Super Bowl Sunday: Saints vs. Colts

It is about 2:45 pm on Super Bowl Sunday and the coverage of the big game is already wearing thin. The Colts are, per Vegas, a 5 point favorite yet Madden Sports simulation earlier this week predicted that the Saints will win the game. The Madden Sports simulation has been right 5 out of the last 6 Super Bowls. I read that Obama picked the Colts as well. We all know that Obama has not had a great track record as of late so does that mean the Saints will win? MSNBC is predicting that the Colts will win 28-20. I am hoping for a higher scoring game. It will be great if the score is 103-100 in triple overtime.

What are the thoughts of others? Who will win the Super Bowl? Will Manning get a second ring or will Brees prove that the Saints offense can compete with anyone? Or will the defenses show up for the big game and we will see a 10-7 ball game? Kickoff is set for 5:20 pm CST with the Who performing at halftime. Will you be watching the game for the game or for the commercials? I know that I talked to a lot of Vikqueen fans and many of them, almost 70%, are hoping that the Colts destroy the Saints. I am going with the conspiracy angle and say the Saints win 49-42 with the winning touchdown set up by a phantom pass interference call.

NFL Sunday is back!!!!!!

Yesterday the National Football League (NFL), yes they had a Thursday night game, kicked off the season with some exciting games. Even though the Vikings were trailing at half, they were able to come out in the second half and put 24 points on the board. While Favre didn't put up huge numbers, Adrian Peterson showed that the extra pounds put on over the off season will not slow him down or effect his running. Peterson scored three times, including one 64-yarder that was benefited by at least three miss-tackles, and rushed for 180 yards. The team to beat in the National Football Conference (NFC) will not be the Vikings or the Giants it will be the New Orleans Saints. Granted they played the hapless Lions on Sunday.

As long as the Saints can keep Drew Brees healthy their shot at taking the NFC title will be firmly planted. Brees hooked up for six touchdowns and 358 yards against the Lions. Fantasy football owners are smiling this morning by that performance. Good thing for Direct TV and their NFL package as it enabled me to see the incredible pass reception and touchdown by Brandon Stockley who rumbled 87-yards to put the Broncos over the Bengals. For those that missed it or didn't see the reply the pass brought back memories of Franco Harris catching a ricochet pass for a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders. Just when Bengal fans thought their D had stopped the Broncos and sealed victory the tipped ball found its way into the hands of a Bronco.

Although I am in the lead in one of my fantasy football leagues, looks like I may win in all my leagues this week too, the Houston Texans offence really let me and other fantasy football owners down yesterday. Nearly every fantasy football rag and website projected a breakout season for the Texan offense. Now the Texans were facing a Rex Ryan Defense that has a knack of shutting down high potent offenses. Thankfully for one of my fantasy football teams I had Matt Ryan to use this week instead of Matt Schaub.

In another upset the Arizona Cardinals appear to have fallen into the Super Bowl loser hangover category. Neither Fitzgerald nor Boldin had a catch for the most of the first half and the player with the most catches was running back Hightower. San Francisco Giants do not have a stout defense but one would not have noticed that as they put the clamps on the Cardinals offense. The day ended with an exciting game between the Bears and Packers.

Jay Cutler did his best effort to give the game to the Packers and while the Packers did finally pull ahead when Rodgers found Jennings the score should have been much worse. The Packers did not make the most of the charity of Cutler which could prove troublesome down the road when they face more potent offenses. Tonight football fans get two Monday night games with New England/Buffalo and San Diego/Oakland. The games will prove important to many fantasy owners with studs like Rivers, L.T., T.O., Brady, and Moss playing tonight. On a personal note, I will be up late tonight watching my beloved Raiders try to recapture the "Just Win Baby" mystique against the Chargers.

While I am optimistic that the Raiders will score more points than last year, I am a realist to understand that if the defense is not able to stop the run the season will be another long one. At the end of the season last year the Raiders showed signs of major improvement under Tom Cable. Hopefully they will continue that tonight against the Dolts (Chargers). I will be rooting with reserved optimism tonight. At the end of the day the NFL is here and the season is underway!!!!!