This Sunday the Goliath of sporting events looms. The Super Bowl is routinely the most watched television program year after year, and this weekend not only offers a potentially match-up, but makes one think of what could have been.
Enter week fifteen of the NFL regular season, both the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints sit at 13-0, and many in the football universe are dreaming of a Super Bowl of undefeated teams. Imagine a big game with two 18-0 teams. Even if the game turned out to be a stinker, it would be remembered for its gargantuan implications. No matter what would happen, America would be watching history. But, alas, it was not to be. The Colts (by that I mean Bill Polian) decided they were happier breaking meaningless regular season records. (Watch Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi destroy Polian here.) There’s a reason the Patriots have three world championships and the Colts have one. The Saints, on the other hand, just decided to stop playing in general.
Just like that, the chance at history was destroyed. The Colts put a college team on the field the final two games losing to the Jets and getting blown out by the Bills. The Saints lost a legitimate game to the Cowboys, despite the Dallas kicker Nick Folk missing a late chip shot. (Boy, what an awful season for kickers, but that’s another day.) From there, the Saints essentially shut it down, losing in overtime to the lowly Buccaneers (an early candidate for a winless season). In week 17 the Saints played Mark Brunell and the rest is non-history.
However, both these teams proved me wrong in one respect, and that was my theory that late-season stumbles lead to playoff failure. One 45-14 Saints victory over the Cardinals and a Colts shutdown of Baltimore later I was eating my words. While each had their issues in the respective Championship games, they both figured out how to win. (Drew Brees didn't even get 200 yards passing, but you don’t need it when the Vikings turn the ball over so many times.) While the Saints and Colts finished the regular season questionably, the playoffs have shown they have the heart of a champion.
So now, the Super Bowl game itself. One cannot ignore the Dwight Freeney problem on the Colts side, so Drew Brees might put up a few points. However, two words: Peyton Manning. ‘Nuff said. If the Saints play the way they did against the Vikings, they may get run out of the building. However, I believe the Saints will come to play, and it will be close for a while. However, I see a scenario playing out where Manning gets the ball back with a one-possession lead and under 6 minutes to play. He takes it down the field for a late score, putting it out of reach for the Saints. The New Orleans Championship Parade will have to wait, sadly.
Colts 31, Saints 21
CHANGE TO PREDICTION THAT ABSOLUTELY CAME BEFORE THE GAME: Saints 31, Colts 17
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Saints 38 Colts 33
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