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A week and a half after the New Orleans Saints’ kicker Garrett Hartley helped make franchise history by booting a game-winning 40-yard field goal through the uprights in the Louisiana Superdome’s first ever NFC Championship, head coach Sean Payton hopes his team will make an even bigger splash: winning the team’s first ever Super Bowl this Sunday in South Florida.
The overtime kick from Hartley capped an exhausting game against the Minnesota Vikings, featuring iconic quarterback Brett Favre and the NFC’s number two ranked defense anchored by defensive linemen Kevin Williams, Pat Williams and Jared Allen.
In both halves, the Saints and the Vikings each traded touchdowns back and forth. Star running back Adrian Petersen ran for three out of Minnesota’s four scoring plays, finishing with a total of 122 yards rushing. Favre connected with wide receiver Sidney Rice for five yards for the team’s other scoring play.
Despite these impressive plays, turnovers plagued the NFC North Division winners all night. The Vikings fumbled the ball a total of six times, three of which the Saints recovered. With 0:19 remaining in regulation, Favre threw an interception to Saints’ cornerback Tracy Porter, effectively killing the Vikings’ remaining momentum. Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees, meanwhile, took to the air three times during the game to running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush and wide receiver Devery Henderson for three different touchdowns. Thomas scored the Saints’ other touchdown on a nine-yard run.
Facing off against the Big Easy team this Sunday will be the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts led by rookie head coach Jim Caldwell. Like the Saints, the AFC South Division winners also overcame a near loss to a resurgent New York Jets team.
After surrendering 14 points and accumulating only two field goals to match in much of the first half, Colts quarterback and NFL MVP Peyton Manning connected with wide receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon and tight end Dallas Clark for a total of 21 unanswered points. Once again the kicker, in this case Matt Stover, cemented the victory with a 21-yard field goal.
The Saints came into the game ranked seventh in total offense and rushing. The running attack features backs Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner and Pierre Thomas, both of whom are ranked in the league’s top 15 in rushing yards. Drew Brees is also ranked fifth in passing with 444 total yards. Defensively, the Saints rank ninth overall with outside linebacker Scott Shanle in the top five for tackles.
The Colts, meanwhile, rank fourth in total offense and third in the passing game. Peyton Manning headlines the top of the list in passing with 623 yards. Pierre Garcon and rookie Austin Collie rank amongst the top ten in receiving with 185 and 175 yards respectively. On the other side, the Colts rank fifth in total defense and fourth in stopping the run. Highlighting the defense is defensive back Antoine Bethea, who is fourth in the league in interceptions.
The Colts return to South Florida to play in their second Super Bowl in four years since beating Coach Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bears 29-17 in 2006. Super Bowl XLIV will be the team’s second appearance since their relocation to Indianapolis from Baltimore in 1984 and the fourth overall since the term “Super Bowl” was first coined in 1969. The New Orleans Saints, on the other hand, will make the franchise’s first appearance since the team’s inception in 1967.
Aside from the two teams playing, the event will feature several stars. Grammy award-winning country music singer Carrie Underwood will perform the National Anthem. Grammy award and Golden Globe award-winning actress and musician Queen Latifah will sing “America The Beautiful.” Rock band The Who will also perform in the Bridgestone Halftime Show.
The big game will air at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, Feb. 7 on CBS.
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