Although Rex Grossman could very well be considered as the worst quarterback in Super Bowl history, the Bears will win on Sunday.
Why you ask? Although their defense let up a bit toward the end of the season, the Bears have the potential to jump all over the Colts. Chicago sacked the opposing quarterback 40 times and had 61 total tackles for a loss.
The Bears also forced 27 fumbles and had 24 interceptions on the season. If Peyton Manning plays anything like the guy we’re all used to in the playoffs, the Colts are screwed.
Chicago’s defense looked as tenacious as they did in the early part of the season in the NFC Championship game against New Orleans when they forced four fumbles. They recovered three of them and the other went for a gigantic loss. They also intercepted Drew Brees once and forced the Saints to throw the ball 49 times. The main reason being – they stopped the run.
While making the Colts throw the ball is not the greatest alternative, Peyton Manning without a consistent running game is not the most beautiful thing in the world. In the Colts four losses, none featured both a 100-yard rusher and a rushing touchdown.
In the Colts’ victory against Baltimore, they only rushed for 100 total yards on 35 carries. If the Ravens had a real offense they could have more than likely outscored Adam Vinatieri’s five field goals.
Another thing that really stuck out with the Colts’ first two playoff wins was the fact that their opponents just had the worst game plans. Running the ball when the defense had eight in the box until they were absolutely forced to throw and eventually turning the ball over was the common theme with Colts’ opponents.
The Patriots game was a different story. New England had their boot on Peyton Manning’s neck and they let him up. He responded better than he has in years past and carried his team to victory. Every time the Patriots threw a punch in the second half, the Colts responded with a combo. Then, when they retook the lead 34-31, New England made a series of asinine plays to allow the Colts to get the ball in scoring range and the rest is history.
While I respect the Colts and what they’ve achieved, I’ve been much more impressed with the way the Bears have played in the playoffs. Grossman may be a stiff at heart but the Bears have gotten five rushing touchdowns between Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson during the playoffs and Grossman’s workload has been a bit less.
I have no argument about the disparity of talent between QBs, but it comes down to the rest of the teams. The teams both have good kickers, but the Bears have a better defense and a better overall running game. The kickers and punters are even, but Devin Hester is about as dangerous on the field as Tank Johnson is off of it.
I guess what it comes down to is that I will never be convinced that Peyton Manning can win the Super Bowl until he actually does it. Can you blame me?
Final score: 31-16 Bears.
