Super Bowl Preview Xli

QUESTIONS CAME endlessly in the Manning household, mostly from the second of Archie and Olivia's three sons, and mostly about football. It was Peyton who invariably asked his father about his career at Ole Miss from 1968 to '70 and who was so taken with his dad's stories that he committed pregame radio broadcasts of the Rebels' starting lineups to memory. It was Peyton who first became a quarterback and queried Archie about the succession of fierce middle linebackers whom he had played against: Ray Nitschke, Dick Butkus, Tommy Nobis, Jack Lambert.

The kid learned football, but he also learned football's heritage. "Peyton was always a history guy," says Archie. "He knows which guys in my era were really great. He knows about the great players in his own era too."

One of those current greats first crossed paths with Manning during a game at Chicago's Soldier Field in November 2000. Manning was in his third season, en route to his second Pro Bowl and the Indianapolis Colts' second consecutive playoff appearance. He passed for 302 yards and a touchdown that afternoon and brought his team back from a 27-point deficit before losing 27--24. On the other side of the ball, Bears rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher, a 6'4", 258-pound former college safety, racked up 14 tackles and seemed to be everywhere at once. "Fun game, man," recalls Urlacher. "I had a pretty good game ... for a rookie."

Manning talked to his father soon afterward. "Urlacher is really good," Peyton told Archie. "He's big, he really runs well, he's smart." On that day Urlacher was added to Manning's list of great middle linebackers.

They have not faced each other since. In 2004 the Colts beat the Bears 41--10, again at Soldier Field. Manning passed for four touchdowns, and Edgerrin James rushed for 204 yards. Urlacher watched from a chair in his basement, six days after emergency surgery to relieve swelling in his left calf. "Believe me," says the 30-year-old Manning. "I wasn't disappointed about that."

"I was mad as hell," the 28-year-old Urlacher says. "I wanted to be out there playing against him."

He will get that chance on Sunday in Miami. Manning versus Urlacher is the most significant individual battle of Super Bowl XLI, a rare title-game matchup of the game's best quarterback and its best middle linebacker, future Hall of Famers with a combined 13 Pro Bowls selections. It will often commence with their face masks nearly touching, Manning shouting and gesticulating as he changes plays (or pretends to), Urlacher barking out signals as he calls for countermoves (or pretends to), all just prelude to the snap of the ball.

"It's going to be a classic battle," says Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who lost to Chicago 27--24 in overtime in the divisional playoffs.

"It should be a hell of a chess match," says Rex Ryan, defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, 15--6 losers to the Colts in the divisional round, but the only team to hold Indianapolis's offense without a touchdown in its last 34 games.

They are iconic players--the cerebral quarterback and the punishing middle linebacker--but this is hardly a showdown of brain against brawn. Manning's greatness is built on more than gray matter; he has a quick release, an accurate arm, terrific vision, a strong pocket presence and fortitude to spare, having started 156 consecutive games. "He's a tough guy," says Urlacher. "A lot tougher than people seem to think he is."

Likewise, Urlacher's assets don't stop at the neckline. "I guarantee you he's watching every bit as much film as Peyton is," says Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna. "He's special because he's got size and speed [Urlacher runs a 4.59 40] but also because of his football IQ, which is something that a lot of people are missing when they talk about Brian."

The Super Bowl will be their defining moment. For the winner it becomes the most significant line on his r�sum� ( John Elway); for the loser it represents his biggest void (Dan Marino). "The most important thing is to win the game," says Urlacher. "But I'm not going to lie; I'd like to make some plays on this guy. Not a lot of defenses do that against Peyton Manning."