Super Bowl XLI: Comparing the Colts and the Bears

Super Bowl XLI, to put it bluntly, will be a battle royale between Peyton Manning's Colts offense and Brian Urlacher's Bears defense. However, alongside the seemingly competitive physical matchups, a different storyline exists. For the Colts and the Bears, the difference will be not only statistics or players, but also the intangible motivators that influence each team.

Intangible #1: Quarterbacks

On offense, there's no question as to which QB comes out on top. A regular season record-holder for number of TD passes in a season (49) and the owner of the highest quarterback rating in the NFL among active quarterbacks (at 94.4, he's second only to Steve Young at 96.8), Peyton Manning is the epitome of success and poise at his position. Rex Grossman, on the other hand, is a relatively inexperienced, young QB who has suffered multiple setbacks throughout the season, enduring ridicule for his 0.0 QB rating in the last game of the season, a humiliating 26-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

However, in the playoffs, the two QBs have evened out. Over his three playoff games, Manning threw six interceptions to only two touchdowns. Grossman threw two TDs against only one INT in two games. Both have faced criticism for underachieving in the eyes of their fans in the postseason-Manning for his no TD, 170 yard performance against Baltimore, Grossman for going 11-of-26 in a defensive victory for the Bears in the NFC Championship (four turnovers by New Orleans opened the door for the Bears' D).

They both have something to prove. Manning has the opportunity to silence critics who say he cannot win the "big games," while Grossman gets the opportunity to defend his starting job once and for all. (Although even a Super Bowl win isn't always a guarantee for job security-witness the cries to replace Ben Roethlisberger as he struggled early in the 2006 season). However, Manning's throwing-hand thumb injury in the AFC championship could come back to haunt him.

The intangibles: Manning has more experience under his belt in pressure situations than Grossman. Expect his seniority to shine through in the do-or-die moments. In addition, the "playoff curse" that the sports media has placed on Manning will be a greater motivator for Manning and his teammates than Grossman's desire to prove himself.

Intangible #2: Coaches

No reporter can resist the allure of the fact that for the first time in the history of the NFL, not only one, but two black head coaches will be coaching in the Super Bowl. No black head coach has ever led his team to the Super Bowl, and for fans across the country, XLI will be a landmark event.

Both Bears' head coach Lovie Smith and the Colts' Tony Dungy are respected by their peers, consistently praised for their "nice" personalities (fans have created mocked movie posters with the title "Miami Nice" for the two men). Both have led their teams out of mediocrity to consistent success, with Dungy's Colts going for 10 or more wins since the start of his tenure, and Smith's Bears posting 11 and 13 win seasons in the past two years.

The intangibles: It's difficult to imagine the hardship Dungy has faced in recent years. His 18-year-old son committed suicide at the end of the 2005 season, but a grief-stricken Dungy stuck by his team, leading them to the AFC championship game. This year, amidst intense media speculation that he may retire after the Super Bowl (Dungy's been quoted as saying he feels his true calling is in ministry), the Colts may feel additional inspiration to win the "big one" for their leading man. Not only would they be honoring the memory of their coach's loss, but they would also give him a great parting gift: letting him go out on top.

Intangible #3: Defense

As the old adage goes, "Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." In the case of the Bears this season, defense has certainly proven to sell tickets and merchandise-Urlacher's jersey is one of the number one sellers, above many offensive stars-with the championship question still very much up for grabs. The Bears finished fifth overall in total defense in the regular season, while the Colts languished in 21^st. The Bears have three Pro Bowlers on defense, the Colts have none.

However, the postseason has provided a role reversal. The Colts lead all postseason team in defense, allowing only 229.7 yards per game. Chicago, meanwhile, has allowed 340.5 yards per game, 249 of those yards coming in the air.

The intangibles: The Bears know that they can break up plays and cause turnovers-their four forced turnovers against the Saints proved it. Watch for the Bears to come into the game full of momentum and ready to rip the ball out of players hands'-brushing the chip off their shoulders that they aren't as solid as they were in the regular season.

Intangible #4: Special Teams

Special teams feature some of the most electrifying players on each team. For the Bears, they have three Pro Bowlers on special teams, including the speedy punt returner Devin Hester, who has returned six kicks for touchdowns on the year. The Colts picked up arguably the biggest preseason acquisition of the year when they signed kicker Adam Vinatieri, who was not given the franchise tag by the New England Patriots.

The intangibles: Here, the intangible is reliability. While Hester makes stunning plays, the nature of his position does not allow him to make those plays with the consistency and accuracy of a place kicker like Vinatieri. For the Colts, they have the knowledge that no matter what they do, if they get within 50 yards kicking range, Vinatieri's almost-automatic leg will carry the ball through the uprights. It's a luxury that the Colts notoriously did not have with choking kicker Mike Vanderjagt, and the new sense of dependability and consistency will allow Manning and the offense to make the plays they want to make, rather than throwing deep to avoid a field goal

However, no matter how much analysis and thought is put into the factors and facets of the matchup, only the game on February 4th, 2007 will tell who is the victor. For now, the championship remains the same for both teams: intangible.