Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Archie?

Archibald Elisha Manning III was an All-American quarterback for Ole' Miss and was selected No. 2 overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 1971. He was drafted behind Heisman Trophy Winner, Jim Plunkett from Stanford who was taken No. 1 by the New England Patriots. Plunkett would later come to fame as the winning QB for the Oakland Raiders in both Super Bowl's XV and XVII.

When the Saints drafted Archie Manning, they were just a four year old franchise. The Saints were an expansion franchise in the 1967 expansion draft resulting from the AFL / NFL merger. In the franchises four year existence, they had a record of 14-40-2. The Saints faithful were convinced that this All-American QB from neighboring Mississippi was the guy who would lead them to the 'Promised Land.'

As you probably know by now, Archie was an extremely gifted athlete who could run and throw but spent most of his time running from defenders or looking at the top of the Super Dome while lying on his back after being sacked.

The unanimous feeling in NFL circles is that Archie Manning would have been a prolific winning NFL QB for the Saints had they ever bothered to bring in some linemen who could block or some receivers who could catch.

Perhaps no franchise misused a potential superstar the way the Saints did with Archie. Manning managed to make two Pro Bowls despite a 35-91-3 record in New Orleans. He was sacked a disgraceful 339 times, including four seasons when he was sacked 40 or more times. By comparison, his son Peyton was sacked just 10 sacks this season.

Archie Manning had one of the strangest careers anyone has ever seen - even rival players said they sometimes took it easy when sacking Manning because they felt bad for the guy.

Archie played ten full seasons with the Saints and parts of three additional seasons with the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings. Archie's career record as a starter was 35-101-3, a .263 percentage that ranks as the worst in league history among quarterbacks with at least 100 starts. After the punishment he took, at 60 years old, it's truly amazing that he's still able to walk and talk.

Archie, a Sothern native of Drew, Miss., never left New Orleans after his playing days; in fact, he still lives there today. New Orleans is where he raised his family, wife Olivia and three sons Cooper, Peyton and Eli. He has been synonymous with New Orleans Saints football for 39 years now. If there is a Saints franchise milestone or milestone reached by a Saints player, Archie is there to present the award. He was, is, and will always be the face of the New Orleans Saints franchise.

"I've lived in New Orleans for 39 years and I'm very proud of what the Saints have done. I'm very proud."

In a strange way Archie will have a chance to exact some revenge from the Saints for never getting him some offensive linemen. Who knows what kind of career he could have had if someone blocked for him. But for Archie, as like all the Manning's do, is taking the high road and saying all the right things (that's probably where the Manning boys get it from).

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.

I know I've already profiled a running back, but C.J. Spiller, like Dexter McCluster, is a do-everything type of back who has teams at the next level eager to enlist his services. Unlike McCluster, however, Spiller better fits the NFL running back mold; he has 30 pounds on McCluster as well as a few inches.

In the previous profile I concluded that McCluster was unlikely to develop into an every down back in the pros and will more likely be used as an 'X-Factor'; that is returning kicks, running the wildcat, lining up in the slot and, of course, carrying the ball.

Spiller will definitely be an X-Factor at the next level, but also gives teams the option to line him up as an every down running back. I look for Spiller to pay his dues returning kicks and serving as a third down back and perhaps even running the wildcat in his rookie season, but I also look for him to develop a more traditional role as time goes by.

He is more comparable to Chris Johnson than is McCluster, who some have compared to the Titans running back, not only because of his size, but what he is able to do when he touches the ball. I like that Spiller, like Johnson, does not rely too much on his jukes and doesn't 'over-juke' defenders to work his magic. While there is certainly room for that in the NFL, players who relied exclusively on those fancy moves in college tend not to pan out as well in the NFL (i.e. Reggie Bush). Of course, there are exceptions like the great Barry Sanders, but few nobody is able to do what Barry did on a regular basis.

Like Johnson, Spiller has phenomenal breakaway speed. If you did not have the pleasure of watching Spiller run butt-wild through opposing defenses, check out this video. Both Spiller and Johnson have the speed and burst to take the corner on just about anybody who gives them even a sliver of an angle. There may be a learning curve in competing against professional defenses, but something tells me we'll see Spiller in somebody's backfield sooner rather than later.

