Super Bowl XLIV Prediction - Caleb Sanford
Caleb Sanford
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: Super Bowl
There is no blueprint for a Super Bowl Championship. Throughout the long history of the game, many different types of teams have won the Super Bowl. Some have been smash mouth, in-your-face teams with a dominating defense, and some have been Cinderella teams on a hot streak.
This year's match-up features two teams that have radically different approaches and makeups. They both feature two accurate, elite-caliber quarterbacks who are in their prime, but have very little else in common.
Indianapolis runs like a machine. The players are cool under pressure and play with astounding poise and control. Even when the starters were pulled in week 15 as they were chasing a 15-0 start to the season, the players all gave the company line that their goal was the Super Bowl, and not an undefeated record. When they beat the New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game, they pulled through on that line. They backed up what they said with action.
Led by one of the best quarterbacks in football history, the Colts offense is dangerous no matter what situation they are confronted with. If you give this team the ball, they will drive it to the end zone almost every time. This team's only weakness is their solid but unspectacular defense. If their defense comes to play, and their offense keeps their footing, this team will win.
The New Orleans Saints, however, are fueled by emotion. They are a team that will get fired up and run onto the field with purpose and determination to fulfill their game plan. Their team rides the highs and lows of momentum and as such is streaky. This year, they went on a 13-0 winning streak to start the season, and then lost their last three games. They are streaky, but luckily for them, they enter the Super Bowl having won their last two games against the toughest teams the NFC had to offer in the Arizona Cardinals (the defending NFC champions), and the Minnesota Vikings (No. 2 seed this season).
The Saints defense knows how to beat veteran quarterbacks, having taken down both Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in successive weeks. On offense, they have no weaknesses. Their running backs all contribute on a relatively equal level, and they have no star receivers, but one of the most productive passing offense in the game. If there is any team that could beat Manning and the Colts this year, the Saints are it. So for what the team lacks in star power, it makes up in depth.
So who will win in this battle of No. 1 seeds? In a close decision, the Colts have the edge. They have shown that they have their eyes on the prize. The players are in the right place and they have been led brilliantly by rookie head coach Jim Caldwell. It just doesn't seem feasible that the team would choke now, of all times. They are too good, and too ready for greatness.
Indianapolis Colts 34
New Orleans Saints 27
This year's match-up features two teams that have radically different approaches and makeups. They both feature two accurate, elite-caliber quarterbacks who are in their prime, but have very little else in common.
Indianapolis runs like a machine. The players are cool under pressure and play with astounding poise and control. Even when the starters were pulled in week 15 as they were chasing a 15-0 start to the season, the players all gave the company line that their goal was the Super Bowl, and not an undefeated record. When they beat the New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game, they pulled through on that line. They backed up what they said with action.
Led by one of the best quarterbacks in football history, the Colts offense is dangerous no matter what situation they are confronted with. If you give this team the ball, they will drive it to the end zone almost every time. This team's only weakness is their solid but unspectacular defense. If their defense comes to play, and their offense keeps their footing, this team will win.
The New Orleans Saints, however, are fueled by emotion. They are a team that will get fired up and run onto the field with purpose and determination to fulfill their game plan. Their team rides the highs and lows of momentum and as such is streaky. This year, they went on a 13-0 winning streak to start the season, and then lost their last three games. They are streaky, but luckily for them, they enter the Super Bowl having won their last two games against the toughest teams the NFC had to offer in the Arizona Cardinals (the defending NFC champions), and the Minnesota Vikings (No. 2 seed this season).
The Saints defense knows how to beat veteran quarterbacks, having taken down both Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in successive weeks. On offense, they have no weaknesses. Their running backs all contribute on a relatively equal level, and they have no star receivers, but one of the most productive passing offense in the game. If there is any team that could beat Manning and the Colts this year, the Saints are it. So for what the team lacks in star power, it makes up in depth.
So who will win in this battle of No. 1 seeds? In a close decision, the Colts have the edge. They have shown that they have their eyes on the prize. The players are in the right place and they have been led brilliantly by rookie head coach Jim Caldwell. It just doesn't seem feasible that the team would choke now, of all times. They are too good, and too ready for greatness.
Indianapolis Colts 34
New Orleans Saints 27
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