New Orleans Saints claimed Super Bowl Championship
The biggest event on the American Football calendar has been won by the New Orleans Saints.
They beat the Indianapolis Colts, by a convincing 31-17 to win the 44th Super Bowl.
For many in New Orleans, the city on the south coast of the United States which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, this was more than just a game of football.
It was a message to the nation to say: we’re still here and back in business.
Sean Payton arrived as the New Orleans Saints’ head coach on January 18, 2006, less than five months after Hurricane Katrina tore holes in the Louisiana Superdome roof, tearing the very fabric of a proud, historical city, as well as the entire Gulf South.
“As underdogs, we felt like we were the better team,” Payton said.
“We liked the way our guys were preparing for this game. We liked the confidence in the locker room, on the practice field. We liked the spot we were in.”
The Saints, who finished the season with a 16-3 record, trailed by 10 points after the first quarter and didn’t take their first lead until the opening moments of the second half.
It was the way they did it, of course, that will go down in the annals of pro football history.
Payton chose to go for an onside kick to open the second half, while the legendary British band The Who was rocking on the field and the Saints were waiting in their locker room.
Rookie punter Thomas Morstead executed the kick to perfection, as Colts receiver Hank Baskett charged the ball, only for it to bounce off his helmet. Special-teams standout, Chris Reis, made the recovery for the Saints, and six plays later the Saints took their first lead on Drew Brees’ 16-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas.
The momentum was theirs, even though the Colts quickly went back in front on Joseph Addai’s four-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
The Saints, who finished the season with a 16-3 record, trailed by 10 points after the first quarter and didn’t take their first lead until the opening moments of the second half.
The Saints’ defence started forcing Peyton Manning, the Colts’ gifted quarterback, into some bad decisions, and New Orleans would win going away.
“Everyone knows what the city has gone through,” Saints defender Darren Sharper said. “That’s what makes it special. They’ve wanted it for a long time.”
The Saints made history, all right. They’re the best team in the NFL.
