The Super Bowl matchup is finally set! I’m stoked to watch Peyton Manning take on Drew Brees. Here’s a brief report card on how some star players performed in the championship games this past weekend.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Peyton Manning: A. Darrelle Revis successfully shut down Reggie Wayne and the Jets’ defense shut down Dallas Clark (those two combined for 200 catches, 2,370 yards and 20 touchdowns in the regular season). So how the hell did Manning throw for 377 yards and three scores? He continued to utilize young Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, he didn’t throw an interception and he got sacked just twice. If he plays like that against the Saints, it’s hard to bet against him.

Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie: A+. Everybody knew the game hinged on these two. Sure, you know Manning will get the ball to them, but they needed to make the plays. With a stat line totaling 274 yards and two TDs, they did just that.

Colts’ Defense: B-. They stopped the NFL’s No. 1 run game. But the secondary allowed two 100-yard receivers and did not sack Mark Sanchez once, not to mention the fact that they let the Jets get up 17-6 before Manning won it for them. This is the biggest question mark on this team, and everybody knew that. But they are better than what they showed Sunday. If they can play like they did in the second half of Sunday’s game, they can survive. If they are anything short of spectacular, Brees will have a field day.

NEW YORK JETS

Mark Sanchez: B+. Personally, this was the most impressed I’ve been by the Sanchize. He threw for 257 yards, the third-highest total of his young career. His problem was that he couldn’t get the Jets’ offense going when he needed to put points on the board in the second half. He’s on the right track, but the kid’s got a lot to learn.

Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene: C+. The Colts shut them down, plain and simple. They combined for just 83 yards on 26 carries, and they never could get a rhythm while they were in the game.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Drew Brees: B+. Brees didn’t have stellar stats, but he showed that he was able to get the job done when he needed to. He hooked up with eight different receivers and threw three TDs. He also led the Saints on the winning drive in overtime. The biggest factor was that he didn’t turn the ball over, and turnovers were the difference in this game. But his offense generated half as many yards and first downs as the Vikings and went 3-for-12 on third downs. Is that Brees’ fault? Perhaps not. But they can’t beat the Colts with numbers like that.

Reggie Bush: C. Everybody was talking about him after his resurgent performance against Arizona, but the analysts all wondered if he could be consistently good. Well, nine touches for 41 yards? Not exactly productive. He did score a TD, but he wasn’t the X-factor that the Saints had against the Cardinals. He can be a great asset to them, but his good games come just once in several weeks.

Saints Defense: C-. This unit had no answer for Adrian Peterson, who ran all over it for 122 yards and three scores. They allowed Brett Favre to throw for 310 yards. So how did they win the game for New Orleans? By doing what it does best: forcing turnovers. This defense isn’t stellar in terms of league rank (25th overall), but to force five turnovers on the Vikings was the difference in the game.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Brett Favre: D. Favre threw for over 300 yards, but we all know why he deserves this grade. The Vikings would surely have had a shot at a winning field goal at the end of regulation if he hadn’t thrown an errant pass across his body that was intercepted while Minnesota was driving. It was a terrible decision, and it was his third turnover of the day. He wasn’t sacked, but he was hit hard throughout the game, and his ugly performance led to the Vikes leading nearly all important statistical categories (yards, first downs, time of possession … I could go on) except the only one that matters: the final score.

Vikings Defense: B-. The defense didn’t play a stellar game, but it held Brees under 200 yards passing and held an offense that averages 403.8 yards per game to a meager 257. But in a game where turnovers mattered, they forced just one. It wasn’t a bad performance, but with the way the offense played, it was bad enough.

Stay tuned for Pipe Dream’s full coverage of Super Bowl XLIV.