Saints Upset Colts 31-17 in Superbowl 44

Nothing is forever. They are now the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.

I never thought I would have said that in my lifetime. This was a team that has had only nine winning seasons since they came into the league in 1967. Two of those seasons came in the last four year after Sean Payton become coach and Drew Brees the starting QB.

Brees was rightfully crowned MVP. 288 yards, 2 TDs and a Superbowl tying 32 completions in 39 attempts. It's the second highest completion percentage in Superbowl history (only topped by Phil Simms 22-25 in SB 21). Except for the first two drives, Brees was in control. Saints scored on their last four drives (excluding the game ending kneel). The Colts stuck with the cover two defense and Brees just picked them apart with short passes.

Which brings me to the onside kick to start the 2nd half. I know everyone will be marking that as the turning point of the game, but I thought it was an unnecessary gamble. Saints outscored the Cotls 25-7 in the 2nd half....you can't contribute that to just the onside kick. I know it allowed the Saints to score the go ahead TD, but it looked to me that the Saints already had a game plan for the 2nd half that would win them the game. It wasn't like the Colts folded after they lost the lead. Manning led them right back down the field to regain the lead. If that onside kick had backfired and left a short field for a Colts TD...who knows how the game would have unfolded.

In reality, it was still a game that either side could have won up until the interception by CB Tracy Porter, which he returned 74 yards for a TD. That was more of a turning point than the onside kick. Up until that moment, 3:12 left in the game, the Colts were still in it. Porter played a great game. Peyton Manning threw to Reggie Wayne 11 times. Porter held him to five catches.

All in all, it was a well played game. I only recall a few penalties and Manning's interception was the only turnover. Even both defenses stepped up with a goal line stand each, despite neither one being ranked in the top half of the league.

Congrats to New Orleans and the Saints. If I could be anywhere for a few hours tonight, New Orleans would be it.

Super Bowl XLIV - Saints vs Colts

Do the Colts live up to the hype? Can the Saints escape the underdog shadow? While saying who I think will win is easy, I will say there are many variables that won’t be answered until Sunday that could make this game go either way. Let me look at a few things with each team.

COLTS – It begins and ends with Manning. No matter what is thrown at Indy he’ll be the deciding factor. Can he adjust to what the Saints throw at him? Can he avoid that one mistake that could cost them the game? I think he’ll live up to the hype and take advantage of playing a defense he should be able to exploit. This is not the Ravens or the Jets and I believe that while New Orleans will be creative it won’t be enough to rattle Peyton. Colts D – Another good defense but not great defense that will need to force the action with Drew Brees. We’ve seen the offense can be thrown off their rhythm. The defense will need to do just that or this will be a shootout. They can’t let the very effective running game of the Saints control the game. This will only help the offense be effective. Not sure the effect of Dwight Freeney’s injury but it can’t help.

Indy’s worst nightmare is to see the Saints hit their stride offensively early. I think they want to take an early lead and have the Saints playing from behind. I can see them taking some chances early on defense to see if they can rattle Brees and get on top of this game. A slugfest is not what they want.

SAINTS – The offensive line play will be huge. They need to protect Brees but also let their running game be effective. This will be the key to the game for me. New Orleans can’t afford many three and outs. You have to like the balance the New Orleans offense has. They ranked 4th and 6th respectively in passing and rushing yards this year. If they get both aspects going they will be hard to beat as they can rack up points. New Orleans’ special teams will be key in the field position game. They have a good return game which can help out the offense. Field goals will be important as you don’t want to leave any points on the field for this game nor give Indy good field position with a miss.
New Orleans must move the ball, control the clock, and make Indy run a long field. If the Colts have short fields to play with all day this will be a blowout. I do believe the Saints can score against Indy. The question is how much? On defense they must bend and not break. Peyton will get his. They need to figure out how to pressure Manning and hope a turnover will come their way.

I like the Colts to win this game. I have a 31-26 score floating around my head but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it much more than that come the final score. Peyton has just been the man this year. He has been slowed but not stopped and I don’t believe the Saints D will stop that trend. I like New Orleans to score points against Indy to keep it close. This game could come down to one turnover that turns the tide. I expect a great game and great individual performances. Can’t wait to see how it turns out and will be happy for either team to win.

