(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

After a tremendous Super Bowl last night, the city of New Orleans and the whole Gulf Coast region have reason to start Mardi Gras now and celebrate. The entire region of New England also has reason to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate as well. There has been a lot of talk recently about the Colts stealing the Patriots’ claim to be the “Team of the Decade” for the 2000’s, being that they had won one Super Bowl and had the most regular season wins. “Experts” had commented that if the Colts won this Super Bowl, they had a legitimate claim to the “Team of the Decade” crown. Well Pats fans, with the Colt loss, the New England Patriots are now unquestionably (though it was never a question in our minds) the “Team of the Decade.” The Patriots’ 3 Super Bowl titles, 4 AFC Championships, and undefeated regular season  are accomplishments unparalleled by any other team this past decade.

Apparently, resting your stars at the end of the regular season does not guarantee a Super Bowl victory. Now, the Colts and their fan base cannot even say that they went undefeated in the regular season, and they most certainly could have accomplished that feat. There is no doubt in anyone’s minds that they couldn’t have beaten the Jets and the Bills, and probably could have even snuck in some rest towards the end of both games. The colts have nothing but an AFC Championship, a hollow feeling when they know they could have had so much more. It’s a feeling Patriots fans know well. On top of all that, they now know that they can’t even try to argue that their team was the best of the last ten years. But it goes beyond that.

Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston makes an interesting observation, one that ran through my mind and probably the mind of many Pats fans: “Manning is no Brady.”  On the biggest stage in the NFL, Peyton Manning made the final costly mistake when he threw the pick 6 to Tracy Porter. Making the big blunder (some call it a “choke”) is something Tom Brady has never done in the Super Bowl. Even the Super Bowl the Pats lost to the Giants, Brady led his team down the field for what was, at the  time, the go-ahead score. The defense folded and blew it in the end that game. Here’s how Reiss sums up the Brady/Manning debate as of 2/7/10:

“If you measure a quarterback by how he responds in the pressure moments on the game’s biggest stage, the debate ended with authority tonight.”

One final note: the media double-standard continues. Peyton Manning left the field without shaking hands with the Saints, which, for the record, is fine in my opinion. I don’t think it’s unsportsmanlike at all. You just suffered the biggest loss of your career, the confetti’s pouring down for the other team, they’re celebrating. Who would want to walk over there? He called the Saints players later and congratulated them. I have no issues with Peyton Manning (in this case). What I do have issue with is how it’s fine for him to do it, but God forbid of Bill Belichick or Tom Brady do it. The analysts and bloggers can’t wait to tear Belichick apart if he doesn’t do the hand shake thing, but come to Peyton’s defense. In my opinion, it just brings down their credibility yet another notch.

Well it’s almost Super Sunday, so here is my game prediction:

Saints 38, Colts 35

I don’t expect this to be a defensive struggle. Even if Dwight Freeney plays, he won’t be 100%, and I think that helps the Saints with their protections. If the Colts decide to blitz to make up for Freeney, something they’re not known for, Sean Payton will tear that apart with his creative play calling. The Saints defense will be just good enough to slow down Peyton Manning, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they purposely get some roughing the passer penalties to set a physical tone.

Super Bowl MVP: QB Drew Brees

Bill Belichick, new defensive coordinator?

Bill Belichick! Huh? Well, not really. Actually, the Patriots will go into the 2010 season with no defensive coordinator, so to speak. A pretty anti-climactic ending to a month full of speculation as to who would be the new defensive coordinator. According to the Hooded One, he will assume a more active role with the defense, with much of the defensive coaching staff remaining intact. What is not clear is who will actually be the one calling plays. If it’s Belichick, then the man-who-will-someday-be-defensive-coordinator will still remain unknown. However, if we see Pepper Johnson or Matt Patricia handling the play calling, then that individual most likely will grow into the coordinator’s role. Josh McDaniels was not given the title of offensive coordinator when he first started calling plays until he became more comfortable in the role. Bill O’Brien, the Pats’ QB coach, assumed the play calling for the offense last season though he was never given (and still hasn’t) the title of offensive coordinator.

According to Belichick, titles are not what’s important.

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Adalius Thomas was interviewed on 98.5 The Sports Hub on radio row at the Super Bowl to promote his new marinade and the conversation quickly turned to the friction between AD and the Patriots. AD was part of the crew of players that were sent home one day before the Carolina game and he was unhappy about the situation, and made his unhappiness public. However, there was friction between he and Coach Bill Belichick after the Buffalo game Week One.

“After the Buffalo game, the first game of the year, something happened and I was like ‘I really don’t understand this.’ I really don’t want to go into it, because I still don’t understand it. I had a meeting and I just really didn’t understand some of the stuff I was being told. So I knew at that point it was bigger than what was on the surface. It was something bigger than that. You guys watch the games. I was used totally differently this year than I was last year before I broke my arm. Even before I came back, I was told that I was going to be used differently.”

He wouldn’t get into detail, but the feeling I get from his comments was that he was being called out based on his performance in the game. His stat line for the game (which doesn’t necessarily indicate overall performance) was 4 tackles, 1 assisted tackle, and 1 sack. Not bad, but he did also get a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty for driving the QB to the ground. He did state in the interview that he did not hear a whistle, which is why he continued taking the QB to the ground.

The most troubling quote for me, and what I feel might be the root of his problems here in New England, is where he comments on coaching vs. playing:

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The Patriots have some major contributors hitting free agency this year, be it restricted or unrestricted free agency. Kevin Faulk, Logan Mankins, Stephen Gostkowski, Leigh Bodden, and of course, Vince Wilfork are among the bigger names hitting the free agent market. Some of their futures are hanging in “No Man’s Land” because of the CBA uncertainty, though NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says that an uncapped year is pretty much a done deal. What that means for Mankins and Gostkowski is that they will not be unrestricted free agents but restricted free agents. The Pats will likely tender them the high tender, meaning other teams wanting to sign them will have to give up 1st and 3rd round draft picks. That virtually locks them in, and the Pats have the right to match any offer they get in free agency. Hopefully, both Mankins and Gostkowski will be locked up long-term by the team and this will not be an issue.

Leading up to the Pro Bowl, things seemed to be getting tense with Vince Wilfork because nothing has been discussed since the end of the season with the team in terms of a new deal. However, the Patriots do not seem to be discussing contracts with any of their soon-to-be free agents. Locker room leader, longest-tenured Patriot and the ever reliable Kevin Faulk has yet to hear anything from the Pats, though he is intending to remain with the team. That is somewhat comforting because that likely means they’re not just shutting out Vince Wilfork but waiting to see how the CBA plays out before starting contract negotiations. If they had talked with Faulk or others after the season but not Wilfork (or Mankins for that matter), then that would not be a good sign that they would be returning to the team. It definitely seems in this instance that “no news is good news.” I would anticipate that as the CBA situation becomes clearer towards the end of February (free agency starts March 5), talks will be starting up with players like the ones mentioned above so they do not hit the free market.

This is the year, should we see an uncapped year, to lock up key players to long-term deals and front load those deals so that they will not hurt the team if (when) the cap comes back. It’s time for Mr. Kraft to open up his pocketbook, man-purse, big wallet (George Costanza reference there), whatever it is he has, and pay the players they always talk about as being “Patriot-type” players. If they let guys like Mankins and Wilfork walk I guarantee fans will be extremely angry with the organization. How that would manifest itself only time will tell. Hopefully it doesn’t get to that point.

George Constanza\’s Big Wallet