While the New Orleans Saints are clear underdogs, they should be quite confident heading into Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints are going to shock the world Sunday when they knock off Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
When the Colts take the field Sunday, it won’t be a repeat of Super Bowl XLI when they faced an inept Bears squad. In the Colts’ return trip to Miami, they will face the NFL’s most prolific offense. Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints posted 94 more points this season than the Colts.
As the week progresses, it looks less and less like defensive end Dwight Freeney, the Colts’ best defensive player, will even be able to participate in the Super Bowl as he is still yet to practice. Even if he does play, he obviously won’t be his typical, disruptive self. That being the case, the Saints’ offensive line can focus on stopping Robert Mathis, giving Brees time to pick apart the Colts’ secondary.
Brees will spread the ball around to his various playmakers, including Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey. Shockey will be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, having missed out on playing in the last Super Bowl his team was a part of, when the New York Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
The Saints also hold the advantage in special teams, simply by having the x-factor in Bush. In the return game, he is a touchdown waiting to happen and he has been explosive for the Saints throughout the playoffs.
Beyond Bush, Saint’s kicker Garrett Hartley has proven his worth by blasting the game-winning field goal in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. Hartley hasn’t missed a kick the entire postseason and looks as poised as anyone when he steps on the field.
As for the Colts’ offense, Manning will have his hands full with the Saints’ ball-hawkingdefense. The Saints, led by safety Darren Sharper, forced the Cardinals into two turnovers and Minnesota into five.
The Saints’ defense also battered both Brett Favre and Kurt Warner repeatedly through their games, which pushed both quarterbacks off their game. Being able to rattle two great veterans like Favre and Warner is something to hang your hat on.
While Manning is the best in the league at facing a blitz, the Saints do an exceptional job of disguising blitz packages and their coverage. As good as Manning is, he can’t complete passes if he’s on his back. And if the Saints are able to get to Manning early, he, like every other quarterback, will start to rush in the pocket.
Sharper acknowledged Tuesday that the team feels like it is playing for the city of New Orleans and that provides some extra motivation. Having the feeling that the whole city is behind them has helped the Saints throughout the season, and there will be no shortage of support for the Saints Sunday. The extra support could be enough to push ‘Who Dat’ over the top.
