AMERICAN FOOTBALL SUPER BOWL XLIV - New Orleans Saints v Indianapolis Colts: THE NEW Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is confident his players can cope with Indianapolis Colts star Peyton Manning at tomorrow's Super Bowl, just as they have dealt with other superstar quarterbacks en route to the season's big finale.
On Sunday night at Miami’s SunLife Stadium, the Saints will play the first Super Bowl in their 42-year history charged with the task of containing one of the best playmakers in the National Football League in Manning.
Not only was the Colts quarterback the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player in 2007 when Indianapolis beat the Chicago Bears in the same stadium, Manning is also this season’s NFL MVP, having won the award for a record fourth time.
Payton is not fazed by the prospect, however, and cited the way his defence successfully handled other Hall of Fame-bound quarterbacks Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings’ Brett Favre in this season’s play-offs.
While acknowledging the threat Manning poses, Payton said his defence would not be unduly awed by the Colts star.
“He’s a tremendous player. We’ve got a lot of respect for his accomplishments, just like we did with Kurt Warner, a Hall of Fame player a couple weeks ago, and Brett Favre, another Hall of Fame player last week,” Payton said.
“We’ve had a stretch here, where each week these guys are special. He’s done it – we were talking about this at breakfast – he’s done it over time.
“His staying power, and his consistency, and his approach is unique. That’s why it is talked about so much. We’ve got a lot of respect for his abilities and what they’ve done offensively there, and coaches, and preparation.
“It will be a tremendous challenge for us. We’re going to have our work cut out for us with the way he’s playing.”
For his part, Manning is expecting a hard night’s work against the Saints, whose defence gave both Warner and Favre a torrid time in the AFC play-off games and whose defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams told a Nashville radio station last week that to get to the Colts quarterback, his players would have to give him a couple of “remember me” shots.
Refusing to comment on those remarks, Manning said: “I expect a tough defence. I expect it is going to be a challenge to try to move the ball against them.
“They have excellent players. They are very active. They know how to get their hands on the football. All those characteristics combined make it a tough defence. I think we are going to have our work cut out for us.”
Manning is taking no encouragement from the fact he is returning to the scene of his Super Bowl XLI victory over the Chicago Bears three years ago.
“I don’t think it’s helpful,” he said. “Just because you stay in the same hotel I don’t think it’s going to help you stop (Saints quarterback) Drew Brees in the passing attack. We’re on a level playing field.”
Both quarterbacks have been respectful of the other’s talents in the build-up to Super Bowl XLIV with Manning saying of Brees: “He’s unbelievably aggressive, which you have to be as a quarterback. You see him making throws in the windows that sometimes you say ‘wow, I might not have thrown that ball’ because it was tight. But he sticks it in the only place you could put it and I like that.”
Brees was happy to return the compliment, adding: “There are really so many things (that jump out about Manning) but I’d have to say his command of that offence and that huddle. It seems like no matter who they play in the (Colts’ offence) they never stop, it doesn’t skip a beat and obviously he’s the guy who runs the show, he spreads it around and they’re fun to watch.
“It’s an impressive offence and he’s one of the best of all time.”
