"Dogs" in the Super Bowl

ISUFan22 · 01-22-2007, 10:22 AM

As the regular season wore down, how many really felt Indy and Chicago would be in the Super Bowl? This doesn't include their own fan bases, of course.

Chicago was easily playing like wildcard team - not one that won its division by a wide margin and held the #1 seed in the NFC. Rex continued to hurt his team and the defense was starting to show signs of problems.

Indy couldn't play defense to save their lives - giving up huge numbers on the ground. Manning was starting to look less than Manning-like.

And here they are, headed south for the winter. Why?

The two areas that caused each team the most pain stepped up.

For Chicago that was Rex and for Indy that was their defense. Against Seattle Rex wasn't great but I'd consider him good. In the 2nd half vs. the Saints, I saw the Rex from earlier this season. That TD drive when the Saints were within 4 sealed it.

In the first two playoff games for Indy - they had no offense. One would think for sure that would've done them in. Yet suddenly a defense appeared - vaulting them to 2 wins and pitting them against the Pats. For most of the first half, again Indy had no offense. The defense did give up a pair of scoring drives - yet did enough to keep Manning and the offense within reach should they ever wake up. Finally they did and the 2nd half was a fun back-and-forth battle. In the end, it was the defense that stepped up knocking away a 3rd down pass to give Indy the ball that resulted in the winning score. And it was the defense that intercepted a pass that ended Brady's attempt at a comeback.

A pair of teams that most all but wrote off at the end of the season - doing battle in a couple weeks. Should be one helluva game.

ISUCY11 · 01-22-2007, 10:30 AM

ive never been more excited for a super bowl in my 21+ years.

cstrunk · 01-22-2007, 01:41 PM

It'll be a good one!

cys_av8r · 01-22-2007, 01:50 PM

I have been rehersing the super bowl shuffle.

ekim121 · 01-22-2007, 02:09 PM

This will clearly put me in bad standing with all Bears fans...but I think this Super Bowl will be about as close as the '94 (I think it was '94) game between the 49ers and the Chargers.

cycloneworld · 01-26-2007, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by ekim121

This will clearly put me in bad standing with all Bears fans...but I think this Super Bowl will be about as close as the '94 (I think it was '94) game between the 49ers and the Chargers.

Not bad standing.

The Bears have been doubted all season so what's one more game?

Finally the Bears early season defense showed up against the Saints. If that same defense shows up for the Super Bowl, I think Chicago has a good shot.

isucyclone4 · 01-26-2007, 08:43 AM

If the question is did i really think they would be here? Indy-no, but i thought they would lose in the AFC championship to LT and the Chargers. Bears? heck no, i thought it'd be Seattle from the NFC.

I'll be rooting for the bears, but i think Peyton will get his ring by 17-24 pts.

Wesley · 01-26-2007, 08:54 AM

The Bears may rush the heck out of Payton and it could be a very low scoring game then.

isuarch80 · 01-26-2007, 09:20 AM

I can't wait for this game. As I was alive when the Bears played in their previous Super Bowl, I was only 5, so it's not that strong of a memory. I can't begin to say how excited I am just to have my favorite team in the biggest game that I can root for them!
I honestly think this will be a game that doesn't get too high in scoring. I'm really shocked by how many articles I keep reading regarding the Colts run O and run D, where as that's what the Bears have done all year, but all of a sudden that gives the Colts an edge.
The biggest component of this game will be turnovers. Harrison and Wayne don't like to get hit, and the Bears corners are physical. If the Bears attack the ball similar to what they did against the Saints, it will be a totally different game. I keep comparing this game to the Rams-Patriots game in '01... I think it'll be similar.
Anyways, it's not going to be 48-23 or whatever that 49ers-Chargers game was... GO BEARS!!!

alaskaguy · 01-26-2007, 09:56 AM

The NFL bores me to tears; I'll watch the college game any day over the NFL. I feel fortunate to live in an area that pretty much ignores the NFL (there isn't even high school football in western Alaska and the super bowl is a non-event).

wonkadog · 01-26-2007, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by ekim121

This will clearly put me in bad standing with all Bears fans...but I think this Super Bowl will be about as close as the '94 (I think it was '94) game between the 49ers and the Chargers.

Any reasoning for that prediction?? I really thought that the "doubters" would at least give Chicago a little credit once they got to the Super Bowl...weren't the Saints or Cowboys supposed to destroy them because they weren't consistant enough? I have no problem with someone picking the Colts to win but come on, the Super Bowl is usually a 50/50 toss-up if you really look at it, just like a lot of other games in the NFL. Funny how everyone can remember the Bears troubles very easily but no one seems to remember that the Colts rush defense looked like a floodgate only 3 short weeks ago...

tigershoops31 · 01-26-2007, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by alaskaguy

The NFL bores me to tears; I'll watch the college game any day over the NFL. I feel fortunate to live in an area that pretty much ignores the NFL (there isn't even high school football in western Alaska and the super bowl is a non-event).

Wow, without any attention to the NFL and no HS football it's a good thing that College Football is so huge up there or you'd have nothing to cheer for all fall in Alaska! When the U of Anchorage Seawolves square off against the U of Fairbanks Nanooks, throw out the records!!! Sorry man, just couldn't resist a jab when your post sounded picky about the football you watch up in Alaska

isuchicago · 01-27-2007, 04:15 AM

I was hoping to see the colts over the patriots.. Tom Brady is a stone cold killer in the big games.. I'll take my chances against the qb who consistently plays poorly in big games.. doesn't get any bigger than this.. and by the way, I absolutely love people still saying the bears don't have a shot and the experts all picking against them.. the bears can keep that chip on their shoulder.. love it..

rooster · 01-27-2007, 06:59 AM

I personally would pick the Colts to win if I had to, simply due to the fact that the AFC was a far tougher conference this year. However, Superbowls, even ones that are supposed to be blowouts, have been down to the wire lately. Maybe not last year as much, but all the patriots ones were great games. So we should get an exciting game no matter who wins.

tycobb · 01-27-2007, 08:36 AM

indy vs chicago = 11-21-06