James Bassett's Superbowl Preview
By James Bassett - January 29 2007

The game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears at the Dolphins Stadium, Miami, on 4th February 2007 has been billed as the most lop-sided quarterback battle in Super Bowl history.
But while it’s true that the Colts are blessed with one of the NFL’s very best quarterbacks, and Chicago have the occasionally nerve-stricken Rex Grossman, there’s much more to the game than a duel between Indianapolis’ number 18 and Bears’ number 8.

Manning is, unquestionably, the more accomplished of the two: a future hall-of-famer appearing in his 13th playoff game. Grossman, meanwhile, is unfairly being touted as the worst quarterback in Super Bowl history, before the teams even take to the field.

While Manning is indisputably the better quarterback, Grossman, for all his inconsistencies, played a big part in the Bears team winning the NFC North at a canter and finishing the regular season 13-3. It’s also worth remembering that they were, at one point, 7-0 and being compared to the legendary 1985 Bears team.

But it’s true that the Bears are unlikely to rely on Grossman to secure them a first Super Bowl victory for twenty-two years. So, for Chicago to stand a chance, he is going to need to hand the ball off early and hope that the one-two punch of Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones that gashed the Saints for 183 yards in the NFC conference championship can get close to the 173 yard average that the Colts allowed against the run in the regular season (a league worst).

While the Indianapolis front seven have tightened up in the post-season, the undersized Dan Klecko, Raheem Brock and Anthony McFarland are likely to be relentlessly attacked by Chicago and will find it tough against the nasty, aggressive trio of Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza and Ruben Brown.

Chicago will also hope to exploit the Colts’ susceptibility to long kick-off returns. Indianapolis have allowed an average of 24.3 yards from kick-offs and the Bears’ rookie return specialist Devin Hester, who returned kick-offs for 528 yards this season, will hope to cause them significant damage.

If Hester can provide Grossman with a short field, the quarterback will be under much less pressure to deliver, as the Bears’ Robbie Gould was the NFL’s top kicker in the regular season with 143 points. His incredible 49-yarder against Seattle in the first round of the playoffs proves that Grossman doesn’t necessarily have to get the ball to the end zone for Chicago to get points on the board.

For the Colts to win, meanwhile, they need to get wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne into the game early and often. Harrison, in particular, disappeared for most of the first half against the Patriots, and his team will need him and Wayne to pull the kind of double-moves at which they excel.

Chicago cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher usually manage to hold their own against their opposition’s wideout corps, but Harrison and Wayne have exquisite timing with Manning and will prove a difficult test.

To add to the Bears’ problems, Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark has been hugely impressive in the playoffs, with a team-best 17 receptions and a 16.5 yard receiving average, while tailbacks Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes continue to make big plays. Addai, especially, will be crucial to the Colts, having become the first rookie in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards without starting a game. If he can help the Colts establish a running game, Manning will exploit it with play-action passes.

And, if the Colts can force Chicago to switch from their staple Tampa 2 to Cover 2 by pass-blocking well, Dallas Clark will have the opportunity to find the seams with Chicago especially vulnerable to tight ends without injured safety Mike Brown.

The Colts have, too, the NFL’s greatest clutch kicker to rely on. Adam Vinatieri has the most field goals in playoff history and is perfect so far in the post-season. While he’s yet to attempt a game-winning kick for the Colts, he’s unlikely to fail, should he get the opportunity.

And then there’s Manning. Of course, he has had post-season problems of his own in recent years, but, right now, he is smarter than ever, using a hurry-up, no-huddle offence to bewilder and tire defences and enable Indianapolis to exert their will over even the league’s toughest defences. They hammered the muscular Chiefs for 188 yards rushing and dominated against the Ravens, running 11 of their final 12 plays on the ground and eating up over seven minutes of game time on their way to victory.

With the duel between the two quarterbacks undeniably one-sided, the key battle is likely to be between Manning and Chicago’s middle linebacker, Brian Urlacher. Urlacher will be tasked with deciphering which of Manning’s audibles are authentic, while Manning must attempt to keep Urlacher off balance near the line of scrimmage.

With little, if anything, expected out of Grossman in this match, the pressure is on Peyton Manning to deliver. Currently believed to be the NFL’s best ever regular season quarterback, Indianapolis’ number 18 is certain not to miss this chance to rewrite his legacy with a precious Super Bowl victory.

Score: Colts 27, Bears 20.