The media loves stories. They just love to sink their teeth into something, make it sound so much sweeter and run with it. As with anything that comes out of the Super Bowl you need to have that story that can lead you into the 2010 season.

The New Orleans Saints shock the world, rebuild and become world champs…check! Will Brett Favre return in 2010…check! Will we have football in 2011…check! Now the story that is making me scratch my head now is the story the media has developing for the Super Bowl XLIV runner-ups, the Indianapolis Colts.

Now the media needed to develop something for the Indianapolis Colts because the day after the Super Bowl…scratch that, HOURS after the Super Bowl…scratch that too, MINUTES after the Super Bowl they need to give a story to lead into next season for the Colts. Now I am not an Indianapolis Colts fan, I don’t like them, I don’t hate them but the story the media developed for them going into the offseason made me ask my television if it still had integrity. My television of course did not respond.

Moments after the Super Bowl, I tuned into the great four letter network located in Connecticut. The network had a good NFL analyst on who at one time (I can’t believe I’m going to write this) lead his team to a Super Bowl Championship. His name is Trent Dilfer.

The story he brought up that the media would run with the next day on the Indianapolis Colts is something weeks prior we would never even consider. He asked: “Could Peyton Manning win the big one again?” I feel like I have heard that questions asked before…hmmm…let me go back a couple years back prior to the Super Bowl that pitted the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears and people were asking the same exact thing. How would this game affect the legacy of Peyton Manning?

Peyton Manning and the Colts ended up winning the Super Bowl. Peyton’s quest was complete as he could officially say he could win “the big one.” So now we are asking ourselves whether or not the only 4-time NFL MVP can make it back to the Super Bowl and win another Championship. We are asking ourselves now whether or not Peyton’s legacy will be remembered for the 4 NFL Championships or not being able to rack in massive amount of Vince Lombardi trophies.

I get it. The NFL analysts love to compare Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They are the two top Quarterbacks in the NFL…wait a second, now all of a sudden people are putting Drew Brees into that exact same category. Remember when Drew Brees was fighting for his job in San Diego and people were questioning what was next for Brees? Now all of a sudden (and rightfully so) Drew Brees popularity is higher then that of President Obama following his inauguration. Republicans should run Brees in 2012.

My personal opinion is Peyton Manning is one of the best Quarterbacks of all-time, if not the best. Can you ever remember a Quarterback who could truly affect the performance of his team every Sunday? Peyton has carried that franchise on his back since he was drafted. He made receivers like Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark into great players; one of the reasons why Manning is such a good player, he makes the players around him better, similar to that of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

So here we are again trying to develop some sort of pressure upon the shoulders of the best Quarterback/player in the NFL today. Screw asking ourselves whether or not Peyton can win a Championship…he’s already done that! We should now ask ourselves whether or not we will see #18 on the field on Super Bowl Sunday ever again. Let’s create some pressure so we keep an eye on Peyton throughout the rest of his amazing, first ballot hall-of-famer career.

Will we see #18 back on the field on Super Bowl Sunday? Who knows, I’m a Green Bay Packers fan that was convinced in 1998 after losing to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl that Favre would be back in a Super Bowl someday. As we know, that has never happened since. One never knows what will happen to a career but I wouldn’t bet against Peyton Manning.

To try and define someone’s career on whether or not they can reach the pinnacle of their sports is something we all understand. To be the man, you must beat the man. Peyton has climbed that mountain before and it will have it struggles, but to ask ourselves whether or not someone can do it again is a little much. The sports media needs to look at the negative of a situation and create an obstacle for a team or an athlete.

Manning and the Colts will be motivated going into 2010, it’s a young team, a different version of the Super Bowl Championship team and I’m not going to put money down on saying Manning will never get there again. When it’s all said and done Manning will probably hold just about every Quarterback record, making him statistically the greatest of all-time. The argument of who is the greatest is another story but when it comes to reaching that championship pinnacle again how could you bet against a 4-time NFL MVP, the only one in the history of the NFL?

