Fantasy Guru 37 NHL All Star Teams: Eastern Conference Starters

As previously stated by the guru, the Olympics have complicated matters for the NHL in terms of scheduling. The 17 day break for the Games has forced the NHL into canceling a fan favorite, the All Star Game. While it's fair to say that the duration and intensity of international competition easily trumps the half-hearted play of the midseason long weekend, it's a disappointment that we, the fans, miss the talent display of the Skills Competition.

Because he feels as though the fans deserve a fresh topic, the guru has formed his own All Star teams. Unlike the real-life squads, fan voting will take no part in picking the players. There will not have to be at least one representative from each NHL team. These are the best 21 players from each conference, the ones that deserve the honor of being called All Stars.

Eastern Conference Starters

Left Wing- Alex Ovechkin - Washington Capitals

No surprise here. While he may be reeling from his goose egg in Russia's crushing elimination from the Olympics, there is no justification for AO8 to not be in the starting lineup. He leads the league with 89 points, nine more than Henrik Sedin, who is second in that category. Ridiculously, he has played in only 54 games thus far, putting him at a 1.648 point per game pace. At this rate, he would have accumulated 135 points, including 63 goals, after an 82 game season. Even then, he wouldn't break the 65 goal mark, set by none other than himself. You don't think he's a complete player? Take a look at the NHL's +/- leaders. The guy is willing to play physically; just ask Jaromir Jagr. The guru is going on record saying that "Alex Ovechkin is the best hockey player in the world today." That says it all.

Center- Sidney Crosby -Pittsburgh Penguins

Fresh off of becoming the youngest captain to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, Crosby is once again amongst the league leaders in points. Sitting in third behind Ovechkin and Sedin, Sid the Kid has made a highly discussed transformation from playmaker to sniper. He is tied with none other than Ovechkin for the league lead in goals, sitting at 42. Not only is he tearing it up in regulation, but he has been nearly unstoppable in the shootout as well. Clicking at 75%, best among shooters with at least five attempts, Crosby has repeatedly embarrassed opposing goaltenders.

thestar.com

Right Wing- Marian Gaborik -New York Rangers

The Slovak has bounced back after playing in just 17 games in 2008-09. Finding a new home in the Big Apple, he has regained his scoring touch. He sits in fourth place with 35 goals thus far. Assuming he overcomes his recent knee laceration, it's safe to say Gaborik will break his career high of 83 points, set in 2007-08.

Defense- Mike Green - Washington Capitals

Green cannot be happy about the NHL canceling the All Star game this year. Left off of Canada's Olympic roster for his spotty defensive play, the Capitals defenseman has taken out his anger on the rest of the NHL. He has accumulated 140 points in his last 130 regular season games, an unheard of mark for a defenseman. While it's true that he is a liability in the defensive zone, you can bet Mike Babcock was missing Green's presence as Team Canada struggled on the power play in their loss to the Americans.

Defense- Sergei Gonchar - Pittsburgh Penguins

This pick may leave some readers scratching their heads, but a closer look shows Gonchar is qualified for this honor. He may only be ranked 8th amongst defenseman with 37 points, but he missed substantial time with injuries. At his current pace, he pots 4 points every five games, leaving him behind only the aforementioned Green and the West's Duncan Keith. Responsible in the defensive zone, he gets the call over Toronto's Tomas Kaberle, who is a -10.

Goalie- Ryan Miller - Buffalo Sabres

The guru has already touted Miller's performance this season, and for good reason. Earning the role of USA's starting goaltender in the Olympics, Miller has been dominant in 2009-10. With a .930 SV%, he trails only Florida's Tomas Vokoun (.931), who posted four shutouts in January. Miller, with five blanks of his own, has been more consistent, recording a 30-14-7 record in 51 starts this year. In addition to insane hand-eye coordination, he also has great taste in designing goalie masks.

