Super Bowl XLIV: It's the Drew Brees Bowl

Analyst Written on July 07, 2009

We had the Jon Gruden Bowl in 2002. Then last year we had the Ken Whisenhunt Bowl. We even had the Craig Morton Bowl in Super Bowl XII.

This year, I say we have the Drew Brees Bowl.

The San Diego Chargers will meet the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, barring any significant injuries.

The Chargers showed great resiliency in winning their last four games, when they had a snowball in hell's chance of making the playoffs and clinching their division. They will be at an even greater strength this season, with the return of Shawne Merriman and the determination of LaDainian Tomlinson and his mission to prove that he’s not over the hill.

For the Saints, Drew Brees had as good a season as you can ask for a quarterback...and the Saints still finished in last place. So why are they Super Bowl bound in 2009?

Well, first of all, two of those losses were a result of a poor kicking game (games against Denver and Minnesota).

Also, they have the curse of the NFC South on their side. Ever since the division was created in 2002, no team has made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. So there go Atlanta and Carolina (although I do think Atlanta will challenge), while Tampa Bay is pretty much back to square one.

The Arizona Cardinals showed last year what a team with a high-powered offense can do, even if they have a poor defense. I mean, the Cardinals were blown out in games against the Patriots, the Jets, and the Eagles. But when it came to playoff time, they stepped it up.

However, because of that less than stellar defense, the San Diego Chargers will defeat their former quarterback and win their first ever Super Bowl.

Again, this is an early prediction, and who knows what could happen with injuries and whatnot. Heck, I still remember predictions being made last year before Brett Favre joined the Jets. But as of right now, this seems to be as sure a matchup as you can predict.

If only we could get Marty Schottenheimer to do the coin toss, then it would be perfect.

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written on July 07, 2009 Preview/Prediction

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