It’s not easy being Archie Manning. Many younger fans probably know him as the father of Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning and Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning. However, fans in New Orleans know the elder Manning as an icon in Saints history.
Now, for the first time in their 43-year history, the Saints are in the Super Bowl. It is only fitting that they would have to face Archie’s boy in the Big Game on Sunday evening in Miami.
While the tugging on the heartstrings of the Manning family is a fun story to run with, Peyton already told Chris Berman at the Pro Bowl that Dad is rooting for the Colts. That drama is over. Now there is a game to play.
Overall, the match up is less than surprising. It was not until week 14 that either of these teams lost a game. Yes, both teams backed into the playoffs. The Saints lost their last three regular season games and the Colts their last two. However, both teams have taken care of business when it has mattered.
The Saints decimated the Arizona Cardinals 45-14 in the Divisional round. They followed that up by squeaking past the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime in the NFC Championship game.
New Orleans won that game with their opportunistic defense, a hallmark for the Saints all season. The unit, which had 39 takeaways during the regular season, forced six fumbles, three of which they recovered, and two interceptions.
Those five turnovers led to only one Saints touchdown, but two of the fumbles occurred in the red zone and both interceptions killed long Minnesota drives, including one at the end of the game that likely would have resulted in a field goal attempt to win the game for the Vikings.
As for the Colts, they rolled through their postseason, abusing the Ravens 20-3 and then hanging 30 points on the league’s top defense, with 24 of those points coming in the last 32 minutes of the game, in a comeback win over New York.
Both of these offenses can rack up yards and put up points. New Orleans was the NFL’s top offense this season, both in total yardage and scoring. Indianapolis just put up 461 total yards on the defensive-minded Jets.
So with all of the explosive potential when these offenses have the ball, the question to be answered becomes which defense can stop, or at least slow, the opposing offense.
New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has publicly stated that he wants his defense to put Peyton Manning on his back, and hard. They have gotten after Kurt Warner and Brett Favre, both Super Bowl champions, in these playoffs. They will look to continue that trend against Manning and the Colts.
That will be no easy task. In 601 passing attempts, the Colts’ offensive line has given up just 13 sacks and 44 hits on the quarterback, fewest in the league in both categories.
Similarly, Drew Brees of the Saints stays clean. He has been sacked just 20 times this season. What may keep him upright Sunday is a Colts’ pass rush lacking a healthy Dwight Freeney. The Colts will need to find a way to pressure Brees even if their All-Decade defensive end can not go full speed.
When it comes down to it, these teams have earned this trip to Miami. Both have elite quarterbacks. Both have explosive offenses that can make big plays and capable defenses that can cause trouble for an offense. New Orleans may have a slightly better offense, and Indianapolis a better defense. Only one team has Super Bowl experience though, and that may be the difference in XLIV.
Either way, Archie Manning will be proud. Whether he is a proud father of the Super Bowl winner or a proud legend of “Who Dat” Nation depends on whether the final celebration is at Lucas Oil Stadium or on Bourbon Street.
