in NFL Articles

The stage is set for (-6.5) to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy but we aren't ready to dismiss the Bears that quickly - especially where the odds are concerned.

Feb. 4th, 3:25 p.m. ET
Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears

Undeniably, Peyton Manning put on a brilliant show against the Patriots in the AFC Conference Championship in what may go down as the game of his life. Leading the Colts back from an 18-point deficit against a tough New England defense was nothing short of heroic. Under pressure from a relentless pass rush, Manning made clutch throws at the last millisecond, almost willing the ball into his receivers'; arms.

But asking any quarterback to duplicate this feat - against an even hungrier Bears defense - in consecutive games is a tall order. Might Manning suffer a bit of an emotional letdown after the elation he conjured in beating the Pats? Football fans need to remember that before the “Comeback” against New England, Manning's play was more than mortal; in fact it was downright inconsistent and plagued with what could have proved fatal errors. In their first pair of postseason wins, the Colts defense bailed Manning out as he struggled, throwing five interceptions with only one touchdown pass.

The Bears offense developed an explosive but combustible nature this season with Rex Grossman at the helm. Grossman could go from looking like the second coming of Sid Luckman one week to Rick Mirer the next, but Chicago finished at 14-2.

After Week Six, the Bears' high-scoring offense ranked at the top the league (as did their defense, making them the first team since 1942 to own top spots in both categories that late into a season), but make no mistake, it's the relentless defense that still sets the tone for Chicago.

If the Bears hope to beat Indianapolis come Super Sunday the defense will have to put together a solid effort man-for-man. One of the keys will be putting pressure on Manning - not just pressure - but pain, laying him flat on his back a couple times so he feels hurried in the pocket. The Bears have the ability to make it happen with a talented rotation of defensive ends including Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown and rookie Mark Anderson.

Colts' tackles Tarik Glenn and Ryan Diem will have to battle all day and they'll come up short some of the time. If the Bears take any chances trying to blitz Manning, it will probably come from the corners. They'll keep Brian Urlacher focused on stopping versatile running back Joseph Addai and tight end Dallas Clark, who has made a bunch of clutch grabs for Indy - this will be a key match up in the ball game. Chances are Clark won't find space getting open downfield easy with Urlacher breathing down his neck, so Manning will need to look to wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison more against Chicago.

Another key for the Colts will be to get another strong game out of running backs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes. In his rookie season, Addai racked up 1,081 rushing yards. He is a reliable receiver out of the backfield and also has picked up blitzes and blocked well. The 1-2 punch has been effective all season; against the Patriots they combined for 125 yards on 28 carries.

Rhodes has been particularly effective in relief coming into ball games in the second half with fresh legs and providing some extra spark and drive against tiring defenses. The Bears did a terrific job limiting the Saints' tandem of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush in their Conference Championship win. They'll need Israel Idonije, Tank Johnson and Ian Scott to hold their ground again and the same gang-tackling, turnover-happy defense to make some big plays for the Bears to have a good shot at pulling this game out.

The key for the Bears on offense will be establishing the run with the surging tandem of Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Against the Saints, Jones rushed for 123 yards and a pair of scores while Benson added 60 more with a touchdown. The Bears showed how dominating their offensive line and running game could be late in the second quarter against when Jones ran the ball eight times in a row on a touchdown drive that covered 69 yards. The experienced o-line, led by center Olin Kreutz and guard Ruben Brown, dominated the Saints up front. Tackles John Tait and Fred Miller did a solid job against Charles Grant and Will Smith- two of the best defensive ends in the league.

It won't be easy matching up against Colts ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, but the Bears do have the savvy and talent to be successful in this ball game. The Colts defense has made a remarkable recovery stopping the run in the postseason, but they'll be challenged by the Bears.

By clamping down on the running game with extra players in the box, the Colts will challenge Rex Grossman to beat them with his arm. Grossman has managed to avoid the bone-head plays and big mistakes so far in the playoffs, but the Colts will do their best to fluster him into making a few. If Grossman keeps his poise and gets protection, Chicago has the receivers to get open downfield. Bernard Berrian is a burner and has the speed to beat any Colts corner.

Grossman can deliver the ball with accuracy deep and loves to look for Berrian, who may be matched up against 5-8 cornerback Jason David. At the other corner position, Nick Harper could be hampered by an ankle that may limit his mobility. Muhsin Muhammad needs to get more involved for the Bears and receiver Rashied Davis is also a target who can stretch the defense.

Another area of legitimate concern for the Colts is their special teams that could have cost them the game against New England. Ellis Hobbs consistently found running lanes and churned out returns of 29, 80, 30 and 41 yards.

Now they face dangerous rookie Devin Hester, who returned an NFL-record six kicks for touchdowns, including three punts, two kickoffs and a missed field goal.

Odds are the Colts will try to angle the ball away from Hester at all costs but he'll probably get a few chances anyway. Hester is yet to break off a big return in the postseason and this could be bad omen for Indianapolis heading into Super Bowl XLI.

Marc Reichertz is a freelance columnist and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker room and football.com.

Make the Super Bowl the most exciting game of your calendar year with . Find all the Super Bowl props in the Sportsbook, in the Futures/props section.

Remember, if you can bet on football, you can . It's free and you'll know the teams by the time the big tournament's bracket buster rolls around.