With a week to go before the actual Super Bowl all I have heard is how much damage Peyton Manning is going to do to the New Orleans Saints defense. How he's going to carve them up and pick them apart, how far ahead of the curve he's going to be by having extra time to prepare for them. I do not disagree with that line of thinking at all, in fact I believe he is going to do just that. However I also think it will be at a cost, thinking back to last weekend I thought about how tough Brett Farve is and was for making it through that game. The Saints did not hide their ambitions to blitz and stuck with the plan for 4 quarters. Brett Farve is an intelligent experienced quarterback much like Peyton Manning. Manning is a surgeon when it comes to dissecting a complicated defensive scheme. I do not believe that any quarterback enjoys playing a defense that flat out pins its ears back and blitzes relentlessly. More times than not I am sure that Manning will recognize the blitz and find the weak spot in coverage. How many times will he continue to stand in there and deliver the ball when the pass rushers continue to make contact? That's the big thing when talking about a weakness for Manning, he barely gets touched. The combination of the experience of his offensive line and his mind that always seems a step ahead keeps him upright most of the season. I think where Colts opponents fail is that they try to out-think Manning, I don't understand why they waste the time trying. He is so prepared that it's probably not going to happen, why not just go after him? I believe the Saints opportunistic defense might be the perfect weapon against Manning. The constant pressure mixed with the fact that they led the league in takeaways give me the confidence to believe the Saints have a great chance of winning if not at least keeping this game close. After the ball is out of his hands Manning has no control over what happens. I think back to those years the Patriots dominated the Colts, they did so by pressuring Manning and forcing turnovers. It doesn't have to be interceptions, as we saw against the Vikings fumbles lost negates the amount of yardage you gain. The Vikings almost gained 500 yards!!! Where I ask did that get them? I URGE you to check the turnover battle.
Last I checked the Saints had the best offense in the NFL. I also believe that the Colts didn't have the best defense in the NFL. For all the talk of what Manning is going to do to the "poor" Saints defense, what is the Colts defense going to do with the Saints offense? Yes they have Freeny and Mathis, but Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson aren't walking through that door anytime soon either. The Colts secondary has done a great job stepping up in their absence against the Ravens and Jets "explosive" offenses. Excuse my sarcasm but I really don't see their defense containing the litany of weapons at Drew Brees' disposal. It was kinda sorta the BEST offense in the league!! Brees isn't exactly a slouch at the quarterback position, he nearly broke Marino's single season passing record last year with a depleted receiver corps. I see Wayne, Clark, Collie, Garcon, and Addai; I raise you Colston, Shockey, Meachem, Henderson, Moore, Bush and Thomas. I'm taking the latter and I implore you to tell me who's offense creates the bigger matchup problems. That's all for now, I just wanted the other side of the equation to be seen.
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