Manning earns high marks; Grossman not so much

Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback: A

	Peyton Manning passed for 247 yards a touchdown and an interception in his first Super Bowl start. Kevin C. Cox/WireImage.com
	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

MIAMI -- Peyton Manning had only one bad play -- Bears strong safety Chris Harris intercepted his forced pass to Marvin Harrison on the Colts' first possession of the game -- and it didn't end up hurting the Colts. More impressively, he did everything a quarterback is supposed to do against a cover-2 defense. He took what the defense gave him and made consistently smart decisions.

Running Backs: A+

It's hard to find fault with the combined efforts of Dominic Rhodes (113 rushing yards, one touchdown) and Joseph Addai (77 rushing yards, 66 receiving yards). On a day when the Bears defense took away the Colts' receivers, this duo wound up carrying the Colts offense.

Receivers: B-

The only thing that saves this bunch is Reggie Wayne's 53-yard touchdown reception. It was the lone Colt's lone big passing play and it helped that offense wake up. Aside from that, the Bears did a credible job of shutting down Manning's most reliable targets.

Offensive Line: A+

The Colts gained 191 rushing yards while averaging 5.3 yards per play and surrendering just one sack. That's not all because of the skill players. The Colts' veteran line had answers for everything the Bears' talented front seven threw at them.

Defensive Line: B-

This unit only produced one sack of its own but it did generate more pressure on Bears quarterback Rex Grossman as the game progressed. As soon as the Colts' moved into the lead, Grossman's comfort level in the pocket vanished.

Linebackers: B-

This group would've received a higher score if Thomas Jones hadn't rushed for 112 yards on just 15 carries. If the Bears had controlled the ball for any decent amount of time, Jones might have set a Super Bowl record.

Defensive Backs: A

Strong safety Bob Sanders forced a fumble and picked off a pass. Reserve cornerback Kelvin Hayden returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown that clinched the game. Finally, the Bears top two receivers -- Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian -- combined for seven catches and a mere 73 yards. That's a good day at work.

Special Teams: D-

Chicago's Devin Hester opened the game with a 92-yard kickoff return and punter Hunter Smith couldn't handle a snap that led to a botched PAT after Wayne's touchdown reception. Enough said.

Coaching: A

The Colts' no-huddle offense wore the Bears out. It prevented the Bears from making frequent substitutions and also helped Indianapolis control the ball for more than 38 minutes.

Chicago Bears

Quarterback: D

Grossman's only memorable plays were his interceptions. What's worse, they came in the fourth quarter, when the Bears sorely needed to avoid his struggles.

Running Backs: A

Jones was the lone positive among Chicago's offensive skill players. He ran hard and made up for the loss of Cedric Benson, who left the game midway through the first quarter with a knee injury.

Receivers: C

Tight end Desmond Clark caught six passes but none of them made an impact. Aside from a four-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, Muhammad was invisible.

Offensive Line: A

Thomas Jones, who ran for 112 yards, was one of the few Bears to have a productive game in Miami. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

When you look at Jones's success and the lack of pressure on Grossman (he was sacked just once as well), you can see that the Bears offensive line was just as sturdy as the Colts.

Defensive Line: D

This unit couldn't do anything to stifle Manning. They only sacked him once and that's just not enough pressure from a team that relies on its linemen to get after the quarterback.

Linebackers: D

Just as the Colts couldn't stop Jones, the Bears backers couldn't do much with Rhodes and Addai. In the end, it cost them.

Defensive Backs: B+

The only major criticism came when Wayne slipped by the defense for that long touchdown pass. Aside from that, no Colts receiver really did anything impressive.

Special Teams: A

Hester's big kickoff return set the tone. It's too bad the Bears couldn't do much after that.

Coaching: B-

The Colts' coaches always seemed one step ahead of the Bears.