ANDERSON — Sean Payton, dat’s who.
The New Orleans Saints head coach engineered a stunning 31-17 upset of the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday by winning a gambit of daring gambles.
“This coach really said, ‘We’re going out to win the game,’” Pendleton Heights football coach John Broughton said. “The Colts played it more by-the-book. The Saints were out to win the game.”
Indianapolis surged to a 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, but the Saints controlled the rest of the game.
Payton’s first big gamble came near the end of the second quarter, and it initially appeared to fail. Trailing 10-3, the Saints eschewed a field-goal attempt and went for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from just outside the Colts’ 1-yard line. Running back Pierre Thomas was stopped well short of the goal line, and Indianapolis temporarily seized momentum.
However, the Colts went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, and New Orleans still was able to drive for a field goal just before halftime.
“I thought that was a bad move,” Broughton said of Payton’s call. “But it cost them nothing. In the NFL that is not done often at all. In high school, it’s something you might think about depending on your snapper, your holder and your kicker. For the professionals, that’s an automatic three points.”
Payton’s second gamble paid much bigger dividends.
After noticing two Colts routinely retreating early to set up the blocking wall on kickoffs in film study, Payton called for an onside kick to start the second half. The ball bounced off Indianapolis receiver Hank Baskett and was eventually recovered by New Orleans’ Chris Reis in a massive scrum.
“Very aggressive,” Lapel football coach Nate Andrews said with a hint of admiration. “It turns out, the way it ended up, it was a great call, right?”
Indianapolis tied a Super Bowl record with a 96-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter, and New Orleans allowed the Colts to take just eight offensive snaps in the second period. So possessions were at a premium.
“That was probably the quickest Super Bowl ever,” Broughton said. “Both teams had such long drives. (Payton) probably felt like he needed to do something to give his team an extra offensive possession.”
The drive following the onside kick ended with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Thomas, giving the Saints their first lead at 13-10.
As much as the gamble fired up New Orleans, its effect on the Colts might have been even greater.
“It’s demoralizing to the other team,” Andrews said. “It takes the wind out of your sails. You’re fired up about receiving the kickoff and setting the tone for the second half. When that doesn’t happen, there’s a letdown. It’s human nature.”
Indianapolis rallied to regain the lead at 17-13, but the Saints scored the game’s final 18 points.
The last seven came on an interception return by Indiana alumnus Tracy Porter with 3:12 remaining in the game. The Saints’ opportunistic defense allowed 432 total yards but somehow came up with the big stops it needed.
“Their defensive game plan was even more complex than most teams try to show the Colts,” said Andrews, who played safety at Ball State. “I think one reason for that is that they had two weeks to prepare. It looked like they were running many more defenses than they did throughout the (regular season).
“They were running more defenses than I’ve seen any team play in my years of playing and coaching football. It wasn’t just formations. They had multiple fronts and multiple philosophies. It really kept the Colts on their heels.”
xSuper Bowl XLIV
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Mark Humphrey
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Discussion
February 9, 2010
Payton's aggressive calls reap rewards
Local coaches dissect Saints coaches' Super Bowl gambles
- xSuper Bowl XLIV
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Payton's aggressive calls reap rewards
Sean Payton, dat’s who. The New Orleans Saints head coach engineered a stunning 31-17 upset of the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday by winning a gambit of daring gambles. “This coach really said, ‘We’re going out to win the game,’” Pendleton Heights football coach John Broughton said.
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Missed chances doomed Colts
Moving forward after a 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV loss to the New Orleans Saints won’t be easy for the Indianapolis Colts. Too many mistakes. Too many missed opportunities. A 16-3 record falls by the wayside after a year in which the Colts constantly found ways to make big plays, found ways to win games despite not playing well in some key areas.
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Manning throws away bid for one final comeback
Peyton Manning spent the whole season building toward a Super Bowl crown, a win that certainly would put him among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. And then he threw it all away.
Blocked onto his butt, Manning could only watch as Tracy Porter returned an interception for a clinching, 74-yard touchdown in the final minutes Sunday that gave the New Orleans Saints a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. -
Saints' gamble, Colts' loss
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Saints beat Colts 31-17 to win Super Bowl
Leave it to Purdue and Indiana to keep the Indianapolis Colts from bringing back a second Super Bowl trophy to Lucas Oil Stadium.
With the Colts unable to provide enough of a pass rush, former Purdue University quarterback Drew Brees completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and fired two touchdowns to earn game Most Valuable Player honors as the New Orleans Saints posted a 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV win Sunday night at Sun Life Stadium. - Bitter End
- Payton expects CB Gay to be ready New Orleans cornerback Randall Gay and running back Lynell Hamilton sat out the Saints' final practice of the season on Saturday.
- Freeney sits out again, Wayne back at Indy workout Dwight Freeney watched the Colts' final Super Bowl practice from a golf cart, and it's still uncertain whether he will play in Sunday's Super Bowl.
- Seasons salvaged in Miami The paths the Colts and Saints took to tonight’s game are remarkably similar. New Orleans started the season with a 13-0 record, and then lost its last three. Indianapolis, meanwhile, was 14-0 before dropping its final two regular-season games.
- Saints Notebook: Payton not caught up in 'big game' According to Sean Payton, the New Orleans Saints are right on schedule -- practice-wise -- for Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
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