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

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If you ever look @ Mike Lupica’s headshot in the Daily News you’ll notice almost a wee bit of a sneer, sort of a “hey take me seriously because I do type of look”…he’s one of the best we have writing sports and he was around when you could smoke cigars in bars and all of the “iconics” were playing, reporting, and drinking together, for that I love his column. Plus he goes on Imus which is only the greatest show on radio if you know anything about good radio…. Aside from those infomercials for the Dean Martin Show, Club Lupica is the only place you can go for a Toots Shore reference in the year 2010. I do find myself agreeing with a good amount of his political view points although I will call him on the whiny way he goes about expressing him. He writes politics the way he writes sports and I don’t think it translates well. And he always talks about guys who “find religion a little late in the service” which is a great line but he’s also one of those guys who decided to go all MSNBC on us when it became fashionable to start piling on the last administration….that being said (you know what’s coming, this is the classic, don’t get me wrong I have nothing against black people, BUT DID YOU EVER NOTICE HOW.)

I have to call out Mikey Sneers on his Peyton Manning take after SB XLIV….He chided the greatest regular season qb of all time for amongst other things, not doing the midfield handshake with Brees and Sean Payton…..here’s the thing Sneers…..anyone mad that ‘ol “Peyday” didn’t give us the on-field handshake needs to read a book about the power of positive thinking and get over their need to wallow in someone else’s defeat. It’s this exact mentality that is the reason we have the first week of American idol, where people intentionally act like horrible singers so the rest of the country can feel good about themselves….it’s sad when you think about what network producers think of YOU THE VIEWER….when they program A.I. they’re basically looking at you as someone who looks at it this way: hey my boss is a ball-bag, I’m working to death for no money, my wife won’t bang me, BUT AT LEAST I DON’T SING LIVING ON A PRAYER AS BAD AS THAT GUY….THIS SHOW IS AWESOME!!!!!!! Hey Senor Sneers, how about focusing on the positive achievement of the Saints and writing an article about Drew Brees and his kid and giving readers the kind of inspiration they really need? I know Peyday INTENTIONALLY blew off the handshake which sounds a little off putting until you realize what else went on in the NFL this weekend, ahem Rex “The Bird” Ryan, and Warren “Ike Turner” Sapp…..Dante Stallworth, Stephen Jackson (who got off) ….. I’ll quote another lefty for the road on this one……”give peace a chance” Mikey Sneers!!!! See that wasn’t so bad, was it?

- Has anyone else noticed that Steve Phillips and Ex-VP nominee John Edwards are pretty much the same guy?? How big is the sleaze quotient on Phillips? And now he’s doing the talk show circuit to apologize, i.e. campaign for a new job. Typical interview “blah blah blah”, someone hire me on their sports network, hurt my family, “blah blah”, team player, “blah blah”, learned I had a problem, “blah blah”…..and you KNOW Phillips kept his socks on when he drilled that young feruling up in Bristol….

- Happy Super Bowl one more time. I just can’t say it enough because it’s the only happy you can wish anyone and still include the title of the holiday……so happy Super Bowl….and sorry for not wishing ya’ll a few extra Merry Christmas’ as I would have been sued..and lets face it when your 33 and driving a yellow cab in Manhattan you’re not doing it because there’s a surplus of cash in your life…..

