Now that the dust has finally settled and we have two left standing nothing could be more appropriate than Drew Brees versus Peyton Manning. The Saints signal caller on the cusp of greatness taking on the great Mr. Manning who continues to write his own legacy. With his fourth NFL MVP award, Manning will try to secure his second NFL title and cement himself as one, if the not the greatest ever.

While his counterpart would appear to have much to play for, Drew Brees is not without his own personal motivation. Brees has become the face of a franchise that not only represents a city, but represents so much more. Following the Katrina disaster the Saints have led a march of great hope and resolve and the face out front of this march has been Drew Brees.

Brees has often been compared to the great names in today’s game; Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Brett Favre, and though he lacks the hardware (Lombardi Trophies and MVP awards) he has the numbers. His first appearance should not legitimize his greatness; he has been great since he arrived to New Orleans. His first appearance in the Big Dance should be the next chapter to his own legacy.

What to Expect

While both teams have two very quick and opportunistic defenses, there is little doubt that this game is going to be all about the two gunslingers calling the signals. The Saints (4th) and Colts (2nd) offenses finished the 2009 season ranked in the top five passing and both clubs were in the top seven in scoring.

While the Saints were second in the league with 39 takeaways, they are going to find it difficult to capitalize on Manning who has just one turnover in 83 passes this post season. Like his counterpart Brees has been steady taking care of the ball with no turnovers in 63 passes.

The Saints led the league in scoring and finished number one in yards per game; they will surely test the Colts defense all game long. And when Manning takes the field with his number two ranked passing offense (9th overall) the Saints defense will face their ultimate test this season.

Don’t expect too many punts or a lot of stops, this one could easily turn into a regular shootout at the O.K. corral with the quarterback with the ball last deciding this classic matchup of a pair of gunslingers.

Injury notes for Sunday…

RB-Pierre Thomas (Saints)…..ribs-probable.

RB-Joseph Addai (Colts)…..shoulder-probable.

WR-Robert Meachum (Saints)….ankle-probable.

TE-Jeremy Shockey (Saints)….knee-questionable

DB-Darren Sharper (Saints)…..knee-probable.

DL-Will Smith (Saints)….groin-probable.

DL-Dwight Freeney (Colts)….ankle-questionable

Quick Notes:

The Saints wide receiver Robert Meachum has resumed full participation in practice and looks to be ready for the big dance. Meachum could be a big key in the Saints passing game on Sunday. He tied with Colston for the team lead with nine touchdowns this season and finished the year with 45 catches for 722 yards receiving (16.0 yards per catch).

The Colts have made their name on the passing of Peyton Manning all season, but it wouldn’t surprise to see Joseph Addai taking on a larger role in the run game this Sunday. In the AFC title game Addai finished with 80 yards averaging five yards a carry against a pretty good Jets run defense; Saints rank 21st against the run.

Analysts, commentators, radio hosts and the average fanatic, pegged Denver Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels and the Broncos organization idiots for trading star QB Jay Cutler for a pedestrian, middle-of-the-pack Orton.

Cutler, the golden-armed and erratic signal-caller is as talented as it gets. People thought it unfathomable that in a time when there’s such a scarcity of young All-Pro QB’s, Denver and its apparently immature rookie coach would even entertain trades for Cutler, a 26-year-old gunslinger who just set Broncos single-season passing records with 4,526 yards, 384 completions and eight 300-yard passing games.

It’s not like Orton was performing exceptionally in Chicago. The scruffy, former Purdue QB was much maligned in The Windy City. He was often yanked from games, demoted and his ordinary play didn’t exactly make fans think he was the next Sid Luckman. Orton’s never thrown for over 3,000 yards and he’s never had more than a modest 18 TD passes.

What he does do better than Cutler, however, is win. Orton’s 27-12 career record is impressive. And it’s a direct indication of his worth as a QB. Orton used to give Bears coach Lovie Smith fits. Smith would replace him with Brian Greise or Rex Grossman, but he always had to come back to Orton because he won games. He just was pretty ugly doing it.

Orton’s accuracy is his other value. His 9 TD passes and one pick can attest to that. Orton is no Eli Manning. He has pinpoint accuracy and many of his passes are indefensible. If he throws a pass it is with purpose. Having strong offensive players in Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokely, along with the always effective Denver ground game, has made Orton a better player. We are seeing how much of a play-maker he can be, in the right system with the right coach.

To the untrained eye, it still seems like a trade that never should have happened. Most felt that McDaniels and Cutler needed to cut the crap, sit down and make peace for the good of the team. But looking back, it is obvious that McDaniels didn’t let bravado influence him. He decided from early, that Cutler was not the type of quarterback nor personality, that he wanted leading his team. Just look at the irrational manner in which Cutler reacted to the trade rumors.

