Super Bowl XLIV Preview

New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts

Super Bowl XLIV   Venue: Sun Life Stadium

Sunday, February 7th  6:25 pm

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (15-3) will take on Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts (16-2) in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami this Sunday.  It’s only fitting that the teams with the best regular season records in their respective conferences made it to the big dance.  For Peyton Manning, it will be a matchup against his hometown team, once led at QB by his father Archie Manning, as the Colts try for their second Super Bowl title in four years.  For the Saints, it’s been a long time coming as it will mark their first Super Bowl appearance in their team’s 43 year history.  This game has the potential to be one of the highest scoring Super Bowls we’ve ever seen, as both teams offenses operate like well-oiled machines, led by two of the best quarterbacks in the game.

Manning threw for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns against the NFL’s top-ranked defense in the AFC championship game, leading  the Colts to a 30-17 win over the Jets.  However, the Colts defensive leader, Dwight Freeney, suffered a torn ligament in his ankle in the second half of that game when he tripped over the foot of Jets QB Mark Sanchez.  The injury could keep him out for the Super Bowl and even if he’s able to play, it will undoubtedly limit his effectiveness in the game.  Raheem Brock is expected to see an increased role and will need to step up in order to fill Freeney’s shoes.  The Colts defense takes a big blow with the injury to Freeney, but they’re still a fast group of players who should match up relatively well with the Saints offensive weapons.

Brees also threw for 3 touchdowns in the Saints 31-28 victory over Minnesota to capture the NFC title.  He finished with 197 yards passing with no turnovers, while managing to get sacked just once against the NFL’s best pass rushing defense.  As he has done all year long, Brees spread the ball out to an array of receivers, eight in all and three different receivers on his touchdown throws.  The Saints defense intercepted Brett Favre twice in the game and forced 4 fumbles, recovering 3 of them.  They’re a team that makes their opponents pay for turning the ball over and this game was no different.  Their defense will need to be just as opportunistic against Manning and the Colts in the Super Bowl if they have any chance of winning.

BOTTOM LINE:

The Saints absolutely MUST get pressure on Peyton Manning if they’re to have any chance of being crowned as Super Bowl champs.  Seeing as Manning has only been sacked 10 times all season, I don’t see the Saints having much success, if any, getting to him and disrupting the rhythm of the Colts potent offense.  The Saints forced 39 turnovers during the regular season and 7 this postseason.  They will find it much harder this week to create turnovers up against one of the smartest players to ever play the quarterback position in the history of the league.   The Colts won’t run the ball much, but they rarely if ever abandon the run completely as it helps to keep the opposing defense honest.  Joseph Addai does have a nose for the end zone and he could find it once or twice in this game.  Of the two teams, the Saints have the better ground game, led by a resurgent Reggie Bush and their 2009 rushing leader, Pierre Thomas (793 yards).  In an effort to help out their defense, the Saints may focus on running the ball more than usual to control the clock and keeping Manning off the field.   But that won’t be enough, so the Saints must not get away from what got them here.  Brees needs to get the ball downfield to his talented group of receivers (Marques Colston, Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson) and execute the screens and misdirection plays to his backs (Bush and Thomas).  While the Saints certainly have an edge over Indy when they’re on offense, the Colts defense is fast and physical and more than capable of matching up with the Saints talented group on offense.   As good as these two offenses are, defense will ultimately decide the winner of this game and the Colts have the better defense.

The Colts also hold a significant edge when it comes to experience.  It’s their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in 4 years and they’ve made it to the playoffs every year dating back to 2002.  You can’t underestimate the edge that experience gives a team, especially when that team is led by Peyton Manning.  Drew Brees along with many of his teammates such as Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston and Jonathan Vilma have never experienced a Super Bowl.  While emotions will run high for these players to start the game, that intensity will fade as the game goes on and Manning will look to take advantage of that.  I like both these teams a lot, but with a high-powered offense, edge in experience and a more talented group on defense, I like the Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV.

PREDICTION:

Colts  34  Saints 20 (MVP: P.Manning)

**YMM Staff Predictions**

-KRM:  Colts 33  Saints 27 (MVP: P.Manning)

-Dubbs:  Saints 38  Colts 35 (MVP: R.Bush)

-Shamus O’Cabbage:  Colts 34  Saints 24 (MVP: K.Kardashian/Reggie Bush)

-Bobby O:  Saints 38 Colts 31 (MVP: D.Brees)

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Jsunfella, February 5th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Preview

Eight teams remain on the Road to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.

