I should have known not to use reason and common sense in predicting the Super Bowl winner this year. It doesn’t matter that the Saints had numerous flaws and weaknesses. The bottom line is that it was their year and destiny was on their side.
You have to give a lot of credit to Sean Payton and his staff for doing a great job of game preparation, and for taking important game-changing risks that helped the Saints win. Simply, the Colts played not to lose, and the Saints played to win. It is very difficult for any coach to be a gambler on the Super Bowl stage, and Payton could have been criticized for a lifetime if his decisions would have back-fired. But they didn’t, and these aggressive calls instilled energy and confidence into his team, helping propel the Saints to victory.
Gregg Williams dialed up the blitz that led to Porter’s game winning interception return. I didn’t think that blitzing Peyton Manning was the way to beat him, but I was wrong. You have to get pressure on the QB regardless of how good your cornerback’s are in coverage. Baltimore’s favorite Ravens fan Pat Cary always says that pressure bursts pipes.
Brett Favre isn’t the only marquee QB who gives games away with ill-timed interceptions. Add Peyton Manning to the list as well.
I still do not think that the Saints are a great team. They are a great offensive team with an opportunistic defense that started hot and secured home field advantage in the playoffs. The dome and home crowd gave them enough of an edge to make it to Miami. Once they made it to Miami, the Saints let it all hang out and allowed the emotional story and destiny to play out.
I felt a huge key to the game that few people are talking about was the Saints special teams. The Saints kicker Garrett Hartley hit field goals from 44, 46, and 47. Also, the Saints tackling on kickoff and punt coverage was excellent. This helped the Saints win the field position battle and made life tough on Peyton Manning.
Call me old fashioned, but I like physical front seven’s and teams that can run the football. I like teams that can win on the road and can handle bad weather. I hate playoff football in domed stadiums, and further dislike dink and dunk offense.
The Super Bowl was an exciting game and I feel great for the people of New Orleans. I don’t want to minimize their achievement, but I was never a believer in this Saints team. When I look back at the 2009 season and playoffs, I think Minnesota was actually the best team in the NFL.
Don’t expect the Saints to repeat in 2010, but tip your hat to them for a great run in 2009. Also, congrats to Drew Brees for a great game and MVP trophy. I think Brees is a great quarterback, but did not think he was in the same class as Peyton Manning. I guess I have to eat crow on that assessment.
Needless to say, I bet on the Colts and lost. I should have bet on the emotional story.
Woodman – first losing week in gambling in over two months.
Filed under: Football, NFL | Tagged: Drew Brees, indiannapolis colts, New Orleans Saints, Peyton Manning, sean payton, super bowl
I don’t know Woodman…after watching the playoffs and Super Bowl, I think the best team won in the end.
People can point to the turnovers and good fortunes in the Saints run but, let’s face it…they just beat Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to win the Championship. That’s as impressive as it gets.
I think the Saints had a better all around defense than the Colts, especially in the secondary, a better running game and more weapons in general. They also had a better coach who played, as you said, to win.
While I do agree they were a team of “Destiny”, in a sense, the destiny thing is a little overblown. Were they a team of destiny when they won 3 games the year Katrina happened? Were they a team of destiny when they lost the NFC title game the year after or completely missed the playoffs the 2 years after that?
This was a great team with a great offense and a solid defense.
Other than Petyon Manning, Reggie Wayne and Dwight Freeney, where did the Colts outmatch the Saints? Even at those positions, you could make an argument that Brees and Colston aren’t too far off of Manning and Wayne.
In the end, the team with the better all around offense, better all around defense, better special teams and better coach won the Super Bowl. We could debate all day long how they stack up against the other 43 Super Bowl winners but, to start 13-0 and go through the gauntlet of QB’s this team did absolutely makes them a great team.
http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2010/02/09/colts-fans-all-11-of-them-welcome-team-at-airport/?ncid=txtlnkusspor00000002
Check out this link, on a side note…what a horrible group of fans Indy has…the fact they were ever moved from Baltimore for this pathetic legion of loser fans is an absolute autracity.
Only 11 fans show up to greet their team at the airport after losing the Super Bowl yet the Saints were going to have a huge parade either way.
What a bunch of bandwagon a-holes. I can’t wait till Peyton retires in 4 or 5 years and this ungrateful bunch gets to go back to 4 to 6 win years where they belong.
I used to respect everything about the Colts and now consider them the most classless team in the NFL. A) Peyton can’t shake Drew Brees’ hand after the game B) Bill Polian is as smug a GM as there is (note to Bill, you’ve brought teams to 6 Super Bowls and won 1 against Rex Grossman) C) Your fan base is terrible…