Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind

It’s that wonderful time of year again where we all gather around a feast of snacks, chili, and hot wings and yell at our TVs in an effort to sway the outcome of the biggest football game of the year.  The best part is that this year’s game looks like it will be a fantastic one to watch. 

Around week five or six, everybody was relatively convinced that the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints would meet in the championship game.  By around week ten, it was almost a sure thing as long as something unexpected didn’t occur during the playoffs.  Now that everyone’s expectations have been met, it’s time to dive into Sunday’s matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts are best described as the Mercedes Benz of the National Football League.  Their machine-like precision during the game is an incredible thing to watch.  Peyton Manning completes passes as if he’s threading a needle.  The ball will either be caught, or it will be intercepted, and he’s proven that he is a good enough quarterback to make the completion nearly every time.  Manning was intercepted only 16 times in 571 pass attempts this season.  His offensive line is fantastic, giving him ample time to choose his best receiver and launch the ball down the field.  His two favorite guys are wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark.  Between the two, they represent over 2,300 yards of offense and 20 touchdowns.  Pierre Garcon had a big game during the AFC championship, so keep a lookout for him as well.

The Colts running game isn’t stellar, as their main running back, Joseph Addai has rushed for a little over 800 yards.  However, that’s not to say that he isn’t able to get out and run.  If his offensive line works with him and he can get some good blocks down field, Addai can be a very explosive player who should not be underestimated. 

The Colts defense is middle of the road as far as numbers go.  They tend to allow a decent amount of rushing yards and are ranked 18th in the league for total yards allowed per game.  It must be said, though, that they have clearly gotten the job done this season and the Colts are not just an offense team.  The Colts may also be without their star defensive end, Dwight Freeney, due to a lower ankle injury that could keep him out of the game.  As of now, his appearance is questionable.  If he isn’t able to play, the Colts’ defense will need to be extra vigilant to make up for his absence.  They’ll need to stay very focused this week to battle against the Saints’ powerful offense.

If the Colts are like a Mercedes, the Saints are like a brand new pickup truck filled with wolves.  They’re powerful, durable, and very, very hungry.  The team is led on offense by quarterback Drew Brees, who has had an amazing season.  Speaking strictly numbers, Brees is almost identical to Peyton Manning.  He’s reliable, with only 11 interceptions occurring in 514 pass attempts this season.  He’s also got some great receivers in Colston, Henderson, Meachem, Shockey, and the multi-talented Reggie Bush.  Brees has come up against some tough teams in the post season and has proved that he can keep his composure and bring his team out on top.

On the ground, the Saints are ranked 6th in the league and have Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas, and Reggie Bush to thank for that.  The three of them represent a solid running force that the Colts are going to have to pay close attention to if they hope to make them ineffective.  They all have the ability to get to the side and bolt down the field. 

Defensively, the Saints are similar to the Colts and fall mostly middle of the road in terms of numbers.  That aside, they’ve gone up against the Arizona Cardinals, who they dominated, and the Minnesota Vikings, who they also ended up beating in the NFC Championship, in their last two games.  Both teams have huge offenses and the Saints’ defense was able to contain them effectively. 

Bottom line: the key to this game is defense.  For the Saints to win, they will need to put the same amount of pressure on Manning that they did on Favre two weeks ago.  If they can shut down Manning, the Colts offensive machine falls apart and the wolves will be free to dine.  If they’re unable to do that, Peyton and his crew will run right over them without thinking twice.  The Colts also need to be strong on defense as well.  With Dwight Freeney’s involvement in question, Drew Brees will be able to look forward to reduced pressure after the snap.  If he’s given room, Brees will make them regret it.

Either way, I have a feeling that this game should be a fight to the finish between two teams who specialize in acquiring endzone real estate.

SCORE UPDATE:

After the dust settled on Sunday’s match up, the New Orleans Saints pulled off their first Superbowl win in franchise history.  They beat the Colts 31 to 17. 

The game started off in favor of the Colts as they led the game 10 to 6 going into halftime.  The Saints didn’t play terribly in the first half, but they desperately needed to start scoring touchdowns.  The second half started with a surprise for the Colts.  The Saints lined up for a regular kick off, but caught the Colts unaware when they executed an onside kick instead.  The ball bounced off a Colts player and was recovered by the Saints, giving them possession of the ball at mid field.  Shortly after that, they scored their first touchdown and had momentum on their side.  Shortly after, the Colts managed to get Joseph Addai into the end zone to give them back the lead 17 to 16. 

That Saints’ next big scoring drive was finished with a touchdown and a 2 point conversion that just barely happened, giving them a 7 point lead.  As the Colts attempted to bring the game back even, Peyton Manning threw an interception.  Tracy Porter jumped in front of the intended receiver and ran the ball back 74 yards for a Saints touchdown and the nail in the coffin for the Colts.  The Colts’ next drive stalled near the goal line and the Saints took a knee to run out the clock and claim their victory.