Drew Brees or Peyton Manning: Who Dat???

So...who ya got???
Credit: Boston.com

Quarterbacks are generally the stars of their teams, so there's no real surprise why I'm coming to you from this angle (check the poll to the top right of the page).
However, it's still a fun question to ask. So we will. On our own terms, of course.
So...who do YOU think will come up bigger in Super Bowl XLIV???

No need to explain, unless you got the stones to comment. (Yeah, consider that a double-dog dare.) Just vote.

In the end, it's like choosing between Friday Night Lights' two resident hotties: Lyla Garrity (aka Mrs. Soon-to-be Jeter) or Tyra Collette. Do you really lose either way?

Tyra or Lyla??? In the end, you can't lose.
Credit: NBC.com

Minka or Adrianne???
Man, this decision may be the tougher one than deciding between two MVP-caliber quarterbacks.
Minka or Adrianne???
Hmmm.

Time to dwell on that one a little longer...

Four Identities

Interesting take right HERE on the perceptions of whom CBS is rooting for. Any conspiracy theorists will find this all-too-juicy. All this is juicer.

While there may be different names, jersey numbers, or unsung heroes who rise to acclaim, here are the four names the media is immediately prepared to sell Super Bowl week.

Indianapolis: Peyton Manning (QB)
NY Jets: Rex Ryan (Head Coach)
New Orleans: Drew Brees (QB)
Minnesota: Adrian...oh who am I kidding? Brett Favre (QB)

However, here are the four names you might want to be singing instead. For their difference-making abilities are criminally unsung.

Indianapolis Colts

Jeff Saturday, despite the juxtaposition of this picture, is an all-too-forgotten staple in the decade-long run of the Colts. Calling out formations and MIKES, even before King Peyton at times, is just a part of the reason why he anchors this underrated offensive line to continued success. With a guy named Pouha lining up in front of him, Saturday won't make the mistake of breathing easy that Kris Jenkins isn't lining up this weekend. Jets fans (ahem) know that smacking around Peyton will only happen if his veteran center fails to keep things in order on the offensive line.

New York Jets

Alan Faneca was one of the biggest free agent fishes in the 2008 summer class. While 30-year old Pittsburgh Steelers who play the offensive line don't get much acclaim, he's perhaps the best guard the game has seen this decade. He's surrounded by Pro Bowlers and All Pros named Ferguson and Mangold, who owe a lot to Faneca for their continued steady play and recent "offensive line" stardom. Sometimes landing the best free agent, not just the biggest name, is the coup a GM needs to build and reputation and, of course, a winning football team.

New Orleans Saints

You want to beat quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and even (gasp) Mark Sanchez...put constant pressure on them. Hit them in the mouth - with or without the football - and make them think twice about standing tall in the pocket. Take their trusted offensive lineman and turn him into a giant question mark that annoys the quarterback like no other that Sunday afternoon. While the name Will Smith immediately conjures up anything but a 13-sack defensive end; nevertheless, this man will need to have a personal meeting (or 3) with Favre on Sunday, in order to let the aggressive Saint secondary make enough plays to allow their own QB enough possessions to put up the points necessary to secure the franchise's first ever Super Bowl appearance. What a run-on sentence that was!

Minnesota Vikings

We'll try to ignore that Favre-guy. (Trust me, it won't be too hard.) I'll stay away from Sidney Rice's emergence, Percy Harvin's migraines, and McKinnie memories triggering the Love Boat theme song. The Vikings, long before the 40-year old Golden Boy (dang!) and A.D. (or should it be A.P.) racked up double-digit touchdowns with relative ease, had a suffocating run defense and two interior lineman NOBODY wanted to see. They're All Pro-talent standing right next to each other. Scary, huh? Good thing the Saints rush to the outside quite a bit. Or is it? Eventually, you gotta test these guys. Unfortunately for you, Kevin and Pat Williams don't like losing the battle in the middle of the interior line.

A few more names are sure to pop up. I didn't even mention Revis Island...until now.

What names do you think will be mentioned more often than most might expect???

Here We Come...

