Breaking Down Super Bowl XLIV - Linebackers

Indianapolis Colts:
No one will ever tell you the Colts have a dominant group of linebackers. Do they have a nose for the ball? Sure. Clint Sessions recorded 103 tackles, and Gary Brackett had 99 of his own. But between those two and Philip Wheeler, they total only 2.5 sacks, 3 picks, and 2 forced fumbles this season. A Cover 2 defense relies on LBs to drop into coverage and protect the middle of the field against the passing game. They also need to be able to recognize the run at the same time. The Colt's LBs just aren't good enough at doing both.


Colts Linebackers vs Saints Running Backs:
The Saints like to get to the outside, which is good if they can get to Wheeler's side. He is the least experienced of the LBs, and Brackett and Sessions don't have the block shedding ability to keep the Saint's runners out of the secondary. In the passing game, where the Saints like to hit Reggie Bush out of the backfield, the Colts have the ability to apply solid coverage. If the Saints shy away from the short passes and go to the run, it could be a long day for the Colts.

New Orleans Saints:
If the Colts don't have a dominant group of linebackers, then the Saints have a slightly dominant one. Johnathan Vilma may be the only one who topped 70 tackles, with 110, but that is what you want in a middle linebacker. He also finshed the season with 2 sacks, 3 picks, and 8 passes defensed, which is about as good as the Colts as a whole. On the outsides, Scott Shanle and Scott Fujita combined for a sack, 2 picks, and 2 forced fumbles of their own. The fact that the Saints played against more passing plays than running plays due to their big early leads probably skews the tackle numbers a bit, as well.

Saints Linebackers vs Colts Running Backs:
Is this even a competition? The Colts have a terrible running game. While Donald Brown may be able to gain a few extra yards if he can keep running straight ahead, Joseph Addai doesn't have the escapability and speed to get to the outside that he used to. Don't look for the Colt's runners to break any long ones, look for them to be tied up quickly by the Saint's linebackers.

Edge: New Orleans Saints