Too many shooters on one line? Crosby has been known to make pretty nice passes from time to time. Is Mike Green too one-dimensional to be an All Star? Should Sergei Gonchar get the nod with a -1 +/-? Does Miller deserve the start? Have your voice heard in the comment section.

Be sure to check back for the rest of the East's roster, as well as a look at the West's squad.

Image of the Week

arcollectibles.com

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Miracle On Ice, USA's epic victory against the dominant Soviet ice hockey team. This week's image, autographed by goaltender Jim Craig, depicts the underdog Americans celebrating after their 4-3 victory.

The 2010 USA Olympic squad celebrated by upsetting Canada in front of nearly 20,000 raucous Candians. The Canucks, favored to win Gold, even by the viewer of this blog, fell 5-3 to the Americans on Sunday, marking the first US victory over Canada in Men's Olympic Ice Hockey in 50 years.

The event was so rare that ESPN went against their policy of ignoring hockey to compose a parody of "Oh Canada." A follower of this blog, who has contributed some fine literature in the past, found this lovely rendition and was kind enough to send me a notification. (If you would like to write a post or let me know about something interesting, feel free to email me at FantasyGuru37@gmail.com.) Enjoy.

"No Canada"

No, Canada
You lost to Uncle Sam
We'll take the gold
You laid down like a lamb
With frying pans you tended goal
We scored on you at will
From far and wide, Oh Canada
We're scoring on you still.
God keep your nets
Wide open and emp-ty
O Canada
We scored five goals on thee
O Canada
U.S. with gold you'll see!

Samuel L. Jackson had some detailed analysis of the Americans upset of the USSR. You may find that interesting.

Do you believe in miracles?

NBC Update

In the post titled NBC: No Body Cares, I proclaimed my disdain for NBC's treatment and coverage of the NHL. I concluded by saying that they would be allowed one last chance to earn my respect. If they were to improve their coverage at the Olympics, I was willing to quit my public bantering of their actions. The Vancouver Games are not even a week old, and NBC has already managed to infuriate hockey fans, on multiple occasions.

First and foremost, the NHL has painstakingly altered their schedule to allow the players an opportunity to participate and represent their countries, which can only be viewed as a classy action. While many feel that the league should take every step towards granting their players this privilege, this article may change their mind. Commissioner Gary Bettman is considering not allowing NHL players to compete in the 2014 Games. His main point, $2.1 billion: the total value of contracts of all NHL players participating in Vancouver.

The NHL has been forced to alter their typical regular season schedule. Trying to squeeze 82 games into six months is a daunting task even without a 17 day hiatus for the Olympics. Teams have been forced to go on lengthy road trips and travel through blizzards to play on back-to-back nights. The NHL has even cancelled the All Star Game, unable to afford a weekend without regular season games. (The Guru's All Star rosters will be released soon.) Undoubtedly, the league and the players have made many sacrifices for the right to play in the Olympics.

But NBC doesn't care. As a matter of fact, they are taking what amounts to an All Star game, the USA-Canada Olympic matchup on Sunday, and hiding it from viewers. That's right. The game featuring stars like Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Martin Brodeur is being swept under the rug. Instead of broadcasting what might be the most anticipated showdown of the entire tournament, NBC will entertain (Is that the right word?) America with ice dancing, women's speedskating, men's freestyle skiing and men's giant slalom. Sounds like fun, right?

To NBC, it does. To NBC, women's curling sounds like fun. So does a blowout in women's hockey. Canada's Men's Ice Hockey team (the one with Crosby, Heatley, Thornton, etc.) was scheduled to have their first game of the tournament broadcasted. Everyone and their brother was excited to see how the team would play together, how much they would dominate, and whatever else about what may be the best hockey team ever. Instead of airing the game, NBC decided to stick with a women's curling match involving Japan that ran over its designated time slot. On another channel, NBC was broadcasting the final minutes of 13-0 blowout in women's hockey. So instead of seeing the best in the world, hockey fans were forced to watch these events (?), wondering what had happened to the interesting action taking place in Vancouver.

