Super Bowl XLIV: De-Cleeting

The downside to having a "real job" is not being able to blog during the day. Instead ideas swim through your head and by the time you get home any current story has passed. What can I add that has not been said today about the conference championship games? Also, what can I say about the Super Bowl that will not be said in the upcoming weeks?

NFC Championship

The Vikings' struggles with ball handling was not on Favre, but that last throw was. I give credit to him for hanging in there, even after getting hit in a should-have-been Brady Rule penalty. It does not excuse that last throw, he denied the team a chance to kick the winning FG. The haters will enjoy the fail, and the Favre defenders will try not to cite the pick as where Minnesota lost. I am sure Saints fans feel no remorse for the win. Finally a kicker makes a pivotal playoff kick this year. Sean Payton is going to have to come up with the coaching job of his life in order to beat the Colts.

AFC Championship

The Jets' great start was not a mirage, but Peyton and Tom Moore simply wait until the second half and make the adjustments. The Jets defense could not stop the onslaught and once Shonn Greene went down the end was inevitable. Peyton is going down in the book as one of the greatest because of his on-field precision but also because he is competitive. That jab he took at Rex Ryan postgame about the Colts keeping their mouths shut was totally intentional.

Super Bowl Time

A few thoughts on the last football game of meaning we have until August:

-Greg Williams, it is time to earn your paycheck. The Saints defensive coordinator will need a Steve Spagnolo-like effort in order for New Orleans to win.

-I usually tire of teams in the Super Bowl playing the "no one thinks we can win" line, but with the line sure to swell in the coming weeks, Saints players should hype it up.

-With drama-filled games in recent Super Bowls, there is no reason not to expect this game to be competitive. Obvious old adage alert: The team that turns over the ball more will lose.

-Prepare for the following stories to inundate your brain cells: Peyton/Archie Manning New Orleans connections and who doesn't want to revisit Hurricane Katrina again?

-Prediction time: I picked the Saints before the season to win the Super Bowl, and even though the Colts are the favorite, I am not backing down now. Saints in a classic 31-30. Brees wins MVP and does the Carlton Dance down Bourbon Street.