In a possible preview of this season's Super Bowl, the Indianapolis Colts host the New Orleans Saints Thursday night in the opening game of the 2007 NFL season.
As the league's 32 teams start the march towards Super Bowl XLII in Arizona on Feb. 3, 2008, the Colts begin to defend their Super Bowl title against a Saints team being touted as a pre-season favourite to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Peyton Manning led the Colts to a 29-17 win over Chicago in Super Bowl XLI.
(Jeff Haynes/Getty Images)
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning has Super Bowl aspirations of his own, though.
The Colts star and two-time league MVP took his place in the pantheon of NFL championship winning quarterbacks after leading Indianapolis to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI back in February.
Manning, playing in his first Super Bowl after nine seasons in the NFL, had been dogged for years by critics who said he couldn't win a big game. Now, the Colts signal-caller will try to lead his team to back-to-back titles, a task made significantly more difficult after four starters left the team via free agency in the off-season and three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tarik Glenn retired.
"It's uncharted territory for most of us," Manning said. "All we really know how to do is to work hard and get on the same page. That's all we've done, that's all I've ever known."
The Colts' Achilles heel last season was their inability to stop the run, but there appears to be cause for optimism. Indianapolis allowed 5.3 yards per carry and was last in the league against the run in 2006, but they averaged 4.1 yards in the playoffs and 3.2 during the pre-season.
The Indianapolis defence will also sport two new starters at cornerback — Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden — who will replace Nick Harper and Jason Davis, who were lost in free agency.
Also gone are defensive tackle Corey Simon and linebacker Monte Reagor, while defensive tackle Anthony McFarland is battling a knee injury and was placed on injury reserve. Rookie Ed Johnson is slated to replace McFarland up front.
The Colts have serious defensive issues to deal with, but any team that features Manning has to be considered a Super Bowl contender. Manning will once again lead an explosive attack, along with receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and second-year running back Joseph Addai.
The Saints are coming off a sensational 2006 campaign that saw the club go 10-6 and win the NFC South Division title before falling to Chicago in the NFC title game.
Led by quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints led the NFL in total offensive yards (6,387), passing yards (4,503) and scored a franchise-best 416 points.
You can expect more of the same from the Saints this season, according to Brees.
"I still feel like we've only scratched the surface as an offence," said Brees, who led the league in passing with a career-high 4,418 yards last season.
"We've got a lot of weapons and we've got a lot of balls to be spread around. I'm excited about the possibilities and the opportunity we have."
New Orleans also boasts an awesome running game, anchored by the backfield duo of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush.
McAllister rushed for 1,057 yards and 10 TDs in 2006, while Bush caught a team-leading 88 catches for 742 yards, while rushing for 565 yards on 155 carries in his rookie year.
Saints coach Sean Payton believes his team can handle the pressure of being tabbed Super Bowl contenders.
"What has happened in previous years isn't necessarily a predictor of what will happen this season," Payton said.
"I feel comfortable that this team understands it's a different season. The goal that we set out for last year we fell short of, in regards to playing for a championship. Yet, those are the right types of goals that you set. I think our players understand that and will be able to handle that."
With files from Associated Press
