Did...

...

...

...did someone say you didn't say that, or that you were in love with Childress?

No, he didn't blow it against the Cowboys. Which puts him right where he was at in Green Bay. Having a great road to the Super Bowl, right up to the end, where he blows it.

It's what he's habitually criticized for, and one of the main reasons why the Packers eventually moved on. Beating a team in the 2nd round of the playoffs isn't something people expected him to fail at. We wouldn't be terribly shocked or surprised, but it would not be what we were expecting.

As a matter of fact, I actually reserve the "Blow it in the playoffs" expectation for Romo, which turned out to be quite accurate yet again.

4 points to make:

1. Jeremy shockey played on one leg, and when Shockey plays and is healthy, the Saints' offense is completely different. He threatens the middle of the field and stretches defenses out unlike any player on the Saints' roster.

2. The Saints, all year long, were the best team in the NFL at forcing turnovers. It's no coincidence. When the fumble-leader in the NFL runs into the league leader in turnovers, there's bound to be a lot of turnovers. It's what the Saints do best, and they did it well yesterday.

3. The Colts offense is not as good as the Vikings offense. The Vikings run the ball better, have a better running back, and a nearly as good quarterback. Not that the Colts don't have a great offense, but the Vikings offense is pretty great.

4. Drew Brees was very much off of his game, and that doesn't happen often. I seriously doubt it happens again.

My brother, who started watching the NFL this year, was pissed that Brees didn't get the MVP instead of Manning, and has been anticipating this showdown.

Which, regardless of whether you feel the MVP award was done right or not, it's awesome to have your brother get this swept up in football.

Brees had better stats in almost every category than Manning (and didn't have a Pro Bowl receiver, while Manning has 2 in Wayne and Clark). Brees had more TD's, less interceptions, better passer rating and a higher completion percentage (actually set an NFL record for completion percentage in a season). Manning did have 180 more yards, but also 50 more attempts. And again, Brees did all of that without a single Pro Bowler at any skill position.

But I'd be lying if I said that the Pro Bowl meant anything. Brees' 4th receiver had 970 yards and 10 TD's last year. So he does have plenty of talent and depth at the receiver position.

With all that said, Manning will likely go down as the best QB to ever play the game and he had an excellent year. Makes it pretty hard to argue against him winning the MVP.

On a Super Bowl-related note: I'd never bet against my Saints, but I just can't see us winning. That pass rush is too good and generally, Cover 2 really gives the Saints problems. Plus they can stop the run well now. And that's just talking about their defense, not their unstoppable offense. I see no way that we can cover Dallas Clark or Austin Collie well. Things just look pretty bleak.

Take heart. The Patriots nearly beat the Colts at Lucas Oil on week ten without a perceptable pass rush. I haven't followed the Saints like you have, but judging from the way Favre got smacked around, they've got a pretty good pass rush of their own. And if we get a shootout, your team scored 510 points this season vs. the Colts 454, so I'd say the Saints chances are as good as the Colts. Turnovers, as they say, may make all the difference in this one, and the Saints are pretty good there too.

Game-wise, I feel that the Saints have the edge. Between ToP and turnovers, I think they'll have the Colts.

However, my two biggest concerns are this:

1. That the Saints seem content with getting to the Super Bowl. I don't get the feeling like their goal is to become the champions. The Colts, on the other hand, are in a perfect position, mentally.

2. That the Saints' defense seems to not really be all that great on the road.


They also have to make sure they're ready for a shootout in the second half, which has habitually been the only time the Colts really play, all season long. They'll let you lead them at the half, almost every time, only to score 20 points on you, and deny you from gaining more than a field goal.

I disagree with your comparison of Colts vs. Vikings offense.

The Vikings have a very good to excellent group of players at Q-back, R-back, Tight End and Receiver. The Viking offensive line was below average in all of the playoff games I watched and three of the regular season games I watched. It is average relative to the entire NFL but weak compared to the offensive lines of the other playoff teams. The Vikings high quality skill position play helped hide this deficiency. The 40+ Favre was beaten on all day and he was hobbled much of the fourth quarter and Adrian Petersons running yardage was largely accumulated with little help from his linemen.

Several analysts noted that the Vikings played better in the first three/fourths of the season than they did in the last fourth of the season and the playoffs. The Vikings seem to be confused about what type of offensive team they will be from week to week.

The Colts have a very good to excellent group of players at Q-back, R-Back, TE and Receiver. The Colts have an excellent offensive line. The Colts offensive line and the Colts ability to alter their offense, to protect Manning and to take advantage of gaps and mismatches were the key factors in that Jets game. It is obvious that at this time in their careers Manning is a better QB than Favre and Peterson is a better RB than Addai. I believe both teams have excellent receivers. Manning plays at a high level and he gets so many more chances to influence plays than almost any other player. I believe the Colts have a better offense than the Vikings.

This is an oversimplification but everyone on that Colts offense seems to understand what their offensive philosophy is and how to go about executing it and when it is not working they adjust. Sometimes Manning looks more like a point guard making assists than a quarterback.

I know it would be a great story if New Orleans won the Superbowl this year but I can't see it happening. I see Manning carving up New Orleans for over 350 yards and the Colts winning by ten points. In any case, I hope it is a close, competitive, fun game.

I agree with your main point, which is the offensive line. One of their Pro Bowlers was hurt, and it's been looking like swiss cheese ever since. Peterson has not been playing particularly well as a result, either. That he had a good game,

However, the Saints do still win the turnover battle pretty regularly. And they'll run better than the Colts will. These are things that will generally give you the ball game, but we all know and have seen the Colts surmount those challenges time and time again this season.

Tim Irwin, Kirk Lowdermilk, Randall McDaniel.... McKinnie...

Could have used any of those guys.

Even as old as they are now. (and/or deceased)

Wow, this thread died rather fast.

I don't know about the game, but let's NOT have any more senior citizen rock bands, please?

Seriously, it was very very sad. At least to me.

BTW. Best commercial was the Doritos one with the dog. That rocked.

I liked the casual day commercial for monster.

I would have, except I was trying to eat dinner at the time.

Especially The Who, for crying out loud. I mean, they can't come anywhere near their old performances. They were better off just playing an old video of one, than what they did. The guitarist (forgot his name) was especially saddening to watch.


However, more than pleased with the end result of the game. I called it in my house, during the Colts' second-to-last drive: "Saints don't have a turnover yet. They're due, and it's not convenient for the Colts right now."

Porter runs it in.

Very excellent game. Sad that the end score won't do the game justice, but it was a heart-pounder, even for someone with no stake in it.

I'm sure Spizzie will be too drunk and happy to post here for a few months about it.

I won the office block pool! WOOP!

Hey Thawmus...

SAINTS WIN!