If Peyton Manning has a classic Manning performance and the Colts win you can forget anything you've ever heard about questions regarding is he one of the best QB's of all time. There will be no question (I'm not certain there's a question now.)

It is important to remember however that the Saints are in fact the team that led the NFL in both yards per game at 403.8 yards per game and in scoring at 31.9 points per game. The Colts finished 9th at 363.1 yards per game and 7th in scoring at 26 points per game.

The weather is supposed to clear in before kickoff and the field conditions should good meaning it will be a fast track so you would expect these offenses to be at their best.

The thing about Peyton Manning is that he seems to be able to score quickly when he has to but you don't hear many people talk about what he does equally well and that is he seems to be able to score slowly (taking time off the clock while also getting points) if he has to do that.

The Saints will not be able to substitute inside the red zone as Peyton will have the Colts standing at the line of scrimmage as soon as the ball is spotted. If he he's a potential substitution where a player has to make it beyond the 20 with the other player also having to get off the field, he will snap the ball and get a free five yards.

The Saints shot to win is to have an MVP performance from Reggie Bush out of the backfield and on special teams.

The Colts are favored by 5 points and most professionals I know are taking the points. From where I sit, I'm not so sure that is the wisest course of action. While I wager professionally for a living, as much as it may appear to be an oxymoron, I'm pretty conservative by nature. I am deathly afraid that Manning will stick the ball in the end zone with 1:10 to put the Colts up by 11 all but icing the game and the proficient Drew Brees will get the ball and march the Saints down the field against a prevent Colts defense putting up six of his own with a few seconds remaining.

While I'm not suggesting taking the Saints getting the five points I am suggesting taking the Colts money-line. - Robert Fairchild

Robert is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

If you haven't voted in our polls on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll questions are:

"Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?"

and

"Should the NFL adopt the NCAA method of Overtime or continue to flip a coin for possession and have sudden death?"

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Rain is expected to continue into Saturday morning, when the teams will conduct final walkthroughs, but stop by midday. No more precipitation is scheduled for the area until Wednesday.

Temperatures will be in the 50s on Saturday night, move into the 60s during Sunday and back into the 50s for game-time, helping to dry the field and create good conditions for a pair of teams that rely on players with quick bursts of speed such as Reggie Wayne and Reggie Bush.

Odds makers have the Super Bowl XLIV over / under as high as 57 points heading into the weekend. The Colts are currently 4.5-point favorites.

The last time the Colts were in the Super Bowl was three years ago, when the game was also in Miami, and played in a steady rain for the first time in history. The weather did not seem to significantly impact the Colts, who amassed 430 total yards in a 29-17 win over the Chicago Bears that however Peyton Manning was quoted after the game and again this week as saying that he thought he was effect by the rain. Peyton was 25/38 for 247 yards in Super Bowl XLI.

Super Bowl VIII between the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings at Rice Stadium in Houston had some intermittent drizzle but no heavy rain.

Outdoor games are not common for either the Colts or Saints, both of whom play their home games in climate-controlled domes. However, both teams won games at Miami during the regular season.
In Week 2, the Colts had the ball for less than 15 minutes but made the most of it and Peyton Manning hit a pair of long touchdown passes in a 27-23 win over the Dolphins as 3-point favorites in a Monday night game.

In Week 7, the Saints dug themselves a 24-3 hole in the second quarter but stormed back for a 46-34 win over the Dolphins as 6-point favorites in a late afternoon Sunday game, overcoming a season-high three interceptions by Drew Brees.

The Colts played just five outdoor games during the season, with road contests at Arizona, St. Louis and Houston. They won and covered the first four before resting their regulars for most of a 30-7 loss at Buffalo in the regular-season finale.

It was 12 degrees for the game in Buffalo but at least 56 degrees for each of their other outdoor contests.

The Saints also played six outdoor games, with two of their road contests at domes in St. Louis and Atlanta. They were 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread, escaping with a 33-30 win at Washington as 9-point favorites in Week 13 and losing 23-10 at Carolina as 10-point underdogs in Week 17, when they also rested their starters.

