It was one call – one gutsy call – that swung the momentum in favor of the New Orleans Saints. No, it was not a highlight reel run or a downfield bomb. It wasn’t even a field goal kick similar to those kicked by Adam Vinatieri that won two Super Bowls for the Patriots – it was a recovered onside kick. It was the very first play coming out of halftime. How’s that for gutsy?
The Saints were down 10-6 coming out of halftime and its seemingly unstoppable offense had stalled. Enter Sean Payton and rookie kicker Thomas Morstead. Morstead kicked a perfect “looper” that Colts’ reserve receiver Hank Baskett couldn’t handle. Baskett was caught off guard, which led to Saints’ safety Chris Reis’ recovery of the football.
The onside kick effectively shifted the momentum in the Saints favor. Sure, the Colts still scored seven points in the third quarter after a routine drive by Peyton Manning, but the onside kick jumpstarted the Saints offense. It was there that the Saints never looked back. After Matt Stover missed a field goal late in the third quarter, the Saints had regained their composure and luster.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Colts couldn’t prevent the Saints’ offense from kicking into high gear. Drew Brees threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey and completed a two-point conversion attempt that put the Saints up by a touchdown.
You couldn’t blame the Who Dat? Nation for being a little antsy when four-time MVP Peyton Manning took the field with four minutes left and the Saints only up by a score. You know the drill – the Colts down, Manning leads his team down the field for the win.
This time it was different. It was destiny and no one, even Manning, could prevent destiny. In one quick swoop cornerback Tracy Porter snatched a Manning pass and returned it for a 74-yard touchdown return.
There would be no come-from-behind drives for Manning. The night belonged to the Saints. New Orleans’ head coach Sean Payton took a gamble and it paid off. It changed the whole tone of the game.
No longer were people asking, “Who Dat!?”. No more questions on who deserved it more because it was the Saints who won Super Bowl XLIV – “Dat Who!”
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