You may have read the post containing my previous feelings about NBC. I encourage you to do so. You too may develop a distaste for the Peacock. I have received feedback from followers (another thing I encourage you to do) who are also displeased with NBC. One follower went as far to send me this picture showing his bitterness towards the network.

The following image may disturb some of you. In fact, I do not feel comfortable displaying it on this blog. If you wish to view it, you must click the link below. Do so at your own risk. It advocates actions that may seem harsh. I feel they are. However, I also feel that the image fully grasps the feelings hockey fans have about NBC.

Click this link at your own risk. (Editor's Note: The link now works thanks to the help of a fellow blogger. Disregard the video. It has no relevance to this post. While you're there, check out the guy's blog. He's got a nice picture of Lord Stanley's Cup that he took himself. I think anyway, it's kind of a mystery.)

The guru does not support, condone, or encourage the defecation on NBC's properties or logo, nor that of its affiliates or partner stations.

Is the image funny or too graphic? Do you contemplate cutting off you ears every time you hear Mike Emrick's voice? I understand that the intent was probably to minimize his speaking role, but whose idea was it to let Edzo run the telestrator? Is ice dancing more exciting than Olympics hockey? Let me know in the comment section.

Olympic Hockey Preview

Tonight it the opening night of Men's Olympic Ice Hockey, meaning that the game will be brought to us in its highest quality. (Quite frankly, women's hockey isn't nearly as exciting.) While I have not been able to devote much time to analyzing the rosters, I am here to give a quick breakdown of the contenders. Enjoy.

USA: A lot of people are writing off the Americans, but I don't see why. Neither does defenseman Jack Johnson. These guys have talent. As mentioned in previous posts, goaltender Ryan Miller is at the top of his game. While Tim Thomas has struggled this season, he's the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. A change in scenery might propel him back to last year's excellence. They have depth on defense. (Ryan Whitney got the call to replace the injured Paul Martin.) This includes both physical, shutdown defenders like Brooks Orpik, as well as powerplay quarterbacks like Brian Rafalski. Offensively, they have the star power to put pucks in the net. Guys like Patrick Kane, Paul Stastny, and Zach Parise know how to score. They have the grinders as well. Ryan Malone falls into this category. They have what it takes to contend in Vancouver. They combine for seven Stanley Cup rings, not including GM Brian Burke, with many more Finals appearances. Most importantly, they are young and fast. Only five players were born before the Miracle On Ice.

Canada: Any hockey fan with a pulse will tell you that the Canadians are intense feeling pressure to win Gold. I'm telling you it's true, but I'm not going deeper than that. You're welcome. There's debate over whether GM Steve Yzerman has selected the best the country has to offer. That's trivial. Find one player on that roster that can't compete at the highest level. The only issue is their age. Nine players are over age thirty, including two defensemen over thirty five. Keep an eye on that.

Russia: The Russians are absolutely stacked on offense. Ilya Kovalchuk on the second line? Only because he's behind a guy named Ovechkin. They will score. And Score. And Score. Will they be able to keep the puck out of their ow net? Evgeni Nabokov has stood on his head this season (.928 SV%), but he has started eighteen games already in 2010. Fatigue may become a factor.

Sweden: The Swedes took Gold in Torino, but this time around I don't see them repeating. They will live and die by the play of Henrik Lundqvist, who backstopped the 2006 team. The two goalies behind him, Jonas Gustavsson and Stefan Liv of the Swedish Elite League, do not have what it takes to lead a team to the podium. This team has some studs, but I don't think they have the depth other countries do. The Sedin twins will tear it up, as will Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Backstrom. However, this team features a lot of players past their prime. Six players on this squad were born before 1975. They will miss the presence of grinder Tomas Holmstrom, who is out with a knee injury.