Despite anyone and everyone - this side of Mike Ditka and Keyshawn Johnson - picking against the Jets (yes, with good reason), today was most definitely a good day for the much (self) maligned Jet fan base.

A 17-14 win at "11 in a row" San Diego felt quite good. In the words of Rex (insert synonym for FAT) Ryan, "We'll see what happens in a matchup (vs. Indy) that probably nobody wanted, but here we come."

23 rushes for 128 yards and 1 TD. A nifty TD celebration at the end of a 53-yard run too (a playoff franchise record). Sounds great, right? Too bad it wasn't Canton-bound LT. It was Shonn Greene. You know, the Jets rookie RB drafted in the 3rd round.
12 rushes for 24 yards. That was LT's day. Solid!
Credit: SJMN.com

Man oh man, you should have seen Chris Berman's face today during Primetime. He was disturbed, perturbed, and mostly ticked off the Jets ruined his inevitable LT/Manning and Favre/Brees Sunday matchups next week. Poor bastard.

Indy will be (substantial) early favorites all week long. Duh. They do have that Peyton Manning guy, by the way. Although I feel more than a few in the national media - outside of this Jet-hating CLOWN - will be hitching a ride on the bandwagon. Kudos to Bill Simmons for tabbing this result, by the way. Wow, can't believe I just complimented Bill Freakin Simmons.

MAN! It feels good to be this douche/tool/douchetool.
Credit: Jetsblog.com

A few notable quotes from the "media" ensued shortly after the game went final...

CNNSI.com's John Lopez grades out the AFC Divisional Round

San Diego Special Teams: The best kick of the day by the Chargers was when Jackson kicked the challenge flag thrown by Rex Ryan. Nate Kaeding choked. Three times. There's no other way to put it when possibly the best kicker in the league blows three field goal attempts.
Grade: F.

New York Defensive backs: Jim Leonhard was all over the place, including forcing a fumble that was incorrectly overturned and picking off Rivers. Darrelle Revis was spectacular, which is getting redundant. Kerry Rhodes and Lito Sheppard were physical tacklers. This is the best secondary still playing.
Grade: A+.

CBS "Sports'" Clark Judge and Pete Prisco battle weekly to see who can:
A) Hate the Jets more
B) Be more incompetent about the NFL

Judge feels the Colts are dancing in the streets about this week. Oh goodie for them!!!

The biggest winner in New York's 17-14 upset of San Diego wasn't Rex Ryan or Mark Sanchez or the New York Jets' lock-down defense. It was the Colts, and I'll tell you why: Because they won't face the Chargers. Now it's the Jets in the AFC Championship Game, and while they're on a tear -- winning seven of their last eight -- they have to be the opponent of choice for Indianapolis. Sure, the Colts lost to them last month, but they also sat down their starters in the second half and, essentially, let the Jets into the playoffs. Well, now they can kick them out.

Yahoo! Sports' James C. Black (who?) knew the skinny on Revis this weekend...

However, as was expected, the Chargers decided to test Revis. And as the Bengals’ Carson Palmer did a week earlier in New York’s wild-card win over the Bengals, San Diego paid.

“Oh man it was crazy. I saw the ball thrown up and I tried to make a play,” Revis recounted. “And I saw Vincent try to cut in front of me to make the play. And I grabbed his hand a little bit so he couldn’t catch it. And as I’m going down I see the ball hit his foot and then it was in arms reach. And I decided to grab it.”

In the end, what happens will happen. But I want to make 3 important statements today:
1) Mike Tenenbaum is a top 5 GM in the league.
(See drafted players: Ferguson, Mangold, Revis, Harris, Sanchez, Keller, & Greene in the last 4 seasons.) (See free agents: Faneca, Woody, Scott, Leonhard, Richardson, Pace & Feely) (See diamonds in the rough: Pouha, DeVito, & Strickland) (Ignore: Lito Sheppard and (please) Vernon Gholston)
2) Darrelle Revis is a top 5 overall player (and the top defensive talent) in the league.
3) David Harris is the most underrated linebacker in the entire NFL.

See you all soon enough...

Credit: ESPN.go.com