 

Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints     

Saturday- January 16th 4:30 PM     

The Louisiana Superdome      

The Cardinals wound up on the winning side of the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history when they knocked off the Packers last Sunday by a score of 51-45.  What’s scary is that this weekend’s game vs. the Saints could wind up being just as high scoring, as both teams post two of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL.  The Saints struggled down the stretch of the regular season on both sides of the ball, but the porous defense exhibited by the Cardinals in their wild card game has got to have Drew Brees and the Saints offense salivating at their mouths.  If Pierre Thomas and the running game can get going, the Saints could run away with this one.  But you can’t count out the Cardinals, who are led by one of the most productive post season QB’s ever in Kurt Warner.  The Cardinals will also have WR Anquan Boldin back for this game, giving Warner yet another weapon at his disposal in the passing game to go along with Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston.  This game will likely come down to which defense can make the bigger plays and slow down the opposing team’s offense.  It’s a tough one to call, but I’ve got a feeling the Cardinals are going to get the job done.     

Prediction:  Cardinals 34 Saints  30     

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts     

Saturday- January 16th 8:15 PM     

Lucas Oil Stadium     

The Colts haven’t played a meaningful football game since locking up the #1 seed in the AFC by defeating Jacksonville back in week 15.  There has been a lot of controversy surrounding head coach Jim Caldwell’s decision to rest his starters down the stretch instead of going for an undefeated season, and history has shown that the Colts haven’t done well in the past under similar circumstances.  I can see Peyton Manning and the Colts offense struggling to find a rhythm early on, but the defense should be well rested and prepared for the Ravens offense.  The Ravens boast a very physical defense and will try to do everything in their power to get to Manning and force him to rush his throws.  They will also look to run the ball with Ray Rice all game long to burn the clock and keep the Colts offense off the field.  If they can do these things with success, they will have a good chance of knocking off the Colts.  But I’ve got Indianapolis winning it all, so rest or no rest, I think they play like the team we’ve seen for most of the 2009 season in this one.     

Prediction:  Colts  27  Ravens 17     

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings     

Sunday- January 17th 1:00 PM     

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome     

This game pits two of the most balanced teams in football against each other and has the potential to be the best game of the weekend.  Dallas is rolling, having won 4 straight games, including two straight weeks of domination against a very good Philadelphia Eagles team.  The Vikings sputtered somewhat down the stretch, but ended the season on a high note with a lopsided victory over the New York Giants.  The bye week will surely help the Vikings, especially Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson who will be well rested for this matchup.  As good as the Cowboys defense has played in recent weeks, it’s not going to be an easy task for them to slow down one of the best and most balanced offensive attacks in the league.  Dallas will also struggle to run the ball against a stout Vikings run defense, so Tony Romo will once again need to be on top of his game if the Cowboys have any chance of winning.  The Vikings secondary could struggle to cover Miles Austin and Jason Witten in the passing game, but ultimately I expect them to get the job done and move onto the NFC Championship game.     

Prediction:  Vikings 28 Cowboys 24     

New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers     

Sunday- January 17th 4:40 PM     

Qualcomm Stadium     

When a team can play defense and run the ball as the Jets have done all year long, they have the ability to beat anyone they’re up against.  With that said, the Chargers have arguably been the best team in the NFL this season and it will be a tough task for the Jets to beat them in Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers have only lost 2 games this season.  Phillip Rivers will not shy away from throwing at Darrelle Revis.  He will take his shots downfield to Vincent Jackson throughout the game, which will open up the middle for TE Antonio Gates to find room in the Jets secondary.  I’m not sure that the Jets will have an answer for Gates, but they will need to limit his touches if they’re to have any chance of winning this game.  The Jets linebackers will also need to be on their heels and watch out for screen passes to LaDainian Tomlinson and the quicker and more dangerous, Darren Sproles.  For the Jets offense, it will be nothing new.  They’ll look to run the ball as much as possible against a defense that has struggled against the run for much of the season.  If they can have success in the running game and QB Mark Sanchez can get into the flow early and limit his turnovers, the Jets will remain in this game throughout.  For the critics out there who still believe that the Jets “backed into the playoffs,” this game will prove them wrong.  I expect a hard fought battle between a great QB on one side, and a great defense on the other.  This game will be decided in the final minutes of the 4th quarter.  If the Jets can stick to their game plan and maybe catch a few breaks, they are capable of knocking off the Chargers and advancing to the AFC Championship.  But the realist in me has got to give the edge to San Diego in this one.     