Finland: This country produces more quality goaltenders than previously thought possible. But none of the three making the trip to Vancouver (Niklas Backstrom, Mikka Kiprusoff, and Antero Nittymaki) have been true standouts in 2009-10. This team has a lot of recognizable names, but few true stars. Don't expect the Silver Medal they earned in Torino.

Czech Republic: As with Finland, a lot of these players will sound familiar, but none of them are elite players. Does Tomas Vokoun still have what it takes to continue the goaltending dominance set forth by Dominik Hasek? I don't think so. Any team with Jaromir Jagr is destined for failure.

At the end of the day, nobody will be able to compete with Canada, as long as they play to their full potential. Sweden will be pushed by the Americans, but we've seen how successful Detroit has been with the European style of hockey. One thing to keep an eye on is that the games will be played on an NHL rink, not one with the typical oversized International dimensions. Chalk up an advantage to any team with a roster full of NHL players. (USA and Canada) The rosters for all teams can be found here.

Prediction:

Gold: Canada

Silver: Russia

Bronze: Sweden

Image of the Week

AP

This week's image depicts NHL legend Mario Lemieux celebrating Team Canada's Gold Medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics. At Salt Lake City, Lemieux recorded six points in five games, captaining the Canadians to an impressive 5-2 victory over the USA in the Gold Medal Game. It was the first Gold Medal Team Canada had won in 50 years, ending the country's longest drought in International play.

The Canadians are favored to take Gold again in Vancouver, hosting the Games for the first time since 1988. This time, Lemieux will not sport the Maple Leaf. Instead, Scott Neidermayer, a native of British Columbia, will serve as captain. The man who inherited Lemieux's captaincy in Pittsburgh, superstar Sidney Crosby (who lives with Lemieux), will make his first Olympic appearance.

NBC: No Body Cares

Teams across the NHL are making their late-season playoff pushes, meaning that games are starting to become more exciting. Unfortunately, this coincides with NBC's coverage of what would otherwise be must-watch TV. Even worse, they have exclusive coverage of all hockey games in the Olympics, ruining the best hockey in the world, the likes of which we can only indulge ourselves with once every four years.

At first, I thought it was great that NHL games were being broadcasted nationally. There's no doubt that America doesn't fully appreciate the grandeur of professional hockey. Casual fans flipping through the channels or those with a basic TV package might take a moment to give the game a chance, something it hasn't gotten since ESPN decided to ignore the NHL after the lockout. Broadening viewership would certainly help franchises decide to avoid relocation, a growing problem, particularly in the Southeast Division.

As it turns out, these new fans have had a negative impact on the game as well. While their newfound support has led to an unprecedented sellout streak 0f 144 games and counting, bandwagoners in the city of Pittsburgh have frustrated long-time fans. Their ridiculous opinions are based on their limited understanding of the game, such as the line "Jordan Staal sucks" because he went 12 games without a goal. Staal, the #2 overall pick in 2006, runner up for the Calder Trophy the same year, and anchor of the best third line in hockey, has three goals in as many games since the drought. These fans typically wear powder blue throwbacks, most commonly with #87 on the back, yet have no idea that those were the team's standard colors for years. These fans have raised ticket prices and clogged season ticket waiting lists. True fans lucky enough to attend an occasional game have to deal with their utter incompetence. (Why is everyone booing that Jagr guy?) Total disgrace.

In addition, we have to put up with the lousy commentators NBC allows to "cover" the game. Between Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk, and Pierre McGuire, the network overdoes the "superstar effect." Fans across the country are sick of hearing about how good the stars are, how good the grinders are, and how good the coaches are. They focus more on the individuals than they do on the game. And inevitably, Olczyk will subtly bring up that he coached the Penguins. In any matchup between Detroit and Pittsburgh, and NBC makes sure they get the rights for each one, the following exchange will always take place.

Olczyk: Marc-Andre Fleury's first career win came against the Red Wings.

Emrick: Wasn't that your first career win too, Edzo?

Olczyk: Yes. Yes, it was.

