Super Bowl XLIV Wrap-up

So depending on which analyst you listen to, either the underdog or the better team won. I picked the New Orleans Saints all along. And now a quarter-by-quarter look at the game:

First Quarter:
From the start, this looked like a win for the Indianapolis Colts. Each team had two possessions in the first quarter, and were opposites in what they did with the ball. The Colts drove almost at will, scoring both times. Their second possession was a 96 yard drive for a TD. Meanwhile, the Saints couldn't get moving. Their first possession, off the opening kickoff, ended in a 3-and-out punt. Their second got them a first down, but failed when Marques Colston dropped a wide open pass on 3rd-and-7. Things weren't looking good after the first.
Score after 1: Colts 10 - Saints 0

Second Quarter:
This was when the Saints began to turn things around. Looking at the play-by-play, you might not even notice a second team. From :39 left in the first, the Saints controlled the ball for roughly 13:05. Their first possession, beginning in the first quarter, ended on a 46 yard Garrett Hartley field goal. They then held the Colts to only 6 yards and a 3-and-out. Their next drive took them to the goalline, where a fourth down run(the correct call in my opinion) failed on the 1 yard line. Backed up, the Colts would gain 9 yards on three run plays and be forced to punt. That set up a second Hartley field goal, this one from 44 yards out. That made Hartley only the second kicker to make two 40+ yard field goals in a Super Bowl.
Score after 2: Colts 10 - Saints 6

Third Quarter:
In what is clearly the most talked about play of the game, the Saints came out showing how badly they wanted this game by successfully completing a surprise onside kick to open the second half. Six plays later, Pierre Thomas was taking a Drew Brees pass into the end zone, and the Saints had their first lead of the game. On their next possession, the Colts, who had not shied away from successfully running the ball, took five minutes off the clock on their own TD drive. Joseph Addai capped it with the only rushing TD of the game, and the Colts last score. The Saints followed that up with another long field goal, this one from 47 yards.
Score after 3: Colts 17 - Saints 16

Fourth Quarter:
The result of the Colts final possession of the third would be the beginning of the end in the fourth. After eating up the first five minutes of the quarter, Matt Stover would miss a 51 yard field goal, giving the Saints the ball at their own 41. The Saints would do what they did best all game: complete short passes. After for a 12 yard run on the first play, no other play on the drive would go for more than 9 yards. Still, they drove 59 yards and took back the lead on a 2 yard pass to Jeremy Shockey. The following 2-point conversion would initially be ruled dropped, but a replay review overturned the ruling, giving the Saints a full 7 point lead. In a reversal of the first quarter, it would be Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne who couldn't get it together. On 3rd-and-5, Tracy Porter stepped in front of a pass Wayne didn't look ready for, returning the pick 74 yards for a 14 point lead. On their final possession, Manning would lead the team to the Saints 5 yard line. With less than a minute left, his pass to Wayne on 4th down would go through the receiver's hands, ending their chance of winning.
Final Score: Saints 31 - Colts 17

Three Heroes of Super Bowl XLIV:

1. 
   
   Drew Brees. You could just call him Playoff MVP, with 732 passing yards, 8 TDs, and no turnovers.
2. 
   
   Tracy Porter. His pick-6 wasn't quite as impressive as James Harrison's last year, but it was just as effective.
3. Pierre Thomas. He led the team in total rushing and receiving yards, and scored the Saints first TD.

Three Goats of Super Bowl XLIV:

1. Reggie Wayne. His poor route running led to the game's only turnover, and his drop on 4th down ended the game.
2. Dwight Freeney. He may have made his first Super Bowl sack, but he was largely a non-factor due to his ankle injury.
3. Matt Stover. Making his second field goal attempt would have given the Colts a 4 point lead. Missing it gave the Saints great field position and the momentum to do something with it.

Playoff Picks:

Straight up: 1-0, 8-3 overall

ATS: 1-0, 7-4 overall

o/u: 1-0, 9-2 overall