The Saints Went Marching In!
by Bruce Raffel on Feb 8, 2010 7:00 AM EST
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PrintThe New Orleans Saints put the finishing touch on an unimaginable season with 3:12 left in the game as CB Tracy Porter picked off a Peyton Manning pass and sprinted 74 yards for the back breaking and game sealing TD. After the Indianapolis Colts couldn't score from the five yard line with under a minute to play, the Saints just needed to take a knee for one play in order fo rthe victory to become official. Then the celebration began, in Miami and on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
You got to give the Saints credit for not packing it in when the Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and then were ahead 17-16 and in field goal range. However, after a missed 51 yard field goal attempt by former Baltimore Ravens' Matt Stover, the Saints marched down the field for the go ahead touchdown and never looked back. I was sort of surprised that the Colts would even go for the long field goal, knowing that Stover's range hadn't been close to that for years now. Despite the fourth and 11, the punt would have been a bad call as well, but I could have easily seen Manning and the Colts going for it with pretty much nothing to lose on the play. Had they went for it and not gotten the first down, New Orleans would have taken over at their own 34 yard line, instead of where the field goal attempt was spotted, which was the 41 yard line.
Most likely it would not have made a difference and after Porter crossed the goal line with his pick-six, the party started on the Saints' sideline. The French Quarter was primed for a drunk-fest regardless of a Saints win or loss, but with the win, the liquor will flow a lot faster and longer into the wee hours of the morning. Mardi Gras in a couple of weeks might end up looking tame by the time the partying stops in the French Quarter.
Major congrats to the Saints as a team and New Orleans as a city. No place in America needed or deserved the opportunity to celebrate like New Orleans. No offense to the Indianapolis Colts but tonight the New Orleans Saints were "America's Team." Drew Brees earned his "Most Valuable Player Award" but the entire Saints team contributed to this victory with their never-say-die attitude and commitment to winning and playing like the team that started the regular season 13-0.
More will follow all week long throughout the football world as this game is dissected apart, but the simple fact that the Saints beat three of the better quarterbacks in the league, all certain Hall of Famers in Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and now Peyton Manning. As Reggie Bush said after the game, "no one can say we didn't earn this Super Bowl trophy with the road we traveled to get here."
Geaux Saints Geaux!
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Congrats Saints!
Another great Superbowl and a nice feel good story to boot.
Next year has officially started, bring on free agency and then the draft! Go Ravens!
Great story!!!
It is simply too good for the city and the team. You couldn’t script it better. It’s amazing the road they traveled and how they beat all the “elite” QBs to get there including Tom Brady.
by Dfense4champs2052 on Feb 8, 2010 10:39 AM EST reply actions
The Ravens who are 0-8 against the Colts could take a lesson from the Saints. You can’t play Manning straight up. You need to pass downfield, try a trick play or two and gamble on D. The Saints played to win after a Raven type start. Sean saw how the game was developing and threw the Colts a curve ball. Cam and Harbaugh aren’t as flexible or innovative. Most importantly and obvious is that Flacco can’t hold Brees’s gatorade…Or is that Cam’s fault.
Note- Carrier loss is a significant one as our coaching staff is becoming soft and without edge. It’s as if Harbaugh is surrounding himself with humble Joes. I can see the players eyes rolling back in their heads when these guys tap on the war drum or bring swords and shovels to the locker room. We are disconnecting with the players. The Jets got a good coach. He made the most of the DB staff. He made them better and with a little Flacco help may have beaten the Colts. Good luck Mark!
Yup
When the Saints did that onside kick, Sean Peyton kicked Jim Caldwell right in the nuts with that one. Harbaugh is a special teams guy and he would never do that. Our CB are too much of pussies to take a chance on a pass like the one Porter picked off. I even bet that it would have been Sluggs or JJ on Wayne at that point to. Mattison was napping when that played happened and forgot to sub out players.
Carrier loss won’t be that bad, raven. And it is not like we are surrounding ourselves with softies. Honestly, who would you want out there right now rather than Jim Zorn as your QB Coach and Pees as your LB coach? Tell me what better options are out there and don’t say something stupid like Kurt Warner or hire Seau as our LB coach. We have a guy who was a GREAT QB with limited WR help and a guy who coached a 3 time Superbowl winning defense. What else do you really want?
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
I think Zorn is a little weird. He baby talks the players and reminds me of the annoying over-protective father who runs for an ice pack and neosporen when his son bumps his knee on the playground. He’s foot ball intelligent I’m sure but just a little too goofy for a player to take serious.
I know nothing of Pees but obviously no other teams were jumping at him. Considering he’s one of those Bilichick girls you would have thought he’d land a head coaching job somewhere. Even that Mickey Mouse Club O-Coord got a job in Denver. So, why isn’t Pees an attractive head coach coming from the NE line? Seems to be old enough. Is everyone writing him off because he had a star cast of players and the hooded one orchestrating his moves?