That 'somebody' may be the Seattle Seahawks who have tried everybody short of Gary Payton at running back in the last few seasons. The list is endless: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris, Leonard Weaver, Julius Jones, T.J. Duckett, Justin Forsett and Edgerrin James. Nobody has worked out since Alexander's MVP season in 2005.

It's not often that your running back runs for 122 yards on 25 attempts including 3 TD's and you complain about the way he played, but there is an elephant on the Vikings roster wearing # 28 and the Vikings are pretending it's not there.

It's been said quite a few NFL people that Adrian Peterson is the best talent to play running back in the NFL since Jim Brown. I don't know about that, but it's pretty hard to argue that he is not one of the most talented to come along in quite a while.

Peterson has an unusual running style, he doesn't run over you like Earl Campbell, he doesn't run around you like Barry Sanders, he comes up to you, beats the crap out of you and then runs away from you while you try to chase him down the field. He runs with a passion and anger on every single play that you see from other running backs only once or twice per game.

"Houston we have a problem"

Well it's Minnesota, not Houston, but you get the point.

While Adrian Peterson has tools and moves to be a 2,000 yard running back, something has to be done about Adrian Peterson's fumbling problem. You can't put an NFL running back on the field (I don't care how many yards and TD's he runs for) if when you hand him the ball 25 times, three of them end up on the ground. For all you Adrian Peterson apologists; I understand that this time he recover two of them and I understand that you are going to tell me that he never got the handoff on the other one.

Well he should have gotten the handoff on the other one and he doesn't always get them back.

When I look back at the Vikings headlines for the year I see:

• "Fumbles become a problem for Peterson"
• "Does that fumble in the red zone officially label Adrian Peterson as having a fumbling problem?"
• "Adrian Peterson's fumble proves costly"
• "Adrian Peterson fumbles are an issue"
• "Adrian Peterson's Fumble Woes"
• "Adrian Peterson's Fumbles Sending Favre Into Retirement Two Weeks Early"

HELLO! He's a fumbler! Will someone please work with him on this?

It has nothing do to with strength, even around other NFL players Peterson is known to have the strongest hands. He gets kidded all the time when he shakes someone's had that his grip is too tight.

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

It's been a pretty dead week as it relates to college football news. Not that it was unexpected during Conference Championship Week. The big news of the week was what some perceive as another flip flop from a certain Gator coach, some recruiting/Twitter news and the latest Kiffin-hating media out of Tennessee.

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

• What is going on with Urban Meyer? Your guess is as good as his at this point. Apparently after resigning, taking an indefinite leave of absence and defining 'indefinite' as before the beginning of the season, Meyer now expects to be ready to coach spring practice when it begins on St. Paddy's Day. According to the Gainesville Sun, Meyer has stated, "I'm going to have a series of tests in February to try to figure this thing out...I have to take some time off. I've been instructed to by my bride and my boss. I have to change some things. That's obvious." I joke, but the guy should do whatever is best for him.

• The NCAA should update its recruiting rules for the 21st Century. In the latest sleazy recruiting move, Florida State offensive coordinator James Coley has turned to Twitter to trash in-state rival Miami, replacing the world 'you' with 'U' in his tweets, presumably in reference to Miami's nickname, 'The U'. Clever, I know. Some of his tweets include:

- "Setting MY schedule for next WEEK - can U handle what's COMING your way?"
- "mission accomplished - I thought I told U - FEAR THE SPEAR!!!!" (after reports surfaced [trustworthy or not] around the Internet that four star defensive end Corey Lemonier will eventually sign with the Seminoles over the Hurricanes)
- "Hottest team in the COUNTRY - SWAG? PRONTO!!!!!!" (in reference to Miami's famous swagger of the 80s and early 90s)
- "Make no mistake... this is MY-ami - i walk, i talk, i think 305... U just live here"

Besides plagiarizing some lame motivational day calendar ("DOMINANT", "RELENTLESS", "UNCONQUERED"), Coley proved that he doesn't understand the fierce but respectful rivalry that Miami and FSU have forged over the years. Seminole nation should be embarrassed by their classless new OC, especially when you consider their legendary coach made sure he was a role model to his players. It's surprising that so many recruits have followed this loud little lap dog to Tallahassee.

