After 43 years of frustration, the New Orleans Saints are finally NFL champions, upsetting the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV 31−17.
They are likely to still be partying on Bourbon Street. It didn't always look pretty, however, particularly when the Colts took a 10−0 lead after the first quarter. And New Orleans coach Sean Payton could have been the goat after his decision to go for the touchdown toward the end of the first half did not pan out. But the Saints responded to every punch Indianapolis threw, and emerged victorious.
After falling behind 17−13, New Orleans scored 18 unanswered points to get the win. With quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees clicking and the New Orleans defense flummoxing Peyton Manning, the Saints' comeback was in full swing. Cornerback Tracy Porter capped it with an interception return for a touchdown, putting the game out of reach.
For Saints owner Tom Benson, who has owned the team since 1985, and for the city of New Orleans, it was a cathartic victory. After enduring years of futility and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints are finally champs. The Daily counts down the top 10 moments from Super Bowl XLIV.
10. Indy's goal line stand: Saints coach Sean Payton took a gamble at the end of the first half when he decided to go for the touchdown on fourth down with a little over a yard to go. With a three−receiver set, Payton thought he could fool the Colts with a run with Pierre Thomas. But Gary Brackett and the Colts defense were not fooled, stopping Thomas behind the line and keeping the Saints from tying the score at 10.
9. White gives laughs: Some people watch the Super Bowl for the game. Others watch for the commercials. The latter group must have been disappointed, as a violin−playing beaver and Stevie Wonder and Tracy Morgan for Volkswagen were some of the only bright spots. But despite the mediocrity there was one commercial that delivered: the Snickers ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda. The lesson: combine football and an elderly Golden Girl, and you will get laughs.
8. Freeney's impact: In the end, the biggest story of Super Bowl week, "the most talked about ankle" as CBS' James Brown deemed it, was indeed a factor in the game. Freeney looked good early, and even had his first sack of the postseason in the game. But he looked like he slowed down in the second half, and Brees was not pressured in the second half, allowing him to display his accuracy on quick, short throws.
7. The kids are alright: It might not have been the best halftime show ever, and it certainly could not hold a candle to Prince, but the performance by The Who was not half bad. From the harmonica solo on Baba O'Riley to the myriad signature windmills from Pete Townshend, easily shattering the over/under of 6.5, it was a solid performance worthy of a solid game.
6. The two Pierres: Pierre Garcon, who seemed to develop into Peyton Manning's favorite target during the postseason, scored the first touchdown of the game to give the Colts a 10−0 lead. His counterpart on New Orleans, Pierre Thomas, had a performance to remember as well. He finished off the opening drive of the second half with a 16−yard touchdown catch and run and had 88 total yards.
5. Garrett who?: Hartley did not attempt a field goal in the first 12 weeks of the season, missing the first four weeks on suspension and John Carney handled the kicking duties until December. But after knocking the game−winner through the uprights in the NFC Championship, Hartley kicked three field goals over 40 yards, a Super Bowl record. In a postseason where kicking has been a catastrophe, a player with only 22 career field goals, and had none over 40 yards in the regular season, was the most steady.
4. The two−pointer: Leading by five, New Orleans made the logical choice to go for the two−point conversion, hoping to boost its lead to 24−17. Receiver Lance Moore caught the ball on an out route, but looked like he dropped it when he went to the ground. Payton challenged the call, and Moore was ruled to have crossed the goal line in a play that Indy fans are still likely griping about.
3. Porter makes the play: The former Indiana Hoosier corner, and Louisiana native, covered Reggie Wayne perfectly on the game's biggest play. With the Colts on the New Orleans' 32−yard line and driving for the tying score, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams sent the blitz and Porter broke in on the pass and intercepted the ball, taking it 74 yards to the house to give the Saints a 14−point lead.
2. The onside kick: Payton and the Saints shocked everyone when they had Thomas Morstead perform an onside kick to open up the second half. After separating a pileup that seemed to last an eternity, the Saints came out with the ball, and the momentum, to start the third quarter. It was the first onside kick in Super Bowl history that did not occur in the fourth quarter, and it led to a Pierre Thomas touchdown catch and the Saints' first lead of the night.
1. Brees−in' to victory: After a shaky start, Brees settled in and was automatic all night. The game's MVP, Brees tied Tom Brady's record for completions in a Super Bowl with a 32−39 night, and had the second most accurate performance in a Super Bowl, completing 82.1 percent of his throws. He had two touchdowns, including a two−yard strike to Jeremy Shockey that turned out to be the game−winner. The Colts simply had no answer for New Orleans' signal caller. — by Ethan Landy
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