Prediction:  Chargers  23  Jets 20    

      

**YMM Staff’s Super Bowl XLIV Predictions:    

-Jsunfella:  Colts vs. Vikings    

-KRM:  Colts vs. Saints    

-Dubbs:  Chargers vs. Vikings    

-Bobby O:  Chargers vs. Packers    

-Magnum Stache:  Chargers vs. Packers

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Jsunfella, January 15th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Week 6 Preview: Giants @ Saints

It must be nice to be an overrated football player

It must be nice to be an overrated football player

The New York Giants (5-0) will be facing the New Orleans Saints (4-0) in a battle for NFC supremacy.  New Orleans comes into this game after a big win against the previously undefeated New York Jets in Week 4 and are fully rested after the bye week.  The Giants are clicking on all cylinders after last week’s domination of the Raiders.  This will be THE game of the week and possibly the season. Let’s see how it breaks down:

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN:

The Saints and Giants are both undefeated and both have more or less dominated every opponent that they faced this year.  The Saints are the new greatest show on turf and have weapons at every key offensive position.  Unlike in years past, the Saints are not just a passing team anymore.  The running game is 2nd in the league in yards per game.  The Giants are doing what they are suppose to do so far this season, beating up on inferior teams.  The Giants have not been tested since Week 2 against the Cowboys, but with Tom Coughlin and his staff the Giants will not be lackadaisical coming into this game. This should be fun!

GIANTS RUNNING GAME vs. SAINTS D

The one thing that has been missing from the Saints over the past couple of years is a defense that can stop somebody.  Well that has changed as defensive coordinator Gregg Williams installed a new 4-3 defense that revolves around a whole lot of run blitzing and forcing turnovers.  The Saints D is currently ranked 7th in the league against the run at 83.3 yards per game.  The Giants counter the Saints with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.  Bradshaw has been absolutely unstoppable this season averaging about 7 yards per carry and is looking more and more consistent on a game to game basis.  Jacobs on the other hand has struggled this year.  His yards per carry have gone down by almost 2 yards from a gaudy 5 yards per carry last year to 3.2 this year.  Also Jacobs is starting to let the talk of his downfall by the media get to him.  I don’t see this as a bad thing, I expect Jacobs to make this game a statement game and return to his dominating self.

Edge: Giants Running Game

GIANTS PASSING GAME vs. SAINTS D

Eli and the passing game will have their hands full with the Saints D this week.  The Saints rank 11th in the league in passing yards allowed at 212 per, but don’t let that number fool you.  The Saints secondary is scary good this year.  With 10 picks this year they are number one in the league.  The key to this game for Eli is turnovers.  Eli has been great this year at limiting the turnovers so if he can keep that up the Giants will have a good chance this week.  Steve Smith is becoming one of the better wide outs in the game and seems to always be at the right place at the right time. Eli’s security blanket should have another stellar game.

Edge: Giants Passing Game

SAINTS RUNNING GAME vs. GIANTS D

The Saints come into this game with the 2nd best rushing attack in football.  The Saints have a 3 headed monster of Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Mike Bell that is very similar to the Giants Earth, Wind, and Fire of last year.  Pierre is the starter and has a nice combination of size and speed that defenses have trouble with.  Reggie Bush is a great pass catcher out of the backfield and is their 3rd down back and Mike Bell is their bruiser back who will be active for this game after suffering a sprained knee in Week 3.  The Giants defense has been very good against the run since the Cowboys game, but they have faced some pretty bad running attacks over the last 3 games.  The last time the Giants faced a running attack like the Saints they gave up over 200 yards on the ground.  This will definitely be a test for the Giants D.

Edge: Saints Running Game

SAINTS PASSING GAME vs. GIANTS D

Drew Brees is arguably the best quarterback in the game.  The Giants D will have their hands full this week.  Brees has slowed down over the last couple of games, but I don’t see this being the case this week.  The Giants are still banged up in the secondary and Brees knows how to exploit that.  The Saints have the 11th ranked passing attack in football, but that is mostly due to the bye week and 2 average showings against the Jets and Bills.  Don’t be fooled this passing attack could be the best in the league and they will show that this week in the Superdome.

Edge: Saints Passing Game

SPECIAL TEAMS:

I don’t see the special teams for either team making much of an impact on this game as both offenses are playing at a very high level.  John Carney comes back to kick against his old team the Giants, but all in all Jeff Feagles is Christ reincarnated!