Who would I like as coaches..Hmmm. How about:
Lawrence Taylor and Bubba Smith on D and Montana as QB Coach. That would be bad ass. They would just say, “Go F them up” and stay out of the way.
Only problem is, those guys have not said they have any interest in coaching right now.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Thats what will get us 500 penalty yards
thats more than our tri-weekly average for this year was.
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 9, 2010 9:46 PM EST up reply actions
Nice to see Drew Brees get a ring. It is well deserved, he is one of the best there is right now. Congrats.
Yea exactly. QB’s that at 6’0" like Brees and Troy don’t succeed in the NFL. We need 6’7" from Delaware.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Don't ever say
Drew Brees and Troy Smith in the same sentence EVER again!
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Feb 14, 2010 1:09 AM EST up reply actions
You just did
and what about this sentence:
“Troy smith doesn’t deserve to hold Brees’ Jock”
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 15, 2010 8:32 PM EST up reply actions
Stover had enough leg for the 51 yarder. Just knuckled on him a little. I wish he nailed that for his sake…and to shove it up Ozzies ass.
I still think letting him go was the right move.
I just wish they had a better plan for who was going to replace him.
So do I
That kick made Ozzie look good. Sure it looked to maybe have enough distance, but the fact is that Stover had to put every little bit of his 95 year old leg into that kick, which made it sail off. Give him another shot and he might hit the cross bar.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Exactly…let him go when we have a proven replacement. Out of all teams the Ravens can’t survive without a FG kicker. Letting Stover unceremoniously go was a dumb move. How many 50+ kicks do you have to attempt anyways. If you do use your kick off kicker. Nothing wrong with having 2 kickers. One could have taken T-Good’s spot (JJ Evans in pads- DYNOMITE).
I find this fact extremely funning about yesterday's game.
Ok, so in the off-season we got rid of Stover because we did not want to carry a kicker for field goals and a kicker for kick-offs, waste of a roster space right?
Well in yesterday’s game, there were a total of FIVE kickers between the 2 teams technically. Saints had Hartley for FG and Reis for kick-offs (that onside was incredible). Then the Colts have Stover and whoever does their kick-offs and then Viniteri is technically still with the team. FIVE kickers between 2 teams and we said we did not want to carry 2 because it wasted a roster spot. Shows the difference between us and the 2 teams last night.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
Wasn't Viniteri on IR?
And hence not occupying a roster spot?
Colts' punter kicks off
and why can’t Koch do the same for us, as he has a monster leg.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Feb 14, 2010 1:10 AM EST up reply actions
To many Touchbacks or 40 yard penalties.
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 15, 2010 8:31 PM EST up reply actions
Just a theory
But maybe as the Miami sun died down during the second half, the Saints defense were no longer blinded by the glare off of Peyton’s forehead, thus resulting in a potential game winning interception.
"I kill myself in small amounts"
by StuckInUtah on Feb 8, 2010 3:14 PM EST via mobile reply actions
No like Draft Dez Bryant and sign B-Marsh and Stallworth and re-sign Clayton.
And the Wr depth will be:
1. B-Marsh
2. Dez
3. Stallworth
4. Clayton
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 8, 2010 9:17 PM EST up reply actions
Suggs and Lewis have that handled.
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 9, 2010 9:47 PM EST up reply actions
I be rolling in the Gs dawg.
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 9, 2010 9:47 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks for the nice post
We Saints fans are in uncharted territory. Nobody has ever cared about us that much until now. But some people out there, unlike you, are incredibly nasty and classless and envious of our success. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but I can’t believe people would be envious now after 43 years of not having much to be envious of. Thanks to you for the nice writeup and congratulations. Congrats to you Ravens fans as well, you had a good year and you have a bright future, and Ray Rice is a darn stud, without question.
I want to see our offense against your defense. That would be like “War of the Worlds”. Good luck to you guys next year (until you play the Saints next time, that is !!!).
Thanks
I don’t understand the disrespect either. Who Dat was a jeer used by the fans when you guys sucked, but now you guys use it with pride, and people hate you for it. I can’t wait until we play you guys next year. It will be a challenge for your defense to contain rice, Marshall, and mason. :)
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 10, 2010 6:52 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks for noticing us
here on The Beatdown. Congrats to a team that deserved and earned it.
aka 'Rexx'
by Bruce Raffel on Feb 14, 2010 1:11 AM EST up reply actions
You are just glad that they beat the Colts. ; )
But there is nothing wrong with that
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 15, 2010 8:31 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah him and Chris Carr
The night is darkest right before the dawn
by Zachary Beard on Feb 11, 2010 9:37 PM EST up reply actions
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