WHO DAT?! - A victory for the city of New Orleans

The Saints came back from a 10-0 deficit to claim the 44th Superbowl. Many people favored the Colts due to their genius of a quarterback Peyton Manning, but when the final score read 31-17 Saints at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, everybody knew that the game wasn’t just about how fast, strong or football-smart a team is; it was about heart as well.

Quarterback and MVP Drew Brees or Breesus, as he’s known in New Orleans, is an icon to the team and to the city. He has been a firm believer ever since he came to the team just after Katrina that the city and the team can come back from anything.

The Colts struck first and held a 3-0 lead throughout most of the first quarter. The game was expected to be a shootout but it started out very defensively oriented.

Peyton Manning wanted to change this. The Colts started the first touchdown drive from their own 4-yard line. Manning carried them up the field, not looking for his usual big time receivers Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, but constantly found running backs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown out of the backfield. The drive was capped off when Manning found former D3 standout wide receiver Pierre Garcon for a 19-yard touchdown pass to put the Colts up 10-0 with just seconds left in the first quarter.

The second quarter didn't see much scoring either. Manning sat on the bench watching the Saints' offense get stopped on two separate goaline stands. Kicker Garret Hartley eventually came through twice for the Saints in the second quarter to send the game into overtime with a score of 10-6.

The Saints began the second half with an unexpected onside kick and recover around midfield. Just three minutes into the second half, running back Pierre Thomas scored for the Saints on a trick play, turning the game around, making it 13-10 Saints.

The Colts, however, came right back as Manning hit tight end Dallas Clarke on two separate occasions and Addai finished the drive with a 4-yard plunge into the endzone, putting the Colts back up 17-13.

The Colts had the lead but that would be it for their scoring on the day. Hartley kicked another field goal to bring the score to 17-16 and shortly after, Brees once again showed why he deserved the MVP award, carrying his team down the field and hitting tight end Jeremy Shockey for a 2 yard touchdown pass making the score 24-17 after a successful two point conversion try.

Manning tried to work his magic once again but fell short. While driving, Manning was picked off by Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, who scampered into the endzone and sealed the deal with little time left, resulting in a 31-17 point victory.

With everything that the city of New Orleans has been through, it’s hard not to feel great for the Saints. The win sends a message to its citizens: anything is possible.