By Geoff Walter / SNY.tv

 

 

Manning's team is in the Super Bowl; pity it isn't New York. 'Da Bears are also in, and that big 'D' isn't braggadocio -- it stands for defense, something Chicago has in abundance and the Colts are only now getting back. Questions surround the Bears QB, and many have already lined up to give Peyton his prize. Here's your chance to see my take on the consequences of Jefferson's absence, and respond with some thoughts of your own.

 

The Colts rank third in total offense, averaging over 379 yards per game. Indianapolis has also developed an excellent running game. QB Peyton Manning has an affinity for sparking the Colt offensive line, which has allowed the fewest sacks in the league the past three seasons. On the other side of the coin, the Colts have seemingly turned around their defense, allowing just 76.7 rushing yards per game in their three postseason games after surrendering a league-worst 173.0 rushing yards per game during the regular season.

After the AFC Championship game, when Manning led the Colts in a rally against their perennial tormentors, the New England Patriots, no one should be calling him a choke artist anymore. Nevertheless, the name still sticks and will until he gets a championship. Dan Marino knows all too well that it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that ring. That should be enough of an incentive and a driving force come Super Bowl Sunday.

The cliché says that defense wins championships, and Chicago certainly has defense in abundance. The Bears defense led the league with 44 interceptions and was ranked first before slipping to fifth late in the season. As imposing as the Chicago defensive line is, it can't compare to the 1985 team -- the same way a mallet can't compare to a sledgehammer. In '85 the team was balanced completely. That's why it was the stuff of legends. The purpose of the defense is to stop the other team, not to score -- that's the job of the offense.

Some are already calling Chicago QB Rex Grossman the worst QB in Super Bowl history. He has been mediocre, but the Bears have won anyway. His decision making has been questioned by many, and he has a tendency to throw into triple coverage. Still, he has put up numbers that are on par with Super Bowl champions and legends of the past, yet the questions still remain.

The Bears have superior defense, special teams and running game. It's impossible to tell which, if any, of them will show up on Sunday. The Colts defense is improving, and Manning has already overcome the defensive lines of Kansas City, Baltimore and archrival New England. Now, can he do it against the Bears?

Wanna argue with the Ref? Don't like the call? Go ahead and make your own!