Monday, February 08, 2010

SB XLIV: Post Mortems

Sean Payton's coaching moves Sunday night seemed to have come from someone with ice water in his veins. Perhaps, most notoriously, the onside kickoff attempt to start the second half, brilliantly executed by rookie kickoff man and punter Thomas Mooreshead.

As far as the Saints' defense was concerned, I thought they would have to come after Peyton Manning again and again, doing to him what they had done earlier in the postseason to Kurt Warner and Brett Favre. It really didn't happen, and it proved not to be all that necessary.

Tracy Porter, the defensive back whose interception of The Old Gunslinger two weeks ago in the NFC title game that set up the overtime period in which Garrett Hartley kicked the game-winning field goal, struck again late in the fourth quarter Sunday with his 74-yard interception of a Peyton Manning pass for the Saints' insurance touchdown. That was the game's only turnover.

Dwight Freeney, the Colts' defensive back, bad ankle and all, did start the game and actually registered the game's only sack during the second quarter. But after the extended intermission, he wound up with that gassed out feeling.

Drew Brees ended up playing a brilliant game at quarterback for New Orleans, tying Tom Brady's Super Bowl record for most completions in one game. He certainly earned that MVP award.

The halftime show with The Who was fairly decent.

As for the commercials, that Snickers ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda was pretty hard to top.

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