Super Bowl Recap: Saints Win Their First Title 31-17
by Brandon on Feb 8, 2010 1:10 AM CST
in Green Bay Packers Analysis
44 comments
Here are some key stats from ESPN:
| Stat | Saints | Colts |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 332 | 432 |
| Yards/Pass Attempt | 7.2 | 7.4 |
| Rushing Yards/Carry | 2.8 | 5.2 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 3 for 9 | 6 for 13 |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 0 for 1 | 1 for 2 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
The Colts had more yards, ran the ball better, and converted on 3rd down. Knowing nothing else about the game, I'd think the Colts had won. I'm not saying the Saints were entirely lucky (just somewhat). I'm pointing out that they won with a little help from better field position and a rope-a-dope big play.
1. Special teams and field position. According to Football Outsiders, there was nothing exceptional about the Saints on special teams this season. In fact they were pretty bad: ranked No. 28th overall. But just as field position helped them beat the Vikings, their special teams made a difference in this game. The onside kick to start the 2nd half was a stupid idea, but it worked so Sean Peyton will get a ton of credit for placing a winning bet. It's good to see it gives another boost to the unlikely NFL career of former Badger LB Jonathan Casillas. It also got them great field position. So did the missed 4th quarter FG, though that had nothing to do with a good play on the Saints part (sometimes it's better to be lucky). After the onside kick and the missed FG, the Saints took possession at their 42 and 41 yard lines, and used the short field to score two TDs. The Saints needed a short field too. They came away with zero points on their longest drive of the game (71 yards) when they got stopped on 4th down at the Colts' 1 yard line. Meanwhile the Colts' best starting field position of the game was their own 30 yard line.
2. Tracy Porter and the Pick Six INT. Just a brilliant article written by Doug Farrar over at Shutdown Corner detailing how the Saints had been getting killed playing in a wide 3 man front with little help from the blitz. But CB Tracy Porter had watched a lot of film and knew what the Colts were trying to do on 3rd and short with their receivers stacked. Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams admitted they were trying to set up a situation where QB Peyton Manning would throw that pass out of that formation. The whole exchange reminded me of the rope-a-dope where Ali took a beating from Foreman to set him up later. (By the way, When We Were Kings is a brilliant documentary about that famous fight). The Saints gave the Colts a lot of ground while they waited for Manning to throw the one pass they were looking for.
There were a lot of great players in this game. The Colts would have stood no chance if Manning hadn't been brilliant on his other 44 pass attempts. The Saints would have stood no chance if QB Drew Brees hadn't had another brilliant game completing over 80% of his passes with 2 TDs and zero turnovers. But those two prize fighters were trading punches, making what I expected to be an evenly matched game exactly that. But it was the Saints got a big play from a barely known cornerback and it was the Saints that got somewhat lucky on a couple special teams plays. Those were the differences in the game.
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Thanks for that documentary recommendation...
…gonna follow that up, sounds interesting. Funny, while watching the game, I would have sworn the saints were at lest tied with the colts in yards and those other key stats. Guess I was viewing things through rose colored glasses.
I am wondering, does anyone remember Manning’s post game conference in 2006, when he said that he doesn’t plan on making this (his 2006 victory) his only super bowl championship? People took that as a veiled shot at FAvre for having won just one. And now, both of them are 1-1 at the superbowl…
will mannings words come back and bite him? Mighty interesting.
Huh?
I’m disappointed a bit tonight and probably not in the best state to answer anything, but what? As a Colts fan who also loves the Packers, I want to say that is crazy. How in the world was anything Manning said in ‘06 a “veiled shot” at Favre??? I follow everything the guy says. I also used to love Favre (he’s the reason I originally became a Packers’ fan). I cannot see any way that anything Manning said then could’ve been a cheap shot at Favre. Ever. Sheesh. A bit over-Fare-sensitive or something.
I guess with all the dumb karma talk I heard heading into the second Jets game, I shouldn’t be shocked by anything. But I am surprised to hear this, or the assumption that Manning spoke words that will come back and bite him. The guy is always very appropriate in what he says, give him that much. Some people should get a job in the media business, the way they make something of nothing.
Congrats to the Saints. They deserved that win ith their performance. The Colts were outcoached by a mile, but I’m not in the mood for that analysis right now. Just congrats to the Saints, truly. And boo to that comment above. And I’m in no state to comment tonight/this morning.
As far as next season goes, go Colts and go Packers.