McDaniels, as a proclaimed quarterback guru, entertained the Matt Cassel trade talks because he felt he could continue to smoothly mold Cassel into his offensive system. Cassel was a hot commodity because he thrived under McDaniels’ tutelage. Cassel replaced Tom Brady as Pats QB, after Brady was injured and led the Pats to an 11-5 record in 08’. With McDaniels as his QB coach and offensive coordinator, Cassel shocked the NFL with his veteran-like poise.

If McDaniels could eliminate the problem of having to reign in Cutler enough to get his precision-based system executed properly — and get a young QB with potential in return — then of course he was trying to trade Cutler. McDaniels understands that numbers don’t always equate to wins. And his confidence is undeniable. He believes in his system and himself more than any QB Denver could have.

The past decade has seen the NFL change offensive philosophies from an emphasis on downfield passing, to a quick strike, efficiency first, approach. This style enabled a mistake-free, bland QB like Trent Dilfer to win a Super Bowl. No picks. No mistakes. Just run the offense with little fan fare.

It’s like a choice between cars. Denver had the Lamborghini in Cutler, but the maintenance costs and gas mileage was killing them. On some days, the car wasn’t worth the trouble. On other days, it was the most beautiful thing on wheels. It made heads turn and people get excited. It’s a brash, statement car. It’s performance shows obvious superiority.

Orton is like a Toyota, delivering unimpressive, but dependable and easy to manage performance with humble excellence. There are fewer burdens and less risk.

Cutler’s gun-slinging style and combative and highly sensitive personality made him a bad fit for what McDaniels was trying to do. He couldn’t afford to have Cutler questioning his authority and trying to usurp power before McDaniels even established a locker room presence or set a tone for the season.

Well, the trade that shocked Denver set the tone. A new sheriff was in town and he called the shots. In hindsight, it was the best thing that could happen.

On April 2, 2009, the Bears traded Orton (along with their first and third-round draft picks in 2009 and their first-round pick in 2010) to the Denver Broncos for Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler and the Broncos’ fifth round pick in 2009. It was supposed to live on as a day of infamy for Denver fans. The day a young, punk coach came in and traded away the next John Elway because of a personality conflict.

Instead, getting off to a fast start and being undefeated has squashed public backlash. Maybe this kid knows what he’s doing after all.  McDaniels, 33, is the second youngest coach in the NFL. He is also a disciple of Bill Belichick. He has a wealth of football knowledge. He worked under Bill Saban in 1999-2000 at Michigan State. And then rose from Belichick’s personal assistant to offensive coordinator of the most prolific offense in NFL history. With McDaniels running the show, in 2007, the Patriots set records for touchdown with 75 [67 on offense, 50 passing, 17 rushing TD’s].

For now, McDaniels has turned a potential disaster into a minor miracle. As long as the Broncos win and Orton plays mistake free, efficient football, McDaniels will be the man. The new Mike Shanahan.

Denver is a decade –thirsty for a Super Bowl trip and they don’t care who delivers. The town’s love affair with the prettier choice at QB is slowly waning. They just want a winner, and the team of McDaniels & Orton is delivering that.

I mean, really.  Outside of Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, who else thinks the team has a better shot of winning a Super Bowl with either of them, instead of a hopefully healthy Favre?  Their moms?

Highly respected columnist Jason Whitlock doesn’t think Favre was signed by Minnesota to win a Super Bowl.  He calls the guy who led last year’s Jets to an 8-3 record before getting injured a Brett Favre is a “swiftboat”, being used to get a new stadium for the Vikings, not a title.

“He’s a political football. He’s a tactic in a $700 million negotiation with Minnesota taxpayers.  (Minnesota owner) Zygi Wilf gave the Hall of Fame QB a two-year, $25 million contract so he could use him as a prop in a game that has little to do with winning a Super Bowl.”

So the Vikings don’t want to win a Super Bowl?

I don’t buy it.  Sure, signing Favre will help a whole helluva lot to getting a new stadium, but winning a Super Bowl will probably accomplish that as well.

In fact, hoisting the first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy will probably make a foregone conclusion.

However you want to spin it, the fact of the matter is, a healthy Favre is twice the signal-caller either of his backups are, even at his advanced age and declining skills.  Coach Brad Childress does too.  It’s probably why he out his job on the line by wooing his former pupil at Green Bay for the last three years.

And, you know what?  I think he’s right.

So does Troy Aikman.  “You can’t talk Super Bowl without talking about the Vikings with Brett Favre.”, the former Super Bowl champion quarterback told FoxSports.com

With a big play defense, a superb running attack, and guys who can catch, having someone who can actually call a game, throw accurate passes and has a resume of winning might just help.

In fact, Brett Favre might just win the whole damn thing for the Vikes.  Maybe then he’ll retire.  I’m predicting he does both.

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