It was 36 degrees for the game in Washington and 30 degrees for the contest in Carolina. All of their other road games were at least 64 degrees.

There has never been a Super Bowl decided in sudden death overtime much less than one decided in OT without the losing coin-flipper ever gaining possession. If there were ever a Super Bowl where the winner of an OT flip of the coin was likely to be able to score points on that first possession, this game with these two potent offenses is the one to do it.

If you are a proponent of change in the rules you are probably hoping for such an outcome as the outcry for change would be so loud that the NFL would have to make some sort of concession to its current OT format.

If you are a Vikings fan, there is no question that it would be easier to accept the loss to the Saints in the NFC Championship game if your offense also had a chance to possess the ball.

Factually speaking, over the past decade, there were 158 OT games, including playoff games. There were 2 ties, and there was 1 game in which the coin flip winner chose to defend a side of the field rather than choosing to receive. (They lost.) In 96 of the 158 OTs, or 61%, the coin flip winner won the game.

One of the most reasonable changes to the OT rules I've heard that may appease those who feel the current arrangement is not fair that likely would not offend traditionalists who do not like change is to return the OT kick-off spot to the 35-yard line. While this wouldn't seem like a big deal to some, this is a modest change that will greatly increase touchbacks, forcing offenses to start at the 20. For those of you that are really into the game, you know that "hidden yardage" on special teams is vitally important to the game. If you return a kick-off to your 40-yard line, statistically, your chances of scoring points are dramatically different than if you start at your own 20.

Moving the kickoff line back to the 35, where it was when the current OT format was instituted, might go a long way toward equalizing the chances of the coin flip winner and loser. Unfortunately, that's only half the problem. Over one third of OT games result in one team losing the game without ever touching the ball. I think that's the bigger issue to many people.

Those who argue that each team should have an equal number of possessions in OT have a whole in their argument that they either don't realize or don't care to give any credence to and that is the team with the second possession would have an even bigger advantage than the coin-flip winner has now.

Knowing whether or not it needs a TD, FG, or can afford to punt, the second team can adjust its strategy accordingly, using its 4th downs to move the ball when necessary. The current college OT format has this problem, which is mitigated to some degree because teams alternate 'going first' on successive rounds.

A look to baseball's approach to the situation may ultimately be the wisest solution. The NFL could simply keep the current sudden death format, but award the first OT possession to the home team. While this would simply be "home field advantage" during a regular season game, home field advantage comes in all kinds of ways in sports and is a universally accepted 'edge.' There literally is no reasonable solution to that aspect as the notion of playing all regular season games at neutral sites seems silly.

With this arrangement in the playoffs, it would be easier to accept what happened to a visiting team like the Vikings. We would say, "While their offense didn't get a chance, the Saints did earn the right to the first possession by winning home field during the season." The assumption here is that it is better that a team earns a break than has it granted by the flip of a coin.

Ochocinco, the Media Mogul?

By now, football fans everywhere are familiar with the anticipation and the hype during the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. With that said, it has been very easy to become sick of the spectacle before the actual game. With the NFL Network, non-stop coverage and media day, it is almost impossible to escape (I have heard way too much information on Dwight Freeney's foot).

But now there is one man who has changed all of that. His name is Chad Ochocinco.

Ochocinco has transformed from a loud distraction to the most entertaining player in the National Football League on and especially off the field. He has taken touchdown celebrations to a new level. He has taken trash talk to new heights, and he did that in a humorous fashion. Ochocinco made twitter incredibly popular among NFL players and fans (He has 734,171 followers). He even uses U-stream to talk to and entertain his followers.

The pro-bowl receiver has single-handedly provided football fans with some much-needed off-the-field entertainment (I think fans have had enough of NFL stories involving crime and suspensions). His philosophy can be summed up in one word: fun. His new goal: do ESPN's job better than ESPN.

Ochocinco is doing just that, now that he has created his own news network called OCNN. Nobody could have expected that the best part of media this day would involved a player who isn't playing in the Super Bowl.

Throughout this season, Ochocinco has made some big changes, becoming an off-the-field icon. Just look how far he has come.

