PonyExpress
In the Starting Line-Up
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- Feb 12, 2006
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Manning played 1 half of good football this postseason, and even with that half has 2 Tds and 6 INTs during the playoffs. It is an indication of the sliding scale the media and football world apply to Manning that with one half of good football he has "dispelled all his doubters", while other qbs can win multiple Sbs and still be tagged as system Qbs or caretakers, such as Bradshaw, Brady, Aikman. Still, Manning did perform in the 2nd half against the Pats, although against an exhausted, flu-ridden, depleted unit at home, in a dome.
The SB will be on Turf, out of doors, at a neutral site, against a rested opponent. While the media mocks Grossman, he has statistically outperformed Manning in the playoffs. His Bear team will be the more rested squad, having played 1 less game in recent weeks due to their bye during the Wild Card rd. 2nd half exhaustion is usually a key factor in the SB, due to the physical and emotional toll the game takes on and off the field. That extra week off may give the Bears an edge in the 2nd half that few anticipate.
The Colts D has received accolades for its surprisingly stellar play in the postseason, although they allowed 27 points at home to the only decent offense they encountered. At a neutral sight, where the RCA dome crowd noise doesn't give the Colts D-line the snap advantage, an opponent with quality rbs and O-line that can stay in the game and commits to the run for 4 Qs will wear down this Colt team and dominate late.
Physical Rbs like Benson and Jones are a match for Sanders and will not lose heart after a few solid hits. Nor will the Bear coaching staff abandon the run after early difficulty. The leader of the offense is T. Jones, and he will not stand for it.
The Colts do not blitz up the middle. That is one of Grossman's weaknesses (along with inability to control his emotions), as the Pats exposed. The grass field will limit Freeney and Mathis' explosiveness off the edge. The Bears handled Grant and W. Smith of NO, better players than Freeney and MAthis, although on a slick field. Berrian is more than a match for any Colt cb deep, and the Bear TE Clark is a savvy, gutty player who will catch the ball in the clutch. One thing that is being overlooked about this Bear team is its tremendous heart, on both sides of the ball, and how physical it is. Chicago was IMO as physical a team vs. the Pats as SD, especially along the O-line.
Dallas Clark will not be a major factor in this game. He is no match for Briggs or Urlacher. The effectiveness of the short pass to the rb will be limited due to the Bear's speed at LB. Wayne is the key threat to the Bears, a player with more guts than the mercurial Harrison, who has no stomach for the spotlight and big stage.
The Colts will attempt to start with a bang and shock the Bears with a deep pass or two to establich an early lead. Even if this succeeds it will not dishearten the Bears, who have great character. Eventually, as the game settles in and the Colts realize they are in for a fight, they will fall back on what worked for them vs the Pats in the 2nd half, and vs. the Ravens, the short passing game. But they will find the going much more difficult vs the Bears than the Pats.
Special teams seem like an obvious Bear advantage, although Hester is an accident waiting to happen. For that reason alone, the special teams game is a draw. Hobbs is a better KO returner than the league recognizes yet, which makes the Colts' coverage break downs vs. the Pats more excusable. Hester, a rookie, will be more prone to the mistake in this big game than the big play. If the Bears do lose, he will be the goat, and not Grossman.
The bottom line will be the ability of the Qbs on either side to control their emotions and play with poise. The whole Colt team is more likely to struggle emotionally if Manning is off his game than the Bears will if Grossman starts poorly, as Brad Johnson did for the Bucs in '03. The Bears are accustomed to surviving when Grossman falters a bit, and are mentally tough enough to fight through it. They have all season. They are a more well-rounded team than the Colts, and the best team will win. Bears win 27-23. Thomas Jones MVP.
The SB will be on Turf, out of doors, at a neutral site, against a rested opponent. While the media mocks Grossman, he has statistically outperformed Manning in the playoffs. His Bear team will be the more rested squad, having played 1 less game in recent weeks due to their bye during the Wild Card rd. 2nd half exhaustion is usually a key factor in the SB, due to the physical and emotional toll the game takes on and off the field. That extra week off may give the Bears an edge in the 2nd half that few anticipate.
The Colts D has received accolades for its surprisingly stellar play in the postseason, although they allowed 27 points at home to the only decent offense they encountered. At a neutral sight, where the RCA dome crowd noise doesn't give the Colts D-line the snap advantage, an opponent with quality rbs and O-line that can stay in the game and commits to the run for 4 Qs will wear down this Colt team and dominate late.
Physical Rbs like Benson and Jones are a match for Sanders and will not lose heart after a few solid hits. Nor will the Bear coaching staff abandon the run after early difficulty. The leader of the offense is T. Jones, and he will not stand for it.
The Colts do not blitz up the middle. That is one of Grossman's weaknesses (along with inability to control his emotions), as the Pats exposed. The grass field will limit Freeney and Mathis' explosiveness off the edge. The Bears handled Grant and W. Smith of NO, better players than Freeney and MAthis, although on a slick field. Berrian is more than a match for any Colt cb deep, and the Bear TE Clark is a savvy, gutty player who will catch the ball in the clutch. One thing that is being overlooked about this Bear team is its tremendous heart, on both sides of the ball, and how physical it is. Chicago was IMO as physical a team vs. the Pats as SD, especially along the O-line.
Dallas Clark will not be a major factor in this game. He is no match for Briggs or Urlacher. The effectiveness of the short pass to the rb will be limited due to the Bear's speed at LB. Wayne is the key threat to the Bears, a player with more guts than the mercurial Harrison, who has no stomach for the spotlight and big stage.
The Colts will attempt to start with a bang and shock the Bears with a deep pass or two to establich an early lead. Even if this succeeds it will not dishearten the Bears, who have great character. Eventually, as the game settles in and the Colts realize they are in for a fight, they will fall back on what worked for them vs the Pats in the 2nd half, and vs. the Ravens, the short passing game. But they will find the going much more difficult vs the Bears than the Pats.
Special teams seem like an obvious Bear advantage, although Hester is an accident waiting to happen. For that reason alone, the special teams game is a draw. Hobbs is a better KO returner than the league recognizes yet, which makes the Colts' coverage break downs vs. the Pats more excusable. Hester, a rookie, will be more prone to the mistake in this big game than the big play. If the Bears do lose, he will be the goat, and not Grossman.
The bottom line will be the ability of the Qbs on either side to control their emotions and play with poise. The whole Colt team is more likely to struggle emotionally if Manning is off his game than the Bears will if Grossman starts poorly, as Brad Johnson did for the Bucs in '03. The Bears are accustomed to surviving when Grossman falters a bit, and are mentally tough enough to fight through it. They have all season. They are a more well-rounded team than the Colts, and the best team will win. Bears win 27-23. Thomas Jones MVP.
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