Saints' O-Line vs. Colts' D-Line
By Kevin Rogers
The battle in the trenches will be an overlooked factor in Super Bowl XLIV between the Saints and Colts. Everyone wants to keep track of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees slinging the ball all over the field, but there are plenty of telling signs with the offensive and defensive lines that can aid bettors on Super Sunday. We'll focus on the Saints' solid offensive line trying to hold down the Colts' talented defensive line.
Saints' Offensive Line
New Orleans owns the top offense in the league, and much of that success should be attributed to the brick wall in front of Brees. The Saints' offensive line made sure their Pro Bowl quarterback stood up for most of the season, allowing one sack or less in 13 of 18 games. Breaking it down a little closer, New Orleans faced just six opponents that ranked in the top half of the league in sacks.
In those contests, the results were mixed. The Saints allowed a season-high five sacks at Miami in Week 6, as the Dolphins finished tied for third in the league in that category. Another team that was tied for the third slot was Philadelphia, who sacked Brees twice back in Week 2. In New Orleans' first loss of the season against Dallas, the Cowboys (ranked 7th) knocked around Brees to the tune of four sacks.
When the playoffs came, the Saints' offensive line faced a pair of top-six teams in sacks and passed those tests with flying colors. Arizona (ranked 6th) and Minnesota (ranked 1st) combined to sack Brees only once, helping lead the Saints to their first ever NFC Championship.
The New Orleans offensive line stayed in tact for pretty much most of the season, anchored on the left side by tackle Jermon Bushrod and guard Carl Nicks. Ex-Jet Jonathan Goodwin has been the starting center for the Saints for the last two seasons, after also filling in as a left guard in New York. Right guard Jahri Evans was named to his first Pro Bowl this season, while right tackle Jon Stinchcomb also made the NFC Pro Bowl roster as a reserve.
The Las Vegas Hilton has released hundreds of prop bets for this game, and relating it to these units on the field, there's ways to make nice cash. Total quarterback sacks by both teams is set at 3 ½, and with both offensive lines protecting their respective signal-callers so well, the payout is nice if you like the 'over.' It's very simple, if you believe Brees and Manning will get sacked at least four times combined, for every $100 bet, you collect $210. On the flip side, assuming Brees and Manning get sacked three times or less combined, you win $100 for every $250 bet.
Colts' Defensive Line
Indianapolis' defense suffered several major injuries in the secondary, but for the most part, stayed relatively healthy up front. Five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney is the leader of this Colts defense, compiling 13 ½ sacks, which was tied for third-best in the league. Freeney sprained his ankle late in the AFC Championship victory over the Jets, but he's expected to play in the Super Bowl.
On the left side of the Colts' defensive line is another Pro Bowler in Robert Mathis. The former Alabama A&M standout picked up 9 ½ sacks this season, while forcing five fumbles. The middle of the line consists of left defensive tackle Antonio Johnson and right defensive tackle Daniel Muir, who combined for 86 tackles this season.
Indianapolis' rushing defense ranked 24th in the league in the regular season, but stepped up in the postseason by allowing an average of 86.5 yards/game to the Ravens and Jets. The Colts managed just one combined sack in the two playoff victories, but picked up at least two sacks in 11 of 16 regular season contests.
Facing some of the better offenses this season did mean a decent number of sacks for the Colts. Indianapolis racked up four sacks at Arizona in Week 3, two sacks in each contest against Houston, and two against New England in Week 10.
Going back to the sack prop from earlier, the Colts finished tied for 16th in the league with 34 sacks. It definitely will not be easy to get four sacks with two quarterbacks with such quick releases, but the payout is more worth it by taking a shot at the 'over' with plus-money.
The only player on the Colts' defensive line with a prop released by the Hilton is the total number of tackles by Freeney. That number is listed at 2 ½, which is total solo and assisted tackles, but sacks do not count towards this prop. If you like the 'under,' you would bet $150 to win $100. If you think Freeney will accumulate three or more tackles, there is a nice return on a $100 bet to win $130. Tread lightly on this prop if you want to take the 'over,' as Freeney collected two tackles or less in 12 of 16 games.
Which team has the edge?
There are two Pro Bowlers on each side of this line, so there is definitely not a shortage of talent to go around. Freeney's sprained ankle should be fine for the game, but that still has to be a concern for Indianapolis. The Saints may have been outplayed in the NFC Championship, but New Orleans' offensive line did limit Minnesota's ferocious defensive line to just one sack of Brees.
Edge: Push
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