Alright folks, it’s time. Time for me to pick my Super Bowl XLIV winner. But before I do… I wanted to remind you to enter our Super Bowl Predictions contest where you have a chance to win $250 by correctly picking the winner and final score. You can enter the contest here. Now on to my prediction. This is definitely a hard game to pick. Both teams are so good… but when in doubt, always go with the team who has the better quarterback and in this case it’s the Indianapolis Colts.

I am picking the Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV by a final score of 31-24. Usually we don’t see high scoring Super Bowl games, but I think this year will be different. I see both teams attacking early on and throwing downfield. Don’t be surprised if we see a 14-10 score at the end of the first quarter.

I like the Colts not just because they have the better quarterback but because they have experience. The Colts just won the Super Bowl a few years ago, I think in 2005. The New Orleans Saints on the other hand have never been to the Super Bowl. It will be new to them and I’m not confident in their ability to handle the big stage.

The x-factor is Dwight Freeney. He’s the best pass rusher in the game and without him the Colts will have a hard time getting to Drew Brees. The Saints will be able to double team Mathis and protect Brees for a long time – and trust, me you don’t want to give him a lot of time in the pocket. Brees is one of the best in the business at picking defenses apart. If Freeney plays (which I think he will) that will be a huge lift for the Colts defense.

I think we’ll see a tie game 24-24 going into the last few minutes of the 4th quarter, but Peyton Manning will do what he always does – execute a game-winning drive to perfection. I can see the Colts marching down the field, just eating up clock and scoring the final touchdown with about 2 minutes left. The Saints will get the ball, but won’t be able to punch it in for a touchdown at the end.

How do you see the Super Bowl playing out? Post a comment and let me know.

And don’t forget, Football Fanatics will have Super Bowl XLIV Champs apparel for sale immediately following the game.

What a great weekend of Conference Championship football – the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints proved that they are the best teams in each conference and will battle it out in the Super Bowl in two weeks. We’ll get to see two of the best QBs in the NFL and two tremendous offenses air it out against each other in the warmth of a Miami, Florida night. Fans, Football Fanatics currently has a huge selection of AFC & NFC Champs apparel for sale right now. I’m talking shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and more. Shop today and get 3-Day shipping for only $4.99.

Which game from yesterday did you enjoy the most? The AFC game started out great – we saw the Jets get out to an early lead, I’m sure it scared some Colts fans. But Peyton Manning did what he always does – come back and win games. The Colts narrowed the gap heading into halftime and then shut the Jets offense down completely in the second half, giving them a 30-17 victory.

The NFC was a nail biter down to the end. Brett Favre and the Vikings were marching down the field late in the fourth quarter to try and go up by a score, but Favre had his second interception of the day. Regulation ended with a 28-28 tie and we went into overtime. The Saints won the toss and received the ball first. It only took them a few minutes to get into field goal range and seal the victory. New Orleans is now headed to the Super Bowl for the first time in their history.

Here is a small sample of what we have for each team.

Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints

The NFL Playoffs are winding down. Only two games are left, the AFC and NFC Championship Games. Today we will take a look at the first game on Sunday, the AFC Championship between the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are the favorites, with good reason. They have the best quarterback in the game and are playing at home. But is that enough to stop the Jets who just beat Cincinnati and San Diego?

The keys to victory for the Indianapolis Colts are to 1. Keep the ball in Manning’s hands and 2. Get this game into a shootout. If the Colts can get up early and score two touchdowns in the first quarter I don’t see any way the Jets can keep up with them. The Colts offense is a powerful machine that can score at will on anybody … even the Jets stout defense. The stadium will be loud and behind the Colts on every play.

If the Jets want to win, their best chance is to keep Peyton Manning and the Colts offense off the field. The Jets will need to use their running backs (Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene) to sustain long drives and eat up the clock. If they can force a turnover or two that may be enough to stay in front. A low scoring, defensive battle is just what the Jets need.

Who do you think will win the AFC Championship Game this weekend?

And don’t forget, Football Fanatics will have AFC Champions apparel & merchandise available for sale immediately following the game.

Some of you may not know that Football Fanatics is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Tonight we have a HUGE Thursday Night NFL game here in town – the Indianapolis Colts vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts are 13-0 and have everything wrapped up, while the Jags are 7-6 and fighting for a Wildcard playoff spot. The weather is going to be horrendous, but this is a game the Jaguars must have.

The city of Jacksonville have been amped all week. You probably know that ticket sales for the Jaguars have been less than par this year and the overall interest for the team has been down. But not this week. Everyone is talking Jags, everyone is wearing teal and everyone is going to this game. For the first time all year, the Jacksonville Jaguars sold a game out – no blackout this week!

With a win tonight the Jaguars will stay in control of the 6th seed in the AFC and will generate excitement in this city once again. We can’t afford a loss tonight – not this time. The Jaguars don’t beat the Colts often but they always play the Colts tough. The Jags are not intimidated by Peyton Manning or their undefeated record.

I’m going out on a limb and predicting a Jaguars victory, 28-24. What do you think?

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are sitting at 13-0 and have already clinched their divisions and the playoff spots that come with them. At 13-0, the Colts have earned homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Saints still have the Vikings on their heels – but at this point it looks like the Saints will wrap up homefield too. This brings us to an important question: Should the Colts and Saints start resting players?

In the case of the Saints, I would say no – at least not until they lock up homefield advantage. Even then, the Saints do not have a lot of playoff experience so they need to keep fresh and play with that sense of urgency. If the starters only play a half or 3 quarters then they could get relaxed and lose that edge they’ve been playing with all year.

The Colts are a different story though. They have a history of being in this position and in the playoffs. In years past, the Colts have mostly rested their starters once they’ve clinched homefield advantage. Though in most years, it doesn’t seem to work – they’ve only made it to the Super Bowl once since Peyton Manning arrived.

The one year the Colts won the Super Bowl they were 12-4 in the regular season. A great overall record, but it doesn’t feel as good when you see they lost 3 of their last 5 games and were not playing their best football at the end of the year. There was no resting players this year. The Colts were home in their first game but had to travel to Baltimore in the 2nd round of the playoffs. The Colts had to fight for everything – they could never ease up.

Do you think it’s beneficial for teams that have already clinched to rest their starters? Should guys like Manning and Brees only play 1/2 of a game from here on out? On one hand, they might get cold and relaxed, but on the other hand, you risk injury keeping them in there for a game that doesn’t matter.

Week 11 of the NFL has all but come and gone (there is still a MNF game tonight). The playoff picture is starting to take form with most of the division leaders pulling away. Two teams that stand out above the rest are the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints – both teams remain unbeaten.

Statistically speaking, the New Orleans Saints appear to have the better offense while the Colts appear to have the better defense. The Saints rank 1st in points per game (36.9) and yards per game (420.5), but the Colts rank 1st in points allowed per game (15.7). It feels weird saying the Colts have the best defense in the NFL when defense has always been their downfall in previous years.

If these two teams played each other on a neutral field it’s hard to pick who would win. I like Peyton Manning more than Drew Brees, so I’d probably give the Colts the edge. I do think the Saints have the better rushing attack and probably a more explosive defense, but over the last decade it’s just been too hard to go against the Colts. No matter what, Peyton Manning always finds a way to win games.

On a side note – I just looked at the Colts remaining schedule and I don’t see a a real tough game left.

@ Houston
vs. Tennessee
vs. Denver
@ Jacksonville
vs. New York Jets
@ Buffalo

Sure the Texans and Jaguars will play the Colts tough, and if Indy has a first round bye plus home field advantage wrapped up then they might start resting players … but really, they have a legit shot at going 16-0.