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I’ve got to hand it to New Orleans.
They’ve come back from hurricane devastation - at least partially - and the dilapidation of the Super Dome to make it all the way to the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.
They have a star quarterback picked up in free agency - way to go, Chargers, you got Philip Rivers instead - and a corps of wide receivers that dwarf the rest of the NFC.
Oh, and there’s this guy Reggie Bush - maybe you’ve heard of him - leading one of the most dynamic rushing offenses in the league, whether the stats show it or not.
Too bad they’re going to lose.
And yes, I know that the whole country is behind them. SportsCenter’s newest commercial is Drew Brees in a Mardi Gras float and everyone’s jumping on the Saints bandwagon. Does that mean they deserve to win? Maybe. They sure worked for it.
The Colts worked just as hard. Let’s remember that Peyton and company have a rookie running back, two young wide receivers and a first-year head coach in Jim Caldwell.
Also remember that they took that crew 14-0 in the regular season, forgoing the opportunity to have an undefeated season to rest their players.
And even their backups - that’s right, Rex Ryan, the JV team - look great. I’ll have you remember that Bill Belichick, or Belicheat - the spelling’s optional - showed everyone that an undefeated regular season doesn’t really mean anything in the big game.
As a Colts fan for years, I’ve come to expect greatness. We walked over the Bears in 2007, but we have to remember that the Saints are no Bears.
They have serious defensive threats in Darren Sharper and Tracy Porter, but we’ve got fantastic receivers in Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. And did you see Pierre Garçon chase down Ed Reed to force a fumble against the Ravens? That kid has ridiculous speed.
So here’s why the Colts are going to win the Super Bowl. We have the smartest quarterback ever to play the position in Peyton Manning. His success hinges on the speed and awareness of a top-notch receiving corps in Wayne, Clark, Garçon and Collie. Donald Brown, a rookie from UConn, has shown real potential to outshine teammate Joseph Addai - who also won a Super Bowl his rookie year - and make a big difference in Sunday’s game.
Overall, I see the game being rather close, with a Colts fourth-quarter comeback to leave the score somewhere in the neighborhood of 31-27.
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