How the Indianapolis Colts (15-4) and the Chicago Bears (15-3) match up in the Super Bowl:

When the Colts have the ball

Everything starts and revolves around Peyton Manning (18), the best quarterback of his generation. Surprisingly, Manning has not been outstanding in Indianapolis’ run to the AFC championship. But the Bears will count on facing the guy who has torn up the league for most of his career, the one who guided an 80-yard drive to the deciding touchdown in the AFC title game.

Manning has so many weapons that the Bears might need to scrap some of their cover-2 pass defenses and gamble on man coverage. WRs Marvin Harrison (88) and Reggie Wayne (87) are the most formidable targets, but TE Dallas Clark has been sensational in the playoffs with a team-high 17 catches for 281 yards (16.5 average, superb for a tight end). RBs Joseph Addai (29) and Dominic Rhodes (33) also are good receivers, and the Colts’ running game can serve as a nice complement to Manning’s passing.

Of course, the Bears shut down the NFC’s best offense when they beat the Saints for the NFC title. Even without injured tackle Tommie Harris, they stopped runs through the middle as All-Pro LB Brian Urlacher (54) and all of the linemen had strong games. Indy must get a surge from center Jeff Saturday (63) and guards Ryan Lilja (65) and Jake Scott (73) to offer some balance on the ground. It’s unlikely Addai and Rhodes will have a great impact running to the outside against active ends Adewale Ogunleye (93) and Alex Brown (96), Urlacher and OLB Lance Briggs (55).

Look for Manning to test CBs Charles Tillman (33), Ricky Manning Jr. (24) and Nathan Vasher (31) early, hoping to spring Harrison, who has not been a big factor in the playoffs, or Wayne. He’ll also turn to Clark against safeties Chris Harris (46) and Danieal Manning (38) – and perhaps against Urlacher.

If Indy can protect Manning, particularly when rookie sackmaster Mark Anderson (97) is in the game, some deep throws could be open. And the way Reggie Bush abused several DBs on his 88-yard catch and run score in the NFC championship match, don’t be surprised if the Colts try to spring Addai out of the backfield.

When the Bears have the ball

Coach Lovie Smith was asked how important a ball control offense would be against the Colts. He didn’t think it was such a big deal, despite the prolific Manning.

Why? Because Smith is confident the Bears will be potent with the ball.

Could be – if they are able to run on the Colts.

Thomas Jones (20) and Cedric Benson (32) are solid but unspectacular, and Jones comes off a superb effort against New Orleans. He has four TDs rushing to go with 189 yards in two playoff games, and Smith makes sure neither back is overworked.

Both are good inside runners, and Jones showed his versatility and moves with some excellent runs against the Saints that he broke outside. Chicago’s offensive line is anchored by All-Pro center Olin Kreutz (57), veteran tackles John Tait (76) and Fred Miller (69) and guards Ruben Brown (74) and Roberto Garza (63). It’s one of the best units in the NFL.

It needs to perform at a high level because Rex Grossman (8) has been such an uncertainty at quarterback. Grossman won’t ever be compared with Manning, but the guy does win, and he made no mistakes in the NFC title contest. Indeed, he’s made more big plays in the postseason than bonehead ones, and if he isn’t severely pressured, expect Grossman to make good decisions.

Just don’t expect him to try to outduel Manning.

The Bears would like to get WRs Muhsin Muhammad (87) and Bernard Berrian (80) matched one-on-one with Colts CBs Jason David (42) and Nick Harper (25). Muhammad goes 6-foot-2 and Berrian is 6-1, while Harper is 5-10 and David 5-8. The size edge could become significant, but the Colts have the improving Marlin Jackson (28), a 6-footer and a ballhawk, to offset any Chicago advantage.

Jackson might start if Harper’s high ankle sprain has not healed by game time.

And size hardly matters when it comes to safety Bob Sanders (21), the 5-8, 206-pound dynamo whose return to the lineup has sparked a reversal in fortune for the defense. With Sanders, the Colts will play eight men up and dare the Bears to throw on early downs, particularly first down.

The Colts have seven postseason sacks, and Dwight Freeney (93) is, by far, their most dangerous pass rusher. FB Jason McKie (37) could get a heavy dose of Freeney in pass protection and also must watch for blitzes from the secondary.

Special teams

This could be a decisive area because the Colts are vulnerable and the Bears have record-setting rookie returner Devin Hester (23).

Hester ran back six kicks for touchdowns during the season, but he also has had the drops. So he could be a factor in a positive or negative manner for Chicago.

The Bears also have excelled on coverages, so don’t look for Terrence Wilkins (10) to break a long one.

Of course, no team is struggling with its kick teams when it has Adam Vinatieri (4) handling placements. Vinatieri is merely the best pressure kicker in the game, and he’s already won two of these things with last-minute field goals.

Not that his Bears counterpart, Robbie Gould, is a slouch. Gould, an All-Pro, made 32 of 36 field goals, and in the postseason he beat the Seahawks with a 49-yarder in overtime. You can’t get much more clutch than that.

Both punters, Hunter Smith (17) of Indianapolis and Brad Maynard (4) of Chicago, are steady. Smith won’t want to get the ball anywhere in Hester’s vicinity.

Coaching

The most discussed angle of this Super Bowl is the first black head coaches in the game’s history. Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy also happen to be among the most liked and most genial coaches in pro football – or any sport.

Smith, the 2005 Coach of the Year, is a protege of Dungy, who gave him his first NFL job at Tampa Bay. He’s built a stout if not monstrous defense, and he isn’t as conservative offensively as some defense-oriented coaches.

Dungy already had a Super Bowl team, sort of. He helped put together the Buccaneers who won the championship in the 2003 game, one year after Dungy was replaced by Jon Gruden.

Now he’s actually gotten to the big game with the most balanced team he’s had in Indy.

Neither of these close friends is likely to make an egregious error to cost his team the title.

Intangibles

With Manning and Dungy getting over the championship game hump, could they and their team feel satisfied? Not likely, but it’s happened before.

The Colts certainly don’t lack leadership, led by the coach, the quarterback, the kicker and the pass rusher. They also come from the more difficult conference and beat two formidable foes in Baltimore and New England to get to Miami.

Not that Chicago comes up short in leadership with Urlacher, Muhammad, Kreutz and Ogunleye. The Bears also are playing up the no-respect angle, even if that is a stretch.

Both teams have missed key starters for weeks or more, with Harris and safety Mike Brown of the Bears the most damaging absences.

One item that shouldn’t have an effect is the weather. No snow and sleet to favor the Bears, no indoor perfection to help the Colts.