Four Downs with Dang & Doc
by Brian Davis and Paul Hopkins
12/2/2010
Dang and Doc sign off the 2009 NFL Season with their recap of Superbowl XLIV. There were some great efforts on the Saints side and Drew Brees took home the MVP award, but who was the real MVP for the Saints? The game was the highest watched show ever, but where does it rank amongst the great games for Dang and Doc? On the other side of the ball, all the focus has been on Peyton Manning – did he cost the Colts the game, and is he in danger of letting his career down if he doesn't get further playoff wins?
 Who deserves the MVP award for the SB more? Drew Brees, Sean Payton or Gregg Williams?
DANG - Drew Brees. They simply don't give MVP's to the whole O line or coaches. The Coaching was out of this world though. Gregg Williams had a great game-plan on Defense and mixed it up constantly, given Manning new looks, new Blitzes, something new to look at with almost every down, they tackled well, covered well, Williams deserves a game-ball. Sean Payton took possibly one of the biggest and ballsiest gambles in Super Bowl history with the onside kick at the start of the second half. The Saints played the whole game to almost perfection and it was one of the most aggressively coached games I recall seeing in recent history of big games. Everybody played their part and everybody played their part as well as they could, you can't really single out one player though, it was a real team effort but Quarterbacks generally get the nod in these circumstances. Drew Brees' accuracy was phenomenal, they went straight into the quick passing game, bypassing the pass rush perfectly, they took exactly what they were given, we didn't see Brees unloading it for 60+ yards downfield to Henderson, they just moved the chains as effectively as you are ever likely to see in a Super Bowl. The Colts defense was almost a non factor other than on the impressive 4th Down Goal-line stop in the First half, I don't think Brees was even touched in the second half. Everything that could go right, did go right, they even had lady luck go their way with Garcon dropping a couple of easy passes, Stover's missed FG attempt and of course the pick that won them the game where Porter made a heck of a play jumping the rote and taking it to the house, the Saints had all the momentum changers go their way. Credit to the Special Teams here too, Hartley kicks 3 FG's of over 40 yards, the first person ever and he's a rookie, the onside kick and they pinned back the Colts with the punting.
DOC – Gregg Williams – Was anyone surprised by how Drew Brees played? Did we not know he'd be that good? He'd just had the most efficient season on record and he went on to play the same way in the playoffs. And against a pretty ordinary secondary, behind his offensive line which has done a sterling job for him all year – except against the Cowboys. So whilst there is no taking away how he played, I think we have to look for someone who stepped up and delivered beyond what we thought they may. Payton showed balls with his calls but it was Williams' defence that really impressed me. The Saints D has been giving up yardage all year and we all expected Manning to rip them to shreds.He kept Manning guessing, and having to accept the checkdown passes, which gave the linebackers the opportunity to break up the passes which they did on regular occasions. Look at how few deep balls Manning got to Wayne, to Garcon and even to Dallas Clark. Nowhere near enough the usual. Great job by Gregg Williams, and he'd get my nod as overall Saints MVP.
 Where does SB XLIV rank amongst the great SB games?
DANG - It was a good game as a total neutral. It was an upset of sorts but I'd probably have it a shade outside the top 10 somewhere though out of all the Super Bowls. We've been pretty lucky with what we've seen in the last three Super Bowls and you can argue a case for all of them to be in the top 10, but I think the sentimental value of this performance will push it into many lists, but I don't think it quite makes mine. I'm putting at least 5 above it from the last decade: Super Bowl's 43, 42, 38 (CAR NE) and 34(STL TEN) before taking at least 3 of the 49ers Super Bowl's (16 and 23 v Bengals and 29 against the Chargers) before then looking at Giants Bills in 25, Broncos Packers in 32, Cowboys Steelers in 13 Patriots Rams in 36 and Jets Colts in 3. I really don't for see the dreaded Super Bowl hangover for either of these 2 teams.
DOC – Yep. I'm with you on that. Phenomenal story and a great game. A funny game as there were so few mistakes – so few penalties, so few turnovers until the one that broke the Colts back. That being said, I can think of a few games that will live much longer in the memory for me.
 Did Peyton Manning cost the Colts the game?
DANG – FICTION ! - Are we really going to go into “Manning's a choker” overload for the next few weeks or until he wins another Super Bowl? 9-9 (1-1 Super Bowl) isn't a great post-season record, but Manning didn't cost the Colts this game, as I said earlier, the Saints defense played the game of their lives, Gregg Williams called the perfect game and Manning saw his receivers drop balls that on a different day would have pulled them in, moved the chains and the Colts go onto score. Porter made an outstanding read on the pick 6 and that was the game. He still put up 333 yards in a losing performance, how many other Quarterbacks have done that in a Super Bowl?
DOC – FICTION ! – Well, technically he threw the interception so you could make the point that he did. But let's deal in reality. If anyone wants to pin a loss on Peyton Manning then they want to go back and watch what the Colts were like against the Jets when Curtis Painter stepped in. Or anytime we've had a rare sighting of Jim Sorgi. How many wins would the Colts have without him? Not many... Granted this may not have been his best game, indeed I noted throughout the second half when watching him on the sideline just how frustrated Peyton was. And to go back to the First Down, that is because of Gregg Williams' defensive scheme. The great man was just beaten, I know it doesn't happen much but lets just give praise to those who out-foxed him rather than pillory the guy. You ask who else racks up that many yards in a losing effort in a Superbowl? I tell you who, Kurt Warner. Yards don't count for much though, it's more about winning and losing.
 Considering the personnel he has had around him, as well as the coaching stability, for Manning to have only two Super bowls and one Super bowl win to his name at this stage in his career will prevent him being seen as one of the best ever.
DANG - FICTION !. At this stage of his career he still has good years left in him. He's one of the top 2 of this generation. A win on Sunday would have firmly stamped him at #1, personally, I'd still take him at #1 over Brady, but people look at Rings as well and it's 3-1 in Brady's favour right now. Like I said earlier, there's still Super Bowl's in Peyton Manning yet. Look at John Elway, he didn't win the Big game until the last years of his career. Peyton Manning will still be a Hall of Famer, no question, but at this moment he's on a par with a lot of guys, if he can get another ring or two then we'll still be talking of him as the best ever I have no question about that at all, even if he doesn't, but continues to put up MVP seasons then he'll jump over a lot of these guys.
DOC – FACT ! – Sorry, but I think he should have a better return. Maybe it's harsh because he is so great and I'm therefore expecting so much of him, but I do believe that given the talent he's had around him he should have done more by now. We openly talk about him as being amongst the best ever and he probably is, but should we not ask how he has not had more rings? Lesser QB's like Terry Bradshaw and probably Troy Aikman have multiple rings but were helped by those around him, but look at the catalogue Manning has had to play with. We can't say what is going to happen in the future but considering that he has had everything he has (and no doubt he helped build it) but I can't help but look and think the Colts should have been atop the NFL tree more.
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