I have gone on record a number of times now saying that Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV is the greatest Super Bowl on paper since the Redskins and Bills played nearly twenty years ago. The game is loaded with offensive fire power on both teams, like we may have never seen.
Peyton Manning could officially lay his claim this weekend as the greatest ever. I personally believe he already holds that distinction, but a win would clarify his case even more. On the other side, Drew Brees may as well be mini-Manning. Although, he hasn't at played at this high a level as long as Manning, the numbers here recently are just as sparkling. Since 2002,Manning has 122 regular season touchdowns. Brees matches him exactly, at 122.
Brees has a long way to go to match Manning's career, but looking at recent history, it's a dead heat. Where I believe there's separation between the two quarterbacks and their teams, are in the playmakers' category.
Manning's receiving corps is solid led by Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but his group lacks the explosiveness that Brees' group possesses. The Saints also have an advantage I believe in special teams and defense. Reggie Bush is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field with his allotted 10-15 touches per game. While the bend but don't break defense has proven capable of being very opportunistic on game changing turnovers. That's where I believe the game will turn.
Another area to look at is the path each team took to get here. The Saints are already used to playing in shoot outs knocking off the high flying Cardinals, and quite possibly the 2nd or 3rd best team in the NFL in the Vikings. Yes, the Colts knocked off two very good defenses, by this year's standards, in Baltimore and New York, but the Ravens and Jets were far, far from complete football teams. I think the Saints are better equipped for the likely shootout to come.
There is little doubt though that neither team will be held back offensively. No team in the league this year featured a true dominant defense, and nobody will confuse the Colts are Saints unit of being dominant in anyway. These two teams will score and score a lot. But the Saints will have an edge not only in the big play department, but the only team of the two that will possibly impose a decent running game on the other. Pierre Thomas could be the real difference maker if Sean Payton decides to employ the old bait and switch, and pound Thomas before letting Brees wing it all over the field. In the end, I like the Saints to walk out of Miami on Sunday the Super Bowl XLIV Champions, 41(+5) 37
