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Super Bowl matchup
10:56 PM CST on Friday, February 2, 2007
By Super Bowl matchup
10:56 PM CST on Friday, February 2, 2007
By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
Bears SS Todd Johnson vs. Colts TE Dallas Clark
The Colts have two Pro Bowl wide receivers to occupy both corners and one safety on passing downs. That leaves a safety or linebacker on Clark – and either way it's a mismatch. Manning likes running Clark deep down the seam. Linebackers lack speed to run with him, and safeties lack physicality to steer him off his routes.
Edge: Clark
Bears KR Devin Hester vs. Colts P Hunter Smith
The NFL's best return specialist gets a crack at the NFL's worst coverage teams. Hester scored six touchdowns on returns in his rookie season. The Colts ranked 30th in kickoff coverage and 31st in punt coverage. It will be on Smith to keep the ball out of Hester's hands with hang time and directional kicking.
Edge: Hester
Bears RT Fred Miller vs. Colts SDE Robert Mathis
Miller lined up in his first Super Bowl in 2000 for St. Louis. Six years later, he's back for his second one. But at 33, he's on the backside of his career. Mathis comes off the edge with 4.4-second speed. If the Bears don't give Miller tight end help, Mathis could be Rex Grossman's nightmare. He led the Colts with 9 ½ sacks and has another 1 ½ in the playoffs.
Edge: Mathis
Bears FS Danieal Manning vs. Colts QB Peyton Manning
The Chicago and Indianapolis schemes are mirror images of each other, with Bears coach Lovie Smith a former defensive assistant to Colts coach Tony Dungy. They prefer zone defenses with the free safety plugging the leaks. Danieal is a rookie starting just his 17th NFL game. Peyton is a three-time NFL passing champ and two-time league MVP. He'll be looking off Danieal all day.
Edge
eyton Manning
Bears WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Colts CB Jason David
All of Chicago wants to keep the ball out of Rex Grossman's hands in this game. But he has a favorable matchup on the backside of the formation. Muhammad, one of the game's most physical receivers at 6-2, 215 pounds, goes up against David, one of the game's smallest corners (5-8, 180). He's not going deep over there, but Grossman can get first downs.
Edge: Muhammad
/ The Dallas Morning News
Bears SS Todd Johnson vs. Colts TE Dallas Clark
The Colts have two Pro Bowl wide receivers to occupy both corners and one safety on passing downs. That leaves a safety or linebacker on Clark – and either way it's a mismatch. Manning likes running Clark deep down the seam. Linebackers lack speed to run with him, and safeties lack physicality to steer him off his routes.
Edge: Clark
Bears KR Devin Hester vs. Colts P Hunter Smith
The NFL's best return specialist gets a crack at the NFL's worst coverage teams. Hester scored six touchdowns on returns in his rookie season. The Colts ranked 30th in kickoff coverage and 31st in punt coverage. It will be on Smith to keep the ball out of Hester's hands with hang time and directional kicking.
Edge: Hester
Bears RT Fred Miller vs. Colts SDE Robert Mathis
Miller lined up in his first Super Bowl in 2000 for St. Louis. Six years later, he's back for his second one. But at 33, he's on the backside of his career. Mathis comes off the edge with 4.4-second speed. If the Bears don't give Miller tight end help, Mathis could be Rex Grossman's nightmare. He led the Colts with 9 ½ sacks and has another 1 ½ in the playoffs.
Edge: Mathis
Bears FS Danieal Manning vs. Colts QB Peyton Manning
The Chicago and Indianapolis schemes are mirror images of each other, with Bears coach Lovie Smith a former defensive assistant to Colts coach Tony Dungy. They prefer zone defenses with the free safety plugging the leaks. Danieal is a rookie starting just his 17th NFL game. Peyton is a three-time NFL passing champ and two-time league MVP. He'll be looking off Danieal all day.
Edgeeyton Manning
Bears WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Colts CB Jason David
All of Chicago wants to keep the ball out of Rex Grossman's hands in this game. But he has a favorable matchup on the backside of the formation. Muhammad, one of the game's most physical receivers at 6-2, 215 pounds, goes up against David, one of the game's smallest corners (5-8, 180). He's not going deep over there, but Grossman can get first downs.
