New Orleans Saints Key Moments to Victory!!

At the beginning it was improbable, in the end it was inevitable. The New Orleans Saints overcame a 10-0 1st Quarter deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. The Saints Defense held Peyton Manning to just 7 points after it looked as if the Colts Offense might run away with it early. Drew Brees elevated his play after the first couple of series that saw the Saints go 3 and out while the Colts quickly put points on the board with precision passing and hard running from Joseph Addai. As with every game, there are turning points. Moments when momentum shifts, moments when a Coach makes the right decision and times where a big play means securing a win. In Super Bowl 44, there were 4 moments that you could point to and call them, the keys to the game!

The 1st game-changing moment that swung this heavyweight fight in favor of the Saints was a dropped pass by Pierre Garcon. The Colts were up 10-0 at the time and on a big 3rd down play Garcon found himself in one on one coverage against a Saints Defensive Back. He beat his man and had open daylight ahead but failed to bring in the pass that hit him squarely on the hands. Had he made that catch and that drive led to points the momentum might have been too much to overcome. The Saints were able to get a Field Goal after that Colts possession and were only down 7 and still alive.

The 2nd big moment in the game was the Saints decision to go for it on a 4th and goal from the 2 yard line with only a couple minutes left in the first half. The Colts denied the Saints rushing attack and took possession of the ball at their own 2 but only had a minute and a half to work with. Not wanted to commit a costly turnover deep in their own territory they ran the ball three times and were forced to punt. This gave New Orleans good field position and enough time to get a FG before the half. Well so what? Look at it like this, if the Saints kick a FG initially and then have to Kick Off to Manning with a little under 2 minutes he might have enough time to run his full offense and pick up some points, but by going for it and handcuffing the Colts Offense at the 2, the Saints stymied the Colts chances for points.

The 3rd big play was one of pure genius! The Saints came out of the halftime celebration down 10-6, riding momentum from a 2nd Quarter that they dominated ball control but only found 6 points. The decided to play keep away from the great Peyton and delivered and on side kick that the Colts were not expecting. After a large scrum the Saints retained possession and marched downfield to capture the lead, up 13-10! The momentum had clearly shifted and the Saints were now feeling really good about their chances. The big reason was the message, Head Coach Sean Payton just told his guys…we’re here to win!!

The 4th and final big play was the one that sealed the deal. On a big 3rd down late in the 4th Quarter the Saints threw an all out blitz at the Colts forcing Manning to look for his hot read. When he did, Tracy Porter took it 74 yards the other way for a Pick 6 putting the Saints up 31-17 and the Colts never recovered. The momentum was like an avalanche at this point and even the great Peyton Manning couldn’t stop it. The Saints had taken over the game and were minutes away from destiny!

This Super Bowl was exciting from start to finish. Drew Brees played spectacular and high powered offense of the Saints was too much for the Colts on this fine Sunday in Miami, FL. With every football game, there are moments that dictate who is going to win and who is going to lose. When those moments present themselves it’s necessary to make the right call, make the big play or take a gamble. The Saints did just that and sadly for the Colts, they didn’t. Hats off to the Saints and the city of New Orleans who can stand tall, enjoy their win and say to everyone…Who Dat? The Champs, that’s who!