It would be pretty easy for me to jump on the Indianapolis Colts’ bandwagon right now. After all, it’s got the best quarterback in the league, an offensive mastermind at their helm (Dungy) and it pulled off the comeback of the century last week.
But that’s against those pansies from the AFC.
The Colts might have the flash and pizzazz to get by in that conference, but it lacks an essential Super Bowl-winning ingredient: grit.
On the other side, toughness is something that the Bears have plenty of this year. It may not have a pretty poster boy or a show-stopping receiving corps, but what it does have is a smash-mouth running game and a stalwart defense.
That’s the way football was meant to be played. None of this “RED 90, BLUE 42, FLUORESCENT PINK 77,” while the quarterback waves his hands like a fairy at the line of scrimmage. Just straightforward football.
Tom “Butt-chin” Brady and the Patriots failed to establish a running game against the worst rushing defense in the NFL and look what happened–Colts DB’s had a field day tipping and intercepting passes.
The Bears will not make that mistake because it has no other options. As horrifying a player as Rex Grossman may appear to be right now, he is not losing games for the Bears. He is taking exactly what the defense gives him and not making any stupid mistakes. And for God’s sake, IT IS 15-3 THIS SEASON. If it were 5-11, I would understand the complaints, but obviously it knows how to manage him.
Meanwhile, the bulk of the offense goes through Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones via the ground attack. Jones carries the majority of the load, slashing teams for over 1,200 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season. Benson has also done well in relief duty for Jones this year, amassing more than 600 yards and six touchdowns. Whichever back gets the ball, it spells trouble for the Colts, who have struggled against run-happy teams all year.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears sports one of the most feared units in the league. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs make turnovers look like stealing candy from a third-grader, and the defensive line has been harassing teams all season.
Buoyed by the play of kick-ass rookie pass rusher Mark Anderson (12 sacks), the Bears’ D-line has been the most formidable unit on the team. Collectively, the front four have accounted for 30.5 sacks this season.
As with most of the season, look for the Bears to rely on pressure from its front four in the Super Bowl, allowing seven to drop back into coverage.
The Bears’ secondary has been riddled with injuries the entire year, but will be in full force come next Sunday. Both Charles Tillman and Ricky Manning Jr. star at the cornerback position, picking off five balls each this year.
The real X-factor in this game will be the play of Devin Hester. The rookie from Miami has been a playmaker for Chicago this entire season and needs to be once more if the team is to win. Hester has returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns this year and has a legitimate shot for another against the Colts, which has performed poorly on special teams this year.
This is the Bears’ first Super Bowl trip since ’85, and we all know how that ended. Let’s just hope that Brian Urlacher and Rex Grossman don’t try to make a music video after they go against all odds and beat the Colts.
Final score prediction: Da Bears 24, Colts 23.
AP
