In our
2006 Preseason Fearless Forecast, our
experts predicted that the Indianapolis Colts would meet the Carolina
Panthers in Super Bowl XLI. Well, they were half
right, which is 50 percent better than usual.
We asked the members of the FFEx staff
for their Super Bowl XLI predictions. Of the seven who responded, five
liked the Colts by an average score of 27 to 21, and two favored the Bears
by an average score of 31 to 19. The average overall score was Colts 25,
Bears 24.
Mike Davis (Colts 29,
Bears 24)
Peyton Manning will have a minor
meltdown in the first half, and the Bear defense will score 14 points on
turnovers. Rex Grossman will have a major meltdown in the second half, and
the Colts will score 17 points on turnovers.
That accounts for only a 3-point differential, so where do I get a 5-point
margin of
victory? From the offenses? Nope. The extra two points come from the
safety that the Colts will get on the Bears' first drive in the second half,
which I see as the beginning of Grossman's major
meltdown.
I've learned from years of trying to predict the outcomes of Super Bowls
that I have absolutely no talent for doing so. I
guess that I figure that I can make up for being
outrageously wrong by being outrageously precise.
Ronda Facchini (Colts 28, Bears 21)
I think that the Colts will win, simply
because Peyton is due... Da Bears have next year....
Brad Haines (Bears 38, Colts 17)
Chicago will do what KC, Baltimore and
New England couldn't do - beat the Colts in the playoffs. KC and New
England didn't have the defense to do the job, while the Ravens didn't have
the offense. Finally, Indianapolis will meet their match in the Bears. I
believe Chicago will present the Colts with issues similar to the Jaguars -
a team that has given Indianapolis problems in recent years. The Bears will
set the tone with Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson running, running and then
running some more. After jumping to a quick lead, the Bears will let their
defense control the game. Late scores by the defense or special teams,
along with a long pass from Rex Grossman, will pad the final margin.
Richard Harris (Colts 28, Bears 24)
I have studied the stats and watched the
Colts and the Bears play a number of times this season, and still, I am not
sure how this game will play out. Of course, there is always a degree of
uncertainty when predicting the outcome of any football game, but this Super
Bowl is especially tricky because of the Rex Grossman factor.
Assuming that the Bears don’t fall
behind by a large margin, I expect them to have good success on the ground
against the Colts’ undersized defense. A solid running game would reduce
the likelihood of Grossman making a series of critical mistakes and also
keep the Colts’ high-powered offense off the field. Throw in the fact that
Devin Hester is a good bet to a break a couple of long runs against the
Indy’s porous coverage units, the Bears should be able to score at least 20
points.
If the Colts jump out to a big lead, the
Bears will likely be in trouble. If the erratic Grossman is forced to air
it out, he will be harassed by Colts’ quick pass rushers, which will lead to
the Indianapolis defense racking up sacks and takeaways.
Either way, I see the Colts winning a
high-scoring affair. I believe that they should be able to move the ball
through the air against a struggling Chicago pass defense, and I expect them
to score at least 27 points. If they can take an early lead and force
Grossman to make mistakes, the Colts would likely score more than 30 and win
by more than 10. However, I think a few big plays from the Chicago defense
and special teams will keep this one close throughout.
Dan Hershberg (Colts 27, Bears 20)
Aside from the second half of the AFC
Championship victory over New England, Peyton Manning has been less than
stellar in the 2007 edition of the NFL playoffs. While his performance has
certainly left much to be desired in the eyes of Colts fans, perhaps more
surprising than Manning's struggles has been Indy's ability to overcome his
inefficiency and win in spite of their franchise signal caller.
While the Bears will pose the Indy
offense a significant threat, they have looked vulnerable since losing DT
Tommie Harris to a season-ending injury, and there really isn't a team that
can stop the Colts offense when it's in sync.
That being said, Chicago will need a
large effort from Rex Grossman to stay close, and I'm a believer in the
erratic underachiever. Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson will prove their class
and worth to the Chicago offense by having big games that will keep the
Bears close, but in the end, it just seems like too much Manning for me to
go against the boys from Indy.
Jason Lauren (Bears 23, Colts 20)
As a Packers fan, I hate to admit it,
but I think the Bears are going to win. The saying, "Defense wins
championships" will ring true. Too often people take the team with the more
prolific and sexier offense to win, overlooking great defensive teams. As
long as Rex Grossman can limit his turnovers to one or none, the Bears will
win. As proved by Chicago's NFC Championship game win, Grossman doesn't need
to be great for the Bears to win; he just needs to limit his turnovers. The
Bears' defense will make a few big plays, perhaps a defensive touchdown,
that will spark Chicago.
Scott Puryear (Colts 24, Bears 17)
The Bears, without question, have spent
the better part of two weeks preparing to face the vaunted, Peyton
Manning-led passing game of the Colts. What will get them in the end is a
surprisingly effective 1-2 punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai mostly
up the gut, an area New Orleans never put a whole lot of effort into
exploiting. Had the Saints done so, instead of rushing just 12 times, they
might be in Miami this weekend. Plus, three straight decent postseason games
from Rex Grossman is just too much to ask ... Manning will not be denied in
his first, and perhaps only, Super Bowl opportunity, delivering a quietly
efficient game to back a surprisingly strong Indy ground attack that catches
Chicago by surprise.