Congratulations. You beat Detroit one time back in 2003. The only problem was that you didn't get many more wins. You finished that season 23-47-8-4, good enough for dead-last in the entire league. You nearly lost more games in a row (18) than you won all season. Your tenure of three years doesn't sound too short, but it was artificially extended by the lockout, meaning you only coached 113 games. Yet, you still managed to rack up 74 losses. The next year, Michel Therrien led the team to the playoffs, where they had earned home-ice advantage. So next time you feel tempted to mention your coaching career, don't.

As for Emrick, he may be one of the most annoying commentators I have ever been forced to listen to. He obsesses over the star players more than the other two combined. Every chance he gets, he's making a comment about how great of a leader the captain on either team is or how the teams have great depth. And then there is that voice. The high-pitched squeals every time Marian Hossa touches the puck are enough to drive the most dedicated fans to change the channel. As a certain follower of this blog made note, Emrick's voice (along with something else...) pick up every time the puck enters the slot.

In all honesty, NBC's commentators understand and care for the game. But that doesn't make it any easier to listen to them. I am tempted to mute the TV and listen to the call on the radio. Penguin fans know you can't beat Mike Lange and the old two-niner (Phil Borque).

The other problem NBC presents is that they manage to acquire the rights to the best games of the season. As much as it pains me to do so, I must admit that the Sunday matinee is truly "the game of the week." The three broadcasts thus far have all featured the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins against some of their biggest rivals. These include cross-state nemesis Philadelphia, Detroit, whom they met in the last two Finals, and Alex Ovechkin's Washington Capitals. The network is taking a brief hiatus before returning with two more games involving Sidney Crosby's team.

Even though they broadcast the most compelling games, NBC still can't do much else right. The following image, courtesy of RockTheRed.net, was shown by the network. We know the game is on Sunday, they mentioned it twice, but is it in the afternoon or evening? The time 12M isn't descriptive enough for me. It features Washington's old logo, the one they haven't used for three years. A commenter on Yahoo! who goes by the alias Puck Buddy 289 came up with a clever joke, saying that the 20,000 dedicated fans who pack the Verizon Center despite harsh blizzards "have never seen that logo before."

RockTheRed.net

In case you couldn't tell, I don't care for NBC's coverage of the NHL. I would much rather watch the games on the local networks or another national channel. Maybe even ESPN, if they ever decide to recognize hockey as a sport. Unfortunately, all Olympic events, including hockey, will be shown by NBC. I'm giving them one last chance to earn my respect and appreciation. Hopefully, they won't blow it.

Image of the Week

On Thursday, February 4, 2010, the NFL and the North Texas Super Bowl Committee unveiled their logo design for Super Bowl XLV, which will be held at Cowboys Stadium in North Texas in early February 2011. The silver and gray design features Dallas’ Cowboys Stadium positioned behind the Vince Lombardi Trophy, both of which are on top of script reading “Super Bowl XLV.”

The NFL Chairman of Marketing, Mark Waller, also announced that this logo design would be the standard look for all Super Bowl logos in the near future. The only changes from year to year will be the different roman numerals for each individual game and the stadium in the background, which will reflect the stadium that will host the Super Bowl for that particular year. Also, the colors of the logo will change annually, as each host city will be given a style guide of colors to use in their logo that reflects the hosting city and their football team. For example, the logo for Super Bowl XLVI, which will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, should be some combination of blue and white to represent the Indianapolis Colts. The logo will also change the stadium in the background to Lucas Oil Stadium and the roman numerals on the bottom to read “XLVI”. Each city will also be allowed to release their own, local version of the Super Bowl logo.

The new logo design was chosen by NFL officials, including Waller and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, over seven other format proposals.

Waller and Goodell have cited the reason for the format changes as the need to establish a “single recognizable logo to represent such a recognizable game.”

