Today, hailing from the ‘Who Dat?’ nation, we have the Saints...
Reggie Bush: Few players have the versatility Bush has started to display on a regular basis. The 2005 Heisman trophy winner was declared by some excitable analysts to be a bust after his first two seasons failed to live up to the hype. Despite Bush’s early erraticism, he showed flashes of brilliance that impressed me. I was vocal about his level of talent and I firmly believed he would find his feet. I saw him in the mould of a stronger Barry Sanders, and I don’t make that comparison lightly. This weekend, on the biggest stage, Bush has a chance to shine and to permanently silence his critics by doing what the great Lion, Barry Sanders never could – win a championship with a team that many considered unable to go the distance. Those critics of the Saints overall solidity may well be proven right – they definitely start this game as underdogs. But the fairytale element of their run to the Big Game could be enough to inspire some great performances. If New Orleans win the game, Bush is my pre-game shout for MVP a la Desmond Howard who earned the honour after his stunning performance in Green Bay’s triumph over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Howard was the first special teams player to get the nod for MVP. Bush will need to score points against the Colts special teams defence to take the pressure of his offensive colleagues. I think he’ll score three TDs in this game. One on a kickoff return, one receiving and one long run of 30 plus yards. Put an accumulator on it. They’ll give you good odds for that, because it’d be legendary if it came off!
Darren Sharper: You’re lying on your back. The sky is blue but fades to black. You hear your mother laugh in your memory’s ear. A shooting pain in your spine subsides. A wave of euphoric numbness spreads to your limbs. You drift into oblivion…
The animalistic whooping of Darren Sharper – standing over you; straddling your broken body – pulls you back to the real world. Big mistake. You should’ve just let-go. There’s nothing for you here. You feel your ankle? No, of course you don’t. Shock has kicked in and you can’t feel the spiral fracture that’s just ended your career. Whose dumb idea was it to throw over the middle anyway? Coach Caldwell shakes his head apologetically. Sorry, man, but that’s Darren Sharper for you. When he sets his sights on the ball, you might as well let him have it. Either that or the integrity of your spine. He’s hard hitting; tough-talking; unforgiving. He’s a machine. Sharper has 63 career interceptions (INTs or picks if you prefer). That puts him 6th on the all time list. He snared nine this season and returned 3 of them for touchdowns. He’s been to the Pro Bowl 5 times. He’s tied a couple of records with the great Deion Sanders too. That’s not easy. If he can get to Manning, expect him to put in a game-changing play or two. Manning needs to avoid Sharper: his ability to turn the momentum on its head cannot be underestimated. Imagine this: the Colts are driving down the field. They are on the Saints’ twenty yard line. Manning tosses a pass that Sharper gets his mitts on. He streaks down the sideline for a huge interception return for a TD. The extra point is good. The Saints kick-off, Sharper bats down a pass on third down and forces them to punt. Reggie Bush – doffing his hat to his teammate – takes the punt back for a score. Fantastical? Sure. But what the Saints need to do to win this game? Absolutely.
Drew Brees: Who doesn’t love this guy? Everyone thinks the world of him. He’s like the Tom Hanks of the NFL. Ever since he was ousted from San Diego (a team with which he had a great deal of success and respect) in favour of fellow Pro Bowler Phillip Rivers, he has built a name for himself in New Orleans that will echo down the ages in much the same way that his counterpart’s father’s does. Archie Manning was the Darling of NO. Now his son is fighting his successor for the Lombardi trophy. Juice a plenty: if you could drink this storyline you’ve be one cauliflower away from a vitamin and mineral-rich diet. Okay, so super slushiness aside, how can Brees win or lose this game for the Saints? Well, very clearly he needs to regain the accuracy that faltered in the NFC Championship game. The Saints would have lost that contest twice over had the Vikings been able to hold on to the ball (they fumbled six times and Favre was intercepted twice). Sure, they were the winners after overtime, but they won on a coin flip that the Vikings should’ve never let happen. So Brees must be perfect. He doesn’t need the gaudy numbers he’s enjoyed this season, but he does need to protect the football, and that means no interceptions – none at all. He must rely on his multiple running backs to ease the strain on his receivers and then, when he does go deep, he has to hit them in stride. Also, against guys like the Colts who play strict defence, a bit of playground football might not be such a bad thing. When the play breaks down the Saints can capitalise as long as they mess it up to such a degree the Colts can’t work out where the ball’s gonna go. Brees must buy time in the pocket with his feet. If Freeney plays he’s gonna be running all over the place, but he throws well on the run and with so many targets he should still be able to make plays. Every time New Orleans has the ball you’ll have your heart in your mouth waiting for a big play or a big fuck-up. Every drive will end with one or the other, I reckon. Let’s hope Mr Nice Guy can be clinical when it counts and punish the Colts at every opportunity. Otherwise the boys in Blue are gonna lock this one up early.
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day; Bar Centro; or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
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