NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Only days after former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said the New Orleans Saints had “no chance” in the Super Bowl, and would get blown out by the Colts, the Saints stuck it to the man, and made the Colts their whipping boy for night, and won the Big Game, the Super Bowl.

Drew Brees came away with the Super Bowl MVP after going 32/39 for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns, while not throwing a pick all night.

The 32 completions tied the Super Bowl record for most completions in the Grand Finale.

In what was the third straight exciting game to watch, Super Bowl wise, the Saints battled back from an early 10-0 deficit to stun the Colts, who seemed to be in complete control throughout the whole 1st quarter.

But after the butterflies flew away, and the Saints regained their cool, they showed who was indeed the better team, and stunned the world.

In a Super Bowl matchup that was deemed as even as you could get, both teams featuring high scoring offenses, with weak defenses, the game, which was predicted to be all about the offense, came down to one defensive play.

Late in the game, the 4th quarter to be exact, with the Colts driving, down 24-17, Peyton Manning threw an interception near mid-field,to Tracey Porter, which turned the Saints lead to 31-17, which would prove to be the final score.

Manning pretty much cost himself the Super Bowl, and another ring this game. There was really nobody else to blame but himself. He put himself in perfect position to get his team back into the game, only to no avail, after throwing the INT.

While Manning controlled the 1st quarter, Drew Brees controlled the rest of the game. After being down 10-0 after the 1st quarter, the Saints rallied back to only be down 10-6 at the half, after two field goals by Garrett Hartley.

Then, after a completely gutsy call, an onside kick to start the half by the Saints, who recovered. The Saints scored off of a Brees to Pierre Thomas 16 yard touchdown hookup, which made the score 13-10.

The back and forth game did not stop their. Manning rallied his troops to take the lead on a 4 yard run by Joseph Addai. This would now make the score 17-13.

The next quarter and a half was all Saints though. The Saints scored on yet another Hartley field goal, his third from 40+ yards, and then on a Brees to Shockey 2 yard touchdown pass.

This is where things got a little bit crazy, and the crucial call that usually happens in the Super Bowl, happened.

The score was 22-17, in favor of the Saints.

The Saints needed to go for two if they wished to force the Colts to score a touchdown just to tie the game. The Saints indeed went for two, and while Brees rolled out to his right, threw the ball to his awaiting receiver, Lance Moore, Moore looked to drop the pass as he was falling to the ground, and the play was ruled an incomplete pass.

But Saints head coach Sean Payton again showed his guts, and challenged the play.

Upon further review, the replay showed that Moore was indeed down, and the ball was in his full possession, as it crossed the goalline. The ball only came loose after he was down, and the ball was over the line, but even then, Moore retained possession after he caught the ball after a quick bobble.

The play was reversed, which made the score 24-17, and gave the Colts a little sense of urgency.

On the next drive, Manning threw the game-changing pick-six to Porter.

After that score to push the Saints lead to 31-17, there would be no more points put up on the scoreboard for the 2009-10 football season.

This years Super Bowl, featured two class acts at the quarterback position.

Both deserved to be there, but I have to give all the credit in the world to Brees and the Saints.

Brees pulled his team together, and won the game for not only himself and his teammates, but for the city of New Orleans as well.

Brees is an easy guy to like, and seeing his joyous face with tears running down his cheeks after the game, while he was holding his baby boy, was priceless to me, and that is one of the reasons why we watch the NFL, for moments like those.

This was a great season, with some painful moments, and some heartfelt moments, and I have to say, this season was capped off with one of the most heartbreaking moments for one team (Manning’s interception) and one of the most exhilarating, and heart-warming moments for one franchise as well (the Saints winning the Super Bowl).

The Saints winning the game, proved Dungy wrong, and in the process, warmed America’s hearts with one of the most amazing comebacks in Super Bowl history (10 points down), and one of the most emotional Super Bowl wins of all time.

