Share
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. Onside kick was in works all along
The scheme was in the works for the past two weeks, but New Orleans coach Sean Payton wasn't sure when would be the right time to spring a surprise onside kick on the New Orleans Saints.
When halftime arrived, he decided to use it on the second-half kickoff.
"It's going to be a great play," he said he told his team.
And it was. The ball traveled the necessary 10 yards, hit a Colts player and was recovered by the Saints, who then took advantage of it with their first touchdown of the game, giving them their first lead, 13-10.
"Our guys did a good job in showing normal kickoff coverage," Payton said.
"You know you get a little nervous. There's a lot going on in the week of the Super Bowl and the kick was the kicker, and Thomas (Morstead) hit it good."
Saints players raved about Payton's bravado and the impact it had on the game.
"It was definitely a noticeable change of momentum," said wide receiver Marques Colston. "Our sideline was up and bouncing around after that."
Observations
Carrie Underwood did a stirring country-style rendition of the national anthem, preceded by Queen Latifah's creative and soulful version of "America The Beautiful."
In a bit of a new twist, the seven newly inducted members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were introduced right before the coin toss. Then former Dallas running back Emmitt Smith, one of the inductees, flipped the coin.
It was almost stunning to see Saints star receiver Marques Colston drop a pass midway through the first quarter on what would have been at least a 10-yard gain. Ditto for Colts receiver Pierre Garcon early in the second quarter.
During a break in the first half, the giant video screen in Sun Life Stadium showed highlights of Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart's 206-yard rushing performance against the New York Giants in Carolina's 41-9 win at Giants Stadium on Dec.27.
Thumbs up
Very gutsy move by Saints coach Sean Payton trying an onside kick with the second-half kickoff. That clearly took the Colts off-guard and was a huge success.
Thumbs down
Payton's earlier risk backfired when he tried for a touchdown - which didn't work - instead of taking a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the Colts' 1 late in the first half.
Notes
Colts kicker Matt Stover, 42, became the oldest player to score in a Super Bowl when he made a 38-yard field goal in the first quarter.
The Saints became the 18th franchise to win a Super Bowl. They joined the Ravens, Jets and Buccaneers as the only teams to win in their lone appearance.
The Saints became the first team to win the Super Bowl by defeating three playoff teams quarterbacked by previous Super Bowl winners - Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.
New Orleans' win was a boost for No. 1 playoff seeds. The Saints are the first top seed to win the title since the Patriots beat the Panthers six years ago.
By the numbers
3 Saints kicker Garrett Hartley became the first kicker in Super Bowl history to make three field goals of more than 40 yards in a game (46, 44, 47). Former Panthers long snapper Jason Kyle gets an assist on the kicks.
58 Indianapolis running back Joseph Addai carried five times for 58 yards in the first quarter.
96 The Colts 11-play, 96-yard touchdown drive near the end of the first quarter matched the longest TD drive in Super Bowl history, first set by Chicago vs. New England in Super Bowl XX.
Did you know?
There has never been a punt return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history. The longest was a 45-yarder by San Francisco's John Taylor against Cincinnati in Super Bowl XXIII.
Quoting
"No, I wasn't worried. I was just terrified." - New Orleans' Morstead when asked if he was nervous in the moments before he was to try an onside kick to start the second half.
"We put this city on our back four years ago and now it's worth it all." - New Orleans safety Roman Harper.
"Blood is thicker than 'who dat.'" - NFL Network studio host Rich Eisen on former Saints quarterback Archie Manning's first allegiance being to his son, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
