So once again the lights go off and another season is over for the NFL. The New Orleans Saints are the Super Bowl 44 Champions, having defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.
The game was an excellent match up between two teams who, in my opinion, were pretty evenly matched. Yes, the Colts had Manning and some potent offensive fire power but so too did the Saints, in the form of Drew Brees and co. Their respective defences were also very formidable in their own right. So the game would come down to one moment, one instance, one occurrence, one event that will forever be etched in every sporting fans memory.
With 3:12 left on the clock, Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning's pass to Reggie Wayne, to run the ball 74 yards for a touchdown (TD). The only player that could have stopped Tracy from making the TD was Manning and his half hearted attempt to me signalled the end of the Colts in the game, and from that point on there was only one winner.(Click here to view the video)
There were other moments in the game that really did signal the shifting of the momentum in favour of the Saints, such as the onside kick at the start of the 2nd half, and at 17-13 Colts, the game really was set.
Drew Brees TD pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey with 5:42 in the 4th quarter to play put the Saints up 22-17. Manning and the Colts came back hard as you'd expect, but a last-gasp pass from him to Reggie Wayne which on any other Sunday you'd expect Wayne to catch, was fumbled near the end zone. That was that.Had that play been executed then the onside kick was on for the Colts and maybe, just maybe. But this was not any other Sunday. This was not any given Sunday. This was Saints Sunday. Everyone outside of Indianapolis was seemingly rooting for the Saints. Lest we be mistaken, the Saints were by no means the underdogs, but the fairytale ending was a Saints win, and that is what came to pass.
Congratulations to New Orleans for winning their first Super Bowl. Bring on Super Bowl 45. I hope McNabb took notes.
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