- The Saints have taken Super Bowl XLIV and the big easy is getting ready to “party with Lombardi” this week as the “who dats” return home with their first NFL Crown since I used them in Super Tecmo Bowl in 1991. It’s going be a hell of a time down there, as it should be, because it doesn’t get any bigger than….THIS….but that’s in New Orleans….what I want to talk about is the celebration that will ensue up here, in the Northeast, where we will undoubtedly see hundreds of BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW SAINTS LIDS all over the sidewalks this week, not because we have any Saints fans up here but this is a MAJOR FRONT RUNNING TOWN…MAJOR….don’t believe me, ask anyone who saw the viral spread of Red Sox hats in 04…you couldn’t go to a street corner in this town and not see a Boston hat, they were like the Duane Reade drug stores of HAT. Good luck finding one now, with the Yanks taking the whole thing this year, there’s suddenly a Red Sox hat famine….seriously if you ask the average Saints hoodie wearing schmuck you see outside of Penn Station this week to name 2 guys on the Saints don’t be surprised to see them get stuck at Peyton Manning. But Jim, Peyton Manning isn’t on the saints………EXACTLY!!!! I’m not writing this because I have a problem with all the front running, as a Raider fan I totally empathize with the need to be around a winning team once in a while. All I’m sayin’ is at least cut the tags off your hat and bend the brim a little bit so we can at least create the illusion that you were with em’ all along. If you’re going front run, at least be discreet!!!!

- Got to send a big shout out for the guy who filled in for the WHEELHOUSE Sunday and told every body how to bet the super bowl…that was some impressive stuff…..what was his name again? I can’t remember, but I remember him sayin’ something about driving a cab….and being a no name comic who’s appearing @ Comix this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday….p.s. go to another blog if you’d like your days of the week capitalized!!!!!

- Roger Goodell announced that he wants to enact stricter rules to limit concussions. How about rules to limit the amount of Super Bowl commercials where animals act like people? How many violin playing beavers can you laugh at, middle America?

- And no pun intended but speaking of beavers, how bout that Danica Patrick making it to NASCAR. I die laughing when I hear someone mention what a big moment this is for women because she has made her way into this all male sport and forced her to take them seriously. As if she’s relevant for any reasons that have to do with her driving ability! I’m fine with integrating women into big time pro sports but not just so we can say we did. My advice to Danica, stop simulating sex with Megan Fox and learn how to drive. Your rise to prominence is the epitome of what the whole women’s rights movement is supposed to be against. Talk about objectification….really, has anyone ever seen a cheaper marketing ploy in sports??? Whose goning sponsor her car, HANDCREAM????? If you want to be a pro athlete, be a pro athlete! If you want to be a pornstar, be a pornstar…

Following XLIV who feels worse, Colts fans or Vikings fans? The Vikes SO SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT GAME!!!!!! friggin FARV- RUH……….. 7 turnovers against a team they completely DOMINATED….the Colts turn it over once (not counting the brilliant onsider) and it cost em the game….the Vikes turned it over SEVEN TIMES before it finally caught up to them…the good news, Vikes fans, is you were probably the best team in the league this year. The BAD NEWS………we end with a quote for extra credit…..

“the flowers you gave me, are just about to die, but when I think about what COULD’VE BEEN, it makes me want to cry”

WHO THE HELL ELSE HAS THE CONFIDENCE TO CLOSE ON A TIFFANY SONG???????

Jimmy Failla can be reached at JIMFAILLA@yahoo.com or the Ann Service Taxi Dispatch on w’ 21st street because he’s making something of his life. Honest.

Jimmy Failla is a guest contributor “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can catch out Jimmy Failla at his official website at www.jimmyfailla.com you can also check out his blog at http://jimmyfailla.blogspot.com/

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The confetti is still on the ground in Miami from the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XLIV win, yet the Vegas oddsmakers are already looking towards next year. The very early odds are out for Super Bowl XLV. Even with a win over the Colts, the Saints are not favored to repeat. In a sign of outright disrespect, the Indianapolis Colts and a team that didn’t even get out of the Wild Card round have better odds to win Super Bowl XLV than the Who Dat Nation.

The Indianapolis Colts Top the list of favorites to win Super Bowl XLV with 13-2 odds. It is hard to bet against a team that could have went undefeated in the regular season if not for their own undoing. Surprising or not, the San Diego Chargers come in as the second favorite with 8-1 odds. The New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints round out the top tier both with 10-1 odds to win next season’s Super Bowl.

Obviously these odds don’t mean a whole heck of a lot seven months before the next NFL regular season starts. Although, I am surprised that the Chargers and Patriots are such heavy favorites. The Chargers are likely to lose LaDainian Tomlinson and are perennial underachievers under Norv Turner. The Patriots young defense was exposed in the playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens and several times throughout the regular season. Looking at the top tier, I think the Saints are the best bargain at 10-1 odds.