All you need to read is the first paragraph of yesterday Huffington Post piece article titled NFL Lockout Extremely Likely: Union Leader DeMaurice Smith

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The question to DeMaurice Smith was simple, coming from Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco, asking how serious he viewed the possibility of football not being played in 2011.

Ochocinco is having so much fun doing OCNN, he even got an opportunity to ask DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, the most important question regarding the NFL (besides the Super Bowl); a potential lockout in the future.

The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.

Oh, Tim Tebow. His pro potential is almost as polarizing as his Super Bowl commercial. On the one hand, you have those who point out Tebow's trouble taking snaps from center at Senior Bowl practice and his awkward release. On the other hand, you have those who point to his intangibles, leadership, etc. I can't remember the last time that some analysts have argued a player is the best prospect in the draft, while others have argued that he shouldn't be drafted at all.

There have been a lot of fans and analysts saying that Tebow would be better suited as an H-back in the NFL. We've all seen what he can do on the ground; don't forget he is the SEC career leader in rushing touchdowns and is not shy about taking on defenders. He is similar to Vince Young in size and speed (both are clocked at about 4.6 in the 40). They are both steady types of runners, with Young a bit more elusive and Tebow a bit more 'bruising'. Young successfully ran the spread option offense at Texas and Tebow has given the spread option all kinds of air time.

The spread offense has grown in popularity in college, but the NFL has been slower to adapt. Young has struggled to develop into a prolific passing quarterback in the NFL, which may be indicative of Tebow's ability to transition from a spread option offense to a pro-style offense. Of course, Tebow could revolutionize the quarterback position, as Young was supposed to, or the spread offense could gain in popularity in the pros, but that's a scenario best discussed some other time...and one that I doubt becomes a reality.

If you ask me, Tebow will not be next great NFL quarterback. Shocking stuff, I know. But he will get the opportunity with whichever team decides to draft him, as well he should. If you look at guys like Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, one of the keys to their success is the way they lead their teams (another shocker) and leadership is not lost on Tebow.

In order to develop into that every down pocket passer, or even an every down quarterback period, Tebow will have to rework almost everything he knows about playing the position. Of course, if anybody has the drive and dedication to do it, it's Tebow.

Super Bowl XLIV is this Sunday and if you have a dog in the fight you are probably very excited. For the rest of us, we just want to see a game that is a great as the last two were.

There are 30 teams that will be sitting home on Sunday with millions of disappointed fans across the country because their team isn't in. There are two franchises however with fans that have never seen a Championship game; that is unless they are exalted AARP members.

With the Arizona Cardinals playing in Super Bowl XLIII last year, and the New Orleans Saints playing in Super Bowl XLIV this year, that leaves only the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars having never played in the big game.

It's almost silly to put the Texans and the Jaguars on the list as these expansion franchises just haven't been around all that long; the Texans just a handful of years literally, so I'm going to leave them out of the discussion.

It's not like the Browns and Lions don't have storied histories though, you just have to be an old son-of-a-bitch to remember it.

If you were a Cleveland Browns fan in the 50's, from 1950 to 1965 you had quite a run as the Browns were in the Championship game nine out of the fifteen years winning four titles.

The 50's were a great time for Detroit Lions fans too. If you were a Lions fan in the 50's you probably hated the Browns because you played them in the Championship game 4 times between 1952 and 1957 winning 3 of them.

The Jets were there 41 years ago. The Chiefs where there twice early on surrounding the Jets appearance. The Vikings were there four times losing all four, the last being 33 years ago (kind makes you feel better if you're a Bills fan doesn't it?)

By now you've heard that NY Jets coach Rex Ryan was fined $50,000 by the team, a response to Ryan's photographed act of flipping off fans in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday. The League has yet to weigh in on the topic but it's widely assumed that they will chime in with a fine as well.

Ryan apologized for the gesture the following day which is kind of a disappointment. If you are going to give someone the finger, the full force and meaning of the finger is taken away if it's followed by an apology. I'd much rather he man-up'd and followed it up with some profanity and maybe a gesture involving his beer belly or big fat ass.