In addition, the NFL also plans to change the trophies of the conference championship games and their accompanying logos. The trophies, which previously consisted of a silver “A” or “N” to represent the AFC and NFC, respectively, along with a wide brown base and a background of football players layered on a wall, will now be presented as small, silver footballs, with the AFC or NFC logo appearing on the side of the trophy. The conference championship logos will also change to the shape of a football.

It is unclear how long the NFL plans to keep the basic design of the logo the same, but at least for the time being, there will no longer be anticipation over the revelation of the Super Bowl logo from year to year.

Written by Mac Attack

Edited by Fantasy Guru 37

Super Bowl XLIV

NFL.com

It's here. After six months of anticipation and projections since NFL training camps opened in late July, it is now time for the climax of the season, the Super Bowl. (Shame on anyone who thought I was discussing the Pro Bowl.) The guru's immediate post-Brett-Favre as a Viking prediction called for a matchup between San Diego and Minnesota, in which the Chargers would be victorious. This early prognostication, made in August, fell just three wins short of coming true. The stars have aligned to feature a matchup of two of the NFL's most prolific passing attacks, setting the stage for an inevitable offensive shootout. Peyton Manning leads his Indianapolis Colts, fresh off of slicing through the league's top passing defense, against the high-octane offense of the New Orleans Saints.

New Orleans, playing in the first Super Bowl in the 43-year history of the franchise, combines an explosive passing attack with an electric, although leaky, defense. Sean Payton, in his fourth year as head coach brings a playcalling method that holds nothing back. They will need his aggression if they want any chance of slowing down Indianapolis. As proven by the Jets in the AFC Championship, the best way to counter the Colts' offense is to get in Manning's face early and often. Also proven in that game, Manning cannot be stopped for long; it's only a matter of time before he figures out the blitzes and coverages and begins to dissect a defense. For the Saints to succeed, they will need to confuse Manning early and light up the scoreboard from the opening kickoff. Easier said than done.

Offensively, the Saints have the personnel to hang with anyone. Their first option is to air it out with Drew Brees, only the second quarterback in NFL history to eclipse 5,000 yards in a single season. If their opponent manages to limit the aerial attack, they are fully capable of pounding the rock with bruising running backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell or dumping it off to the dynamic Reggie Bush. The Saints have too many weapons for defenses to halt their march into the endzone. (Get it?)

On the other sideline, Manning orchestrates an equally explosive offensive onslaught. While the Colts’ running game presents little threat (NFL worst 80.9 yards per game), the passing game is as versatile as they come. As All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis suffocated #1 receiver Reggie Wayne, Manning connected with the rest of this deep receiving corps. Pierre Garcon, second-year man out of Mount Union, led the way with an AFC Championship record 11 receptions and 151 yards against the Jets. Rookie Austin Collie, taken in the 4th round out of BYU, contributed 123 yards of his own. Tight end Dallas Clark, who caught over 100 balls in the regular season, chipped in with 4 receptions and a touchdown as Manning made due (and then some) without his top target.

The Saints’ defense was one of the most exciting to watch this season, recording 26 interceptions and 35 sacks, ranking among the league's best in both categories. These stats have caused many fans, particularly those who saw New Orleans turn in a #4 finish in the world of fantasy, just four points shy of #1, to believe they are one of the league’s best units. Those viewers are sadly mistaken. The Saints allowed 122.2 yards per game rushing, ranking them 21st in the league. This included the league’s 5th worst 4.5 YPC . They conceded 235.6 yards per game through the air, 26th in the NFL. While they may have forced many turnovers, they were unable to play shutdown defense. Their aggression will benefit them against Indianapolis, but if Manning can protect the ball, Indy should have no trouble moving the chains.

Indianapolis’ defense has improved from the heavily maligned squad of 2008, however they are still a liability. They rank 14th in pass defense, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 63.8% of their attempts, 7th worst in the league. This will haunt them against Drew Brees, who set the NFL record for single season completion percentage with 70.6%. Allowing 4.3 YPC, they were one of only ten teams to concede over 2,000 yards on the ground in 2009. Their interception and sack totals, which rely heavily on the pass rushing abilities of Dwight Freeney, were mediocre. Freeney is officially listed as questionable on the NFL Injury Report (link in the sidebar on the right) with what some call a sprain and others call a torn ligament in his ankle. Should Freeney be limited, the Saints would gain a tremendous edge.

