Jonathan Vilma Tries to Decipher Manning's Signals

MIAMI -- As Bill Belichick will tell you, it's against NFL rules to tape another team's signals on the sideline. But it's not against the rules to watch the signals of an opposing team's quarterback and try to figure out what they mean.

Saints middle linebacker linebacker Jonathan Vilma said on Thursday that he's been doing that this week, trying to figure out what Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's hand signals mean as they prepare to meet in Super Bowl XLIV.

"When you watch film, you want to look at the schemes first and understand the concepts, what they're trying to accomplish as an offensive unit," Vilma said. "You try to look at Peyton Manning and see if you can decipher the hand signals, if you can hear anything that he is trying to say. Outside of that, you try to pick up little things here and there throughout the week and hopefully it will hold up in the game. If it does, it will be good for us. If not, we'll just go ahead and keep playing."

Can Vilma really figure out what Manning's signals mean? It seems unlikely: Manning is smart enough not to use the same signals over and over again. But Vilma is clearly seeking any edge he can find against the Colts.

On Thursday I picked the brain of Trent Dilfer, the quarterback who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and is now an ESPN analyst, and he named Vilma as the single most significant player in Sunday's game.

"If you look at how the Colts attack you, in the zone run game, the middle linebacker needs to make the tackle," Dilfer said. "But he also needs to stop Dallas Clark in the middle of the field. If the Saints are successful on defense, you're going to hear Vilma's name called 10, 12, 14 times."

Vilma doesn't record a lot of sacks (he had two this season), but Dilfer said he thinks Vilma will try to get in Manning's head by frequently giving the Colts the appearance of a blitz on Sunday.

"I think Vilma will be a bluff guy for Peyton," Dilfer said. "Vilma will creep up to the line of scrimmage to show blitz and Peyton will have to figure out if he's really coming or if he's going to drop back at the snap."

But Manning will also attempt to fool Vilma.

"For a guy in Vilma's shoes, he needs to know on every play: 'Am I reacting to the run or getting fooled on play action?" Dilfer said.

Ultimately, Dilfer said, the best way for the Colts to attack Vilma may be to run right at him.

"Peyton's going to call 25 runs this game to control the pass rush and the middle linebacker," Dilfer said. "I think the run game is their secret sauce. Peyton knows they're coming after him and running at them is the way to slow them down."

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(nfl.fanhouse.com)