Both teams are powerhouse offenses, but they arrive there by different measures.

The Saints offense does it’s very best to pass you to death, and run when they have to. Lots of pundits who think they need glorification see the New Orleans squad as the remake of the 2007 Giants or the 1999 Rams. I say they are neither, although they carry elements of both squads. Look deeper. Their offense does move the ball through the air like “the greatest show on turf”, but the Rams had almost no weaknesses of offense except for Kurt Warner’s own health. The Saints have a few more “holes” then that. Dew Brees was surely rattled in the NFC title game in more then one instance. Any NFC team with a strong front seven group of pass rushers would have found a way to “Stunt Blitz” the Saints Offensive line. As good as they are, they can’t protect Brees forever. They will have to run the ball for at least 130-150 total “in game” yards to be successful and have a shot at the win.

By “in game” I mean meaningful yards. I mean Bush/Thomas between the tackles, we are going to clear out the Colts front defensive line yards. Can they really do that? Will they be able to take advantage of Freeney’s injured ankle and possible limited mobility? Or will Freeney pull himself if he feels he will hinder the team’s ability to stop the New Orleans offense. I spoke with one reporter I know well this week who has covered the Saints in the past and I asked him if what I thought were three keys to the game for the Saints were accurate.

A)    Will Jon Vilma and Darren Sharper get Manning and company off the field quickly enough to make a difference? He felt that was the main key for the Saints defense, to be able to contain if not stop the Colts numerous offensive weapons.

B)    Could Shockey be dependable enough to be an escape valve for Drew Brees if the receivers are constantly jammed at the line? He felt that  “J-Shock” could be as tough as a “G-Shock” watch if it comes to it, but the Saints have to worry about him getting jammed at the line as much as the wide outs.

C)     Finally, Do the Saints really believe enough in who they are that they belong there playing against Peyton Manning. “That’s the 64K question” he said.

For Indy, it’s much more simple. Manning has to be Manning. He must lead the Colts on 5 to 7 minute drives each possession, keeping Drew Brees off the field. He must spread the ball to all his options, especially Dallas Clark, who moves better in space then any other player on either team with the ball or without.

If Manning gets Clark the ball at least 6 times, the Saints can pack it in and get ready for Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. But, if they limit Manning’s ability to pass, and force Addai and Brown to shoulder the load on offense, then you have a different game, a game that comes down to the last offensive possession.

Of course, everyone forgets the guys in the trenches, the Offensive linemen. It’s also going to come down to which front five outplays the other’s defensive unit, who will pass protect better, who will run block better.

My prediction: Colts 34-Saints 24, but it’s going to be close until the 4^th quarter.

Sophomore guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) scored a team-high 22 points for the Pride and sophomore guard Nathanial Lester (Brooklyn, NY) finished in double-figures for the third straight game, chipping in 12 points. But it wasn’t enough to extend the Pride’s winning streak to five, as Hofstra fell to 14-8 and 6-5 in the CAA with the defeat.

Hofstra also lost for just the second time this season in games decided by five points or less, dropping to 9-2.

Maynor was the difference-maker, erasing a 58-all tie by scoring six straight points down the stretch to help the Rams improve to 16-6 and 9-2 in the conference. VCU entered the matinee just a game behind Northeastern for first place in the CAA.

Hofstra led by as many as 12 points before freshman guard Bradford Burgess (11 points) and Maynor, the reigning CAA Player of the Year, mounted the comeback. Burgess hit a three-pointer near the top of the key to tie it at 58 with 4:16 left.

VCU rode Maynor to a six-point lead after he hit a free throw, buried a three-pointer and added a jumper on the Rams subsequent trio of possessions, moving the Rams ahead 64-58 with 1:42 left. After making a free-throw, Maynor stole a pass-at midcourt and raced in for an uncontested lay-up to build the lead to three. On the other end of the floor, Maynor blocked Jenkins’s driving attempt and secured the win by hitting a deep three-pointer from the left wing make it 64-58.Jenkins added four free throws afterwards, but the Pride never got closer than 66-62 with a half-minute showing on the clock as it missed three shots in the final 20 seconds, including two three-pointers to try to cut the lead to one.

Maynor and Jenkins entered the contest as the conference’s top two scorers and served as their offense’s focal points. Fresh off a career-high 33 point-effort in a last-second win over UNC Wilmington, Jenkins notched his 10th 20-point game of the season, adding six rebounds and three assists.

VCU came out strong in the second half after the Pride led 36-29 at the break. Sophomore forward Larry Sanders scored back-to-back baskets in the paint, pulling the Rams to within 42-39 with 13:13 left. Jenkins responded with a three-pointer right in front of the Pride bench and Tony Dennison added a driving reverse lay-in on the next possession to build up the lead.

Maynor scored the game’s next seven points, hitting a top-of-the-key three-point near NBA range to tie it and followed a Pride turnover by drilling a jump shot to give VCU a 48-46 lead with 10:54 remaining, marking the first time the Rams led since the second minute of the contest.

Playing man defense, Jenkins held Maynor scoreless through the first 10 minutes before the country’s 11th-leading scorer heated up. Maynor was off from the floor in the first half (2-8) yet converted all seven of his free throws to tally 12 points at the break.

Jenkins’ jumper built a 28-16 lead with 5:20 left in the first half, Hofstra’s largest of the game. VCU posted a modest 5-0 run to close the gap before Hofstra started driving to the lane, converting on its last five foul shots. Maynor cut into the deficit before the buzzer, drawing a foul on junior guard Cornelius Vines (Syracuse, NY) from beyond the three-point arc. Maynor hit all three of his free throws with 2.2 seconds left, though the Pride still entered the break with a 36-29 edge.

Maynor has a chance to be selected in this year’s NBA draft. That would follow in the career path of former Pride great Craig “Speedy” Claxton, who had his No. 10 retired in a pregame ceremony. Claxton, currently with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, was drafted by Philadelphia in the first round of the 2000 draft after a stellar career for Hofstra.

Now 30 years old, the Hempstead native led his hometown school to the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and still holds the team record for career assists (660), steals (288) and ranks sixth all-time in points (2,015).

Claxton, who won a championship ring with the Spurs in 2002-03, is the third Hofstra player to have his jersey retired this season. Claxton (1996-2000) joined Bill Thieben (1953-56) and Steve Nisenson (1962-65) in being honored with a banner hanging from the Mack Sports Complex’s rafters. Rich Laurel (1973-77) will join the list later this year.

Hofstra will be off the next two days before traveling to Virginia to take on another challenging conference opponent in George Mason Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.