Obligatory Super Bowl Post

My apologies, I very nearly committed a Cardinal Sin by allowing another sport to take precedence over football during Super Bowl week. In my defense, I'm used to enduring two full weeks of overanalysis and speculation completely devoid of football before the big game. Moving the Pro Bowl threw me completely off-kilter; thanks a lot, Goodell! In any event, the time has come to make some claims about what will and will not happen this Sunday after kickoff. As the hour is so late, I'll use the tried-and-true "matchups" method to highlight some of the more interesting storylines; hopefully there will be time to get into a more nuanced discussion later in the week. So, without further ado, John's take on Super Bowl XLIV.

Colts offense vs. Saints defense: Advantage Colts. Leading off with this one because it's a no-brainer. The rational part of me hates to write off defensive stars like Darren Sharper, Jonathan Vilma (both Pro Bowlers), and Will Smith, but the part of me writing this article knows that Peyton Manning will methodically dismantle New Orleans. The Saints do have the talent on defense to force one or two critical turnovers, though, which will figure dramatically into the outcome of the game.

Saints offense vs. Colts defense: Advantage Saints. Easily the biggest story this week has been whether or not Dwight Freeney would play in the Super Bowl, and the Colts insist that he will be able to play. Dwight currently has a "3rd degree ankle sprain" (a torn ligament, for the uninitiated), and his trademark spin move will likely be completely ineffective against the Saints' offensive line. With Pro Bowl RT Jon Stinchcomb holding Robert Mathis at bay, Brees will be able to dissect the Colts just as easily as Peyton can.

Special teams: Advantage Saints. As far as field goals go, the matchup is almost a push. Stover has the advantages of age and experience on the biggest stage, but Hartley has delivered consistent if not spectacular performance this postseason. In the return game, though, Reggie Bush and Courtney Roby have a marked advantage over their Indianapolis counterparts.

Who wins? The New Orleans Saints. Yes, the Colts have won at the highest level, and the Saints are new to the stage, but we're going to watch two high-powered offenses collide in a game where key stops and special teams will make the difference. And the Saints have a slight advantage over the Colts in both realms, especially given Freeney's injury.

PS: If you haven't heard enough talk about the most famous ankle in the world, DwightFreeney DwightFreeney DwightFreeney