Unofficial Super Bowl Xliv Thread
Entry posted by MT Zehvor
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Welcome to the unofficial Boxtus Arena Super Bowl 44 Thread for the big game today. The #1 NFC team, the New Orleans Saints(15-3), will take on the #1 AFC team, the Indianapolis Colts(16-2), who I happen to hate with a passion.
Major story lines so far: Dwight Freeney, lineman for the Colts, is expected to play, but only a minimal role. Even if he does play, I seriously doubt that with a torn ligament in his foot he will be that big of a factor. So that, while it may not sound serious, could be a huge advantage for New Orleans. If a running back or tight end can get off the line without having to bump Freeney, they can get into routes quicker and be ready for the ball much sooner, meaning a lot less stress on Drew Brees to get the ball away faster.
The Saints say there are going to try and do something that has never been done: Knock Peyton Manning out of the game. New Orleans isn't afraid of the 4 time MVP, and has repeatedly said that they are going to do their best to "knock him around." Expect this plan to either work beautifully or backfire horribly. The one thing it isn't going to do is make a little bit of change in the game.
Key notes: The Colts are 2-1 all time in Super Bowls. The Saints are making their first appearance. Teams that are playing in their first Super Bowl against a team that has been there before are 8-24 all time. New Orleans is 8-0 away from the Superdome this season, Indianapolis is 16-0 in games this season that Curtis Painter does not play in. For 33 or the past 41 years, if a team originally from the NFL wins the Super Bowl, the Stock Market goes up. If a team originally from the AFL wins, the Stock Market goes down.
Indianapolis Colts notes: The Colts ranked second in the league in passing offense in the regular season and it was because of one simple reason: Peyton Manning. Manning put together an NFL-record fourth MVP-season as he led the Colts to a 14-2 record in the regular season. The Colts offensive line isn't stellar, but it has given Manning all the time he needs to throw. On the flip side, the Colts running game has been terrible. They ranked dead last in the league averaging just 80.9 yards per game in the regular season. Joseph Addai, their leading rusher, had only 828 yards in the entire season. So if the Saints find a way to stop the Colts from passing...this could be a very long night for Indy. Meanwhile, the Colts defense is going to have to be at the top of their game to figure out all the trick formations the Saints run...not good news for a defense without their leading pass rusher. The Colts did hold the Jets, the top rushing attack in the NFL, to just 83 yards in the AFC Championship, but when they faced Tom Brady and the Patriots, the #3 passing team in the league, they surrendered 34 points and won because New England decided to go for it on fourth down on their own 28 yard line with less than 2 minutes left.
New Orleans Saints notes: That one offense that was better at passing than the Colts? It's the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees had the best passer rating of anyone in the regular season, threw 70 less passes than Manning, and still only had 3 less touchdowns. The main difference between the Saints and the Colts is that the Saints can run the ball and the Colts cannot. New Orleans ranked 6th in the league in rushing, and the trio of Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas, and Reggie Bush lead a rushing attack that averaged 131.6 yards per game. Add that to the Saints already explosive passing offense, and New Orleans seems to be far ahead of the Colts already. On the other side of the ball, the Saints opportunistic defense leads the NFL in takeaways, and has 26 interceptions on the year, most in the NFL as well. This is probably the least appreciated group in the NFL, and Peyton Manning will have to be very careful with the ball in order to win this game.
Prediction: Everyone always seems to forget about how the Saints lead the league in scoring, not the Colts. Add that to the fact that all the Saints defense will have to be doing is defending the pass and not the run, while the Colts defense will need to be guarding both, and it's looking like New Orleans is going to be putting up a lot more points than Indy.
Final Score: Saints 35, Colts 24
-MT
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