The "Soft" Colts and Peyton Manning Will Win the Super Bowl

Peyton Manning simply cannot beat the Patriots in the playoffs. The New England defense will hold both Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes in check, and both running backs will be non-factors. Tom Brady finds a way to win, and New England will once again be in the Super Bowl. The Colts are too soft a team to make it in 2007.

They're so soft, the Colts are one win away from being Super Bowl champions. What a soft team indeed.

When Indianapolis defeated New England in the AFC Championship Game, they did more than earn a trip to Miami and Super Bowl XLI. They finally silenced every doubter who did not give them the credit they deserved. Sure, the Colts were always a good regular season team. However, this team was deemed too "soft" by many to make a serious run in the playoffs.

My, what a difference a month makes. These "soft" Colts are going to be heavy favorites for two weeks heading into Super Bowl Sunday. More than likely, many football fans will jump onto the "I never doubted Peyton Manning for a second" bandwagon. However, the fact that this team has made it this far should be a surprise to nobody.

In the first three games of the playoffs, the Colts were carried by an impenetrable defensive squad. Against Kansas City, they held one of the best running backs in the NFL, Larry Johnson, to a mediocre game. In their second playoff game against Baltimore, they held the Ravens to six points while playing on the road in a hostile environment. Against New England, the Indy defense did give up 34 points. However, on the last two New England drives, Indianapolis made two key defensive plays, allowing the Colts to win.

The Indianapolis offense is currently running on all cylinders. Running backs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes have done a great job at splitting carries. In three games the two backs have run for 410 yards and two touchdowns. The wide receiving core is getting a surprising uplift from Dallas Clark, who leads the team in the postseason with 17 receptions for 281 yards.

Then there's the quarterback for the Colts. That guy's pretty good.