The stage is set for the ultimate showdown. The Colts have been to the big show before and walked away with victories. The Saints are making their debut in the largest sporting event in America. Both teams are loaded with talent, but from the looks of the 2009 season, it’s going to be a shootout with two top-scoring quarterbacks leading these teams.

It’s been 17 years since the top two seeded teams faced off in the Super Bowl, and with that matchup, the viewers got what they paid for. Once again it’s time to see the best of the best bang heads and try to survive 60 minutes of pure adrenaline.

Looking at the two squads, some might think it’s a no-brainer with the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts in the mix, but the New Orleans Saints have a general of their own in Drew Brees.

Each team depends on its offense to win games, a big change in the NFL. Up until Manning’s debut, teams were winning games by defense and using offense to move things along. Now with a strong passing game, the Colts are showing the rest of the league that they can score fast and often when it comes to crunch time.

Manning has dominated the league in two-minute drills, most recently illustrated in the Colts’ win over the Jets. Just before the end of the first half, the Jets took an early lead, but with 90 seconds remaining, it only took Manning two plays to get down the field and score another seven points before ending the half.

The Saints will most likely be on the lookout for the three-receiver offense that the Colts have been using to increase options down the field. The difficulty in covering that many potential targets is that you lose men on the line and open up options for the run game. Joseph Addai has been averaging only a few yards per carry, but the Saints defense knows that he has the potential to break through for much more given the right opportunity.

When it comes to the running game on the Saints’ side of the ball, they have more strength, especially in a newly rejuvenated Reggie Bush. Throughout the season, Bush took passes and carries for solid yardage, but went down with the tackle. That all changed when the playoffs began. Instead of hitting the ground, he took a note from Vikings superstar running back Adrian Peterson and started hitting back at the defense.

The coverage has definitely changed up when Bush gets the ball now. The defenders know that they can’t go for the low tackle, they need to stop him dead in his tracks or else they will be run over and lose even more yards.

Not to go unmentioned is Drew Brees. His attack in the air has led the Saints to the Super Bowl for the first time in history.

Taking time in the pocket and being smart about his receivers is what is making his offense so lethal. Very few teams have been able to defend against Brees partly because he can sell his fakes as good as Manning, but also because he knows how to scramble when the offensive line collapses.

In the final playoff game of 2009, Brees played smart instead of making the same mistake that Brett Favre did when only yards away from winning the game. It’s going to be those kinds of smarts that will keep the Saints in contention for a win against a very rough Indianapolis pass defense.

A few things to look at during the big game on Sunday will be how well Brees handles the ball. The football is actually different in the Super Bowl. There’s more paint on it, and with the humidity in Florida, it will be harder to handle. Brees has smaller hands than Manning and isn’t used to a ball like this. In the Colts win over the Chicago Bears during their last Super Bowl appearance, it was clear that Manning’s size and familiarity with the event helped him overcome some of the more unique issues faced in a game like this.

Another interesting note about this game is that Manning’s father, legendary Hall of Famer Archie Manning, rose to fame playing for New Orleans. It will be bittersweet for him not to root for his home team and his son at the same time.

For the 44th Super Bowl, expect a lot of offense and high scoring. The Saints’ defense will use their strength to create turnovers, while the Colts will focus on stopping the run and creating confusion to keep Brees off his game.

If Manning’s experience is any factor, they should be able to outwit the Saints, but it will be Brees and Bush that could upset this Indy team and bring home New Orleans its first Super Bowl victory.



Super Bowl XLIV airs Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. on CBS.