FSH: MORE FROM THE HUDDLE

February 10th, 2010 9:07pm PST

More From the Huddle

My Take on the Big Dance

Just like one of the 150 million plus viewers from this past Sunday's Super Bowl I was fully entertained with a great matchup between a pair of golden arms and two highly talented teams. There's no question I like many felt the experienced team would come out on top, but my heart was completely in favor of a Disney ending.

Let's take nothing away from either side, both teams did a great job to get where they were and deservingly so. When the Saints and Colts were the two last left standing at 13-0, it was already written this would be a great matchup of two very good teams.

Drew Brees and company did little to disappoint navigating their way through the NFC playoffs, averaging 38 points per game. The Colts and Peyton Manning were much of the same on the other side outscoring their opponents 50-20 during their AFC post season run.

The big dance was billed to be a big shootout and while it lacked a little explosion, it did not disappoint. Throughout the game, both teams were able to flex their offensive muscles; Saints scored 31 points, Colts totaled over 400 yards of offense.

Both Brees and Manning sliced and diced the opposition with precision passing. Manning completed 68 percent of his passes with 31 completions total, while Brees was even better completing 82 percent of his throws with 32 completions. This was a game that was more evenly matched that what some might have thought, it would be a game so closely fought that it would come down to who would blink first and make the first mistake.

Unfortunately for Manning, late in the fourth quarter it was he who blinked and made the seeming fatal throw that did the Colts in. In a game that was supposed to be all about the offense, it was the Saints defense that stepped up and made the big play to decide this one. The deciding play just showed that the Saints have a complete team, high powered offense and a ball-hawking defense.

After watching Sunday's climatic conclusion, the first thoughts that came to mind, we could very easily see both of these two teams return again in 2011. The Saints have a nucleus that is loaded with talent (can't see the owner letting this team come apart). After watching Brees do what he has done the last couple of seasons 2011 looks very realistic for a return visit by the Saints.

The Colts have Peyton Manning, and despite his flub in the Super Bowl he is unquestionably the biggest reason they even made it to the big dance and a big reason why they'll be a favorite to return. Manning threw 45 passes on Sunday and while he would like to have that one mistake back, he wasn't the only Colt to flub a few throws. There were a couple of throws that the Colts receivers let number 18 down, including Wayne's drop at the goal line on the Colts final play.

There's no question the Saints won this one, but this game was much closer than the 14 point margin. Manning was knocked down on Sunday, but never count him out; he and the Colts will be back and we'll be ready in 2011 for Saints-Colts II. (could happen)

By David Ortega

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