Super Bowl XLIV
It's finally here, the moment that America has been waiting for. Super Bowl XLIV. Colts versus Saints, a matchup of the best teams from each conference. Other sports' playoff systems leave us unsatisfied as less-than-the-best teams crash championship games, causing us to doubt playoff structures. Ultimately, these systems don't pit the best teams head-to-head in a battle for supremacy. Nothing of the sort can be said of this game. The Colts had the best record in the NFL, are widely considered the best team, and have Peyton Manning. The Saints earned the NFC's best record, NFL's best scoring offense, a possible champion destiny, and the incredible Drew Brees. Short of Brett Favre returning to the Super Bowl at 38 years old to tango with Peyton Manning, this scenario is as compelling as they come.
A cloud of questions hovers over Miami less than 2 days before kickoff:
Freeney's presence on the Indy defensive line is the single most important game-changing scenario. If he plays and is disruptive to Brees, the Colts' chances increase significantly. If he doesn't play, the Colts can still win, because the Saints love to play Indy's style of game, but the Saints will hold the edge. After two weeks of speculation and analysis, that's really what it comes down to for me. I don't think the Saints can win if Freeney goes, and will need help anyway if he doesn't go. It's that simple.
If you're feeling risky, take the Saints and ride the 2009-2010 franchise of destiny. I won't criticize you in the least. I, however, can't ignore my conscience, and my conscience says to never go against Peyton Manning in a night game or a big game. The Super Bowl is both. He has been absolutely robotic all year long, and there's no reason to think that he'll stop now. The guy is the greatest quarterback ever, and will only heap more accolades on himself when he wins his second Super Bowl on Sunday night in Miami.
Colts 31 Saints 21
