Saints win Super Bowl XLIV!
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on February 7, 2010
It took them 44 years to make it to the big game & 4 years after the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
None of that stopped the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, as they overcame a slow start & got a key defensive TD to beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win their 1st championship in franchise history.
Early on, the Colts looked like the stronger team as they built a 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter after Peyton Manning connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon with just 36 seconds remaining.
Garrett Hartley hit a pair of 40+ yard field goals in the 2nd quarter for the Saints, who actually lost a chance to score more points after a failed 4th & Goal call in the waning minutes before halftime.
Sean Payton made up for his blunder though to start the 3rd quarter, as his onside kick call worked to perfection as New Orleans recovered it.
The Saints did take advantage, as Drew Brees gave his team their 1st lead of the game with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas at the 11:41 mark.
Indianapolis re-took the lead on Joseph Addai’s 4-yard touchdown run with 6:15 left, but Garrett Hartley’s 3rd made field goal from 40 yards or more (Super Bowl record) of the game gave the Colts a slim 17-16 lead entering the 4th quarter.
Matt Stover missed on a chance to extend that lead, as his 51-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
Brees would end up tossing the game-winner to Jeremy Shockey with 5:42 left, as Lance Moore’s 2-pt conversion was later ruled good after a New Orleans’ challenge.
That gave the Colts a chance to tie it, but Tracy Porter killed any chance of that happening with a spectacular 74-yard interception return for a touchdown off Peyton Manning.
Indianapolis tried to rally late to put themselves within 7, but Manning’s 4th & Goal pass went incomplete as the celebration began for New Orleans, who are now Super Bowl champs after a 44-year wait.
Drew Brees was named MVP of Super Bowl XLIV after an excellent performance that saw complete 32 (tied Super Bowl record) of 39 pass attempts for a blistering 82.1%, 288 passing yards & 2 touchdown passes.
New Orleans also becames just the 2nd NFC South team (Tampa Bay in 2002) in the Super Bowl’s 44-year history to win a Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Congratulations to Saints running back Reggie Bush, who proposed to his longtime girlfriend Kim Kardashian on Friday evening!