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 8, 2010 2:58 AM CST up reply actions
why was the onside kick stupid?
Were the Packers stupid to do it in Arizona?
by uglyfatpimplynerd on Feb 8, 2010 3:20 AM CST reply actions
I found both calls-
Both the Packers & The Saints to be utterly ballsy, and not in the least bit stupid.
The onside kick was brilliant.
Great coaching by the Saints. They played with guts, the Colts were too conservative too often. I admire the Saints’ decisions throughout the game. Payton is a great coach. Congrats to them!
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 8, 2010 4:01 AM CST up reply actions
I thought it was stupid.
The packers kick was completely different. They were down by two touchdowns and there was no indication they were going to stop Warner any time soon.
The saints on the other hand were down 4 with 30 minutes to played after keeping the colts to just 10 points in the first half. Why would you even need to? You’re basically telling your defense that you don’t trust them. If the pack tried that play in the same situation I would be furious regardless of the outcome.
Yeah, you have a pretty good point there. Had that onside kick not worked, you probably give the Colts 7 points and dig an even deeper hole. But it worked haha, so oh well I guess.
by packallday555 on Feb 8, 2010 10:40 AM CST up reply actions
The onside doesn’t get called unless the coaches had good film intel or noticed during the game that the Colts front 5 were eager to get back into their blocking scheme. I am pretty sure it wasn’t just a fly by the seat of your pants call.
"I agree but dont agree"
by juggernaut400 on Feb 8, 2010 11:39 AM CST up reply actions
Or
You kick away and give the Colts 7 points and dig an even deeper hole. Lest you forget, the Colts responded to the Saints TD’ with a 76 yard TD drive of their own.
Exactly.
I admire Coach Payton’s calls. Hard to not like the guy…
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 8, 2010 3:04 PM CST up reply actions
Payton isn't a genius, he's practical.
He’s the only guy who figured it out. The only way to beat the Colts is to keep Peyton Manning off of the field. Because when Manning is on the field, the Colts are marching to the end zone.
No doubt.
The onsides kick surprised me, then I was immediately impressed by the strategy. That and going for it on fourth and goal near the end of the half. It could’ve worked, but even when it didn’t it caused the Colts to play conservative with their back to their own end zone, which gave the Saints the ball back and the three points anyhow before the half. Great call. I like the aggressiveness.
The Colts were way too conservative a couple of times, particularly with nearly two minutes left in the half and nearly 100 yards to go. Our offense has excelled at the two minute drill before the half all season long. To run it three times and punt was playing scared. I don’t like it.
Teams with great offenses (like NO, GB, and IND) need to play a bit more aggressively in certain situations than other teams should. The bottom line is that we were outcoached last night. I’m very happy for Brees (go Purdue =p) and Payton. I’ll get over the loss in time.
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 8, 2010 3:27 PM CST up reply actions
Good points made by the two of you. I guess it’s easy to look at the possible results and draw a conclusion.
by packallday555 on Feb 8, 2010 11:34 PM CST up reply actions
Or it could be a way to change momentum
Which it clearly did. Not sure why they would have been claiming there D can’t be trusted. After that 10-0 first quarter it was a 31-7 game.
Frye is honestly gotta be one of the top 10 3rd Stringers in all of the NFL right now--colbyb
Has there ever been
An on-side kick to start a half? In the playoffs? In the SUPER BOWL?
Personally, I think that’s what turned the tide of the game. The Saints had a lot more swagger after that ballsy play.
It shouldn't have worked
It wasn’t like it surprised the Colts. The Colts were thinking about it and had a wide receiver standing right there, but it bounced off his face. It was a low percentage play. Onside kicks more often fail then work under any circumstances. It was totally ballsy, and the Saints wanted to take a chance to make a big play, but it was still a low percentage play that shouldn’t have worked.
Baskett will be gone quckly from the Colts team.
Ugh. One of four key negative points for the Colts in this game. I can’t think about it anymore…
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 9, 2010 1:42 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah, I was gonna say earlier that even she may be dumping him soon =p
Any volunteers to take his place?
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 9, 2010 9:52 AM CST up reply actions
It is said...
that when it’s a surprise, it’s 60% successful. Obviously, it’s less successful under 2 minutes in the 4th. It depends on the situation. I also disagree that the Colts were expecting it.
There was a sort of risk analysis of Payton’s decisions in the NYT. I’m not sure if i buy the stats, but i can accept the general conclusions.
