Key Super Bowl XLIV questions
ESPN.com
Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesAustin Collie picked a great time to have his first 100-yard receiving day as a pro. Collie's seven-catch, 123-yard, one-TD performance helped Indy beat the Jets, 30-17. Conference title leadersINDIANAPOLIS -- Viewers of Super Bowl XLIV might need an IV to withstand the expected excitement of the matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.
For the first time since 1993, when the Dallas Cowboys faced the Buffalo Bills, the No. 1 seeds in each conference will meet in the Super Bowl. For whatever crazy reason, it's been hard for No. 1 seeds to not only make the Super Bowl, but win it. The last top seed to win a Super Bowl was after the 2003 season, when the New England Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers.
Super Bowl XLIV features the best of the best.
It's Peyton Manning going against a Saints team he grew up following; Manning's father, Archie, was one of the Saints' greatest quarterbacks.
It's Drew Brees and the league's No. 1 offense going against Manning and one of the league's most dangerous possession offenses.
It's New Orleans in its first Super Bowl, ending its 43-year-old drought by beating Minnesota 31-28 in overtime. The city bounced back from Hurricane Katrina. Now, its residents get to watch their team as a Super Bowl participant in Miami.
It's offense going against offense.
Here is the first round of questions heading into two weeks of Super Bowl hype.
1. Is there a significance of having the Saints and Colts in the Super Bowl?
Absolutely. The presence of both teams shows how the league has changed from one geared toward defense and running to passing. Blame the Colts for changing the trend. When the Colts won the Super Bowl after the 2006 season, they were the first team to rank outside the top 10 in scoring defense to win the title since 1983. The Saints ranked 25th in yards allowed per game, and they gave up 21.3 points a game. The Colts ranked 18th in yards allowed and yielded 19.2 points a game.
Both teams win with their offense, and they survive on defense. The NFL has become an offensive league. The Vikings are loaded with stars on defense -- Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Antoine Winfield, to name a few -- but the Saints were able to score 31 points on them. The Colts' defense was on the field six plays a game more than their offense in the regular season, but that didn't stop the team from winning 14 games.
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John Clayton's game balls
• Offense: Pierre Garcon was the star of the Colts' 30-17 AFC championship victory over the Jets. He caught 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, going mostly against Jets cornerback Dwight Lowery. Jets coach Rex Ryan made a controversial decision to bench Lito Sheppard and replace him with Lowery. Sheppard, who came to the Jets in an offseason trade, struggled in the Dec. 27 game against the Colts and Ryan used him in pass coverage on Sunday only after Lowery was banged up. Peyton Manning and the Colts went to a three-receiver offense after the first two possessions and Garcon was his main target. On the Colts' third possession, Garcon had catches of 27 and 36 yards to set up a field goal that gave the Colts a 3-0 lead. Garcon made incredible catches throughout the day to earn the game ball.
• Defense: Jets coach Rex Ryan used mostly nickel and dime defenses after the Colts went to a three-receiver offense midway through the first quarter, and that left inside linebacker David Harris as the only true linebacker on the field on most passing plays. Inside linebacker Bart Scott was on the sidelines. Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas played more of a defensive end in those packages. That put a lot of pressure on Harris to roam the field and make plays, and he was the defensive star of the day. He had 11 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hits. Harris opened the game with a bang, sacking Manning on two of his first five plays, something that is rare for Manning and the Colts' offense. Harris continues to develop as one of the best inside linebackers in the AFC, and his play Sunday took him to another level.
• Special teams: The Saints benefited from great field position on kickoff returns with an incredible 30.5-yard average. Courtney Roby had five returns for 143 yards, including a 61-yarder. Pierre Thomas opened the overtime with a 40-yard kickoff return. The return game gave the Saints field position all night.
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