First Ever Podcast

Saints, Colts display football at its best

Regardless of who you were rooting for last night, the overriding element that no fan can deny is the extremely high level at which the Super Bowl was played. Both the Saints and Colts made fantastic plays throughout the game, which will be the lasting memory of Super Bowl XLIV for me personally.

Winning is the goal of any team that takes the field. No one really cares HOW they win, just as long as their team has more points than the other team when the clock hits 0:00. So if your team turns the ball over three times, commits a dozen penalties, and you somehow win the game...well then who cares. Yeah, you're gonna try to correct those mistakes for the next game, but for that one brief moment you really are just happy to have won.

Typically, football games are decided like this. One team makes a handful of mistakes, whether it be penalties, turnovers, etc., and their opponent benefits from those mistakes. And I'm sure if you were to go back and watch last night's Super Bowl over again, you would notice a few mistakes here and there that affected the outcome. But those mistakes were microscopic in comparison to the big plays made on both sides.

Think about these two stats for a moment: 8 total penalties for 64 yards and 1 turnover. I know that there are countless teams throughout history that have won football games despite committing eight penalties and turning the ball over once. But those eight penalties and one turnover were the combined stats for both the Saints and the Colts.

I know what you're thinking: Peyton Manning made a HUGE mistake by throwing the 4th quarter interception to Tracy Porter that ultimately clinched the game for the Saints. And to a point, I will agree with you. The Colts had run that same slant or z-route at least twice earlier in the game, so maybe it was partly their fault for being too vanilla with the play call.

I will argue in the other direction - Tracy Porter made a GREAT play. Peyton didn't make an awful throw. Reggie Wayne didn't run a terrible route. Tracy Porter did two amazing things on that play: First, he said to himself "WAIT, I've seen this before," and secondly, he instinctively made a break on the ball.

As a former high school and collegiate athlete, I can tell you from experience that athletes perform at their peak when they aren't thinking, but rather reacting and playing on instinct. Porter's interception was 100% instinct based, and it clinched the Super Bowl for the Saints.

The other monumental play was (obviously) the onside kick to open the second half. Kudos to Sean Payton for following the wise words of Herm Edwards. Payton rolled the dice knowing that if successful, his team would be much, much closer to raising the Lombardi Trophy. And his team executed the kick flawlessly.

There were so many other great plays that I don't have time to write about - the Manning touchdown throw to Pierre Garcon, a number of great runs by Joseph Addai and Pierre Thomas, the sack by Dwight Freeney, the goal line stand by the Colts defense (most notably the hit by Gary Brackett on fourth down), Garrett Hartley's Super Bowl record of three field goals of over 40 yards, and you could pick a handful of precision throws by Drew Brees.

Let's face it - we've been spoiled rotten by the Super Bowl over the past two years. David Tyree has become a household name, James Harrison made "the play," and Santonio Holmes made maybe the greatest game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl history. Although last night's game didn't have a jaw-dropping play comparable to those, it did display football at its highest level, which definitely did not leave me disappointed.

The taboo of being labeled "Unbeatable"

This morning I listened to the first ten minutes of "The Herd" with host Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. His first topic was the stigma surrounding being labeled as "unbeatable" or "the greatest ever." This label has been given to Peyton Manning in recent weeks, and (according to Colin) may cost the Colts the Super Bowl. Cowherd claims that New Orleans will be extra motivated to win on Sunday thanks to the fact that many are already crowning Manning as unbeatable and the greatest quarterback of all-time.

At first, I found this claim to be somewhat absurd. It's the SUPER BOWL, and no team needs extra motivation to go leave everything on the field. But upon further review, history has shown that Colin may be on to something...

Super Bowl III - Jets vs. Colts

- The Colts were heavily favored to beat the miniscule American Football League Champions, and the talk leading up to the big game was that the Jets didn't have a chance. Obviously, the Jets heard the hype, and Broadway Joe's bunch shocked the world and upset the NFL champs.

Super Bowl XXXVI (36) - Rams vs. Patriots

- The Rams were "the greatest show on turf." The game was to be played inside the Louisiana Superdome, further cementing the fact that the Rams would win. They were 14 point favorites. No defense could contain Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Issac Bruce, and Tory Holt. Sure, the Rams had superstars on offense, but the two things they didn't have: Tom Brady and Adam Vinatieri.

Rose Bowl 2005 - Texas Longhorns vs. USC Trojans

- The Longhorns were the defending Rose Bowl champs, but mighty USC was considered one of the best teams of all-time. Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, LenDale White, and Steve Smith headlined a stacked Trojan offense. Texas was #2, and heard all of the props being given to USC. So what did the 'Horns do about it? They gave the ball to Vince Young and emerged victorious in one of the most exciting National Championship games of all-time.

Super Bowl XLII (42) - Giants vs. Patriots

- The Patriots were in search of 19-0, and were also two-touchdown favorites. Tom Brady had thrown 50 touchdown passes in the regular season, and no one had been able to stop the freight train that was New England. The Giants heard the hype - they had no chance. But Michael Strahan and an inspired bunch of Giant defenders sacked and pressured Brady time and time again, and Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress with :35 seconds left to secure the monumental upset.

So if these examples are any indication, the Saints have more than a decent chance of winning on Sunday. Drew Brees is probably fed up with all of the "Peyton Manning is the Zeus of football" talk, and can't wait to get on the field to show what HE can do. Will it be enough to win? That remains to be seen, but don't be so shocked if the Saints take home the Lombardi Trophy.