I think you had money on the Colts.
by uglyfatpimplynerd on Feb 9, 2010 1:46 AM CST up reply actions
I missed that earlier.
No way the Colts were expecting it. Baskett is always in on Special Teams as a coverage guy. He is not the receiver of choice we’d use for an onside kick! We were not expecting it. Kudos to the Saints for their success at stealing drives from the Colts. It paid off well.
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 9, 2010 9:47 AM CST up reply actions
I've read a lot of people saying the 4th and Goal rushing attempt was a failure
I didn’t think it was at the time, and still don’t. Let’s say you kick the 3, you then have to kick off to Manning and he gets the ball with 1:50 at the 30 yard line. Easy for them to get 3 points, maybe 7.
So instead you go for it. If you don’t make it, they now have 29 more yards to go, plus a couple of wasted plays trying to get out of the endzone. Your chances at keeping them from scoring are much higher.
The FG at the end of the half was just gravy on top, but the 4th goal attempt was clearly, not only to get a TD, but to attempt to limit Manning’s ability to get the final drive of the half points which has been customary for him.
Yep. Agree totally.
Thought Payton did a good job.
by uglyfatpimplynerd on Feb 8, 2010 10:07 AM CST up reply actions
I thought the 4th and Goal
was a good idea, just a stupid play call. They basically just ran the same play twice. It got stuffed the first time…why did they think it would break through the second? Either pass, or try some other running play (maybe to the opposite side).
When watching the Saints defense consistently blitz over and over again I just couldn’t get our games against the Vikes (x2), Steelers, and Cardinals out of my head!
Manning beat many of the blitzes they threw at him and I don’t believe they registered any sacks on him. And while they got some pretty good pressure on Manning occassionally, it wasn’t like they were collapsing the pocket every play. This is going to happen against good Qb’s but it is no reason to abandon the blitz or not blitz at all.
While good Qb’s can sometimes pick apart the blitzes, and often do, I promise you their going to pick apart defenses that only bring 3-4 guys and drop the rest into coverage even more so. Despite not a ton of success in blitzing throughout the game, Williams stuck with it, and because of that they were able to force an INT that all but sealed the game. While there was a good chance Manning would just continue dissect the blitzes, there was still a chance that the blitz would get to him and possibly force him into a dumb decision. Williams called that game aggressively and like he wanted to win it. He didn’t call it conservatively, and with the attitude that his defense was going out there trying not to lose it like we saw Capers do in those 4 games I mentioned above.
I know this doesn’t really relate to the SB but I’m pretty sure I could find a way to talk about the Packers when reading any football related subject haha.
Would you rather go down fighting hard?
Or playing not to lose by sending 3-4 guys and getting beat anyway? Personally, I’d rather see the aggression because like you said, there’s still a chance you might get to him. Especially with guys like Warner & Favre…the only way you beat them is by at least TRYING to get some pressure.
But really, when you’re down to starting guys like Bush, Bell, Underwood, etc., I don’t think the scheme really matters. Just too much inexperience and/or talent at that depth (which could probably be said of most teams).
But really, when you’re down to starting guys like Bush, Bell, Underwood, etc., I don’t think the scheme really matters. Just too much inexperience and/or talent at that depth (which could probably be said of most teams).
This is true and I’ve thought a lot about this. Still though, there is at least a chance that your blitz works and forces a quick throw. And while there is a chance the Qb still makes a mistake when your dropping 7-8 guys back into coverage, it just doesn’t happen all that often with good Qbs. And those chances go down way more when you take into account that you got guys out there like Bush, Bell, and Underwood out there.
by packallday555 on Feb 8, 2010 11:37 PM CST up reply actions
Nail + Head
And while there is a chance the Qb still makes a mistake when your dropping 7-8 guys back into coverage, it just doesn’t happen all that often with good Qbs
Exactly. Nobody apparently remembers the Vikings games where we would send 3 and Favre had 30 seconds to throw the ball. Yes, you have 8 in coverage, but there will still be holes, and even halfway decent receivers will run around and eventually find said holes.
Yeah, covering WRs in the NFL is next to impossible to do for any time longer then 3-4 seconds, and when you have to try to cover for 5+ seconds it’s just not going to happen. I seriously can’t tell you how many times we sent 3 guys on 3rd and 8+ against Favre, and he sat back there for 5-8 seconds and eventually found an open guy! And it’s funny because people praise Favre for “shredding” us apart those two games but the reality is any Qb in the league would have tore us apart with the scheme Capers was running that night. Not to take anything away from Favre, but I just think our poor pass defense was more a result of our poor scheme as opposed to the opposing teams skill guys just being that much better then our guys.
by packallday555 on Feb 9, 2010 10:26 AM CST up reply actions
This superbowl ...
