Which team will win Super Bowl XLI?
- Thread starter Goodsport
- Start date
Vigwyn the Unruly
First Post
Well, by definition, both teams are on a roll. They are, after all, in the SuperBowl. And... the Colts roll is longer, given that they had to win 3 games to get to the SuperBowl while the Bears only had to win 2.megamania said:
And defense? Do you really think that the Bears defense is better than the Colts offense?
Goodsport
Explorer
Which team should I root for in this game? 
Reason for me to root for the Chicago Bears:
Some of my relatives live in Chicago, and I've visited Chicago before (never been to Indianapolis).
Reason for me to root for the Indianapolis Colts:
I have some family friends in Indianapolis, and it would be interesting to see Peyton Manning finally win a Super Bowl.
-G
Reason for me to root for the Chicago Bears:
Some of my relatives live in Chicago, and I've visited Chicago before (never been to Indianapolis).
Reason for me to root for the Indianapolis Colts:
I have some family friends in Indianapolis, and it would be interesting to see Peyton Manning finally win a Super Bowl.
-G
The Colts will win it, unless something flukey happens - any given sunday and all that!
The Bears have a great defense, true - but the Colts have one of the greatest offenses in history this year. It just hasn't been as visible, because the horrid regular season run defense, combined with Manning using the chicken dance to run down the play clock every play has meant that the Colts have just had fewer drives than other teams - just 148 offensive drives over the entire regular season! The next fewest drives belong to the Texans at 164 and then the Jets at 171. Most teams had between 170 and 190 (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/drivestats.php). The Colts had nearly 33% more yards per drive than the second ranked team (New Orleans, 41.03 vs 33.98).
The Colts will start by stacking up against the run, and Bob Sanders will stay in and play the run until Rex proves that they have to take him seriously. True, Rex-to-Berrian is dangerous, but the Tampa-2 does excel at taking away the deep pass.
Manning has been in a funk in the playoffs, but he turned it on in the second half against the patriots. If he plays at his regular level, the Bears are toast.
So the question is really, will Manning or the Colts run defense return to their usual form? If Manning picks it up and the defense continues to play out of their minds, the Colts win in a blowout. If Manning continues to play like a normal QB and the defense collapses, the Bears should win it. If the Colts continue to play like they did either in the regular season or in the playoffs before the second half of the Patriots game, it will be a tense, low-scoring game, because either Manning & Co. will put up a bunch of field goals again, or the bears will run for 300 yards, giving the Colts time for only three TD drives
Of course, Bears ST vs Colts ST is a huge mismatch, so that is a big advantage for the bears...
The Bears have a great defense, true - but the Colts have one of the greatest offenses in history this year. It just hasn't been as visible, because the horrid regular season run defense, combined with Manning using the chicken dance to run down the play clock every play has meant that the Colts have just had fewer drives than other teams - just 148 offensive drives over the entire regular season! The next fewest drives belong to the Texans at 164 and then the Jets at 171. Most teams had between 170 and 190 (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/drivestats.php). The Colts had nearly 33% more yards per drive than the second ranked team (New Orleans, 41.03 vs 33.98).
The Colts will start by stacking up against the run, and Bob Sanders will stay in and play the run until Rex proves that they have to take him seriously. True, Rex-to-Berrian is dangerous, but the Tampa-2 does excel at taking away the deep pass.
Manning has been in a funk in the playoffs, but he turned it on in the second half against the patriots. If he plays at his regular level, the Bears are toast.
So the question is really, will Manning or the Colts run defense return to their usual form? If Manning picks it up and the defense continues to play out of their minds, the Colts win in a blowout. If Manning continues to play like a normal QB and the defense collapses, the Bears should win it. If the Colts continue to play like they did either in the regular season or in the playoffs before the second half of the Patriots game, it will be a tense, low-scoring game, because either Manning & Co. will put up a bunch of field goals again, or the bears will run for 300 yards, giving the Colts time for only three TD drives
Of course, Bears ST vs Colts ST is a huge mismatch, so that is a big advantage for the bears...
John Crichton
First Post
And none were as good as the Packers.Crothian said:And their's wasn't as great as the Steelers one was. Which wasn't as great as the Browns in the early NFL years.
John Crichton said:And none were as good as the Packers.
BOOYAH!
Seriously, though, it's hard to compare eras, I think all three teams (the Browns of the 1940s (AAFC) and early 1950s, the Lombardi-era Packers, the 1970s Steelers) all belong in that upper echelon.
The Cowboys *did* win 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons, and, as loathe as I am to admit it, they were pretty dominant in that time. As Heathansson alludes to, I think Jones' bagging of Jimmy Johnson cost them at least one more title; had they been dominant for a few more seasons, I think they'd belong in the upper echelon.
Jayster Fett
First Post
DonTadow said:
Baseball aside, I think this might be what *could* happen to the Colts! They might just be too happy to get there! I mean, they don't arrive til LATE Monday (still within league rules, they say), set about cruising through media days like they've already won, and then decide, "Oh, yeah...maybe we should practice, but just a little."
And as for other things...well, special teams WILL play a role in this game. People have been overlooking the significance of the Bears STs on returns AND kicks!! And I disagree with those talking about holes in the Bears secondary. It should hold up well against the Colts and keep them from the deep threat. Now, Indy has some holes in their secondary that Rex and Bernard Berrian can exploit! And the Bears defense provides exactly what Indy fears most: takeaways! More forced fumbles and interceptions then any other team, iirc. If Urlacher, Briggs and the pass rush get on Peyton in the first quarter, it'll be a long day for him.
In general, I think it should be a great game...and close. But if the Colts are already thinking they've got the trophy, they might just lose the game because of it.
Jayster Fett
First Post
John Crichton said:And none were as good as the Packers.
OH, now you're just being silly! Silly, Silly Cheese-heads!
Jayster Fett
First Post
kenobi65 said:
WAIT!!! It says you're from Brookfield....in the Chicago 'burbs! You CAN'T be a Packer-Backer!! Or at least you SHOULDN'T be!! That's sacrilage!
The only excuses that a Chicago resident has for rooting for the Packers is if they were:
a) Originally from Wisconsin, or had immediate family from there. or
b) Were a Chicago Cardinals fan, and still holds a grudge like 40 years later for them leaving Chicago under suspect circumstances.
Jayster Fett said:
Option A. I grew up in Green Bay, I have Packer season tickets, and a share of stock in the team. I moved down here as an adult because, frankly, this is where the jobs are, especially for someone in my field (market research). I've been in exile here for 18 years now, and married a Bears fan. My parents still love me anyway.
