Keys to the Game: Super Bowl XLI

Early in the Super Bowl the game is all about emotion, calming nerves and seizing the moment. This appears to be especially true for the "first-timers". They are the wildcards!

While the Colts have played in many playoff games over the last few years, the Super Bowl is a different animal. The Bears are in the same boat, albeit with less playoff experience. Which team manages the early adrenaline rush and the butterflies should get off to a great start. That's something the Bears have done in both of their playoff wins over Seattle and New Orleans. Start fast and finish strong!

2. STICK WITH THE RUN: While the Colts run defense was tortured for much of the season, it has come around in the nick of time. It held the Chiefs without a first down for 42 minutes, the Ravens without a touchdown, and the Patriots to 8 rushing yards in the second half of the AFC Championship. It's a significant turnaround. Running away from outstanding safety Bob Sanders and running at defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney appears to be the best course of action. We expect the Bears to continue to commit to the run, and pushing 40-45 carries on Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson will serve multiple purposes in controlling the ballgame. None of the teams mentioned above were disciplined enough to stay with the run. The Bears will likely take a different approach.

3. PRESSURE: It doesn't matter that Colts QB Peyton Manning rarely gets sacked. Like every quarterback he's prone to pressure and the Bears have to generate consistent down to down pressure on Manning. He may not get sacked a lot, but if the Bears get him on the move he's not as accurate as he is with time to set his feet and get in a rhythm with his outstanding package of receivers. Not only does the Bear defense need to harass Manning, it has to get physical with his receivers, and disrupt the Colts tempo. The job the Bears do on tight end Dallas Clark will be critical in taming this high powered offense. The Colts had the fewest number of three and out drives in the NFL in the regular season.

4. CONNECT ON THE LONG BALL: While teams experienced great success running the ball on the Colts, they didn't allow a single 100-yard effort by an opposing receiver. With an ankle injury to starting cornerback Nick Harper, it's possible the Colts will have to move S Marlin Jackson into the starting lineup at corner or bump up former Chicago Hubbard High School product Kelvin Hayden. Bears WR Bernard Berrian is enjoying an outstanding postseason, and WR Mark Bradley is recovered from his ankle sprain to give a boost to the unit. Rex Grossman will have his chances to connect, and when he does, it's time to shine especially on Super Sunday!

5. SPECIAL ON SPECIAL TEAMS: This matchup has the look of a tight ballgame decided on special teams, which favors the Bears. All the hidden yardage the Bears have piled up over the course of the season has resulted in outstanding field position and short fields for Grossman and the offense and great opportunities for the defense to force a turnover. Punter Brad Maynard, kicker Robbie Gould, and return specialist Devin Hester all will be important in this game, and one of them may become the hero! Hester is back on Florida soil, where he grew up and starred both in high school and college, and his role in this game can not be understated. - By ChicagoBears.com