NFC Conference Championship: Saints-Vikings

The most surprising thing about the first half was that each team had three-and-out possessions and there was more punts in the first half than in the Jets-Colts game.

It started off like many thought, three possessions, three touchdowns. 10 plays 80 yards for the first Viking TD and 10 Plays 73 yards for their second. In between, the Saints put together a seven play 76 yard drive. First quarter ends with the Vikings up 14-7. Saints tie the game 14-14 on another seven play drive, this one for 64 yards.

Then, surprisingly, both defenses stiffened.

What a strange sequence of events to end the half. Reggie Bush muffs a punt handing the Vikings a gift on the New Orleans 10 yard line. Two plays later, Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson blow the exchange on the handoff.

Offenses are back in the 2nd half. Courtney Roby returned the opening kickoff 61 yards and set the Saints up for their first lead of the game, a Pierre Thomas' nine yard run gives the Saints a 21-14 lead. Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe catches three passes for 67 yards of a 80 yard drive that ties the score again at 21-21.

Could the Vikings be luckier in this game? Peterson suddenly has butterfingers, fumbling on the game tying drive and again on the next drive. Both times the Vikings kept the ball. The 2nd one squirted out into the Saints secondary and I don't know how Peterson ended up getting it back.

I'm with Troy Aikman. You've thought to tackle by wrapping, lifting, and driving forward. That's text book tackling. Done to the QB in the NFL though, that's roughing the passer. It's almost justice when Favre sidearms one into coverage and gets picked.

Amazing. Now it's WR Percy Harvon's turn to put the pigskin on the ground. Harvon in to run the Viks version of the Wildcat. Fumbles trying to run around left end. Sets the Saints up on Minnesota's 18 and this time they get in on a Drew Brees to Bush 5 yard TD pass. You have to wonder what the Vikings are thinking having lost the football on five straight possessions (including the last drive of the 1st half). Minnesota is lucky they got two of those back and only trail 28-21.

Make that six straight possessions. Announcers gave the Saints DB more credit than he desired. They claimed the DB punched the ball from WR Benard Berrian. It looked like it was just an inadvertent hit on the ball and not a very hard one either. At this point the Vikings have to be shell shocked.

Is the butterfingers now spreading to the Saints? Brees drops the ball on the snap, but recovers his own fumble. I don't ever remember seeing so many fumbles in a football game.

Minnesota is somehow still in this game. Peterson is running with a vengeance trying to make up for his mistakes. He has 120 yards rushing and 3 TDs on 22 carries....that's 5.45 yards a carry. Game tied 28-28. Nutty game. Minnesota should have been done in this game with four turnovers. You have to give some big props to the Viking defense, keeping them in this game.

Vikings give up a fifth turnover!!! Favre throws his second pick trying to drive down for the winning score. Why not end this game in overtime.

I thought that was an awful pass interference call on LB Ben Leber....and I'm rooting for the Saints. Helps keep the drive alive that sets up the winning 40 yard field goal by Garrett Hartley. Hartley in only his second season had only one game winning field goal and had kicked just 25 field goals in the NFL. For all the blown field goals kicked this postseason, this guy is the one that hits the clutch kick to win the game.

As I said, one nutty game. One of the strangest games I've watched in a long time. Vikings out gain the Saints 475 yards to 257 yards. Brees only 197 passing yards. Saints only 68 yards rushing, Adrian Peterson has 122 all by himself. Minnesota has only themselves to blame for the loss. Six fumbles (three lost) and two interceptions cost them the game.

Happy to see the long maligned Saints going to the Super Bowl. I'm still waiting for the Saints fan to show up at a game wearing a paper bag with a smiley face painted on the front.

You can bet there is going to be some partying in the French Quarter tonight.

AFC Conference Championships: Colts-Jets

After a 0-0 first first quarter, the Jets and Colts started lighting up the scoreboard. After a Colt field goal, Braylon Edwards burns the Colts for an 80 yard TD. Longest TD pass in the Playoffs for the Jets ever. The CB, rookie Jacob Lacey, just bit on the inside route. With eight in the box, there's no safety help after Lacey gets beat. Bad gamble by the Rookie.