I thought it would be fun to look back at the first Super Bowl XLIV odds from last year. So how well did Vegas do and what kind of bargains could you have gotten if you placed your Super Bowl bets last February? Vegas didn’t do so well last year in predicting this year’s Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants were the Super Bowl favorites last February. Neither team even made the playoffs this season. This can’t bode well for Colts and Chargers fans in looking at this year’s early odds.

Vegas did a much better job in picking the next three teams. The Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, and Baltimore Ravens followed the Steelers and Giants as favorites. If you placed your bet with Indianapolis back in February, you could have gotten 12-1 odds. 12-1 odds aren’t that bad at all for a team that had a good shot at going undefeated. By the start of the season, those odds dropped to 8-1. Not that the Colts won, but you would be sitting pretty going into Sunday’s game if you had the Colts with 12-1 odds.

Interestingly enough, the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints came in ninth on the list of teams predicted to win Super Bowl XLIV back in February. If you bet the Saints at this time last year, you got 20-1 odds, and chances are that you are still partying on Bourbon Street.  In retrospect, the Saints were probably the best bargain on the list even at this time last year.

I always enjoy looking at these lists now because there is usually a 20-1 or even 30-1 team that makes a big run next season. I don’t see anyone of the bottom of this list making that run next season. The Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all come in with 100-1 odds. I’d say the three best bets are the Houston Texans with 35-1 odds, the Tennessee Titans with 25-1 odds, or the New York Giants at 20-1.

So take these odds for what their worth, not much. Then again, these guys know what they are doing most of the time when they make these odds. Yet, there is no accounting for free agency, coaching changes, injuries, and the NFL Draft when you are looking at Super Bowl odds before the offseason even begins. As the Saints showed, a 20-1 odd favorite has just as much of a chance as a 12-1 favorite has at winning the Super Bowl twelve months before kickoff.

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I had a guy in my cab yesterday that worked in forensic accounting. For those of you who don’t know what that is (like me before I picked him up @ Grand Central) what these guys do is find the hidden income of wealthy individuals or corporations by examining their books and ID’ing the trouble signs. It’s kind of like body language experts who can tell a person is lying by the way their eyes look to the left when they’re talking. Forensic accountants are masters at the body language of accounting. This guy worked on Enron and he is now involved in determining who gets paid out in the Bernie Madoff sweepstakes. Fascinating conversation but based on the tip it’s safe to say he hasn’t kept too much of the hidden money for himself.

Luckily I won’t need it this week because after a playoff run in which I went 9-1 for all of you unappreciative assbags (hello talk radio host Mike Bower) I have done the forensic accounting of Super Bowl XLIV and found out where the money is being hidden. Literally hidden! And not just in this game but in every Super Bowl to come! I’m serious.

Anyone that has ever heard me talk about gambling on the radio, a little league game or a dance recital for that matter knows that I am a huge proponent of betting every game for the same amount of money. It is the single most important reason that I have come out ahead every football season since 1993. The reason I find this so important is because if you commit to bet every game equally it takes alot of the emotion out of the process and decreases the chances of you going on tilt after a tough loss and making a bunch of dumb bets. (Tilt the state of mind, not the Michael Madsen vehicle on ESPN)

Placing equal bets also accentuates a winning record by ensuring that you get paid. Sadly, to most people who bet football having a winning record rarely equates to making money. Think about it. How many times have you gone 5-2 in a weekend and lost money because you bet the five wins for a hundo and the two losses for a nickel and a dime. It’s maddening! You have to bet them all the same. People who bet in varying increments are a bookies dream!!! Even if it works for you on a small sample of games over the course of time “betting the big game” has a way turning your bank roll into the last shot of Steve Buscemi in Fargo. I cannot stress this enough. If you are seriously trying to gamble and come out ahead you must bet them all the same.

