Super Bowl XLI Preview

On Sunday Night, America gets down to business on what has become our de facto national holiday. The Bears and Indianapolis square off in South Florida in Super Bowl 41. People around these parts are still stinging from the AFC Championship defeat. But life goes on and so does football. Indianapolis is a heavy favorite to win and provided that their defense finds a way to stop Chicago’s running game, they should win. However, the test will be whether Indianapolis can sustain the physical beating that the Bears are certain to be dishing. Earlier in the year, the Bears-Patriots game was about as physical a game as had been played in quite awhile. If Manning & Co. can hold up, they’ll have no trouble winning. While the Bears defense is not quite the famed “46” of the eighties, they’re hardly Swiss cheese. Offensively, what the Bears need to do is control the clock and keep Manning off the field. In the first two playoff rounds, the Indy defense was tremendous, but in the AFC Championship, they reverted to form. Additionally, the weather forecast is calling for rain on Sunday in Miami, and wet conditions can only work to the Bears’ benefit. For those who like to put their money where their mouth is, Indy is the logical pick and ought to cover. But who ever said logic has anything to do with it? Didn’t Bud Grant say, “offense sells tickets, defense wins games”? OK, given Bud’s Super Bowl record, perhaps he’s the wrong guy to quote. Nevertheless, win or lose, Chicago is coming to town looking to put a beating on their opponent, as is the Halas Tradition. Indy has no tradition, save for fleeing Baltimore in the middle of the night, a dishonor for which THEY MUST ATONE!!!

Projected Final Score: Chicago 27, Indianapolis 24.