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Who dat in the Super Bowl?
Yes, the New Orleans Saints are one step away from completing their transformation from one of the laughingstocks at the bottom of the NFL into world champions. But standing in their way on Sunday in Miami will be Peyton Manning and the AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts. After destroying the Arizona Cardinals in the divisional round and besting the Minnesota Vikings in overtime in the NFC Championship, New Orleans earned its first trip to the NFL’s biggest stage in the team’s 43rd year in existence.
The Colts are five−point favorites heading into the game, but that won’t matter to the Saints, who were underdogs from the start. So even though few people will be picking the Saints to win, here are the top five reasons why they will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night:
1. High−Octane Offense: New Orleans had the most prolific offense in the league during the regular season, coming into the postseason as the only team to average over 400 yards of total offense per game or to put up more than 30 points per game. Led by quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints are a dynamic team that can score in bunches. While the Jets’ game plan in the AFC Championship against the Colts was to keep the game close and hope to avoid a shootout, New Orleans has the offensive firepower to compete — and win — in a high−scoring affair. While Brees’ play has dipped at the end of the season, he is primed for a breakout performance against the Colts on Sunday.
Brees has a plethora of receivers, led by Marques Colston, to spread the ball around to. And while the Colts may also possess that entity, Brees has what Manning does not: a reliable running game. The Saints, with the three−headed rushing attack of Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, were the sixth−best rushing team in the league this season, while the Colts ranked dead last in that category at just over 80 yards a game.
2. Sean Payton: You could make a case that most of the matchups in this game, upon comparison, are largely even. But if there is one area where one team seems to have a significant edge, it is at head coach. While Jim Caldwell has done an exemplary job in his first season after replacing Tony Dungy in Indianapolis, New Orleans’ Payton has become one of the best coaches in the league. He calls the shots for his team’s prolific offense and should be able to get his squad to exploit a Colts secondary that has exceeded expectations for most of the season.
Payton has led a Saints team — that was essentially an afterthought in most preseason prognostications after going 8−8 in 2008 — to the biggest stage in football. If Indianapolis gives his team trouble, Payton has the ability to make the adjustments to solve any problems.
3. Playmaking Defense: Gregg Williams is one of the best defensive coordinators in the game, and he understands that Manning is nearly impossible to stop. He also knows that the Saints’ defense is not talented enough to win without making big plays. If you watched the NFC Championship, then you saw that New Orleans’ fortunes turned in the second half once its defense showed up and forced a bevy of turnovers.
That defense is led by veteran safety Darren Sharper, who had nine interceptions in the regular season. But the Saints also have a few more underrated members in their secondary, including former Buffalo Bill Jabari Greer, who has become a virtual shutdown corner this season, and Tracy Porter, who had the big interception at the end of regulation in the victory over the Vikings.
While Manning has had some success against Williams’ defenses, the Saints coordinator has promised to bring the heat on Sunday. If defensive end Will Smith and the Saints’ front seven can disguise their schemes and get some pressure on Manning to make him uncomfortable — much like they did against Brett Favre — they could put the Saints playmakers in a position to alter the game like they did in the NFC Championship.
4. Playmakers on Special Teams: The special teams battle in this game as a whole is largely a wash. Both teams were in the bottom five in average kickoff return yardage allowed, and the Saints allowed the highest average in the league on punt returns. Still, in a game in which the quality of both sides’ offenses should not allow either team to pull away, a big play in the return game could make the difference on Sunday.
New Orleans, then, will be grateful to have two fantastic return men on its side: Courtney Roby and Reggie Bush. Roby, an Indianapolis native who was released by the Colts two years ago, has found a home with the Saints. His strong returns were a key part of his team’s win over Minnesota and he has developed into a reliable special teams fixture. But it is Bush who is the true game breaker on this side. The former USC Trojan has four career punt return touchdowns and is always a threat to bust a big return. If Bush does so Sunday, then he and the Saints could be leaving the Colts in the dust.
5. Destiny’s Child: New Orleans quickly morphed into America’s team this season, largely thanks to a 13−0 start. With a dubious past that includes some of the worst seasons in league history, the Saints were better known for being so terrible as to induce fans to wear paper bags over their heads rather than for having championship potential. But everything has changed with the arrival of Sean Payton and Drew Brees.
Few fan bases are as invested in their team as the one in New Orleans, and there should be plenty of fans making the trip from the Bayou State for the game in Miami. And while the Superdome was raucous two weeks ago, it is tough to forget the images of the Saints’ home during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which forced the team to play its home games in Baton Rouge, La. and San Antonio, Texas.
But even with that weight on their shoulders, the Saints’ players have relished the pressure placed on them to succeed and surpassed all expectations for them this season. So what is the only thing missing from the Saints’ long road from worst to first? A Super Bowl victory.
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