Super Bowl XLIV

The Super Bowl “Big Game” will be played in Miami for the second time in  four years. The last time the Colts were in the Big Game, it was in Miami also (XLI). This game could have been better if both teams actually tried in the end of the year. The Saints ended the season with a 3-game losing streak and the Colts lost their last two games. This could have easily been the battle of the unbeaten for the Lombardi Trophy.

This game will have another underdog, like the Cardinals of last year, the Giants in XLII, the Bears in XLI, the Seahawks in XL. Let me say this, there have been a lot of likable underdogs playing football in February. Now, let me start talking about the game.

The Colts have the upper hand in most categories.

• Quarterback: Advantage Colts (Manning has experience in the playoffs)
• Receivers: Advantage Colts (Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, must I say more?)
• Defense: Advantage Colts (Even though the Saints have Darren Sharper and the Colts will not have a healthy Dwight Freeny, the Colts are better)
• Coach: Advantage Saints (The Colts have a new coach, while Sean Payton is a veteran.)
• Experience: Advantage Colts (They’ve won in Miami in the playoffs before)

I think the Colts will win over the Saints, but it will not be easy. People have been saying that Peyton Manning will throw for over 400 yards, which is very unlikely. The Saints have been preparing for the Colts and Peyton Manning for two weeks. If they cannot stop him despite practicing for two weeks for one opponent, the Saints do not deserve to win.

For some reason, this game does not interest me at all. I’ll probably watch parts of the game and the Halftime Show for sure. In the first half, the teams will be conservative and not go for any big plays. Hopefully, the first half of commercials is more entertaining than the first half of low-scoring football.

My Picks: This will not be a low-scoring game. It will be two strong offenses against okay defenses. No one will score more than 35 points this year. I think the Colts will come through in the second half and grab their second victory in four years.

Jets stun Colts – End pursuit of perfection

The Colts cannot do what Tom Brady and the Patriots did two years ago, which may be good. The Colts finally lost a game, ending their perfect season and their NFL-record 23-regular season game win streak.

The quarterback comparison for the past few years has always been between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. People will always remember the Patriots going 16-0 in the regular season. However, the season didn’t end as perfect as they wished. They lost Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, AZ, ending their season with a record of 18-1.

The Colts look to end the same way the Patriots did, 18-1. They finally lost a game, which they would like to lose in the regular season and not in the playoffs.

This loss, however, will end with controversy. Peyton Manning and other starters were benched in order to conserve their energy for the playoffs, despite already having a first-round bye. Jets coach Rex Ryan hoped that the Colts’ starters would be benched but he did not think his dream would come true. The Jets came back to win 29-15

NFL Week 16 Brief Overview

*From original Blogspot Blog. Original Date: 12-27-2009

Saints vs. Buccaneers: Drew Brees and the Saints must bounce back after a tough Saturday night loss to Dallas last week. Tampa Bay is also coming off their second win in Seattle. They key for the game is to limit turnovers and put points on the board early. Drew Brees was sacked on the final Saints drive in the game against Dallas and fumbled the ball. Without that fumble the Saints could have scored which would tie it or win the game with a two-point conversion. If the Saints scored in the first quarter, however, the game would have been completely different. They’re wouldn’t have been as big, if any, deficit. I believe that the Saints are no longer worrying about a perfect season and are aiming to make the Super Bowl. I believe that they will win today and will end the season at 15-1.

Cardinals vs. Rams: Arizona is coming off their second playoff berth in a row. After winning the NFC West last year, they lost two games against the Vikings and Patriots, only managing to score 21 points total in those two games. However, the Cardinals look to go 2-0 after making the playoffs again. The Rams, well, are the Rams. They boast a 1-13 record, posting a win against the currently improving Detroit Lions in Week 8. The Cardinals had trouble last week against the Lions. After being up 17-0 at halftime, Arizona gave up 17 points in the 3rd Quarter, including a 100-yard interception return for Louis Delmas and a 64-yard rushing touchdown for Maurice Morris. The Cardinals defense, which only allowed Adrian Peterson only 19 yards, let Morris rush for 126 yards. If the Cardinals want to beat the St. Louis Rams, they need to step up their defense. If they don’t step up their defense, I believe they can still win. Larry Fitzgerald is questionable, but the Cardinals will still win.

Jets vs. Colts: The Colts eye a perfect 16-0 record, which is easily within their reach. However, they recently signed QB Drew Willy to their practice squad. Peyton Manning says he wants to play the regular season out and prepare for the playoffs. With their first-round bye, however, they will have an extra week to prepare. To keep it brief, the Colts will go 16-0 with or without Manning.