He had it all in the palm of his hands..... After being battered like a rag doll all evening from the Saints pass rush and having the members of his team put the ball on the ground on what seemed like almost every other play, Brett Favre somehow miraculously overcame the adversity and had his team driving for the winning score in regulation with time running out to put his team in Super Bowl XLIV against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

With 2:37 the Vikings took the ball at their own 21-yard line and Favre's dream went like this:

1. Minnesota Vikings at 02:37
2. 1-10-MIN 21(2:37) 28-A.Peterson right end to MIN 21 for no gain (93-B.McCray).
3. Two-Minute Warning
4. 2-10-MIN 21(2:00) 28-A.Peterson right guard to MIN 23 for 2 yards (51-J.Vilma).
5. Timeout #2 by NO at 01:52.
6. 3-8-MIN 23(1:52) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass short left to 87-B.Berrian to MIN 33 for 10 yards (42-D.Sharper). Pass 5, YAC 5
7. Timeout #1 by MIN at 01:39.
8. 1-10-MIN 33(1:39) (Shotgun) 4-B.Favre pass deep right to 18-S.Rice to NO 47 for 20 yards (20-R.Gay). Pass 16, YAC 4
9. 1-10-NO 47(1:14) 29-C.Taylor left guard to NO 33 for 14 yards (91-W.Smith, 42-D.Sharper).
10. Timeout #3 by NO at 01:06.
11. 1-10-NO 33(1:06) 29-C.Taylor right guard to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele).
12. 2-10-NO 33(:25) 28-A.Peterson right end to NO 33 for no gain (92-R.Ayodele, 98-S.Ellis).
13. Timeout #2 by MIN at 00:19.
14. 3-10-NO 33(:19) PENALTY on MIN, Offensive 12 On-field, 5 yards, enforced at NO 33 - No Play.
15. 3-15-NO 38(:19) 4-B.Favre pass deep middle intended for 18-S.Rice INTERCEPTED by 22-T.Porter at NO 22. 22-T.Porter to NO 48 for 26 yards (65-J.Sullivan).

Now let's be fair, whoever was responsible for having 12 men in the huddle is primarily responsible for the situation that led to the interception. That's a coaching blunder and one that should never happen, especially after a time-out!

BUT

Favre's throw on the run, across his body, late across the middle is what you get when you agree to have Brett Favre as your QB. With Brett Favre you will get throws like the 20-yard strike he threw to Sidney Rice @ 1:39 that no one other then perhaps Peyton Manning could make. (If Favre didn't throw the pick and they successfully kicked the field goal, that throw would have been considered one of the great clutch throws of all time.) Conversely, it was typical of Favre to follow that throw up with just an awful rookie-like aggressive decision making play like he did tonight.

Minnesota Vikings fans now truly know the highs and lows, ups and downs and emotional swings that Jets fans last year and Packers fans for many years before that have experienced.

Brett Favre holds many cherished NFL records that only the likes of Peyton Manning will have a chance to break if he stays healthy, but there is one NFL record that Favre holds that Peyton never will, and that's being the NFL's All-Time Interception Leader.

Peyton Manning proved this year even more than others that he is the MVP. Jim Caldwell is in his first year as head coach of the Colts just as Rex Ryan was for the Jets. This is the first year I can remember that two rookie coaches were coaching their teams in the AFC or NFC title game.

Yes..... Peyton is awesome and just like a fine wine he seems to get better with age but the Colts defense is another big reason they are in the Super Bowl. Here are just a couple of important stats:

• 14 fumble recoveries and only gave up 8
• 2nd in the NFL in passing and 8th in total points allowed
• 34 sacks and only gave up 13
• Plus 2 in turnovers

You can go over all the stats you want but Miami is the lucky venue for the Indianapolis Colts and the Super Bowl. The Colts have been to 3 Super Bowls in the past and all have been in Miami. This will be the fourth year for the Colts to go to the Super Bowl and all of them in Miami Florida.