Pierre vs. Pierre

Oddly enough, both teams possess players with the first name “Pierre.” Garcon, of the Colts, will likely play a major role in Indianapolis’ offense, but don’t expect the same level of stats he put up against the Jets. Reggie Wayne is Manning’s favorite receiver, who will be targeted more often now that he won’t be facing shutdown corner Darrelle Revis. Thomas, of the Saints, will be licking his chops to plow through Indy’s undersized front seven. After facing the stout run defense of Minnesota, the PT Cruiser (nickname not concocted by the guru) will gash the Colts’ D for considerable chunks of yardage.

Predictions:

Garcon: 5 receptions, 64 yards, 1 touchdown

Thomas: 12 carries, 73 yards, 3 receptions, 33 yards, 1 touchdown

Reggie vs. Reggie

Again both offenses rely on playmakers that share first names. Bush, of the Saints, is a dynamic return man. His elusiveness may lead to some long kick returns. I do not believe he will be effective running the ball because Indy’s front seven is among the fastest in the league. They will be able to contain him more effectively than some of the bigger, slower linebacking corps he has faced recently. Wayne, of the Colts, is likely to have a monstrous game. Removed from the unbreakable coverage of Revis, Manning will be able to target the New Orleans native more often.

Predictions:

Bush: 5 carries, 18 yards, 6 receptions, 54 yards, tons of return yards, 1 touchdown

Wayne: 7 receptions, 82 yards, 1 touchdown

Peyton vs. Payton

Manning was held under 300 yards just twice in the first ten games, once in a 299 yard effort against Baltimore and the other in a 42-6 win over St. Louis. He will reach that marker with ease if he is not challenged by the playcalling of Sean Payton and his coordinators.

Predictions:

Manning: 30/42, 312 yards, 3 touchdowns,

Sean and Co.: 4 sacks, 1 interception

Turnovers will be the key to Sunday’s battle. These offenses are near locks to score when presented with a short field. The Saints were outgained 475-257 by Minnesota in the NFC Championship. They escaped by the skin of their teeth by forcing five turnovers, including an interception on what might go down as Brett Favre’s last career pass.

Indianapolis set the NFL record with a 23 game winning streak. They have not lost any game in which they gave maximum effort. The lead will change hands many times, but at the end of the day, the Colts will be Super Bowl Champions.

Prediction: IND 37 NO 31

Image of the Week

AP

In anticipation of Super Bowl XLIV, the guru has chosen a photo of Santonio Holmes' game-winning touchdown grab in last year's showdown to be the Image of the Week. Holmes, who was named MVP, made his toe-tapping catch with 35 seconds left in regulation, completing the 78 yard, 2:07 drive that saw Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger connect with Holmes four times.

Despite the late touchdown, the Steelers were not yet out of the woods. After containing Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals prolific passing attack for three and a half quarters, a weakness was spotted in the Steelers secondary. Fitzgerald caught his sixth pass of the 4th quarter with 29 seconds to go before Kurt Warner connected with J.J. Arrington to move the ball into Pittsburgh territory. But the recently dormant Steel Curtain pass rush was reawakened, recovering a fumble after their sack of Warner. Roethlisberger took the knee to wrap up the game in which the Steelers prevailed 27-23.

Holmes finished the game nine receptions and 131 yards through the air. His play perfectly exemplified what greatness stem from a second chance. Holmes was suspended in October for marijuana possession. The play before the Immaculate Reception 2.0, he let a much easier catch go directly through his hands. Despite the drop, Roethlisberger had enough faith in #10 to go back to him, threading the needle with a beautifully thrown pass.