Freeney loss a big story

The possibility that Dwight Freeney could miss the Superbowl has been talked to death on radio programs this week. Everyone agrees that Freeney is probably the best player on that defense, and his loss will be felt. But I’ll go further and say it’s the ONE player (After Peyton Manning) that the Colts will have a very difficult time recovering from. Freeney, despite his very pedestrian tackle totals and almost total lack of fantasy football worth (as any IDP player can attest) is one of those fantasy poor – NFL rich players. His impact on the game goes much deeper than the box scores, and missing him against a team like the Saints with a hot QB and talented WR core is disastrous. Along the Colts D-Line, you have a mix of players at the tackle spots, all of them interchangeable and none elite. They are just filler material for next year’s draft class and the hope that rookie Fili Moala can make the step to NFL. He was drafted in the second round and was expected to become a part of the rotation this year, but all he has managed is five solos. At the ends is where the money players stand in, and when you start naming the best five pass rushers in the NFL his name invariably comes up. He’s somewhat of a liability on running downs, and you will see him subbed out often depending on the situation. Robert Mathis is another fine pass rushing DE that was also considered a liabilty in the running game, but he has turned that around and is now a very good overall end in the NFL. But Mathis’ success comes because of the speedy and relentless pass rush provided by Freeney, and Mathis gets opportunities when teams have to double up on Freeney, often leaving Mathis with a single blocker. With Freeney out, Mathis can become the sole focus of opposing offenses, and he can be nullified. Backup players Raheem Brock and Ervin Baldwin did manage 7 sacks between them this year, but of course, that was in mop-up time as teams were passing from behind.
The Colts D-Line didn’t manage a single sack in post-season play this year, and with Brees has been sacked just once in the playoffs and just twice in the last four games. If the Colts can’t get pressure on Brees, this writer thinks the Saints will have their way with the Colts defense, and could win this game going away. As it stands now, 31-28 Saints sounds about right.