Game Thread: Saints Win Super Bowl XLIV

Just an interesting aside...visit http://www.nola.com right now and scroll down to see how long it takes before you find our that the city elected a new mayor (technically a primary win) yesterday.

Who dat? :-)

Halftime and the Saints have kept themselves in a game that perhaps could have been tied by now. Colts dominated the first quarter, Saints dominated the second quarter, but a key goal-line stand by the Colts kept the Saints from tying the game.

With the ball on their own 2 yard line with less than two minutes in the first half, the Colts went three-and-out, the Saints got in field goal position and brought it back to 10-6, Colts.

Colts start the second half with the ball. The Saints defense is doing everything expected of it and more; the Saints offense is able to pass the ball (in the 2nd quarter), with the running backs a little less key in the scheme.

Second half? It's all about adjustments. No turnovers so far and few penalties (two have hurt the Saints and at least one helped.)

The Saints, for much of the season, have been able to put up touchdowns in the second half; of course, so have the Colts.

Will the Saints D dig even deeper? Will Sean Payton open up the offensive playbook? We'll see.

It's not as high-scoring a game (so far) as expected, but for Saints fans, we could be in a lot worse shape than this.

Onside kick by the Saints to start the second half; the Saints recover, march down the field and steal a TD from the Colts before they're able to get their hands on the ball.

Manning marches his team right back down the field, going up 17-13 behind some troublesome long runs coupled with passes to Dallas damn Clark.

But it's an interesting, gutsy move by the Saints to show the Colts that they're the Saints will be snatching points any way possible.

The Saints go into the 4th Quarter down by 1 point. Does Williams have another level for the defense?

We're down to a football game. The Saints need a hold or a turnover; they're firing on offense, but they need to remember the creed...finish strong.

The Saints with the key stop on third down, watch the Colts' Matt Stover pull a 52-yard kick to the left; taking over with good field position, the Saints march down the field, burning the clock and moving the chains. A two-yard pass to Shockey puts the Saints ahead in the game; the two-point conversion looked good on the replay, but was ruled an incomplete pass on the field.

Overruled on a coach's challenge, the Saints go up by a full 7 points with less than six minutes to play.

After a solid return, the Colts march back down the field until a third-and-five with a little over three minutes left, when Tracy Porter (he of the Super Bowl hair) steps in front of Reggie Wayne, grabs it and takes it back for a touchdown. Unbelievable. The Saints go ahead by two touchdowns using a trick they've played all year.

There's not enough time for the Colts to come back so I'm going to go ahead and congratulate the Saints. Didn't see this happening, but you fans deserve it.

Unable to convert a fourth down play in the Saints red zone with less than 60 seconds to go, the Colts turnover the ball and the Saints win the game.

Brees was on first from the second quarter on, and the defense got the turnover that they needed. Special teams kicked in their part with the onside kick, and the Saints simple...win. What else can you say. Wonderful game.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Final score: 31-17, the New Orleans Saints are Super Bowl champions.

Interesting stat -- the Saints scored 25 points in the second half of a game that looked (at halftime) like it would be lower-scoring than folks initially thought. However, they ended with 31 points; very close to their regular season average of 31.9.

The onside kick to start the 3rd Quarter was the first onside kick ever in a Super Bowl that didn't happen in the 4th Quarter.

I witnessed a very unnerving event at the Auditorium on Dulley Street tonight. An African-American woman approached a group of white men and women, obviously to ask one of the women to be mindful of others when she stands while watching the game and was all but attacked by the woman and others for asking them to be mindful of others... I'm sure there were others who wanted to do the same. Then to add insult to injury, the owner of the "Auditorium" asked the woman to leave, without even asking what the problem was or if there was anything he could do to make the situation feasible for everyone. Well his actions certainly proved that we as fellow Americans are still "separate and unequal" in his establishment. I know it was something to realize that we are not living in such a progressive period of time as believed. It's even more appalling to realize that the owner of such a public venue possesses such a racist demeanor and that anyone would knowingly supporting such a racist venue. And in the 21st century, how about that!

Congrats to all the Saint's fans!!

Congrats to the Saints on this year's Super Bowl. I couldn't relax until the last pass was missed or deflected. Next year the Saints will have an x on their heads like the Steelers had this year. Hopefully, they won't have any injuries to aggravate everybody shooting for them next year. ITodd didn't give me any credit for nearly guessing the correct score. I said 35 to 17 in favor of the Saints. Where is Queen? Surely, she will congratulate the Saints.

I can't believe so many people watched the game. The Saints maybe the world's team but they aren't America's yet. We will see about that the coming years. I'm so glad the cowpukes weren't in the Super Bowl. I have to be in Baton Rouge tomorrow and may go on to New Orleans for the parade. I'll just close my eyes and assume they're the Pittsburgh Steelers. In he end, I kind of felt sorry for Peyton since he tried so hard. I wasn't convinced the Saints had the game until the interception by Peyton, then I was alarmed again by the possibility of a quick touchdown and an off-side kick. Luckily or divinely, it all ended well.