Going into the 4th quarter in the AFC Championship game Manning looked himself. Very calm, concentrated and confident. After being down by 11 in the first half the Colts felt right at home. First year Head Coach Jim Caldwell had his team prepared for this game. Manning stayed with the game plan and everyone preformed their job well.

Manning finished the game with 377 yards with 3 touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also set an all time record in postseason games with seven 300 yard games. I don't think he is finished with the record books quite yet. Peyton is ONLY 33 years old and looks as though he has another 6 plus years in him. He has won every game this year that he has played in from start to finish. He has had a perfect season if you look at it that way.

Tonight Manning was 26 of 39 but made so many of them look so easy. The ball barely making it over the fingertips of the Jet's defenders on many and making his receivers look like All-Pro's. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon had career high games and these are two receivers that very few people had on their fantasy team at the beginning of the season.

Look for Manning and the Colts to have a shoot out in Super Bowl XLIV against, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.  Look for Peyton to be on top of his game and the Colts to come out on top. - Bob Bearden

Bob is a regular guest contributor on sports talk radio in the Southeastern United States. Bob's views and opinions on professional and college sporting events can now be found right here on the MC3 Sports Media's family of websites.

If you haven't voted in our poll on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at the game of NCAA Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll question is, "Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?" - Please vote.

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.

The Indianapolis Colts are the AFC Champions and deservedly so I might add. Peyton Manning showed why he is the best player in the game today and perhaps the best in NFL history. The Jets have nothing to be ashamed of, they had a magic ride. The better team with the best player in the NFL was just too much for them in the end.

Never before have we seen someone who can think like the smartest coach in the game and also have the physical tools to carry out those thoughts on the fly.

So what are the Jets going to do with all the Jets AFC Champion apparel and other paraphernalia that was being sold on the Jets web site prior to the game?

Thanks to Peyton Manning, now that there is no market for them it looks like hundreds of thousands of sweatshirts, shirts and hats will be making their way to the citizens of the devastated population of Haiti.

So the Colts are going to Super Bowl XLIV and it couldn't have happen to a better person. Peyton Manning is truly the All-American citizen.

Manning is complementary in victory and gracious in defeat (not that it happens often). Manning a tireless worker at his craft and his hard work translates into near perfection on the field.

How many other athletes of his status would get in their car and drive a few hundred miles each way two times a week, just to work out with a rookie receiver that was drafted but still in school finishing up his degree?

For 60 minutes today I rooted against Manning as he played against my team, the Jets, but that's over now. The guy wins because he out-prepares, out-thinks, and outperforms his competition; how can you not respect that.

The other day someone wrote in asking if I thought that Peyton Manning would be a good head coach. After thinking about it, my answer is no. If Manning tried to be a head coach it would be a lot like when Ted Williams tried to manage the Washington Senators.  Manning would expect his players to have the dedication and work ethic that he had and also for that to translate that to the field, which is something that is just not a realistic thing to expect, as he is truly a once in a generation player. Manning would likely just end up walking away from the game disappointed as Williams did when he finally realized that he just couldn't expect anyone else to do what he did.

All four teams left in the NFL playoffs are producing NFL Championship game memorabilia. They are selling shirts, hats, commemorative coins, etc.  You can even bid on the kick-off ball from the AFC Championship game on the Colts web site; but no one does it like NY......

If you go to the Jets Website you can pre-order all kinds of stuff that assumes they've won the AFC Championship game and are participating in the Super Bowl!

My guess is that if they win today, tomorrow you'll be able to pre-order stuff declaring that the Jets are Worlds Champions.  That's New York, that's the way we do things here.

New York's own way of doing things is part of the reason that the majority of the nation both envies us and hates us at the same time; something that I can certainly understand.

Everyone understands that the stuff has to get made so that if the team wins it can immediately be worn on the field after the game, that's the way society is these days; no one can wait for anything and we have to have everything now.

