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The Colts crush the Titans hope for a victory with a 27-17 win, which would've brought them to 6-6 after starting 0-6. The Saints scratch and claw their way from the jaws of defeat as they prevail over Washington in an overtime win, 33-30.
Everybody is asking the question, which team has the best chance of going undefeated? Is it the Colts lead by the future Hall Of Famer Peyton Manning? Or is it the prevalent underachieving Saints lead by Drew Brees?
Though there is no way to predict these things, one we can say for certain - neither of these teams would be where they are without their quarterbacks.
Manning and the Colts, with the number one passing offense, have six comeback wins this season, the most recognized being the 35-34 win over the Patriots after being down 31-14 in the 4th quarter. They also have several flawless games where their pure dominance would've been unmatched by anybody.
Drew Brees and the Saints are basically in the same boat as the Colt. A few bounces and inches away from 11-1 or 10-2. But, with the Saints newly established running game (142.6 YPG, 5th in the NFL), their offense has been hitting on all cylinders with the #1 ranked total offense in the NFL(429 YPG). Colts are just 38.6 yards behind the Saints with 390.4 YPG.
Now on to the question, which will achieve this goal?
The Colts have the Broncos(18th Overall Offense, 5th overall defense), Jacksonville Jaguars(12th offense, 21st defense), NY Jets(19th offense, 1st defense), and the Buffalo Bills(29th defense, 23rd offense) - all remaining on their schedule. Just off glancing, it may seem like a pretty easy schedule, but the Colts play two top five defenses in their next three games - that could pose a problem for their unbreakable offensive machine - but then again, with Manning in control, he could make easy work of any of the remaining teams.
The Saints have the Falcons(16th offense, 27th defense), Dallas Cowboys(4th offense, 11th defense), Tampa Bay Buccaneers(28th offense, 26th defense), and the Carolina Panthers(20th offense, 11th defense) - The Saints do appear to have the easiest remaining schedule of the two.
One thing that could create a problem for New Orleans would be letting 16-0 become the focal point of their season. It creates a bulls eye on your back, and could create a distraction. It is Sean Payton's job to make sure that their focus is winning games and playing good football, not going 16-0. New Orleans has to get used to being an elite team - Indianapolis is already there.
Since Manning has been with the Colts, their W-L record is 119-59(Manning surpassed Unitas's career victories, 118) today with the defeat of the Titans. Colts have long been recognized as an elite football team, and have dealt with the pressure of being the best year after year, so they will deal with the pressure better than New Orleans, and won't be distracted by the possibility of going 16-0, because the Colts are here basically every year, with Manning leading them to a Superbowl victory just years ago in Super Bowl XLI vs the Bears.
The Saints are on the rise as a good football team, on their way to being great, yet not classified as elite. Not until they get a Superbowl victory, at least. The pressure could affect the Saints in a very negative way. Only time will tell.
Who knows, though? They both could go undefeated with their remaining schedule - or one could flop and give up an easy game - there really is no telling. One thing is for sure, and unquestionable right now, NFL fans are witnessing a great thing.
Who will go undefeated? Well, I'll leave that question up to you.
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