By By FILIP BONDY / Syndicated Writer
Peyton Manning slew the dragon, beat those New England Patriots in the AFC Championship with a final, piercing drive. Now, the Colts get their first look at the Super Bowl in 36 years, since the franchise was in Baltimore and Jim O'Brien's field goal beat the Cowboys.
The coaches are former co-workers and close friends, who kid each other about picking up the check. Both their defenses are built on speed, though the Bears would seem to have a solid advantage in that department with the stats to prove it and a dominant middle linebacker in Brian Urlacher.
Inevitably, though, Indianapolis must be given the nod because of the obvious disparity at quarterback, where Super Bowl games can be quite literally thrown away. Manning is the best general in the game. Rex Grossman was arguably the worst starting quarterback in the playoffs.
Here, a look at the matchups for Super Bowl XLI in Miami.
Passing Game
Grossman has looked ridiculously lost at times during this season. He had five games when his quarterback rating was under 40. Against the Saints, he tried to call a second successive timeout (illegal) and once walked away from the center snap toward the sideline for no particular reason. You always get the feeling his teammates are trying hard to keep him in the game. But you have to give him some credit for engineering key drives with his minimalist play, and Grossman will often throw a couple long completions to his speed receiver, Bernard Berrian. "Nobody – nobody – has more mental toughness than Rex Grossman," says Ron Turner, Chicago's offensive coordinator and play caller.
Manning is the flip side of Grossman, the ultimately poised control freak with the impeccable arm. He is given tremendous freedom at the line of scrimmage to audible in the no-huddle offense. He threw for 4,397 yards this season, 31 touchdowns and a 101.0 quarterback rating. He can go long to Reggie Wayne or to future Hall-of-Famer Marvin Harrison. Harrison plays taller than his 6-feet height, though he has been a bit off his game of late. Instead, Manning may go shorter to tight end Dallas Clark. You can pressure Manning, but his release is quick enough to stave off most attempted sacks.
Huge Edge: Colts.
Running Game
The Bears use Cedric Benson and their workhorse, Thomas Jones, and show a preference for draw plays. The Colts' rookie Joseph Addai gained more than 1,000 yards this season, and the Colts will bring in 5-foot-9-inch running back Dominic Rhodes when Addai wears down. Neither player is a true power rusher, which can cause some problems in the red zone. Both teams have solid offensive lines to open holes.
Edge: Even.
Defense
The Bears are an extremely mobile group on defense with Urlacher all over the field as the unit's passionate leader. Charles Tillman at cornerback will likely get the call to cover Harrison when Chicago isn't in a zone. Among the team's favorite schemes: The Bears will drop two back in a deep shell and play man coverage underneath.
The Bears played remarkable defense early in the season, carrying the team and leading the league in many departments. The unit rediscovered its mojo against the Saints. The tacklers are extremely effective at stripping the ball.
The Colts won't try to fool anyone on defense. They rarely blitz. Dwight Feeney provides much of the sack pressure from defensive end. Like the Bears, Indy relies on speed more than power. The Colts allowed an opposing runner at least 100 yards during every regular season game, which is not easy to do. Safety Bob Sanders, who missed much of the season with a knee injury, is the grease that makes this defensive backfield work.
Big Edge: Bears
Coaches
A couple of pals, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, become the first black coaches to reach the Super Bowl, an overdue breakthrough event. They are both wonderful guys, both fine motivators. Neither will humiliate their players along the sidelines – tactics made famous by the likes of Tom Coughlin and Sean Payton. And they will both make certain the focus of this game is on the players, where it belongs.
They will not trick or scheme each other to death. Expect Dungy and Smith to go for the fourth-and-one at the 40 yard-line.
Edge: Even
Intangibles
The Bears are the most disciplined and opportunistic team in the NFL. They are rarely called for stupid penalties. In their first 12 regular-season games, they created 39 turnovers and scored 143 points off those chances. On special teams, Devin Hester can break open the game at any moment. During the season, Hester had three returns off a kickoff, punt and missed field goal for touchdowns of 83 yards or longer.
The Colts have Adam Vinatieri, the greatest clutch place kicker in the history of the sport. They are the glamour guys, the favorites, and there is a lot of extra pressure on Manning to make this long overdue Super Bowl a success. They have the advantage of enduring a tougher preparation, having labored in the AFC.
If the Colts can hold onto the ball and avoid turnovers, this is their game. But that is a big "if."
The Pick
Indianapolis 17, Chicago 13.
Filip Bondy is a sports columnist for the New York Daily News.