Quietly, the Patriots' defense has held their two postseason opponents without a touchdown in the past six quarters. Robert E. Klein/Icon SMI

No, the Colts don't have two head coaches this season, but they do have a structure in place that could lead to a bit of confusion when issues that pit present concerns against future concerns arise (for instance, could there be a different drafting philosophy from Dungy to Caldwell?). At the very least, they're in somewhat different territory than they were in '07, or in any of Dungy's other five years on the job.

Can the Colts' coaching arrangement work? Probably so, given the quality of the individuals involved. Dungy is back for now. But for how long remains the question that won't completely go away.

• My early Super Bowl matchup observations and musings include the prediction that the XLII storyline that won't get enough attention is the job that the Patriots defense has done of late.

In its past six playoff quarters, New England's defense has held the Jaguars and Chargers without a touchdown, surrendering just six field goals (two by Jacksonville, four by San Diego). For a unit that gave up 49 points in the six quarters before that (35 to the Giants in Week 17, 14 in the first half against the Jaguars), that's a quantum leap in terms of improvement.

The Patriots' record-breaking offense hasn't produced like it did in the season's first 10 games, but then again, thanks to New England's D tightening things up, it hasn't had to.

• How rare is this turnover-free run that Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been on in the postseason? Very. In a case of impeccable timing, Manning is on just the second three-game interception-less streak of his four-year NFL career. The only other such span he enjoyed came in Weeks 2-4 of '05, his first full season as New York's starter.

• It's so quirky that we have a Patriots-Giants matchup to cap the NFL's postseason. The two teams ended their preseason schedules against each other (a 27-20 Pats win at Gillette Stadium), and the same with their regular-season schedules (a 38-35 Pats win at Giants Stadium). University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., will be their third different venue this season.

• The Giants will be double-digit underdogs in the Super Bowl, but their fans can take solace in knowing that the last quarterback to beat the Patriots in a meaningful game was a Manning. Eli's big brother, Peyton, accomplished it in last season's AFC title game.

After playing his butt off in a loss against New England and Tom Brady in Week 17, Eli Manning won head-to-head against Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo and Brett Favre in the playoffs.

• Not only has New York won 10 consecutive road games this season, the Giants are now just one of three teams to make the Super Bowl after going 3-0 away from home in the playoffs. The 1985 Patriots did it, and then were roadkill against Chicago in the Super Bowl. But the '05 Steelers completed the job, beating Seattle in Detroit two years ago.

• I wouldn't make too much of that walking boot on Brady's right foot just yet. Brady has made 126 consecutive starts in the regular season and playoffs since taking over for the injured Drew Bledsoe in Week 3 of the '01 season. He'll be there under center come Feb. 3.

And by the way, with his win over San Diego on Sunday, Brady is now 100-26 in those games (.794).

• If I had to submit an early pick of a part-time player who will come up big on the game's grandest stage, it would be Giants rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw. The seventh-round pick from Marshall runs like he's had mad at the world. I see him making more trouble for the Patriots defense than starting running back Brandon Jacobs.

• Hey, somebody ask Tiki Barber what he thinks of his Eli Manning and the rest of his old teammates now? Maybe it was Barber just holding back the Giants. They are in the Super Bowl without him in his first year of retirement. Just sayin'.