The Super Bowl is no different. If you’re gonna bet it every year you have to employ the same type of strategy. Mine, without further ado, is this. Bet the underdog in the Super Bowl to win the game outright every single year for the rest of my life. Tha’s right, forget the spread and bet The Saints +180 to win the game! A five hundred dollar bet will pay you nine hundred american bucks!

A lot of people will want to know why. Is it the limited mobility of Freeney, then the “remember me” hits of the Saints D? Maybe someone has finally found a way to confuse Peyton Manning by changing the name of the Stadium every other possession. Nope it’s bigger than all that. It’s not about pass rushers, or average starting field position it’s about FORENSIC ACCOUNTING.

I know at first it sounds highly implausible that their could be money hidden on the most heavily bet game in the universe but when you look at the money line in this game for a few minutes you wind up having a Robert Langdon moment where you decipher a hidden code.

Here is the deal: the team favored to win the Super Bowl has won the game 32 times in 43 tries (75%) so on the surface it would seem simple to bet the favorite on the money line every single year because you’re going to win 75% of the time. But if you look a little deeper you’ll see the trouble signs.

Although favorites win the Super Bowl (without the spread) 75% of the time they are usually doing so at a money line that is extremely high. (avg. price for the 43 favorites is around -500 which means for every hundred you win on a Super Bowl favorite, you lose five!! This year the Colts are laying -210 which means a hundred on the colts will cost you 210 if you lose. (It’s really not bad when you consider a hundred on the COLTS in Super Bowl III would have lost you $1600!!!!!) If you bet the Saints for a hundo it would pay you 180. If you lost it you’d only be out that same hundo and there in lays the value.

Since Super Bowl I betting the underdog on the money line for a five hundred a game would give you a won lost record of 11 wins and 32 losses but you’d be up eleven thousand five hundred dollars. Don’t get me wrong there’d be a ton of games you didn’t like (‘94 Chargers over the Niners comes to mind) but if you stuck it out with this strategy you are bound to get paid. Just don’t count on winning the bet every year (or every three years for that matter). The dog wins the game outright slightly better than once every 4 years. I know this sounds boring and reserved but if you want to make money that’s exactly what you need to be.

Often times the guy you hear celebrating at the Borgata on Saturday night because he’s winning five dime black jack hands is often the same guy you see Sunday morning betting 20 bucks a hand because the excitement made it impossible to walk away and now it’s all gone. It truly is the worst gambling feeling in the world. I’m sure some of you have been there, tipping the waitress a hundred a round, paying people to hit their 16 because you plan on doubling down, lost behind stacks of chips that look like the New York City Skyline. But rather than walking away you keep playing and now you have the Philadelphia Skyline which eventually becomes the Columbus Ohio skyline and then alas, Sioux City. Keep the emotion out of the process and place the boring bet. Believe me I KNOW how boring this sounds but it’s not nearly as boring as Sioux City.

….As far as betting the game on an individual basis I think the Colts are going to destroy them for some reason. The only thing scaring me is that everybody I talk to feels the same way. If I was going one game I would lay the 210 and bet the Colts simply to win the game. Unfortunately or fortunately I have pretty good discipline so I will stick to the money line strategy that I’ve employed since the year 2000. (3-7, up $2500).

If you really plan on betting the Super Bowl every year I have a strategy that cannot lose over the course of time.

Why you ask? Is it because of the limited mobility of Dwight Freeney or the turnover inducing the “remember me” hits of their defense? Is Reggie Wayne’s knee really that bad? Has the ever changing name of the Dolphins Stadium confused Peyton Manning?

Jimmy Failla can be reached at JIMFAILLA@yahoo.com or the Ann Service Taxi Dispatch on w’ 21st street because he’s making something of his life. Honest.

Jimmy Failla is a guest contributor “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can catch out Jimmy Failla at his official website at www.jimmyfailla.com you can also check out his blog at http://jimmyfailla.blogspot.com/

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

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Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

There are only a few hours left until one of the biggest sporting events of the year: Super Bowl XLIV. It is also one of the biggest sports betting days of the year, and the Super Bowl line is set with the Colts favored by around 5 points.