Edge: Muhammad
10:56 PM CST on Friday, February 2, 2007
By Super Bowl matchup
10:56 PM CST on Friday, February 2, 2007
By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
Bears SS Todd Johnson vs. Colts TE Dallas Clark
The Colts have two Pro Bowl wide receivers to occupy both corners and one safety on passing downs. That leaves a safety or linebacker on Clark – and either way it's a mismatch. Manning likes running Clark deep down the seam. Linebackers lack speed to run with him, and safeties lack physicality to steer him off his routes.
Edge: Clark
Bears KR Devin Hester vs. Colts P Hunter Smith
The NFL's best return specialist gets a crack at the NFL's worst coverage teams. Hester scored six touchdowns on returns in his rookie season. The Colts ranked 30th in kickoff coverage and 31st in punt coverage. It will be on Smith to keep the ball out of Hester's hands with hang time and directional kicking.
Edge: Hester
Bears RT Fred Miller vs. Colts SDE Robert Mathis
Miller lined up in his first Super Bowl in 2000 for St. Louis. Six years later, he's back for his second one. But at 33, he's on the backside of his career. Mathis comes off the edge with 4.4-second speed. If the Bears don't give Miller tight end help, Mathis could be Rex Grossman's nightmare. He led the Colts with 9 ½ sacks and has another 1 ½ in the playoffs.
Edge: Mathis
Bears FS Danieal Manning vs. Colts QB Peyton Manning
The Chicago and Indianapolis schemes are mirror images of each other, with Bears coach Lovie Smith a former defensive assistant to Colts coach Tony Dungy. They prefer zone defenses with the free safety plugging the leaks. Danieal is a rookie starting just his 17th NFL game. Peyton is a three-time NFL passing champ and two-time league MVP. He'll be looking off Danieal all day.
Edge
eyton Manning Bears WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Colts CB Jason David
All of Chicago wants to keep the ball out of Rex Grossman's hands in this game. But he has a favorable matchup on the backside of the formation. Muhammad, one of the game's most physical receivers at 6-2, 215 pounds, goes up against David, one of the game's smallest corners (5-8, 180). He's not going deep over there, but Grossman can get first downs.
Edge: Muhammad
/ The Dallas Morning News
Bears SS Todd Johnson vs. Colts TE Dallas Clark
The Colts have two Pro Bowl wide receivers to occupy both corners and one safety on passing downs. That leaves a safety or linebacker on Clark – and either way it's a mismatch. Manning likes running Clark deep down the seam. Linebackers lack speed to run with him, and safeties lack physicality to steer him off his routes.
Edge: Clark
Bears KR Devin Hester vs. Colts P Hunter Smith
The NFL's best return specialist gets a crack at the NFL's worst coverage teams. Hester scored six touchdowns on returns in his rookie season. The Colts ranked 30th in kickoff coverage and 31st in punt coverage. It will be on Smith to keep the ball out of Hester's hands with hang time and directional kicking.
Edge: Hester
Bears RT Fred Miller vs. Colts SDE Robert Mathis
Miller lined up in his first Super Bowl in 2000 for St. Louis. Six years later, he's back for his second one. But at 33, he's on the backside of his career. Mathis comes off the edge with 4.4-second speed. If the Bears don't give Miller tight end help, Mathis could be Rex Grossman's nightmare. He led the Colts with 9 ½ sacks and has another 1 ½ in the playoffs.
Edge: Mathis
Bears FS Danieal Manning vs. Colts QB Peyton Manning
The Chicago and Indianapolis schemes are mirror images of each other, with Bears coach Lovie Smith a former defensive assistant to Colts coach Tony Dungy. They prefer zone defenses with the free safety plugging the leaks. Danieal is a rookie starting just his 17th NFL game. Peyton is a three-time NFL passing champ and two-time league MVP. He'll be looking off Danieal all day.
Edge
eyton Manning Bears WR Muhsin Muhammad vs. Colts CB Jason David
All of Chicago wants to keep the ball out of Rex Grossman's hands in this game. But he has a favorable matchup on the backside of the formation. Muhammad, one of the game's most physical receivers at 6-2, 215 pounds, goes up against David, one of the game's smallest corners (5-8, 180). He's not going deep over there, but Grossman can get first downs.
Edge: Muhammad