The Advance

Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Sports

Brees vs Manning is one of the few stories that make Sunday interesting

Well it is drawing near the end of the week and in the month of February can only mean one thing, Super Bowl Sunday.
While some may spend the day relaxing or studying, most will be glued to the television and watch the high powered offense of the New Orleans Saints go up against a very experienced and talented Indianapolis Colts.
Super Bowl XLIV, 44, is sure to be a wild game with a lot of points, a lot of passing, and in the end one team standing alone.
Will it be the veteran Colts led by Peyton Manning, who is considered the best quarterback in the game? Or the Saints, a team hoping to rally a city still devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Several key components will play into Sunday's game and all eyes will be on several key players.
Why the Saints will win
Drew Brees - Brees has a cannon of an arm and at one point during the season appeared to be taking the Saints to an undefeated season. He threw for nearly 4400 yards and an NFL best 34 touchdowns.
The offense - Lets face it, the Saints are good, scary good. They have the passing game, a running game, and playmakers lined up at four different positions behind the line of scrimmage. They finished first in every offensive category and averaged 31 points a game. Especially against a defense who could be playing with out Dwight Freeney, the Saints may pick apart this defense in the first quarter.
The feel good story - The Saints story is amazing. Still recovering from Katrina, a young and very smart head coach, a veteran quarterback, and some guy named Reggie Bush in the backfield. People want the Saints to win, CBS.com's voting poll has the Saints with a 56% chance of winning, that is out of nearly 500,000 votes.
Why the Colts will win
Peyton Manning - I don't really need to go in much depth on this one.
He is the quarterback you want in the game when the final minutes are winding down. Manning has won his ring already so the spotlight of the Super Bowl will be nothing new to #18.
The Speedy Defense - The Colts have a fast defense. One that will be able to keep up with the Saints receivers and running backs. Brees's arm will not be able to out throw a young secondary that does not get beat deep.
Experience - The Colts have been here before. The Saints, not so much. The Super Bowl spot light is different from the playoffs itself. One mistake in this game could cost you a ring. Manning and the rest of the Colts know the pressure that comes with it, the question is do the Saints?
As for my prediction, I would love to say the Colts will win. More then likely they will be trailing early but Peyton will lead them back.
But in the world of sports, anything can happen. I'm going with Saints - 31 Colts - 24.

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