect on the game, it started sleeting around the middle of the first half and got progressively worse. Not the best conditions for the dome-bound Saints. Furthermore, the Saints were racked by turn-overs, with at least four in the game, and a litany of dropped interception attempts. In the end, they just couldn't pull it together, and the Bears' running game pummelled them. It sure wasn't Grossman's passing. The guy went 11 for 26 with 144 yards and one touchdown, while his counterpart, the Saints' Drew Brees, went 27 for 49 with 354 yards and 2 TDs. Compare that to nearly 200 yards and 3 TDs rushing for the Bears, to a mere 56 yards and no TDs for the Saints.
Basically, if the Colts can defend against the Bears' run, they should be in good shape, because Grossman can't do anything under pressure, let alone pass for enough yardage to wage a serious threat. The amount of passing yards they allowed from Brees shows their pass defense wasn't too slick. If they allow Manning to do that, they are finished. The Bears' only hope is to play tough defense and work the running game between Jones and Benson, and maybe flop a few passes out there. If they can do that, they'll be okay and will maybe even cover the spread, but not win. Peyton Manning wants this too badly. Granted, neither of them have ever been to the big dance, so no one knows how they will respond, however, between the two, Manning is the hands-down favorite when it comes to performing under pressure.
Personally, I'm betting on the Bears to cover the 7 point spread. Anything can happen here, but I highly doubt that will include an outright win by the Bears. Whatever you can say about Grossman, he made it this far. I look for him to get rattled in the first half and give up an INT or two, and for the Colts to lead by two TDs. Then I think Grossman will settle in and find some sort of mystical groove, maybe even pass for a TD, but mainly let the running backs to the work. That will be enough to battle back to even up the score, even with the Colts piling on an extra couple of TDs. Whatever happens, in the end I think the Colts will give it just enough to take the game.
The only other alternative in my mind is that the Colts blast the Bears from the very beginning under a relentless passing assault. The Colts let it get somewhat close in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, just so it stays exciting and doesn't look like they are running up the score, but then they'll just end up pummelling the hapless Bears.
Still, I'd bet on the Bears to cover.
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