If you’re a typical Eagles fan like I am, the Super Bowl is little more than an exercise in commercial watching and seeing how much taco dip you can fit on one chip, then subsequently fit into your mouth. If anything, we’re usually rooting against someone.

This year though, we get to watch two genuinely likable teams. High-powered offenses, two great quarterbacks, lots of personality on both sides, a great story of the city of New Orleans, Manning’s continued quest to be the greatest of all time, and lest we forget – gratuitous views of Kim Kardashian in the owners box.

The Saints didn’t win the NFC Championship as much as Minnesota Favre’d themselves in the foot, but here they are – 25th ranked defense and all. In fact, this entire Superbowl defies the logic that Superbowl teams “run the ball and play solid defense” …these two teams are to defense what Beyonce is to acting.

That being said, that Saints number 25 ranking in overall defense does not tell the whole story. What they also are is amongst the leaders in causing turnovers (+11 on the year), and red zone defense. Remember the Eagles D and “bend, don’t break”? This squad should be sponsored by bungee cords. They are going to need to play exactly this way in order to beat the Colts. They will have to make them settle for field goals, disguise coverages, and hurry Peyton into throwing passes. Lately you’ve been seeing him smartly take sacks rather than throwing into tight coverage, but if they can build a lead – every quarterback eventually starts to feel more pressure than Jackeé’s personal trainer.

So what else do the Saints have to do in order to exorcise the ghosts of Bobby Hebert(remember him? …and how to pronounce it?) and Archie Manning? At least these two things:

1. Run the ball / control the clock.

The Saints not only have 39 running backs, they also have a top-five offensive line. Even though it only takes moments for Manning to mount a comeback against you (see game 2 vs. Miami) you want to give him as few chances on the field as possible. The more he sees your defense, the more likely he is to find the holes in it. Kind of like how your girlfriend was okay with your wardrobe for the first few months, then she figures out all the ways you need help.

Freeney’s limitedness in this game will dramatically affect the Sants ability to run the ball, perhaps just as much as it does in the run game.

2. Don’t give up big plays.

Manning loves to carve up defenses for bite-sized chunks of yardage, but he also loves to go directly for the jugular and hit a big play. Long touchdowns sap the life out of a defense, they make players start questioning their teammates and themselves. They also can create a false sense of urgency on the offensive side of the ball to come right back and match the score. If they can force the checkdowns and 3-4-5 yard gains, they can slow the game down and perhaps cause some fumbles or one of those interceptions when the ball is a little high and takes a weird bounce.

So Murdock took the Colts huh? Alright, well for the sake of argument – I’ll take the Saints.

Prediction: Saints 34 – Colts 30

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- Magnum

What are your predictions for the game?