212 Days

I just thought I'd remind you all that we have 212 days until the next NFL game that counts. Between now and then, we'll have lots of sporting events that are worthy of our attention....the Olympics, March Madness, the Masters, baseball season starting, NBA and NHL playoffs, US Open, British Open, and PGA in golf.....yeah, lots of good stuff, but nothing like good ol' football. So stay with me here, okay?

Mikey's Monday Morning QB

So the 2009 season is now in the books, and we don't even have a Pro Bowl to play, as it's already in the books as well. The New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl champs, and what a magical season they turned in. As far as the game yesterday, the Saints' defense played just a bit better than the Colts' defense, and that was the difference. Of course, one of the less heralded stars was kicker Garrett Hartley, who nailed three fairly long field goals and also made the play that everyone will talk about for years--the onside kick to start the second half. Sean Payton deserves huge props for having the balls to try the kick, but the Saints executed it. And in the end, Peyton Manning made one more mistake than his counterpart, Drew Brees, throwing a pick as the Colts were driving to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

So that's it, folks.....now it's on to what we started this blog for...the off-season, and a long off-season at that. The clock begins ticking today through seven long months of no football games, but plenty of talk. Thanks for reading and please visit often!

Mikey's Crystal Ball: Super Bowl 44

Last week: 2-0
Playoff record: 4-6
Season record: 172-100 (.632)

New Orleans vs. Indianapolis--Well folks, we've reached the pinnacle again. It's time to crown an NFL champion, and this time around we have two #1 seeds in each conference for the first time since 1993. We have two of the best offenses in the game, including two of the best QBs in Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. We have quick and underrated defenses. It certainly has all the makings for a classic, but you know how that goes--once we get our hopes up for that, we get a blowout. The last two Super Bowls have been classics--Giants/Patriots and Steelers/Cards--and honestly it's going to be hard for this one to match those two. But we hope for the best. For the game itself, it should once again come down to who makes the least mistakes, and which QB can make the most precision passes when it counts. For as much as I respect and admire Peyton Manning, I think the day and the game are going to belong to Brees' Saints. It's their time, and it's their destiny. Saints 30, Colts 27

Who says defense wins championships?

Usually at Super Bowl time, one or both teams have gotten there because of a stellar defense, and usually the team with the best D wins or puts up a huge fight. Remember two years ago when the Giants and their smothering pass rush beat the previously unbeaten Patriots? Or when Ray Lewis' Ravens stifled a Giants' team in 2000 that had put up 41 points against Minnesota in the NFC title game? Or when the Patriots, who were underdogs in the Super Bowl against the high flying Rams in 2001, upset them by holding St. Louis to just 17 points? History has a lot of these instances.

But this season, we have two teams that have an offense-first philosophy, and a pass-happy offense at that. The Saints come in ranked #1 in total offense, while the Colts are ninth. In passing offense, the Saints rank fourth and the Colts second. Defensively, the Saints rank 25th overall while the Colts are 18th. That's not to say these teams don't play good defense, because they do, despite what the numbers infer. The Colts are fast, really fast, even if DE Dwight Freeney doesn't play. And the Saints are also fast, but more than that, they are extremely opportunistic, trying to strip the football and force turnovers as they did against the Vikings two Sundays ago.

All things said, this sure is shaping up to be a great match up, one of the best we've had in years.

Gregg Williams does not scare Manning

Last week I was listening to sports talk radio here in Nashville, and the hosts had Saints' D-coordinator Gregg Williams on for an interview. They were joking about how Williams' game plan to pressure Minnesota's Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game to the point of well, knocking him around, worked. And of course Williams vowed to do the same to the Colts' Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl. Naturally, word leaked out about this interview and it became national news yesterday. Well, at least I read about it in USA Today and could laugh because I heard the interview first hand. Seriously, Williams and these guys were joking about it, but I'm sure if Favre heard that interview, he wouldn't be laughing. Williams did everything but say there was a bounty on Favre. Of course, Manning is not and will not be fazed by such talk. He's been pressured plenty before, and just came off an AFC Championship game against the Jets, who boast the NFL's top defense. Manning is smart, he has a quick release, and he will be fine. But there is nothing wrong with bulletin board material during Super Bowl week, is there?

Here comes media day

The Colts and Saints players are in Miami and today is media day for the Super Bowl, when throngs of reporters ask each player a wide assortment of questions that range from good to ridiculous. Man, I wish I was there, and if I was I certainly would ask good questions!

And here we go.....

Let the Super Bowl hype officially begin! The Pro Bowl is over and while it felt weird having it play out the week before the big game, it feels like the smarter thing to do overall. Now as one team is crowned a champion on Sunday, the 2009 season will officially be in the books. Which, of course, really sucks. But that day arrives each year, sure as April 15 does when you have to file that tax return. And that's why we have this blog, so remember to visit often during the long off-season!