Clash of the Titans

Manning versus Brees

[Comment Below]

By Jonathan Bellah

The New Orleans Saints, as everyone has already heard a thousand times, will be making their first Super Bowl appearance on Sunday and the plot could not be any better. A city that was ravaged by Mother Nature almost five years ago is suddenly revived by their beloved football team, and the man who is poised to take it all away grew up calling that city home.

The Saints' impact on the spirits and economy of the New Orleans community cannot be ignored. All you need to do is look at a picture of Bourbon Street after the NFC Championship game and it becomes clear. The Saints are a big deal; and their impact hasn't been limited to the city of New Orleans, as most of the Gulf Coast region seems to be echoing the chants of 'Who Dat?'

Fans have been anticipating this moment since the early stages of the season when the Saints were blowing out opponents in a variety of ways. There were always doubters, even amongst fans, who felt that history would only repeat itself by having the Saints blow it in the second half of the season or lose in the divisional round. There were many who expected the Saints to lose the NFC Championship game. Then, there were those who believed in the Saints all along, but they were always outnumbered.

Now, it's only natural that the Saints be underdogs when they take the field for the first time on Super Bowl Sunday.

It has been a long road for the Saints, since their first game against the LA Rams in 1967. They waited 23 years until they had a winning season and it wasn't until 2000 that the Saints found success in the playoffs. Finally, they have secured their first Super Bowl berth. It has been a long wait for Saints fans that have been fans since the beginning, but all of them will tell you it was well worth it. Good things come to those who wait.

The matchups for this game play well in the Saints' favor.

Drew Brees vs. Colts secondary
The Colts are well known for having a small, but speedy, defense. This will play into Drew Brees' hands in a number of ways. The most obvious of which is that Brees' favorite target, Marques Colston, stands 6'4" and has great body control which will allow Brees to throw the ball up in the air and let Colston make a play on it in key situations. Brees is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the NFL and should be able to capitalize on his receivers' height advantage.

Saints RBs vs. Colts defensive line
Dwight Freeney has been nursing an injured ankle, which should allow the Saints to pick on his side of the field whether Freeney plays or not. The Saints have a colossal offensive line that should be able to open holes for the running backs and allow the Saints to remain balanced on offense.

Peyton Manning vs Saints secondary
Peyton Manning is regarded by many as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Manning has spent his career turning above-average receivers into superstars. The New Orleans Saints defense has been porous at times this season, seeming to adopt a "bend-but-don't-break" style of play. Darren Sharper and the rest of the Saints secondary will need to take advantage of any and all opportunities to take the ball away, because those opportunities will be few and far between.

Colts RBs vs Saints defensive line
The onus is really on the Saints secondary to keep this game within reach. The defensive line will need to mitigate damage from the Colts rushing game early, then they can pin their ears back and go after Manning. The Colts are, have been, and will always be a pass-first team so long as Manning is their quarterback.

Saints special teams vs Colts special teams
Special teams has been a very sound phase of the game for the Saints for some time now. Courtney Roby hasn't received the recognition he deserves for his contributions both on kick returns and kick coverage. The Colts also have very little problems on their special teams and Matt Stover is one of the best kickers in NFL history. However, this game could come down to a big special teams play to sway momentum one-way or the other.

Keys for the Saints
*Win the turnover battle. Turnovers can win or lose a game for you, just look at the Minnesota Vikings.
*Keep Peyton Manning in check. Manning will likely throw for 300 yards, but as long as the Saints defense can break him down in the red zone they can win the game.
*Stick to the fundamentals.
*Avoid costly penalties

Win or lose, the Saints have given the New Orleans community something to rally around and cheer for and it is something that the community has needed for a long time. Here's hoping that the streets are littered with black and gold confetti come Monday morning. Geaux Saints!

Originally Published: Issue 863 - February 3, 2010

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