The Super Bowl is this Sunday. The two best teams in the league are facing off. The two best offenses in the league are squaring up. The most maligned defenses in the league have something to prove, and I have a pick to make.
I love listening to sports radio during major events like the Super Bowl. Why? Because every player in the sport walks up and down “Radio Row” giving really good interviews.
I heard one interview in particular that confirmed my pick, and gave me the insight I needed to make my line of thinking stick. It comes from an unlikely source for me, but I fully believe in its authenticity.
Chad Johnson gave an interview to the “2 Live Stews” yesterday. The Stews are brothers who are syndicated on Sporting News radio out of Atlanta’s 790 The Zone, and—as they say—they keep it real.
When Chad was on he made one interesting point that really threw me for a loop. Since I’m not a “combine junkie” I had no idea this was even possible. In fact, I’d say that Chad Johnson is one of the most honest men in the league.
I HAVE to believe him.
The Stark Reality
Chad’s talking about the Colts defense and how they don’t get the credit they deserve. That’s not something you hear everyday!
The Bengals lost to the Colts in the regular season and he admitted that the Colts defense just really got to the Bengals offense. Then he starts talking about how fast the Colts defense is.
I love the back and forth they had because it sounded entirely genuine. Ryan Stewart (one of the 2 Stews) played in the NFL and knows what Chad’s talking about. So, he says, “How fast are they?”
I’m paraphrasing, but Chad said something like:
“If you put the Colts’ and Saints’ defenses on the goal line—linemen, backs, everyone. Then you had them race to the other goal line the Colts D-Linemen would be leading the pack.”
Huh? You mean to tell me that the Colts defensive linemen are THAT fast? Honestly, I can’t even comprehend how athletically skilled you would have to be to weigh 300 pounds and outrun a Corner or a Safety.
Does anyone else think this is INSANE? It’s like we’re talking about college football; the difference between Miami and a doormat like Duke.
The problem is that we’re talking about professional athletes who work out for a living. Still, the Colts D-Linemen can outrun everyone. Wow!
The Other Side Of Reality
The New Orleans Saints Offensive Line was supposed to be pretty good going into this season. However, when we started hearing Pro Bowl rumblings there was a problem.
Johnathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans and Jonathan Stinchcomb were all voted to the Pro Bowl, but I’ve heard people say that Stinchcomb was a “pity” pick. I also believe that many choices for teams with VERY good records are the “sexy” choices anyways.
It would be smart to assume that every guy who may be there, in part, because his team has a good record. Yes, Drew Brees had a great year, but he doesn’t hold the ball either.
What does this mean? The O-Line can only help so much when the QB has a quick trigger.
This not to say that the Saints O-Line is bad but I AM saying that there may be some matchup problems.
If you have three “record-inflated” Pro Bowlers on your Offensive Line and the opposing defense’s Defensive Line can outrun you…that’s a problem.
Is This Super Bowl Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts?
We have the two best Quarterbacks in the league. We have a whole city of men wearing dresses in a parade. We have two good defenses that have something to prove. Plus, we have the never-ending subplot of “bad kicking”.
This game could go back and forth all night. In fact, it will. The Colts will score, the Saints will score, and it will feel like watching a Tennis match except for one thing:
There will be ONE back-breaking defensive play that will come from the ever-so-fast Colts D-Line. It will feel like the bobbled ball that went to the Cardinals against the Packers in the wildcard round—but much worse.
Even if you’re a Colts fan your heart will be ripped out of your chest while it’s still beating. We’ll spend the whole game lamenting a missed field goal, but in the end defense will ULTIMATELY win the day.
The Answer
This Super Bowl WILL BE more than the sum of its parts. Better than Steelers/Cardinals or Patriots/Giants. Yes, THAT good. I can feel it. Three great Super Bowls in a row.
Indianapolis – 38 New Orleans – 34