Celebrate New Orleans, celebrate all you want, because you deserved it, and you now finally have a Super Bowl trophy that belongs to your city. Bourbon Street can go wild, and without a doubt, will be partying all night.

What a night my friends. Till next season. Congratulations again to the New Orleans Saints, who are your 2009-10 World Champions.

Rachel Nichols reports on the celebration in New Orleans following the Saints’ 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV.

The New Orleans Saints can forever put away the paper bags.

Sunday night in Miami, they not only answered all those questions, they took their place as the best team in the National Football League. Led by a great outing by the games MVP, quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints beat the favored Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win their first ever Super Bowl trophy.

Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining. The defense put the game away the following drive for the Colts, as cornerback Tracy Porter stepped in front of wide out Reggie Wayne and took back a pick 74 yards for the game clinching score to ice the win.

"We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us," Brees said. "What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it's better than expected."

Colts QB Peyton Manning was 31-for-45 for 333 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Colts seemed on their way to their second title in four years, as they led 10-6 at halftime, and then 17-13 with 6:15 to play in the third quarter after Joseph Addai went in from 4 yards out.

That’s when the Saints took over. Their offense took it down for kicker Garrett Hartley to nail a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-16. Then in the fourth quarter after Colts kicker Matt Stover missed a 51-yard field goal wide left, Brees and the Saints went on a 9-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Brees hitting tight end Jeremy Shockey with a 2-yard TD pass, then Brees hit Lance Moore with the two-point conversion, which at first was ruled incomplete, but then overturned.

The Colts drove to the Saints 26 before Porter picked off Manning for the game-clinching score. "It's time for the Saints to celebrate," he said. "It's their field and it's their championship."

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Forbes.com has sent us this cool Super Bowl ad viewer, so you can see all the ads from tonight’s game, and even vote on them! Enjoy!

Yes, it’s finally here. It might as well be a holiday for football fans, as that’s how we treat it. Today the Colts and Saints wrap up what has been a memorable 2009 NFL season in the biggest game of the year – the Super Bowl. The hype is all but over, and now, here is my pick for the contest.

First off, the Colts have the experience factor, and I think that will play a part in this matchup. While some will say that Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are equals (I think Manning is better, but it’s a valid debate), Manning has the edge of having played this game, in this very stadium, three seasons ago, and I think that will mean a lot in those early jitters.

Same goes for both sides of the ball. The Colts defense gets the experience edge, as well as the rest of the offense outside of just Manning. Plus staying with the Colts offense, I think their O-line is going to have the edge here. A lot of people have talked about Gregg Williams and what the Saints D is going to try to do to Manning, but this group keeps their QB upright, and I think while he’ll take some hits, it won’t be like what Brett Favre had to put up with in the NFC Title game.

As for the Saints, look for them to try and spread the field and take some downfield shots. The Colts, either without Dwight Freeney or a way less than 100 percent Freeney, will look to get Brees to make a few mistakes, and I can see the defense forcing a few turnovers in this title matchup.

Another key will be the running games, and the game plan around them. Don’t forget that a few years back it really was the run game that keyed the Colts run to a title over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Joseph Addai will have a lot of chances to give the Colts some type of ground game, and also to keep Brees and the Saints off the field. Watch the tempo early from Indy and if they can run, it could be a long day for the Saints.

The Saints wide receivers need to have a better than just good game to win. They have to not only make tough catches, but they also have to have some big YAC’s (yards after catch), meaning 4-5 yard grabs need to become 14-15 yard plays to keep drives going in tough situations.

New Orleans will have their shots, and Brees has to be patient, especially early when the jitters will be at their highest. They have to avoid drive killing mistakes, and also not allow the Colts to have short fields.

To me, the Colts should be a team looking for perfection today. They should have been 16-0 in the regular season, as they would have beaten the Jets and Bills in those last two games if their starters wouldn’t have been pulled. So while the Saints are only 5-point underdogs, to me the Colts are clear cut favorites, and for good reason.

Indianapolis 34 New Orleans 27