The New Orleans Saints, after years of mediocrity, have finally won their first Super Bowl and did it in dramatic fashion against the well seasons Indianapolis Colts beating them 31-17 in the highest rated Super Bowl in the game’s history. Not too many people gave the Saints a chance against the powerful Colts offense led by perennial All-Pro and NFL MVP Peyton Manning but the Saints got it done and made everyone believe in the underdog.
The Colts got the first score of the game, in the first quarter when kicker Matt Stover booted a 38 yard field goal to put the Colts up by three. Indianapolis would make it 10-0 when Pierre Garcon caught a 19 yard touchdown pass from Manning towards the end of the first quarter. Things didn’t look so good for the Saints at that point. Was this going to be a blowout?
In the second quarter, Saint’s kicker Garrett Hartley booted a 46 yard field goal to put the Saints on the board and make it 10-3. The Saints would add another Hartley field goal (44 yards) to make it 10-6 going in at halftime.
The Saints started out the second half by kicking an onsides kick and recovering it to help swing momentum their way and it was very successful. Following that kick, the Saints made it 13-10 when Brees hit running back Pierre Thomas on a 16 yard touchdown pass. The Colts would go back on top 17-13 after running back Joseph Addai ran into the end zone four yards. The Saints would add a 47 yard field goal to end the third quarter and make it 17-16.
In the fourth quarter the Saints took the lead when Brees hit tight end Jeremy Shockey on a two yard touchdown pass to make it 24-17 (the Saints got a two point conversion). New Orleans iced the game when Manning was intercepted by Tracy Porter who ran it back 74 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-17. That is how the game would end.
Stud of the Game-Even though Brees won Super Bowl MVP honors this award is split between him and Porter. Brees threw the ball very well and had a lot of poise throwing the ball against what started out as a strong pass rush. Porter’s interception sealed the deal for the Saints and sent them onward to their first ever Super Bowl victory.
Dud of the Game-It’s hard to find anyone that failed at any point in this game but the Saint’s rushing defense did have some problems early in the game but tightened things up and didn’t allow too many yards in the second half. They don’t really deserve this honor but it has to go to someone.
Analysis: This was one of the best Super Bowl’s ever hands down. Early on, it looked like it could be a blowout as the Colts went up by ten and it seemed as if the Saints couldn’t stop Manning and the Colt’s potent offense but defensive coordinator Greg Williams had a plan and it worked very well. Putting pressure on Manning (even though they didn’t sack him) did have an effect on the outcome of this game as did changing up the defense. It was a masterful game (called by Williams) and should be considered to be one of the top defenses in Super Bowl history.
This was a great victory for team that had never played in the Super Bowl and for a city that has faced a lot of adversity in the past few years.
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