Giving someone "the finger" is one of the best known insulting gestures in modern culture, but its origins date back over 2500 years. The first written record of the insult occurred in ancient Greece, where the playwright Aristophanes (the Adam Sandler of his day) made a crude joke mixing up the middle finger and the penis. Even back then, the bird was considered an aggressive, phallic put-down.

In modern times (if you can call it that), in 1886, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn slipped his middle finger fastball into the Boston Beaneaters team picture (this is probably where the 'F. U.' pitch which is "The Next Great Pitch in Baseball' came from.) The picture rapidly made its way around the country and the modern phenomenon of the finger as we know it today began....

You'd be surprised how many people don't give The Finger correctly. You can save yourself from unnecessary embarrassment by going over these few simple steps.

1. Extend either arm at an approximately 90° angle perpendicular to the body
2. Bend arm at the elbow. Position it parallel to the body, forming three sides of a perfect square.
3. Close palm tightly.
4. Fiercely upturn digit between pointer and ring finger.
5. Hold approximately 10 seconds to a minute for emphasis.

Don't express regret like Rex. Be Strong. Be Proud. Then Flip. Remember: You are the master of your own bird. - David Fry

David is an independent sports photographer currently covering MLB and the NFL. David will be reporting on observations as he sees them in stadiums throughout the year.

If you haven't voted in our polls on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll questions are:

"Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?"

and

"Should the NFL adopt the NCAA method of Overtime or continue to flip a coin for possession and have sudden death?"

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Monday's big commitment was defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker, who chose Auburn over Georgia and Miami. Whitaker visited Miami over the weekend and informed coaches from Miami and Georgia of his intentions Sunday night.

In my 500 Words or Less article this week, I had noted that "USC is considered the frontrunner" for the services of wide receiver Markeith Ambles. According to VolQuest.com, however, Ambles is not all too happy with the former Vols/current Trojans coach. "I still like him, but I'm mad at him," Ambles said of Lane Kiffin. He also said of Tennessee assistant coach Lance Thompson, "That's my guy. We've been guys since the last time I was being recruited with coach (Lane) Kiffin and them." Take that how you will, but from the sound of it, Ambles is headed to Tennessee... although more than a few experts predict he's head to North Carolina.

Some of the nation's top uncommitted recruits will be making their decisions Wednesday. Here's a quick breakdown of the top uncommitted prospects from the 2010 class:

(Overall rank: Rivals, Scouts, Max Preps, ESPNU)

(2, 1, 1, 8) Seantrel Henderson, OT: Choosing between Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC. Ohio State is considered the frontrunner, but fans at Notre Dame and USC feel they have a better shot than people think. Henderson will announce on CBS College Sports Network.

(5, 5, 51, 33) Keenan Allen, S: Allen will choose from Alabama, Cal and Clemson. The general consensus among Rivals recruiting experts is that he'll sign with Cal, although Max Preps and ESPNU have him marked as a 'Bama commit. BamaOnline, however, seems to agree with the Rivals panel of experts. "After leading big for most of the recruiitng [sic] process, it looks like Alabama had [sic] now become the longshot in a group of schools that include [sic] Cal and Clemson."

(8, 49, 41, 17) Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE: Owa is considering Oregon State, UCLA and Nebraska. He reportedly knows where he's headed, or at least has a pretty good idea, but will wait until Signing Day to make it official. As far as which way he's leaning, well that depends on whose fans you ask. Nebraska seems to be the favorite...and remember what happened the last time they nabbed a highly recruited defensive lineman from Portland.

(9, 13, 79, 30) Da'Rick Rogers, WR: Rogers is listed as a Georgia commit by Rivals, Scouts, Max Preps and ESPNU. So why does a five member panel on Rivals unanimously list him as a likely Tennessee commit? Rogers has spent two straight weekends in Knoxville, high school teammate Nash Nance is expected to sign with Tennessee on Wednesday and rumors are rampant that Rogers will follow suit. This would be huge if new head coach Derek Dooley can steal one from an SEC rival.

(10, 9, 2, 19) Marcus Lattimore, RB: He's narrowed it down to South Carolina and Auburn so you statistically have a 50/50 chance of guessing who he'll choose on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Gamecock and Tiger fans, Lattimore has given few hints that would tip the scale in either direction.

