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Super Bowl XLI is a clash of styles
After two weeks of talking and hype, Super Bowl XLI is finally upon us. After this game, either Tony Dungy or Lovie Smith will knock down another historic wall, as one of them will become the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl championship.

The other storyline that will be settled has been the main one since Championship weekend: Will Peyton Manning finally get his Super Bowl ring and join the likes of Brett Favre and celebrated peer Tom Brady as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history?

The experts say yes.

Chicago is already a 7-point underdog to the Colts, partly because of the supposed weaker competition in the NFC, partly because no one has any idea how good the inconsistent Bears really are.

The Colts are expected to win because it is believed that Manning will be able to exploit a Bears defense that has struggled with injuries and isn’t particularly strong in the secondary.

The Bears’ best chance to win has been harped on for most of this week: Run the ball early and often to take pressure off of erratic quarterback Rex Grossman and at the same time keep Manning off the field.

The blueprint for a Chicago victory should come from The New York Giants’ Super Bowl XXV win over the Buffalo Bills in 1990.

In that game, Coach Bill Parcells and then defensive coordinator Bill Belichick devised a scheme where the Giants often operated with a two-man defensive line, flooding the secondary with defenders to limit quarterback Jim Kelly’s options.

They sacrificed a big game from Bills running back Thurman Thomas, who ran wild for 135 yards and a touchdown, but in the end they were able to keep Kelly & Co. off the field enough to emerge with a 20-19 victory.

But it was on offense where the Giants really did their jobs. New York wore down the Bills’ undersized defensive line by pounding the ball, holding it for a still Super Bowl record 40 minutes and 33 seconds.

That’s the kind of effort the Bears need to win on Sunday.

But offensive coordinator Ron Turner hasn’t shied away from throwing the ball all season, even when Grossman has struggled, as he did in the NFC Championship when he started 2-for-13.

Grossman will have his chances too, as the Colts’ secondary can be beaten deep, and cornerback Nick Harper might not play in the contest.

That means Bears deep threat Bernard Berrian will have to come up with big plays.It is ironic that while having one of the worst postseasons of his career, Manning is so close now to the threshold.

He’s managing the offensive game better than he ever has, and that newfound patience may be the key in this Super Bowl.

Chicago’s big offensive line should be able to clear some holes for the running game against Indianapolis, but Grossman will be a target for Indy’s speed pass rushers.

On offense, the Colts have too much firepower. With receiver Marvin Harrison relatively quiet so far this postseason, running mate Reggie Wayne has become the main offensive weapon. And don’t forget Dallas Clark exploiting the middle when the outside receivers are covered. The Colts also have a competent running game led by the two-headed backfield of Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes.

Indianapolis is the pick, 27-20.

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