From
ESPN
MIAMI -- Who Dat won the Super Bowl? The
New Orleans Saints, that's who.
Ain't kidding.Put away those paper bags forever:
Drew Brees and the Saints are NFL champions, rallying to upset
Peyton Manning and the
Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in one of pro football's most thrilling title games.Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to
Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining. The Pro Bowl quarterback was chosen Super Bowl MVP."We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us," Brees said. "What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it's better than expected."A surprise onside kick sparked the Saints' second-half comeback. Their 25th-ranked defense made several key stops, and
Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return on a pass from Manning, of all people, clinched it.Manning gave futile chase, but was blocked by a New Orleans defender and fell awkwardly as the cornerback raced by. The four-time NFL MVP forlornly walked to the sideline as the Big Easy celebrations began. Who would have thought the biggest mistake of the game would have come from Manning?"It's time for the Saints to celebrate," he said. "It's their field and it's their championship."An NFL embarrassment for much of their 43 years, the Saints' football renaissance, led by Brees and coach Sean Payton, climaxed with Shockey's touchdown and
Lance Moore's 2-point conversion catch. The conversion pass originally was ruled incomplete, but Payton challenged the call and won.Porter's pick, just as dramatic as his interception of
Brett Favre's pass to force overtime in the NFC title game, was the game's only turnover. It's one Manning will forever regret.The Saints (16-3) won three postseason games this winter after winning only two in the previous 42 years. They beat Arizona, Minnesota and Indianapolis (16-3) -- all division winners -- for their first title, scoring 107 points and allowing only 59.The championship came 4 1/2 years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, making the Saints nomads for the 2005 season. There even was some doubt they would return, but the NFL refused to abandon the Big Easy. The Superdome was rebuilt and the Saints won the NFC South in '06, their first season with Brees and Payton.
