Montana, Simms, Nantz Weigh In On Big Game

Sunday's Super Bowl is seen by many as a tale of two quarterbacks. Some view that tale as a classic mismatch.

Peyton Manning is considered a sure Hall of Famer, one of the all-time greats, whether he ever wins a Super Bowl or not. Rex Grossman is, to put it mildly, much maligned.

Manning, in his ninth season with the Indianapolis Colts, is in his first Super Bowl. His Colts finally beat their nemesis, the New England Patriots, to reach the big game.

Grossman's Chicago Bears are no strangers to the Super Bowl, but this is Grossman's first. He has a strong arm, but can be very erratic and have trouble making decisions in the heat of battle. Still, the Bears only lost three games all year.

On The Early Show Friday, broadcast from South Beach in Miami, the city hosting this year's game, Phil Simms stuck up for Grossman.

Simms, who quarterbacked the New York Giants to one Super Bowl championship and was hurt when the Giants won another, will be doing the color Sunday when the game is broadcast on CBS, as Jim Nantz does play-by-play.

Simms said Grossman has "taken more criticism than I've seen in a long time for a quarterback when the team's been so successful. I think he's handling it well. He's been very calm. I don't know if I could do it. Some of the questions, they're so harsh and so critical. But he's handled it well.

"Rex Grossman, people say he has to play great for the Bears to win. I don't think he has to play great. One time, he was five-out-of-20 (on passes) against the New Orleans Saints, and they were winning. They've got a good football team. He's just got to do his part, and I think he's very capable of doing that."

Joe Montana is, like Manning, considered one of the greatest signal callers ever. He led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl titles.

On The Early Show Friday, Montana said it's not true, as many have suggested, that Manning has to win a Super Bowl to validate his career.

"I don't think it's fair to put that on him," Montana said, "although people will put it on him. Some will say the monkey was off his back (because he and the Colts finally beat the Patriots in the American Football Conference championship game). But those same people would say it's right back on if he loses (on Sunday).

"All he has to do is just relax and play his game and forget about — I read about how well he prepares himself when he's involved in calling the plays. He'll probably be the most prepared player on the field tomorrow, by far."

Nantz said Sunday could come down to how the highly-regarded Bears defense handles Manning.

"They really haven't seen him in a couple of years," he pointed out. " … It's been a long time. With the rhythm they got established in the second half against New England, you know, will they come back out here just like they did at the end of that game and keep it going? That's the big question."