(20, 59, 71, 27) Christian Jones, OLB: Jones has plenty of suitors, but the big three seem to be Florida, Florida State and Notre Dame. General consensus at this juncture: FSU.

(22, 72, NR, NR) Shon Coleman, OT: Coleman is a soft verbal commit to Auburn, but his recruitment is generally seen as up in the air. Coleman visited Arkansas and Miami in the final two weekends of the recruiting season, but Alabama fans remain confident that they will sign the 6'7 285 pound lineman. Ole Miss is feeling confident, too.

If you are an Indianapolis Colts fan, short of Peyton Manning being hurt, the Dwight Freeney news is about as problematic of an issue as you can have.

Will Freeney be able play?

At this point, whether or not he plays is almost irrelevant. They may be able to shoot him up and get 60 minutes out of him. With the extended Registered Sex Offender Show... I mean THE WHO Super Bowl half-time concert, that's about four hours. Either way, there just isn't any way that Dwight Freeney will be able to wreak havoc in the Saints backfield.

At 6'-1" 268 lbs, Dwight Freeney is a small man by NFL lineman standards and his game is speed and quickness. There is no way that he can be a force having a torn ligament in his ankle.

Freeney's absence or limited presence will be missed more than if he had gotten hurt in the game. If there was some way to not have let the news become public that would have helped, but that's not an easy thing to do in the NFL, in fact you are required to disclose these things (although we know that doesn't always happen.)

Knowing that Freeney will not be there or not the same force that he would otherwise be means the Saints will be able to game plan accordingly. Whereas with a healthy Dwight Freeney the Colts would have to choose who to double, Freeney or Robert Mathis, now the choice is made simple and the game plan can be tailored that way, whether Freeney plays or not.

If there was any chance that there was going to be any resistance from the Colts defense that has now all but gone away. You can write it in stone, the Colts will at least have to put up 30 points to win this one. Assuming there is no monsoon in Sought Florida on Sunday, the game will be tantamount to a track meet.

Peyton Manning single handedly took the Colts on his shoulders last week against the statistically the best defense in football and took over the game. At one point in the second half, Tom Moore even stopped sending in plays and just let Manning call it on them on the field. If the Colts are going to win this game he will have to have a repeat performance.

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from the week in college football.

Big news of the week: Senior Bowl and the approaching Signing Day. National Signing Day is on Wednesday and there are still some unknowns out there that have some college fans biting their fingernails. For those of you who don't know, Signing Day is when recruits from around the country sign their Letter of Intent to play football for a particular school.

Some recruits make their college decisions known early, saving fans the heartache and suspense. Others wait until Signing Day. And still others drag it out even longer...

Recapping the week in 500 words or less, this is what we learned:

• The Senior Bowl's biggest star was Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham who walked away with 2 sacks and a forced fumble. He was named MVP of the game. Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour was named the North team's Most Outstanding player on 5 of 10 passing for 97 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown. Both players are projected as first day picks, with Graham projected by some as a first rounder.

• I'm sure I'm obligated somehow to mention Tim Tebow. He was 8/12 and fumbled twice.

• Once-estranged Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount rushed the ball 7 times for the North for 36 yards and a touchdown. Considered by many a first day pick and one of the better running back prospects in the country before the season started, Blount is now considered a second day pick by most analysts. The combine and team interviews will be a key proving ground for Blount to quell any on- or off-field concerns.

• Mississippi State linebacker Jamar Chaney led everybody with 8 tackles, while Iowa linebacker A.J. Edds came away with a fumble recovery and an interception. Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson finished with 6 tackles and a pass breakup.

• Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard had a disappointing week of practice, dropping several passes, but finished the game as the leading receiver with 5 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, including a 43 yard reception and a 32 yard reception that went for a touchdown.

• On to recruiting. Bookend offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson remains the nation's top uncommitted recruit. He is ranked #2 overall by Rivals, #1 by Scouts and MaxPreps and #8 by ESPNU. He has just completed his final official visit at Miami, which he rated a "perfect 10" according to CaneSport.com, but the general consensus has been that he will be sporting scarlet and gray come Wednesday.
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