While all four teams have produced the stuff, only the Jets are selling it BEFORE THE GAME.

There are many people around the country that are offended by the type of marketing that the Jets are doing, but not me.  I'm a huge Jets fan and I was only two years old the last time they won.  Whether they win today or not, I'm accumulating my "Jets Super Bowl memorabilia."

I'm used to playing pretend, I've been pretending all these years that my team is worth rooting for, I don't have any problem pretending longer if I have to.

Either way, this year has been a nice surprise. J E T S, Jets Jets Jets...- Mike Cardano

Mike is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Blog and the Extra Point Football Blog.

If you haven't voted in our poll on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at the game of NCAA Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll question is, "Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?" - Please vote.

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.

We have complete coverage of both the AFC and NFC Championship games from A to Z. If there is an angle to the game, we have it.

Sunday is one of the most exciting days of the year for sports fans. There are some very interesting story-lines within this year's NFL Championship games and Xtra Point Football has them all. Check out these headlines items:

• Jets vs. Colts, What to watch for: AFC Championship Game Breakdown

• Vikings vs. Saints, What to watch for: NFC Championship Game Breakdown

• A Peyton Manning full game puts an end to the debate

• Brett Favre has a lot to prove...., or does he?

• Deja vu all over again? 41 years later, Jets look to shock the Colts...again

• After Katrina, the Saints look to put New Orleans back on the map

• If the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl, are they the team of the decade?

• Will the Jets let Brad Smith throw the ball?

• Jets vs. Colts - Super Bowl III Revisited (See the entire game here)

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.

Denver Broncos Ty Law on Darrells Revis (who has the most career interceptions against Manning, with four regular-season picks and a record five postseason thefts - the most playoff picks by one player against another):

"He's the best in the game. He is a true shutdown corner because of the way they use him," said Law. "It's just the confidence they have in him, for the coach to say we're going to put you on their top receiver every game. He doesn't take that as pressure. It's not for everyone out there on that island."

Reggie Wayne on Darrelle Revis:

"One thing about (Darrelle) Revis is he's going to challenge you. "He's going to make you play your best. I accept that challenge. I feel like he's one of the best. He's going to make me play at my best, so it's going to be exciting."

Colts coach Jim Caldwell on Peyton Manning:

"When you have an individual that is here, within your franchise, that does things the right way in every single aspect - a guy that loves the game, has great respect for the game, and handles himself in a way that's exemplary," Caldwell said, "it makes it very easy for us to tell our young guys, if you want to understand how to prepare for the game, how to play this game, you can watch this guy."

Mark Sanchez on how he's handling the week:

"Just treating it like any other game, doing the same stuff throughout the week on and off the field, being smart, getting my rest. I think that's the most important thing that I've seen, just make sure you get your rest."

"It's just been important for me to understand that you don't always get to come back here, that it really is a privilege to be here. And once you get here, boy, all of the excitement of it and distractions, really, you just focus on playing. It's going to be great. We're very excited for the opportunity and definitely want to take advantage of it."

Rex Ryan on the Jets taking pre-orders on merchandise commemorating a win in a game that has yet to be played.

"I understand that we are selling the AFC Championship merchandise, so I like that thinking. Unfortunately, every team in the league is.  You have Indy doing it, New Orleans and Minnesota, just so everybody is clear on that. I'll be honest, I was like, 'What? I like it, I like it.'"

Some revealing quotes from Peyton Manning:

What's different about Rex Ryan's defense with the Jets, compared to his Baltimore Ravens units?

Manning - "I'm probably not going to get into too much of that."

How will Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis dictate where the ball goes?

Manning - "I can't tell you."

Will you know exactly where he is on the field?

Manning - "I can't tell you that. I usually try to know where all 11 of 'em are before the play."

What is your reaction to Ryan's confident statements?

Manning - "I can't speak to that."

Ever wonder why anyone would bite on your play-fakes?

Manning - "I can't tell you that."

Rex Ryan on Shonn Greene:

"That's a big rascal right there. Once he starts getting to that second level, it's a long day."