Super Bowl XLI preview

Matthew Elias Guest Writer

On Sunday, Feb. 4 the Indianapolis Colts will take on the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Fla. It is a match-up between two of the most storied franchises in the National Football League’s (NFL) history, both of which are looking to end their championship droughts. The Colts won their last Super Bowl in 1970 (Super Bowl V), when they were the Baltimore Colts. The Bears won their only Super Bowl Championship 15 years later in 1985 at Super Bowl XX.

Super Bowl XLI features two dramatically different quarterbacks. The Colts are led by Peyton Manning, while the Bears rely on Rex Grossman. Manning has never won a championship, dating all the way back to his days at the University of Tennessee, and he has a reputation for playing badly in playoffs. However, in 2006 playoffs, Manning’s fortunes seemed to turn when in the first two playoff games his team still won despite his throwing five interceptions and only one touchdown. In the American Football Conference championship game, he delivered a classic game throwing for just under 350 yards leading one of the largest comebacks in NFL playoff history. He even orchestrated a game-winning drive in the final two minutes.

Unfortunately, the Bears can’t say the same about Grossman, whose only job is to not lose the game. It is has been a very up-and-down season for Grossman. He quarterbacked a team with the top record in the National Football Conference (NFC), yet posted laughably low quarterback ratings, along with countless terrible games.

In the Super Bowl, Grossman needs to ensure that he doesn’t make any risky passes and limits his turnovers. He needs to play smart and under control, just as he did in his first two playoff games, where he threw only one interception. Having Grossman under center is an uneasy sight for all Bears fans, but that can easily change if he is seen lifting the championship trophy.

The marquée match up in the Super Bowl will be the Colts’ offense versus the Bears’ defense. The Colts’ offense was once again one of the top offenses in the league this year, boasting a strong quarterback, two great receivers (Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne), and the emergence of a new reliable target for Manning—Dallas Clark.

However, they will be facing the Bears’ defense, arguably the best in this year’s NFL. All the defensive attention is focused on linebacker Brian Urlacher, although the defense is really led by Lance Briggs and Adewale Ogunleye. The Bears’ defense struggled at the end of the regular season, but since the playoffs, they seem to have regained an old fire, forcing five of their trademark turnovers in the playoffs and four in the NFC championship.

The Bears’ defense will need to shut down the Colts’ running backs, Joseph Addai and Dominick Rhodes, and put a lot of pressure on Manning to force him to throw the ball early. They should also be very physical with the Colts’ receivers, making them for everything that they get.

Super Bowl XLI is the first in history to feature one black head coach, let alone two. Tony Dungy of the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears have done a terrific job getting their respective teams to this point. They are great friends and have worked together in the past. Along with Manning, Dungy was believed to be a coach who couldn’t get his team to get to the Super Bowl, but has proven everyone wrong. When the game is over, one of them will be the first black head coach to win the Super Bowl.

The Colts’ defense seemed to be a terrible unit during the regular season, but they have been nothing short of brilliant in their playoff games, and should force many turnovers. Hopefully then, Manning, along with the Colts’ offense, will be able to put points on the board. The only way the Bears can beat the Colts is with the same formula that got them this far: by scoring points on defense or special teams and hoping that Devin Hester is able to return one more kick for a touchdown. If the Colts need a game-winning field goal, Adam Vinatieri, the best clutch kicker in the history of the NFL, should be able to pull through for the team. But don’t expect the score to be too close. The loss of Tommie Harris and Mike Brown in the Bears’ secondary will allow Manning to pick apart the defense and put up huge numbers. Prepare to see the unthinkable—Dungy getting a Gatorade shower and Manning celebrating an NFL Championship that will vindicate his career.