Tag: Super Bowl XLIV (Page 5 of 7)

      Super Bowl XLIV Preview: If healthy, Shockey could play key role for Saints

      February 2, 2010 /

      In safeties Antonie Bethea and Melvin Bullitt, the Colts have two players in their defensive backfield that are steady, underrated and are strong against the run.

      But the takeaway from the above sentence is “strong against the run.” That doesn’t mean that Bethea and Bullitt are key factors in pass coverage and in fact, they’re not. They’re adequate against the pass at best, which is why some teams have had success attacking the seams of the Colts’ defense with their tight ends.

      The Saints have a playmaker at tight end in Jeremy Shockey, a player that, when healthy, is a mismatch in coverage because of his size, speed and pass-catching ability. He would definitely be a mismatch in coverage against Bethea and Bullitt, especially considering that the two safeties also have to defend the run and the rest of the weapons that New Orleans has in its arsenal.

      But the problem is that Shockey can never stay healthy and at least for the moment, he isn’t healthy now. Over the past month, he’s battled toe and knee injuries and hasn’t been 100%. In fact, head coach Sean Payton said that Shockey was on a limited snap count in last Sunday’s NFC Championship Game and that’s why the tight end caught just one pass for nine yards.

      If Shockey can get healthy over the next two weeks, he could be the kind of X-factor that the Saints will need to beat the Colts. David Thomas is a fine replacement at tight end of Shockey is limited again, but he’s not the type of game-changer that Shockey is when he’s playing at full strength. If he’s at 100%, Drew Brees might have success attacking the middle of Indy’s defense with Shockey being the main weapon in the Saints’ passing game.

      But if he resembles the one-legged man again like he did last week, then the Colts will catch a break and will likely turn their attention to stopping Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and the rest of New Orleans’ outside pass threats.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL, Super Bowl

      How will Freeney’s injury affect the Super Bowl?

      February 2, 2010 /

      ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Colts’ defensive end Dwight Freeney has a torn ligament in his injured right ankle, which means he could wind up missing Super Bowl XLIV.

      This is the biggest game of the year and the Colts could be without their top pass rusher. This is devastating news for Indy to say the least and even if he does tough it out and play, he probably won’t be at 100%.

      Freeney led the Colts with 13.5 sacks and along with Robert Mathis, gave the team a fierce pass rush – one that is supposed to keep Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees on edge. The best way to disrupt an opposing team’s offensive game plan is to get in the quarterback’s face and make him throw the ball sooner than he intends. That same notion can be applied to Brees and the Saints, who looked like a completely different offense in a Week 14 loss to the Cowboys, thanks to DeMarcus Ware and Dallas’ explosive pass rush.

      If Freeney is limited on Sunday or misses the game entirely, then Brees should be more comfortable in the pocket, which is a scary thought for the Colts. In Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson and Jeremy Shockey, the Saints have a plethora of weapons for Brees to use to attack Indy’s secondary. And if he has all day to throw, then Brees should be able to strike for big plays and keep the Colts on their heels the entire game.

      Another thing to keep in mind is that if Freeney can’t play, then the Saints won’t have to keep extra blockers in to keep protect Brees. With Freeney and Mathis both on the field, teams usually have to keep an extra blocker in (usually a running back) to help keep their quarterback upright. But with just Mathis to worry about, the Saints can roll their backs into the flats or over the middle, and we all know what Reggie Bush can do in open space. Obviously the Saints are at an advantage when Bush is on the field, compared to a blocking back like Pierre Thomas or Mike Bell.

      Granted, it’s a ridiculous notion to suggest that one player (outside of the quarterback) can change the course of an entire game, but it would be a mistake to dismiss how vital Freeney is to the Colts’ defense. He’s a game-changer who relies on his speed to disrupt the flow of an opponent’s offense and if he can’t play, Indy will be limited in what it can do in its game plan come Sunday. Obviously this injury has no affect on Peyton Manning and the Colts’ offense, but given how explosive the Saints are, Freeney is the one player Indy can’t afford to lose.

      The best-case scenario for the Colts would be if Freeney doesn’t practice all week and his ankle feels better by Sunday. But if he does have a tear, then it’s going to take longer than six days for the injury to heel. He has already admitted that the injury hasn’t improved over the last week and he has yet to practice.

      With that in mind, I’m sure the Colts are already preparing for the inevitable: That they might be without their best defensive player for Super Bowl Sunday.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Freeney speaks out about ankle injury

      February 2, 2010 /

      Media Day for Super Bowl XLIV was today and as expected, Colts’ defensive end Dwight Freeney faced several questions about his ankle injury and his health status for Sunday.

      From ESPN.com:

      “Hopefully, towards the end of the week it starts to get better,” Freeney said at Tuesday’s media day. “The decision will come later on in the week. It’s kind of early now.”

      “The competitor in me says they’ll never stop me from being on the field,” he said with a laugh before adding: “There’s some pain there definitely with throwing everything at it, all types of techniques to find the best thing to get this thing as good as possible. You name it, I’ve probably done it.”

      “Obviously, the competitor in me says ‘nothing is going to stop me,’ but that said, it is not up to me — it is up to the coach and the staff,” he added.

      Freeney admitted that he probably wouldn’t practice the rest of the week, which is a telling sign that the Colts are hoping that he’ll be healthy enough to play for three hours on Sunday and nothing more. He reportedly walked with a limp today and his ankle was noticeably swollen, according a report by NFL.com.

      NFL, Super Bowl

      What if the Super Bowl was entirely scripted by writers?

      February 2, 2010 /

      Atom.com put together a pretty funny sketch about the Super Bowl being scripted by NFL writers.

      There are a couple of good one-liners involving Joe Horn and Nate Kaeding:

      NFL Writers Room: Super Bowl XLIV

      The line about Kaeding is pretty funny and I’m pretty sure I’d pay to see Jeremy Shockey pull Joe Horn out from the goal post.

      NFL, Video

      Caldwell expects Freeney to play in Super Bowl

      February 1, 2010 /

      Jim Caldwell told the media on Monday that he expects defensive end Dwight Freeney to play in Super Bowl XLIV.

      From NFL.com:

      Colts coach Jim Caldwell appeared on SIRIUS NFL Radio with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon on Monday and confirmed what a team spokesman said about Dwight Freeney the previous day. The All-Pro defensive end is in Miami, receiving treatment for a third-degree ankle sprain, and is considered questionable for Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Saints.

      Caldwell also echoed the refrain that Freeney is a quick healer and has been in this situation before, when it looked as if he wouldn’t play.
      The Colts are willing to wait until the very last second to make a decision on Freeney’s status.

      “If he’s able to go and capable of going,” Caldwell said, “I mean, we’ll wait until the last hour if need be, and I think he’ll be able to do his job and do it well.”

      I’m going to sound like a broken record all week, but so be it: Even if Freeney does play, he won’t be at 100% and that’s all that should matter here. He’s a speed rusher with a bad ankle – how effective does anyone actually think he’ll be?

      As a football fan with no alliance to either team, I hope Freeney is able to play and play well. But the reality of the situation is that he has a tear in his ankle and I don’t six days of treatment are going to mend the injury. Again, I hope I’m wrong but this isn’t a good situation for the Colts, no matter how much Caldwell spins it.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL, Super Bowl

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