Edge: Jesus Christ

INTANGIBLES/COACHING:

Sean Payton’s offense versus Bill Sheridan’s defense will be the match up to watch all day as both will try to confuse each other into mistakes. Sean Payton has made a good name for himself since his days as the Giants offensive coordinator with an offense that has been at the top or near the top of the league since his arrival to the Saints.  Tom Coughlin knows how to prepare his team week in and week out against their opponent better then 99% of the coaches in the NFL. This should be a great match up between two of the best coaches in the league, but I have to give the nod to the man that has done it longer and with more success.

Edge: Giants

BOTTOM LINE:

The Giants versus the Saints will be the game to watch this week.  Both teams are playing great football so far this season on both sides of the ball.  I believe that this game will be more about offense then defense as the game will be up and down all.  This does play well for the Saints, but the Giants defense will make a stop late in the game that will determine the winner.  I got a feeling that this will not be the last time the Giants see the Saints this year, the next time could very well be in January in the NFC Championship game.

Final Score: Giants 34 Saints 31

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Bobby O, October 16th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Fantasy Football Recap: Top Performers of Week 3

Jaguars Texans Football

Maurice Jones-Drew RB- Jacksonville Jaguars (Standard Fantasy Pts in Week 3:  31)

Mo Jo finally lived up to his billing for 2009, showing why many owners selected him among the top 5 overall picks on draft day.  He had 23 carries for 119 yards and 3 TD’s in a 31-24 win vs. the Texans.  He also had 4 catches for 28 yards in the game.  Mo Jo scored the go-ahead touchdown on an 8 yard scamper early in the 4th quarter, solidifying Jacksonville’s first victory of the season.

Peyton Manning QB- Indianapolis Colts (Standard Fantasy Pts in Week 3:  37)

Manning continued his excellent play this season, throwing for over 300 yards for the third straight game.  He completely outplayed his counterpart, Kurt Warner, in a 31-10 shellacking of the Arizona Cardinals.  Manning finished 24-35 (68.6%) for 379 yards with 4 TD’s and 1 INT.  The TD passes were spread out to 4 different receivers, showing that Manning’s got the Colts offense working on all cylinders right now.

Santana Moss WR- Washington Redskins (Standard Fantasy Pts in Week 3:  23)

Coming into the game vs. the Lions, Moss had compiled a putrid 5 receptions for 41 yards with 0 TD’s and a fumble lost in the Redskins’ first two games of the season.  But he was a different player on Sunday, catching 10 passes for 178 yards, including a long 57 yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter.  Moss was chosen as the Fantasy Guru’s Start of the Week at the WR position for week 3 and he did not disappoint.  Unfortunately, the Redskins lost the game and will go down in history as the team the Lions defeated to end their 19 game winless streak.

Kevin Kolb QB- Philadelphia Eagles (Standard Fantasy Pts in Week 3:  31)

For the 2nd straight week, the Eagles backup QB put up big fantasy numbers while playing in place of starter Donovan McNabb.  Coming off a 391 yard performance in a week 2 loss vs. New Orleans, Kolb threw for 327 yards and 2 TD’s with 0 INT’s in a win vs. the Chiefs, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in his first 2 starts.  Surely he is just keeping his Center’s ass warm until McNabb can return, but the kid is showing everyone that he is more than a capable of playing the QB position in this league.

DeSean Jackson WR- Philadelphia Eagles (Standard Fantasy Pts in Week 3:  20)

Jackson was listed on the Eagles’ injury report as questionable with a groin injury coming into Sunday, but showed no signs of the injury in a 34-14 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs.  Jackson had 6 catches for 149 yards, including a quick slant turned 64 yard TD early in the 2nd quarter.  At times this season, the 2nd year WR has looked “unguardable,” using his speed to get beyond the secondary for big passing plays downfield.  Jackson currently ranks 1st in the NFL in yards per reception (21.6).

Breakout Player of the Week:

Pierre Thomas RB- New Orleans Saints (Standard Fantasy Pts in Week 3:  24)

Thomas was primed to be the Saints’ best fantasy worthy RB this season, but an early knee injury limited him for the first 2 games.  It was the flu, rather than an injury, that kept Thomas on the sidelines for the entire first half on Sunday vs. the Bills, but in the second half, we finally got a taste of what Thomas can do.  He single-handedly put the Bills away in this game, scoring on a 34 yard run with a little over 5 minutes left, and adding a 19 yarder just before the 2 minute warning.  Thomas finished with 126 yards on just 14 carries.  He might have a tough time repeating this success in week 4 vs. the Jets, but the schedule really lightens up after that, so expect Thomas to quickly rise to fantasy stardom in the weeks to come.

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Jsunfella, September 29th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Fantasy Football, Sports



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