After picking a winner, take some time and pick your most valuable player. Since the Super Bowl odds favor Indianapolis, the MVP will likely come from the Colts.

There is no need to be cunning; Peyton Manning is and should be the favorite to be the MVP. Not that we need to list the reasons, but he is the best quarterback in the league, and he is at the top of his game. He can manage, lead, and find any way to win. The Colts quarterback is known around the league as the most prepared player each and every Sunday, and with two weeks to focus on the biggest game of the year, Manning will be ready.

Manning means a great deal to not only the current league, but to its history as well. Even if one of his receivers has a strong game, it is still likely the voters will opt for Manning simply because of his work ethic and leadership. He is one of the few players that makes everyone better around him.

However, if we want to try to be clever, there may be few x factors who can benefit from Manning and earn the MVP as a result in an upset. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon was the best receiver on the field in the AFC Championship game against the Jets with his big performance. Manning spreads the ball around and will throw to who ever is open. The New Orleans Saints, like the Jets, simply do not have enough defensive backs to cover all the Colts weapons.

And now for a deep MVP sleeper. Should the Colts prevail, it will of course be under the leadership and game management of Peyton Manning. His play calling is superior, and when the Saints are ready for a passing play, he will not hesitate to turn to the run and Joseph Addai. The overlooked Colts running back has had a fine year and has a shot to break out this coming Sunday. Firstly, the Saints to do not have a good running defense which favors Addai. Secondly, with all eyes on Manning and his wide outs, there should be more lanes for the Colts backs to operate. Thirdly, should the Colts get up big, they can and will run the clock and run the ball.

The MVP picks, over/under, and other prop bets make for a very exciting day. There are betting services available to help manage all the selections and possibilities. Manning is the way to go for the MVP, but if you want a big more risk and reward, check out Garcon and Addai for the Colts as well. And if you’re convinced of a Saints upset, look to Pierre Thomas to lead the way on the ground.

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Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

For one week of the year, sports fans that live and die every week with the NFL come together with those that haven’t watched a snap of football since last year. Whether you are watching due to Super Bowl betting, bonding with your significant other, looking for a good party, or actually care about the game, chances are good you will be watching Super Bowl XLIV. For fans of the game like myself, I couldn’t be anymore excited about the possibilities of this year’s matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.

It has taken years to get a matchup this good on paper in the Super Bowl. Not since Super Bowl XXXII can I remember a game promising this much hype, this much intrigue, and this much offense. Like Super Bowl XXXII, the headliners in this game will be the quarterbacks. Can Peyton Manning and Drew Brees live up to the drama provided by Brett Favre and John Elway twelve years ago? Not only do I think they can, but I think this has the potential to be the most exciting Super Bowl of this generation.

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints combined to score almost 1,000 total points this season. The Saints led the NFL with 64 overall touchdowns during the regular season. The Colts weren’t far behind them, finishing fourth in overall touchdowns with 53. While eight of the Saints touchdowns came from the defense, 51 of the Colts touchdowns came on offense. This one promises to be an offensive show for the ages.

The Indianapolis Colts come into the game as the favorite. Vegas odds have them somewhere between a -4 to a -6 favorite. That is a very interesting number if you think about it. On paper, the Colts should be an easy seven point favorite against anyone in the Super Bowl. The Colts have blown out teams in both playoff games. But guess what, so have the Saints and these guys are the real deal.

Interestingly enough, this game may be more about defense than offense. This year’s Super Bowl storyline features Colts DE Dwight Freeney. The Pro Bowl DE has ligament damage to his ankle and is officially listed as questionable for the game. Other than Peyton Manning, Freeney may be the second most important player to the Colts in a game like this. Sure, you can confuse Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco with schemes and play the turnover game. However, Drew Brees is not going to turn the ball over without any pressure. Without pressure, Brees will pick the Colts apart for four quarters and slice and dice his way to a championship. Raheem Brock will step in for Freeney if he can’t play and while my fellow Temple alumni is no slouch, he doesn’t possess the speed that Freeney has.

