Manning leads Colts' high-powered offense in Super Bowl
Saturday, February 3, 2007; 10:26 PM
MIAMI (Reuters) - Peyton Manning will lead the high-powered offense of the Indianapolis Colts against the Chicago Bears' swarming defense when the two teams square off in Super Bowl XLI on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Manning is widely considered to be the best quarterback in the NFL but his Hall of Fame biography is sorely lacking a Super Bowl victory.
  The Indianapolis Colts overcome the rain and a sloppy start to beat the Chicago Bears, 29-17. The Colts' victory ignites a wild celebration among the white-and-blue attired fans in the sea of colorful vinyl rainwear that populated the soggy stands. Peyton Manning fills the final hole in his legend as the greatest quarterback never to win the biggest game. Leonard Shapiro: Tony Dungy and Manning seal their place in history by winning the Super Bowl. Manning adds a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes plow forward for the Colts go-ahead touchdown and never look back. There was a collective failure by the Bears' offense, but Rex Grossman provides the most vivid images. Notebook: Two assistant coaches who participated in the Super Bowl likely will interview for Dallas' head coaching job. On Our Site Wilbon and Kornheiser share their thoughts live during Sunday's big game. Photos: Relive all of the action from the NFL playoffs. Audio: Manning on the Win. Audio: Grossman on the Loss. Audio: Dungy Praises Smith. Quarterly Report (PDF) A Slew of Errors (PDF) Graphic: Play of the Game. MARK MASKE'S NFL INSIDER • Jaguars Tackle in Critical Condition • Lions Bolster Backfield With R. Johnson |
Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said Manning "wants to play well every time out."
"I don't think he looks at this as a do-or-die moment," Dungy told reporters. "He looks at it as a big game we need to win.
"I don't think he's treated it any differently, and I think he's pretty much the same guy I've seen for the last five years."
If the Colts (15-4) are going to win their first Super Bowl since the franchise moved from Baltimore before the 1984 season, they will have to dominate one of the NFL's best defenses.
Led by combative linebacker Brian Urlacher, the Bears' defense has been compared to the 1985 squad that had two playoff shutouts before whipping the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans.
Chicago (15-3) beat Seattle in the divisional game 27-24 and whipped New Orleans 39-14 in the NFC title game. The 28-year-old Urlacher said he was not worried that both teams were able to move the ball.
"It doesn't concern me," he said. "The big stat I look at is wins and losses. We won both of those games so yards don't mean anything. Points win games. We make plays when we have to."
Dungy said he was going to get twice Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves to give a pep talk to his team before the game.
"I want him to address the team a little bit about what it means to win the biggest game in your sport," he said. "And he's also a Colts fan. So it will be a win-win situation for us."
