McNair vs Manning Preview

The co-MVPs of the 2003 season are going to lock horns this Saturday in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. You would think they’d be getting a little more ink, considering they’re two of the NFL’s biggest names playing the sport’s marquee position.

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have been the preseason Super Bowl favorites for years. But now that the Colts are in the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs? Not so much. Indianapolis is a 4-point underdog against Steve McNair and the Baltimore Ravens, who have lost at home just once all season, a 23-21 nailbiter in Week 6 against Carolina. That was the game where McNair was injured in the first quarter and replaced by Kyle Boller.

Although Boller has acquitted himself quite nicely this year in spot relief, there’s a reason why the Ravens signed McNair in the offseason – and we’re likely to see that reason come into sharp focus this Saturday afternoon. After a miserable 6-10 (7-9 against the spread) 2005 campaign, the Ravens have gone back to the blueprint that won them Super Bowl XXXV: defense, running, and calm leadership at the QB position. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Baltimore finished the regular season at 13-3 SU and a mouth-watering 10-6 ATS, earning the all-important bye going into the Divisional round as a result.

The execution of this time-tested blueprint has been exceptional. On the defensive front, the Ravens drafted blue-chip tackle Haloti Ngata and traded for end Trevor Pryce to shore up the left side of the club’s imposing front seven. The emphasis on running was ramped up in October when coach Brian Billick bit the bullet and fired offensive coordinator (as well as good friend) Jim Fassel, thus resuming his previous role as the architect of the offense. But, bringing “Air McNair” on board has proven to be his masterstroke.

McNair’s ability to win the big game has come into question lately – although not nearly as much as the incredibly talented Manning. But football is still a team sport. Indianapolis has failed to support Manning with talented defenders; McNair, on the other hand, is a fine complement to Billick’s Super Bowl-proven system. True, the former Division I-AA star with Alcorn State is no longer MVP-quality, now that his arm strength and his quickness are limited after 12 years in the NFL. But McNair compensates with his considerable leadership skills, effectively becoming the same type of “management” quarterback that Billick struck gold with seven years ago.

Trent Dilfer continues to take his lumps as the so-called worst quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl, but it’s easy to forget that Dilfer made the Pro Bowl in 1998 with Tampa Bay before losing his job to Shaun King. The Buccaneers’ loss was Baltimore’s gain; King was a one-year wonder, while Dilfer proved the value of having a steady hand at the tiller, throwing just one interception in the Ravens’ four playoff games on the road to the championship. That performance earned Dilfer a regular paycheque as a mentor to promising young starters Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Frye and Alex Smith.

McNair should be in good position to shred an Indianapolis defense that ranks among the worst in the NFL in both passing and rushing. Kansas City was expected to do the same thing last week, but the Chiefs offense proved to be too vanilla, and to the Colts’ credit, they did elevate their game when it counted. Baltimore will no doubt learn from Kansas City’s mistakes, especially with an extra week to rest up and watch film. Manning will likely have to carry the Colts on his back yet again; the total for this matchup has inched up to 42 points at the time of publication.

Kick-off from M&T Bank Stadium is 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. The weather forecast in Baltimore calls for a 40-percent chance of rain on Saturday with temperatures around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Posted on 1/12/2007 1:13:17 PM
NFL Football Betting - McNair Over Manning
By BetUS Staff

More Betus.com Articles...