Gregg Rosenthal

It’s almost game time. You’ve read thousands of words on Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, heard how elated the city of New Orleans is to be in the Super Bowl for the first time and received hundreds of updates on Dwight Freeney’s ankle.

Consider all that your introduction into the game.

Here’s your main course: 13 ways how the Saints can win, and 13 ways how the Colts can win.

Why the Saints can win

1. They run well out of passing formations
The underrated Colts defense stuffed the Ravens and Jets’ strong running attacks in successive weeks. But the Colts knew what was coming. Against the Saints, the Colts will have to be stout against the run even when they have five or six defensive backs on the field. The Patriots had great success against the Colts by running out of the shotgun. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush should have running room.

2. The league’s best guard tandem
Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks aren’t household names, but they should be. Evans has developed into football’s best guard by combining a nasty streak with excellent pass protection. Nicks flattens opponents. The two have a competition to see who can knock the most opponents on the ground. The Colts won’t be able to afford extra run defenders, allowing Evans and Nicks to win their one-on-one battles.

3. Brees can move
Brees is now the best quarterback at moving inside the pocket. Robert Mathis and possibly Dwight Freeney can create matchup problems on the outside, but Brees has the uncanny ability to duck, retreat, move up, and do everything else he can to create a throwing lane. Speedy defensive ends often go right past Brees as he moves to the side, shuffles forward, and completes a pass. This is where his protection up the middle will come in handy.

4. Their biggest weakness won’t be exposed

Timeline From ’Aints to Saints It took 20 years for New Orleans to record a winning season. But now, they're Super Bowl champions. See how it happened. NBCSports.com

Let’s be honest: the Saints’ rush defense stinks. It started off well, but has struggled since. In many ways, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ defense is smoke, mirrors, and blitzes. The Vikings were in a two-month slump on the ground before running all over the Saints. Luckily for New Orleans, the Colts are one of the only teams the Saints may be able to stop on the ground. The Colts finished dead last in the NFL in yards-per-carry during the regular season.

5. The other Will Smith
Long one of the game’s most talented defenders, Smith put together a monster regular season and has added a forced fumble and an interception in the playoffs. The Saints’ defense is going to need to force some negative plays and turnovers to slow down the Colts’ offense. Smith’s matchup against Colts left tackle Charlie Johnson is their best chance.

6. A shutdown corner of their own
Jabari Greer may be the game’s single most underrated player. According to the numbers done by our friends at FootballOutsiders.com, only Darrelle Revis was better in coverage this season than Greer. The incredible free-agent signing will match up with Reggie Wayne. Unlike most cornerbacks, he’ll have a fighting chance.

7. Men in the middle
The best way to attack a zone defense is over the middle — and the Saints’ offense is full those players. Marques Colston is a slot receiver trapped in a No.1 receiver’s body. The young receivers — Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem — have vastly improved their versatility. Slot receiver Lance Moore is finally healthy. Both Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas are threats at tight end. The Colts don’t give up many big plays, but the Saints have the arsenal to matriculate the ball down the field.

8. No one to take away
You can look at the Saints’ spread-the-wealth offense a few ways. They don’t have a truly dominant receiver, but they also have five players on any given play that can win one-on-one matchups. Colston’s size will be difficult for Indy’s small cornerbacks. Henderson and Meachem can out-run anyone on the Colts. Even the speedy Colts linebackers will struggle to cover the New Orleans running backs.

9. Sean Payton with an extra week

Video   PFT Daily: Saints' keys to victory Feb. 4, 2010: The Saints have to establish the run and control clock, the defense needs to confuse Peyton Manning, and the offense should attack Dwight Freeney early.

The Saints coach survived one of his worst games in the NFC Championship, but now gets an extra week to cook up some fun. He looked closely at tapes of Miami and New England, two common opponents that enjoyed great offensive success against the Colts.

For our money, Payton is the best playcaller in football. He creates mismatches, and Drew Brees finds them. An extra week should help him find a few more. (We’re also curious to see what defensive coordinator Gregg Williams cooks up with extra time.)

10. Experience on the outside
Payton will zero in on the Colts’ two rookie cornerbacks, Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers. Lacey made a bad mental mistake in the AFC Championship, biting on a double move that allowed Braylon Edwards to get deep. Powers isn’t 100 percent. Expect New Orleans’ wideouts to constantly test the Indy’s young cornerbacks mentally and physically.

11. Continuity
Payton’s insanely intricate offense has built four years to this moment. From the offensive line to the receivers, these players have grown up in this system, which is rare in the NFL. This familiarity opens up the playbook and ideally will make it easier to remain calm in the biggest games of their lives.

12. Belief
The Saints have pulled out too many insane endings this season to believe they are ever out of a game. The stormed back from 24-3 to beat Miami. They needed roughly five ridiculous plays to somehow beat Washington in another comeback. Even the end to the NFC Championship contained an inordinate amount of mojo/voodoo/luck, whatever you want to call it. Give them the ball last, in any situation, and this is a team that believes it will get it done.

13. Maybe, just maybe, the pressure is off

The NFC Championship felt like the Super Bowl. It was such a big moment for New Orleans largely because it was in New Orleans. The Saints have made it further than they ever have before, and the win saved a magical season from feeling like a bust. Now the Saints are back in unfamiliar territory. They are underdogs despite putting together one of the most impressive regular seasons of the last five years. We can see the Saints playing looser. They have certainly acted loose in Miami.

The Saints played tight at times in the second half against Minnesota and survived a so-so effort. Now this team that is loaded with talent may feel like they have nothing to lose.