The Indianapolis Colts shot off to a 10 to 0 lead making the game look like another one of those Peyton Manning precision assaults, dissecting the New Orleans Saints defense and running up the score. On defense that Dwight Freeney contributed a sack when it was questionable that the Colts’ top defender would even be able to play made the Colts win seem that much more inevitable, but it was on that Saints drive when the momentum slowly began to change. They’d score two field goals in the second quarter while holding the Colts scoreless keeping Peyton’s gang off the field. At halftime the Colts held a 10 to 6 lead.
Who would prevail as the teams took the field for the second half with the Saints kicking off to the Colts, but New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Peyton had a dastardly scheme in mind, an almost unthinkable move, kicking an on-side kick which when the pile of bodies was untangled gave the Saints the ball. From that point on, the Colts seemed to unravel. The Saints scored the first touchdown of the second half but the Colts responded with one of their own, with the score standing at Colts 17, Saints 13. From then on, it was all the Saints with barely a whimper out of the Colts scoring one more field goal in the third quarter before two game cinching touchdowns in the second half the final one of which was hastened by a Peyton Manning interception which Tracy Porter raced back for a touch town with about 3:20 left to play.
The atmosphere in New Orleans looked like the Mardi Gras on steroids as jubilant fans celebrated the city’s first pro championship in their first Super Bowl after decades of futility.
The Detroit Lions are the only NFL team that existed when the AFL and NFL merged that has not played in a Super Bowl unless the Cleveland Browns would care to be counted since there was a Cleveland Browns at the time, but they moved to Baltimore where as the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXLV. However, the legacy and records of the old Browns, of course remain in Cleveland and the Browns who resumed play in 1999 have not played in the Super Bowl. The Jacksonville Jaguars (1995) and the Houston Texans (2002) are the only other teams not to join the party.
While the history of the New Orleans Saints is thought of largely as a franchise mired in futility they did enjoy some success under head coaches Mike Ditka and Jim Mora; however, now they have the Vince Lombardi trophy. Many teams who’ve made it to the big game still don’t have their ultimate reward. Ask fans in Buffalo who went to four straight Super Bowls to come home empty each time.
Surely the over-analytical critics will pose questions about Peyton Manning’s effectiveness given how many times the Colts have bombed out in post season during his tenure. What those critics don’t take into account aside from there are ten other players on the field plus defense and special teams, how many Super Bowls or post season games might the Colts have played were it not for Peyton Manning’s heroics in the first place. Sure, this game’s late interception at the hands of Tracy Porter will be played again and again and will cut like a knife in Hoosier state fans for months to come. The Colts end the first decade of the 21st century as the most winning franchise in the NFL for that period.
The Saints played a brilliant tough and intelligent game to beat the Colts. All hail to the Saints. They are true champions for Super Bowl XLIV.
Who would prevail as the teams took the field for the second half with the Saints kicking off to the Colts, but New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Peyton had a dastardly scheme in mind, an almost unthinkable move, kicking an on-side kick which when the pile of bodies was untangled gave the Saints the ball. From that point on, the Colts seemed to unravel. The Saints scored the first touchdown of the second half but the Colts responded with one of their own, with the score standing at Colts 17, Saints 13. From then on, it was all the Saints with barely a whimper out of the Colts scoring one more field goal in the third quarter before two game cinching touchdowns in the second half the final one of which was hastened by a Peyton Manning interception which Tracy Porter raced back for a touch town with about 3:20 left to play.
The atmosphere in New Orleans looked like the Mardi Gras on steroids as jubilant fans celebrated the city’s first pro championship in their first Super Bowl after decades of futility.
The Detroit Lions are the only NFL team that existed when the AFL and NFL merged that has not played in a Super Bowl unless the Cleveland Browns would care to be counted since there was a Cleveland Browns at the time, but they moved to Baltimore where as the Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XXXLV. However, the legacy and records of the old Browns, of course remain in Cleveland and the Browns who resumed play in 1999 have not played in the Super Bowl. The Jacksonville Jaguars (1995) and the Houston Texans (2002) are the only other teams not to join the party.
While the history of the New Orleans Saints is thought of largely as a franchise mired in futility they did enjoy some success under head coaches Mike Ditka and Jim Mora; however, now they have the Vince Lombardi trophy. Many teams who’ve made it to the big game still don’t have their ultimate reward. Ask fans in Buffalo who went to four straight Super Bowls to come home empty each time.
Surely the over-analytical critics will pose questions about Peyton Manning’s effectiveness given how many times the Colts have bombed out in post season during his tenure. What those critics don’t take into account aside from there are ten other players on the field plus defense and special teams, how many Super Bowls or post season games might the Colts have played were it not for Peyton Manning’s heroics in the first place. Sure, this game’s late interception at the hands of Tracy Porter will be played again and again and will cut like a knife in Hoosier state fans for months to come. The Colts end the first decade of the 21st century as the most winning franchise in the NFL for that period.
The Saints played a brilliant tough and intelligent game to beat the Colts. All hail to the Saints. They are true champions for Super Bowl XLIV.
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