Pierre Garcon

Superbowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints is being billed as the big quarterback showdown between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees but I think the key figure in the tussle in Miami‘s Sun Life Stadium could be the Colts‘ running back Pierre Garcon. Rain has been falling persisitently in south Florida since the weekend, threatening to turn the field into a quagmire and making handling conditions difficult, and that could persuade both quarterbacks to limit the number of long plays they target towards their regular wide receivers. So step forward Monsieur Garcon! In his second season with the Colts, the 23-year-old New Yorker has accumulated a return of 11 catches and 151 receiving yards and his ability to run at speed from deep was too much for the Jets‘ defense to handle in the AFC Championship game. The Saints‘ defense will more than likely be doubling up on Colts‘ first-choice receivers Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark so Garcon’s ability to latch on to the short pass could be even more important and he looks a decent bet at a general 12-1 to score the first touchdown of what promises to be a high-scoring game. Peyton Manning‘s credentials as the Colts‘ possible match-winner are well-advertised. The NFL’s Most Valuable Player of 2009 did, after all, lead the Colts to victory in Miami three years ago – but what of opposite number Drew Brees? The former Chargers‘ QB is widely regarded as one of the most innovative in his position in the NFL and he’ll acquire legendary status if he manages to steer the Saints to victory in their first-ever appearance in the Superbowl. He’s formed a productive partnership with Marques Colston (10-1 with boylesports, Ladbrokes and William Hill to score the first touchdown) but Brees may have to temper his adventurous nature if the play demands it and one can’t be sure how he’ll react if things start to turn against his team. The Colts have a very mobile defense and Brees will find himself under immense pressure every time he has ball in hand and he looked very nervy in the NFC championship decider against the Vikings. That game exposed the Saints‘ defensive limitations to some degree and Manning is probably a more consistent quarterback than the legendary Brett Favre nowadays so Colts‘ fans will be hopeful their man can enjoy similar success in opening up the opposition’s flanks. I  believe that the Colts will be much too strong for the Superbowl rookies and would recommend backing them to overcome a five-point start for the Saints at Evens with Stan James. I would even suggest they may be capable of racking up a double-figure points margin if grabbing the early initiative so the general 6-1 for a 13-18 winning points margin in favour of the Colts also makes some appeal.