Super Bowl Preview – Peyton’s Place
As the betting on Super Bowl 2010 odds heats up, the bookmakers are wondering if Peyton Manning and the Colts can win their second Super Bowl of the decade. Manning has an uphill climb, but he also may be able to exploit a Saints secondary that makes gambles of their own.
The Saints secondary is great at taking the ball away from the opposing offense. They intercepted the ball 26 times in the regular season and 3 times in the playoffs. But facing interception-prone QBs such as Brett Favre can help to boost the stats of any secondary. Peyton Manning is a dynamic and precision passer who only throws an average of one pick a game. They may get to Manning, but they will be hard-pressed to get him to make any mistakes.
On the Saints side of the ball, you have to wonder if guys like Reggie Bush and Jeremy Shockey are ready for this kind of spotlight. Last year Bush disappeared in the offense when Deuce McAllister was injured and Bush was called on to carry the load. Reggie Bush does not carry the load in New Orleans anymore, but it will be interesting to see how he responds to pressure.
Jeremy Shockey’s history of being a less than helpful teammate may rear its ugly head again in this pressure situation. There is nothing higher for a football player than the Super Bowl, and Shockey has shown glimpses of cracking under much less pressure in the past.
Super Bowl XLIV will be a shoot-out between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. While there is no questioning the leadership of Drew Brees, there is a very good chance that Peyton Manning has been grooming his young receivers for this moment all season long. When Peyton Manning wants something, he usually goes out and gets it.
Pick: Colts 21-17