NFL: Official Super Bowl XLIV Prediction

Posted: February 7th, 2010 | Author: Zim | Filed under: NFL | 1 Comment »

New Orleans Saints (15-3)  vs.  Indianapolis Colts (16-2)
Line: Colts (-5 )

• Will it be the Colts fans asking, ‘Hoosier Champ’???  Or will it be Saints faithful saying ‘Who Dat Champ’ ???
• Saints/Colts could be a high scoring affair down in Miami…
• First time teams in the Super Bowl struggle, New Orleans might be no exception…
• Especially when Peyton Manning and the experiencedColts are seeking their second championship in 4-years.

by Mike Zimmer

This is the match-up I wanted to see this season.  Since about November when both teams had cemented their place in the play-offs and were the unquestioned best teams in each conference, this is the game I was hoping for.  A marquee offensive match-up on the big stage of the Super Bowl.

Both teams have also played in Miami this year, and won.  So, none of this non-sense about them playing on grass and all that jazz that might slow them down.  Indianapolis overcame the Dolphins by only having the ball for 17-minutes the entire game while the Saints rallied from down 22-points to beat the Dolphins on a steam, soggy field too.

The Colts however have been to the big game before.  They seek their 2nd Championship in the last 4-years and second in Miami too.  The Saints on the other hand, well, they are babes in the woods, newbies and first time teams to the big game usually don’t fare too well.

Will it be the Saints Marching In, or the Colts holding the Trophy once again???

Since the Super Bowl became the marquee big time event that it is, first time teams typically don’t even come close in the big one.  In the 1970′s after the Super Bowl had some history to it, first time teams like the Dolphins in ’71, Denver in ’77, the L.A. Rams in ’79, Eagles in ’80, Buffalo in ’90, San Diego in ’94, Falcons in ’98, Carolina in 2004 and Seattle in 2005 just to name a few lost their maiden voyages to the big game.  Only a few times were any of them really close in fact, including the L.A. Rams who led the Super Steelers at halftime, the Buffalo Bills who had a shot at a game winning field goal in the end and Carolina who got stung by Tom Brady and company.

The rest?  Summarily thumped and beaten by double digits by teams, usually former Super Bowl Champions.  Such is the case when New Orleans ventures in against the Colts.  Dallas destroyed Miami in ’71 and then Denver in ’77 even though they lost Super Bowls prior to playing in those games.  The rare exception to this general rule of thumb was when in 2000, the Baltimore Ravens destroyed the New York Giants.

History aside, the game itself should be a highly competitive offensive battle.  After all, the Saints led the league in points this year with 510 and the Colts were no slouch being the #1 passing team, capable of scoring quickly and when necessary.

The Colts also had a bit of an easier time.  The Saints struggle with Minnesota 2-weeks ago and winning despite this seemed to me being their clock perhaps ticking towards midnight and Cinderella starting to turn back into an ugly girl.

My thought is this: I want a competitive game and I want to be entertained to the highest level possible.  My heart doesn’t exactly lean either direction in this one as well.  I am a big Peyton Manning fan.  I am a big fan of the revival the Saints have managed to pull off.  Once upon a time I was a big Saints band-wagoner and I’ve rode Manning and Colts players many seasons in fantasy leagues aplenty and came to like that team too, especially when the Bungles sucked (which is often).

It was a tough decision for Big B and I to pick the Atlanta Falcons over the Saints to root for too.  At least it was for me, Big B was once mugged in New Orleans and I think he still holds a grudge.

As for the game, well, I think it might be high scoring but Indianapolis making the most of the points and opportunities to win the game.  Don’t ask me why, because I don’t have any real reason to support this thought.  I think the Colts win big, even if the score suggests it was a closer game.  Much like the ’94 Super Bowl of San Francisco beating San Diego 49-26 seems to show that the Chargers were somewhat close…they weren’t.  That by the way is the highest scoring Super Bowl ever.

Or, we could get a real unexpected surprise, both teams struggling to find their footing and identity and it’s a low scoring game where Peyton Manning and the Colts have the ball last and win a heart breaking stunner. 

My official Super Bowl prediction is, this will likely be the former: high scoring but with Indianapolis on top, and perhaps equal the highest scoring game of all time.  PREDICTION: Indianapolis 44, New Orleans 31.      

---