…still feels flat out weird to me! Colts outgained them by 100 yards…it wasn’t like they could really stop Manning 333 yards passing, 70 percent completion rating…yet…they held them to 17 points. It boggles the mind.
Steve Young made an interestingn observation. I haven’t bothered to look it up, but he said the Colts average 12 possessions per game. And in this game, they got a grand total of 8 possessions. He said bascially the Colts offense played 2/3s of a game.
I guess like everyone, the key to the game may have been the onside kick, it was like stealing a possession from the Colts AND they went on to score a TD (potential 14 point shwwwing?)
But it’s weird, statistically, the defense that Narlens played didn’t really stop them! Just like Vikes got 500 yards on them. Addai averaged 6 yards a carry, Manning had 333 yards passing, and completed 70 %…but they held them to 17 points.
Just plain weird.
Maybe Young is right. They got 4 less possession than they usually get.
And, is this the first time a superbowl winner got outgained in the super bowl and the conference championship?
Interesting
Hadn’t heard that yet. Of course I hadn’t heard much over the sound of my own bitter weeping. Just kidding. You are right, though. It does seem weird. I think the bottom line is that we were outcoached. That, above all else, stands out.
by coltsfanawalt on Feb 9, 2010 1:08 AM CST up reply actions
Sports Guy Noticed It Too
On his podcast. There were a lot of completions, they set a combined Super Bowl record and Brees tied the single QB record, which often doesn’t stop the clock. A lot of long drives too.
Not that wierd
The best defense is an offense that keeps the other guys offense completely off the field.
by uglyfatpimplynerd on Feb 9, 2010 1:48 AM CST up reply actions
Patriots got badly outgained by the Rams in SB 36
Yet they still won. The margin was much larger than the Saints to Colts margin. You have to look at special teams too. The Colts special teams were dreadful in that game.
What a fantastic photo...
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Feb 8, 2010 7:11 PM CST reply actions
Yeah
That picture is amazing on so many levels. Whoever took that photo needs to be in the running for some sort of award.
best ever?
I can’t think of a better championship celebration photo, I really can’t. Someone post links to other good ones!
Yeah
I don’t even think the picture of Reggie standing in the end zone holding up the trophy while surrounded by photographers can come close to comparing…and that’s the closest one I can think of…and I’m incredibly biased towards the picture of Reggie so that’s how highly I think of that picture.
Frye is honestly gotta be one of the top 10 3rd Stringers in all of the NFL right now--colbyb
I figured out why that pic is so great...
..if you go on youtube, the number one viewed video of all time is Charlie Bit my finger, about a cute couple of kids. We are just suckers for cute kids!
Good job AP
I had a bunch of good photos to choose from via Associated Press and obviously I thought that one was the best.
You are not the brightest bulb in the bunch are you
As far as the onside kick goes the Colts had a tendency of dropping their front linemen during the kick ,no one expected an onside kick and the Saints had that play scouted and planned it was brilliant planning not dumb luck as you suggest.
As far as tracy Porters pick 6 it was not his first this yeart he baited Peyton into throwing it after studying game film and reconizing thats a throw he makes regularly on those situations it’s called game planning maybe if your DB’s did that you would have made it past the Cards
Greg Williams came up with a great D game plan make them run to beat us run a base defense in the first half to give them minimum adjustments at the half throw a little more at them in the 3rd quarter.And then throw the house at them in the fourth and confuse Peyton it worked like a charm
As far as the 4th down field goal they attempted what do you mean it had nothing to do with the Saints who do you think held them to 4th down?
And the Saints didnt need a short field at that point yes the Colts held us in the first half but they werent doing nothin against our offense in the second half
I really hope yopur not one of the main writers on the ACME PACKING COMPANY because you are obviously clueless when it comes to breaking down football games
by mississippisaintsfan on Feb 10, 2010 8:52 PM CST reply actions
Maybe i was a little harsh after reading what i wrote
But your article seems to completely disregard the fact that Sean Payton coached to win this game not just show up and be conservative
And you seem to completely ignore the fact that that the Saints get paid to play the game also not just be the other team in the super bowl
by mississippisaintsfan on Feb 10, 2010 9:08 PM CST up reply actions
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