Speaking of defense, the New Orleans Saints come into the game with the 25th ranked defense during the NFL regular season. The Saints have definitely stepped it up in the playoffs. The Saints not only contained arguably the two best quarterbacks in the NFC, they hurt them. Has anyone seen the pictures of Brett Favre’s ankle and arm this week? Forget about looking at the sack number, the Saints got to both Warner and Favre several times throughout the game. It got so bad two weeks ago that even I was wincing in pain watching Brett Favre get up from those massive hits. This is the kind of game that could get ugly real fast for Peyton Manning if he isn’t careful.

The advantage for Manning in my opinion is that he played against two very similar defenses in the playoffs. Manning played arguably the two best defenses in the AFC in back-to-back weeks and shredded them. While the Jets did get to Manning early in the AFC championship game, Manning figured them out, and tore them apart as the game progressed. Manning also seemed to be two steps ahead of the Ravens in the divisional round, who are also a blitzing team. The Colts boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. It would shock me quite honestly to see Manning hit anywhere near as much as Warner and Favre were hit by the Saints.

On offense, it is really tough to give anyone an edge here. It is quite eerie as to how similar both of these offenses are. While both teams have their number one targets in Reggie Wayne and Marques Colston respectively, they spread the ball around so much that fantasy owners of any Colts or Saints are probably bruised from beating their heads in throughout the season in frustration. At tight end you have two of the best tight ends in the NFL opposing each other. Where the Saints have a bit of an advantage is with the second tight end. Brees seemed just as comfortable throwing to David Thomas this season as he did Jeremy Shockey. Manning doesn’t have that luxury. However, teams that double Dallas Clark or Wayne usually get bit by Pierre Garcon or Austin Collie. Just ask the Jets how that worked out for them in the title game.

The Colts and Saints also have very similar running games. Both teams go with somewhat of a three-headed monster. While Joseph Addai and Pierre Thomas are technically the starters, Donald Brown and Reggie Bush get plenty of opportunities, with Mike Hart and Mike Bell carrying the ball on short-yardage and red zone plays. Joseph Addai has been hit or miss in the postseason averaging five yards per carry last week, but with no touchdowns in the playoffs. Reggie Bush on the other hand has come alive for the Saints in the postseason with touchdowns in both games. On top of that, Reggie Bush averaged 16.8 yards on the ground against the Arizona Cardinals and 16.5 in the air last game against the Minnesota Vikings. You just have no idea where this guy is coming from!

The quarterbacks have lived up to their billing for most of the season. Peyton Manning has undoubtedly been more consistent over the entire season than Drew Brees has. As long as Manning is taking the snap, the Colts have never been out of a game. Manning and Brees each had tremendous QB ratings in the conference title games. Manning has thrown five touchdowns, while Brees has thrown six. Both quarterbacks have turned the ball over, once a piece on interceptions. The Saints had a better mix on the ground as Drew Brees threw for 444 yards in two weeks as opposed to Peyton Manning who threw for over six hundred yards.

So how does such a great game on paper end on Super Bowl Sunday? I would love to see the Saints win on Sunday. It would be a nice change of pace rather than seeing Peyton Manning’s face everywhere for another offseason. As someone that has watched NFL football for now four decades, the turnaround that Sean Payton has done with the Saints may be the best turnaround I have ever seen in years. It was only a few years ago that Saints fans had to sit through those horrendous Aaron Brooks and Bobby Hebert seasons.

At the end of the day I just don’t see Peyton Manning losing this game. It doesn’t matter if they are down three or thirty-three going into the fourth quarter. Until I see different, nobody is beating Peyton Manning this year. I just think the Colts have too many weapons on offense that at some point or another will break the will of the Saints defense. I don’t like it, but I predict another Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl win and countless hours of Peyton Manning on television cutting meat for the next six months.

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