Avoiding Hester, Manning's cool, dominant rushing

	Peyton Manning completed 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards, one touchdown and one interception on Sunday. Al Tielemans/SI
	Colts 29, Bears 17 Not to be denied By Don Banks Peyton Manning and Indy refused to believe they couldn't win the big one. • 2007 lookahead | Snap Judgments Making the grade By Jeffri Chadiha Dungy, Manning and the Colts' RBs get high marks, while Grossman fails. • The 10 reasons why the Colts won A long night By Arash Markazi Despite a shaky performance in the Bears' loss, Grossman continues to take a grin-and-bear-it approach. Huddle Up By Andrew Perloff Why Manning deserved MVP and other notes, observations and analysis from throughout a soggy Super Bowl XLI. Passing grades By Richard Deitsch Grading out CBS Sports' coverage, from Jim Nantz to Prince and more. • WHITAKER: Ranking the best ads Other stories Manning's elusive ring comes with an MVP award Dungy gets the best of his friend, protégé Smith Grossman falters when the Bears need him most Colts fans hit blustery Indy streets to celebrate Rain falls on the Super Bowl for the first time ever Prince pours on the 'Purple Rain' in halftime show More from SI.com HOFSTETTER: Live commentary from my couch PHOTOS: SI's best shots | Celebrities | Headlines Complete Super Bowl play-by-play | Box Score SI's COLTS Championship Package FREE! Complete SI.com Super Bowl Coverage

1. They didn't panic: The Colts couldn't have asked for a worse start -- Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, then Peyton Manning threw an interception to strong safety Chris Harris on Indy's first possession. The Colts also couldn't have asked for a better response to those early struggles. As soon as Manning and the offense settled down, they snatched control of the game's tempo.

2. Manning found his rhythm: His only major mistake came when he forced that pass to Marvin Harrison that Harris picked off. Manning completed only one of four passes during his first possession and then connected on 24 of 34 attempts the rest of the game. His precision and efficiency frustrated the Bears defense over time.

3. They stopped kicking to Hester: The Colts only had to be burned once by Hester before they opted for a smarter strategy. By relying mostly on squib kicks for the remainder of the game, Indianapolis stifled the Bears' best scoring threat.

4. The Colts were more physical: As much as this game was supposed to be about Manning, it helped that Indianapolis had an underrated running game that once again proved its worth. The Colts offensive line opened holes for a rushing attack that gained 191 yards, and the line surrendered just one sack.

5. The Colts dominated time of possession: The most surprising aspect of this game was how easily Indianapolis controlled the clock. The Colts ran 46 offensive plays in the first half (compared to 19 by Bears) while holding the ball nearly twice as long as Chicago (19:56 to 10:04). As good as the Bears defense has played all season, it's hard to stay effective when you're on the field that long.

6. Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai dominated: These two proved once again why the Colts weren't crazy to let Edgerrin James leave in free agency. Rhodes led the Colts with 113 rushing yards and a touchdown while Addai added 143 total yards (77 rushing, 66 receiving). They kept the Bears off-balance all game.

7. Rex Grossman helped their cause: This game was effectively over when Indy reserve cornerback Kelvin Hayden returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was that type of play that had worried Bears fans all season and this one came at the worst possible time. You could see the Bears deflate after that score.

8. Reggie Wayne's first-quarter touchdown: The Colts needed something to jump-start their offense and Wayne provided it when he slipped behind the Bears secondary for a 53-yard touchdown reception. Before that play, the Colts looked tight and timid. After it, they played with undeniable confidence.

9. The Colts' defense continued its postseason renaissance: This unit was obviously the biggest reason the Bears lost the time-of-possession battle. Indy's defense only gave up one big play (a 52-yard run by Thomas Jones in the first quarter) and it forced five turnovers.

10. It was the Colts' year: It sounds trite, but it's true. Once this team got past New England in the AFC Championship game, it had too much momentum and confidence to let this opportunity slip away.