Super Bowl is set!

Miami will be ripe with the smell of Bears and Colts...on the football field that is. In a thrilling victory over the New England Patriots, the Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning will take to the Super Bowl against the Chicago Bears. The teams match up well, but here's a few key comparisons:

Defense: The Colts can't stop the run, but the Bears have struggled with the long pass. Peyton is tops in the league when it comes to passing, but Brian Urlacher will be a key to holding him back. The Bears running back Thomas Jones has been dominant in the playoffs and will have to contend with Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders.
The crucial defensive matchup:
Colts - Freeney and Sanders
Bears - Urlacher and Ogunleye
Edge: Colts - Urlacher is definitely the most dominant player on either defense, but the Colts do have a quicker unit which will help get to Rex Grossman as it did to get to Tom Brady.

Offense: This is strictly a passing game versus the running game scenario. Manning will lead an incredible passing game while Grossman excels in the flats and utilizing the run.
The key matchup:
Colts - Manning and Rhodes
Bears - Grossman and Jones
Edge: Bears - Though I think Manning could be the difference in the game, a good running game always defeats a good passing game in Super Bowls. If you can dominate the run then you can dominate the clock and time of possession. Keep Manning off the field and he can't get a rhythm.

Stay tuned for more analysis and picks in next weeks Mirror!