Lynchpins...

This is effectively a who’s who of Super Bowl XLIV, and a short one too, because I am Super Tired XLIV. So I’ve picked three players from each team: six heroes of two cities; six men who hold the key to the destiny of a franchise – one a record-breaking unit, the other a perennially luckless team who embody the spirit of a blighted nation.

Who will win? It’s down to these guys. Fist up, it’s the Colts…



Peyton Manning: Possibly the greatest Quarterback to ever play the game; definitely the best active player in the NFL. He does things that no other player – not even Brett Favre, Tom Brady or the very recently retired Kurt Warner – can do. He has been the sole reason for the Colts’ continued excellence on the field. Sure, he benefits from a superb coaching staff and a regime that is military in its exactness, but Manning makes the organisation better for his ability to lead between the hash marks. He is a coach in pads and I would be surprised if, when he finally hangs up his cleats in, say, five years from now, he doesn’t resurface in Indy as head coach sooner than later. Manning’s task is simple: be the Peyton Manning that beat the Jets in the Colts’ previous game. The Saints are a soft team defensively and it figures he’ll have plenty of time in the pocket. But he must use that time well – hawking in the backfield is the underrated secondary of New Orleans. Avoiding Sharper, Greer and Porter won’t be easy, but if the Colts are to win that’s what Manning needs to do.



Austin Collie: What’s that I hear you cry? A rookie lynchpin? That’s exactly what it is. This young man’s composure in the unfathomably stressful world of the NFL postseason has been nothing short of remarkable. And his hands! What hands! He is a legitimate threat all over the field. His athleticism and youthful naivety are invaluable tools at this late stage of the season. He isn’t scared of anyone – he doesn’t know how to be. And with the Saints likely to double-cover Reggie Wayne as the Steelers managed to do successfully with Larry Fitzgerald in the first half of last year’s Super Bowl, Collie should see plenty of touches. He stretches the field well and his focus is incredible, Manning has come to rely on his young speedster whenever the ever-reliable Wayne is covered or misses a route. Amazingly, there is a serious possibility the MVP could end up in Collie’s hands if he bags a couple of TDs and a hundred or so yards. A rookie Super Bowl MVP? You heard it here first.



Dwight Freeney: Freeney has been nursing an ankle injury all week. He is questionable for the weekend, but if he plays, he will have a huge effect on the Saints offensive prolificacy. His ability to disrupt Brees’ pattern cannot be underestimated. Without him, the Colts have a very one-sided defensive line and as competent as their back-ups are, they don’t possess the star quality to ruffle the Saints’ O-line. Freeney could very well be the most important player for the Colts, but his influence will likely be intangible; felt in the form of pressure rather than statistics. For that reason he may not get the MVP should he perform to the necessary level, but he will be invaluable nonetheless.


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