Posted by Perry
Super Bowl XLIV is over. The New Orleans Saints have won their first championship in team history by beating the Indianapolis Colts 31 – 17.
First, I have to say congratulations to the Saints, their fans, and the city. They played a great game, kept their composure and made big plays when they had to in the biggest game of the year.
I’m severely disappointed that the Colts lost, but devastated by how they lost. They missed opportunities for big plays, they dropped passes that they catch nine times out of ten, they had silly penalties on defense that kept the Saints explosive offense on the field, they had blown coverages on defense that they practiced all year. In short, they didn’t come to play.
Much was made of coach Jim Caldwell resting his starters heading into the playoffs, costing the Colts a chance at a perfect season. I truly didn’t have a problem with his decision for one basic reason – it doesn’t mean anything. Yes, they could have gone 16-0. Yes, they could have had a chance to be only the second team in NFL history to win every game should they have won the Super Bowl, but they didn’t.
In the NFL, fair or not, the only thing that fans and media remember is who won the championship. The Patriots had a chance to go undefeated if they could beat the Giants in the Super Bowl – they lost – and no one talks about them going undefeated in the regular season. Because it means nothing.
The lesson the Colts learned last night is this; you have to play hard every single play. They looked tentative defensively at times, the offense missed chances to put the Saints in a huge hole, the play-calling at times had you scratching your head. The perfect example is the Colts final drive of the game. Down by 14, they passed their way down the field, but failed to get out of bounds and stop the clock. Everything was over the middle and time kept ticking away. Once they get close to the end zone, and with under two minutes to go, they tried a running play – which promptly got stuffed – more time ticked away. The last chance for the Colts fell to the Miami turf when Reggie Wayne dropped a touchdown pass in the endzone, sealing the Colts fate.
In the NFL, history is reserved for those who hoist the Lombardi trophy over their heads, nothing else you do during the year matters – Peyton Manning and company have done it once, they failed to capitalize on chances to do it again.
Knowing the Colts, they’ll use that knowledge for next year and bring the Lombardi back home to Indianapolis. Where it belongs.
Go Colts!