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Don's Crystal Ball Super Bowl Pick

THE DON'S
Crystal Ball

2009 SUPER BOWL XLIV

By DonCanabis/TheDon
Analyst/Godfather
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Short column this week only The Game to talk about...

Quick Hits

•Didn't like the pro bowl being played 1 week before the Super Bowl, yeah it brought better ratings but, it took a little spotlight of the big game and you can't do that specially to promote a game that nobody cares for the fans and specially the players.

•What a great game we will watch tomorrow you can't write a better scrip Manning playing against his hometown team that loves. New Orleans going for the first time in franchise history. Two great QB's with high power offenses, the two teams that were chasing perfection for 14 weeks...The first 1 vs 1 Super Bowl in I don't know how many years...Priceless

•This has been one of the best playoffs I've seen in recent years with memorable games and huge level of intensity. The two games that stole the show Arizona vs Green Bay and Minnesota vs New Orleans.

New Orleans at Indianapolis -5 Ovr/Und 57

There hasn't been a closest Superbowl on paper since the Eagles against New England that I can think off. Both teams have great QB's with many weapons to throw to and can score in many different ways.

So lets see both teams strengths and weaknesses:

Indianapolis

Strengths:

QB.-when you have a future HOF on your team that's a huge advantage plus he has been perfect all season, has brought his team back to victory many times this season including in the divisional playoffs.
WR.- Even if they have two young kids on the roster they are playing at veteran level and if you add Wayne and Clark strong strong group.
Experience.- they been here before they know what to expect and you can't teach that.
Finishers.- If this game it's close in the 4th quarter this team knows how to win games better than anyone else if it close they have the advantage.

Weaknesses:

RB.- The running game there's no secret here they can't run the ball, which makes what Manning is doing more impressive because even if they're one dimensional teams haven't been able to stop them.
Pressure.- With Freeney hurt they have lost the possibility of 4 man pressure which will force the Colts to send more blitz to make Brees uncomfortable.
Secondary.- young inexperienced and are facing top talent WR in New Orleans.

New Orleans

Strengths:

QB.- You can't deny that Brees is in the top 3 QB's in the game today
RB.- the combinations of Thomas, Bush and Bell have been great this season and facing the 24th defense against the run would help. But lets accept that the colts have been better against the run in he playoffs like they did the last time they went to the big game.
WR.- Colston, Henderson, Moore, Meachem and Shockey are lethal in the passing game and if you add Bush coming from the backfield makes a real weapon.
Aggressive Defense.- this team generate turnovers put constant pressure to the QB and expect those hits to produce late in the game the go after the ball and sometimes this means giving up big plays but also game changing plays and with an offense that can score they can take those chances.
Special Teams.-when you have Bush as your returner you have an advantage.

Weaknesses:

Kicker.- when you have a rookie kicker with only a few games of experience you don't want the game depending on his leg yeah he came through in the championship game but this is the Super Bowl.
CB's.- being that they play an aggressive defense they tend to give up big plays plus they aren't very fast so they usually give a big cushion to the wr and get beat on short routes a lot.

Ok lets get to the bottom of this the colts have the best QB probably that has ever played this game, which has most of the media going gaga on the Colts but at the end New Orleans has the better team so I'll take the upset and give the Saints their first Trophy.

Straight: NO
Spread:NO
Ovr/Und: Ovr
Score : New Orleans 34 - Indianapolis 27

Ok finally I like to thank everyone who has read this column every week even in those awful weeks I had during the season, see you next summer Guys and GL in the Offseason.