Holiday

Today is America's second largest, favorite holiday, after Thanksgiving. The Super Bowl is a huge flash and spectacle and is most often a blow-out affair.

Indianapolis vs Chicago

I think that Indy needs to play primarily mistake-free football in order to win this. The way Chicago's Defense dismantled the New Orleans Saint's Offense (which was actually ranked higher in most categories to Indy this season) shows that they are to be feared, even with the losses to its secondary. However, Manning is the best quarterback in the league, and he has three superior receivers to throw to in Clark, Wayne, and Harrison. However, Indy also has a history of folding in the biggest of games, which they must avoid.

Chicago, on the other hand, has the dominant Defense and an offense that is below par. As long as they can run the football with Benson and Jones, it will keep the pressure off of Grossman and their fair to middling receiving corps. If, however, Indy can keep up the pressure on Grossman and stuff the run as they have in each these playoff games (going from allowing 173 rushing yards per game in the regular season to 73 during the playoffs), I think they can force the Bears QB into mistakes and keep giving the ball back to Manning. If Manning can stay on the field, that means the Bears D is on the field, slowly getting more and more tired dealing with Manning's constant pressure.

Most of the experts I read and see on TV are expecting something of a blow-out game; I've heard scores for Indy in the low- to mid-thirties and for the Bears in the mid-teens to low twenties. I think this game will be closer and lower scoring than that.

My prediction: Indy 24 - Bears 17 on an end of the game drive by Manning for a TD.