Colts are moving the ball, but can't get in the end zone. Drives of 82 and 76 yards, but only come away with field goals. Give the Jets defense credit again. 7-6 Jets with 8:44 left in the half. Jets still controlling the pace of the game, despite giving up large chunks of yardage. Now the question is, are the Colts wasting their best opportunities or is it only a matter of time before they break this open?

You have to love the Jets play calling. They throw a pass off the option play and it goes for 45 yards down to the Colts 12. Sanchez hits TE Dustin Keller for the 12 yard TD. Jets up 14-6 and on the next series, Joseph Addai fumbles to give the Jets the ball back on the Colts 29. Jay Feeley makes it 17-6 Jets on a 46-yard field goal.

What a throw by Peyton Manning to Austin Collie. Collie was covered on the throw, but Peyton put it in there perfect. Play goes for 46 yards down to the Jets 16. Peyton hits Collie again for the 16 yard TD on the next play. The drive goes 80 yards in just four plays and takes up just 58 seconds. Jets still up 17-13, but the Colts needed that score to stay in this game.

Who would have figured that the Jets would be leading at halftime averaging just 2.7 per rush. Two TD passes by Sanchez. Who would have figured there would by 467 yards of total offense after just two quarters.

I should have recognized it earlier. Last week, even though the Chargers were leading the Jets, the game was going just the way the Jets wanted. Slow place and limited possessions for the Chargers. This week, despite the Jets leading 17-13, the way the game was playing out wasn't the way the Jets needed it to go. The last punt of the first half was at 6:40 in the first quarter. Even though the Jets were scoring, they were giving Peyton and the Colts offense more looks at their defense. Colts scored on the next 4 of 5 possessions, the only time Indy didn't score was when Addai fumbled. A shootout was the last type of game the Jets wanted. There was only so many bullets the Jets had in their gun.

Colts on the other hand have plenty of firepower. Jets did a good job of limiting Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but Collie and Pierre Garcon combined for 18 catches and 274 yards. Colts score on their 1st drive of the 2nd half, a 4 yard TD to Garcon to take the lead 20-17. When Peyton hit Clark for a 15 TD on their first drive of the 4th quarter to make it 27-17 with 8:52 left, the Jets game plan went out the window.

Indy all but ends the game on a 12 play 71 drive that ends in a Matt Stover field goal. Leaves the Jets just 2:29 left down 30-17. Kelvin Hayden's interception off a pass that bounces off a receivers hands is just a formality.

The Indianapolis Colts are heading to Miami.

Gary Mathews Traded to the Mets

Thank You New York.

I was really beginning to hate the city after the Yankees bounced the Angels out of the Playoffs and the Jets upset of the Chargers, but now the Mets have done the Angels a big favor.

The worse signing the Angels have done in recent memory is when they brought in Gary Mathews Jr. for five-years, $50 million. I never understood that signing. Mathews had only one good season. For some reason Angels management felt that he would continue that level of play and not play at the level of the first seven seasons Mathews played in the Majors. For the last three years for the Angels, to no surprise to most, Mathews never played up to the level of his 2006 season.

When OF Carlos Beltran had knee surgery last week the Mets went looking for an outfielder. I never thought they would take Mathews off the Angels hands. The Angels got reliever Brian Stokes for what amounted to a very expensive bench warmer for the Angels last season. Angels will owe Mathews $11 and $12 million for the remaining two years of his contract and there was a $500,000 trade clause. Mets agreed to paying 1$ million per season. If my math is correct the Angels still have to eat $21.5 million off Mathews contract, but at least it opens up a roster spot for someone that can be more productive to the team.

Not sure about Brian Stokes, but from what I've read on the message boards, most Met fans weren't too happy about losing him. Supposedly he was a pretty reliable middle reliever the last two seasons. Stokes was also born in Pomona, CA.

In an interview with Mike Scioscia about the Mathews trade, Scioscia mentioned that the Angels also signed Cardinals pitcher Joel Pineiro for two-years, $16 million.

"I think that depth moving forward is something that we need to re-establish," Scioscia said. "I think Brian is going to go a long way to help us in that department, and I think gives us, along with the acquisition of Joel Pineiro, some versatility between our rotation and our bullpen."

Pineiro was 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA in St. Louis last season and should help some after losing John Lackey to free agency.