Defense?

Ever since Drew Brees has come to town, the New Orleans Saints have become known throughout the NFL for their high-powered offense. Led by their All-Pro quarterback, Drew Brees, and masterminded by their head coach, Sean Payton, this offense is certainly amongst the best in the NFL. Now, couple one elite offense from the Bayou against Peyton Manning and company, and you have the makings for a game that many people believe will turn out to be an offensive shootout of NFL elites. However, the real key to this game may be put on the shoulders of two defenses that are overshadowed by their respective offenses. The Colts are led on defense by players, such as, Gary Brackett and Dwight Freeney, players that have proven themselves on the biggest stage. On the other hand, New Orleans has never been to a Super Bowl, and the playoff inexperience can be seen throughout the entire roster. The defensive side of the ball for the Saints does have several players with experience in the NFL, Scott Fujita, Darren Sharper, Jonathan Vilma, and Will Smith have all been in the league for a number of years, and played at high levels throughout their careers. But in my opinion this defense is led by two men, Jonathan Vilma and Darren Sharper, to defensive playmakers who have reemerged with the Saints. 

From his days with the Green Bay Packers, Darren Sharper has been a playmaker capable of changing a game at any moment. The Minnesota Vikings let Sharper walk at the end of last season, and he has played with a chip on his shoulder the entire year. Jonathan Vilma was another playmaker that was left for done after suffering a slew of injuries with the New York Jets. After being traded to the Saints, Vilma has been reenergized and returned to his old form at the middle linebacker position. The middle linebacker position is especially important for all NFL teams, because they are like the second quarterback on teams. They are in charge of making adjustments, giving the play calls, and bottling up big plays. Without a good middle linebacker it is very difficult to win in this league, but the Saints have certainly received quality play from Vilma who recorded 110 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions. 

In the Super Bowl, Peyton Manning must be aware of Sharper at all times, and cannot allow him to play his typical “ballhawking” type of game. In regards to the middle linebacker, Manning will be having a constant chess match with not only Vilma, but also defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. It will be important to keep this aggressive Saints defense guessing, and the key will be how well Manning does at masking plays at the line of scrimmage. Granted the Saints are not as strong of a defensive team as the Ravens or Jets, but they are certainly not a group to be taken lightly. If the Saints are able get to the quarterback and hit Manning as they hit Kurt Warner and Brett Favre in previous weeks, it could be a long game for the Colts.