Super Bowl Thoughts

Because everyone cares what a Nats blogger thought of the SuperBowl

Saints Offcnse v Colts Defense

The Colts went in with a game plan to prevent the Saints from scoring on the big play. They rushed only 4 and dropped everyone else back into coverage. While successful in the respect they were going for, they were unable to generate pressure which allowed the Saints offense to take full advantage of what the Colts were doing. The Saints efficiently drove down the field time after time, keeping the ball out of Manning's hands and in effect controlling the game. While the offense sputtered a bit as it closed in on the goal line (as it would against this type of defense as there became less room to create openings) the Saints never wavered from the plan, rightly understanding that it only takes one or two mistakes once you drive into scoring position to cross the goal line. The circumstances of the game never forced the Saints to try for the big play and it would have behooved the Colts to at least to attempt to pressure the Saints a bit more as the game went on.

Colts Offense v Saints Defense

A lot of people might talk about how the Saints defense came up big. Don't be fooled by the score. Outside of the one huge mistake, Manning owned the Saints D as much as, or even more so, than Brees did with the Colts. Up until the interception with 3:29 left in the game, the Saints defense only really stopped the Colts once, on the drive following the Colts stopping the Saints on 4th and goal. The Colts, however, repeatedly made errors which kept the Saints in the game and eventually allowed them to pull away. Garcon dropped a difficult 3rd down catch, which led to the first FG, and then an easy 3rd down completion on the 3rd drive of the game. On 3rd and long early in the 4th, Austin Collie quite possibly let an intereference call slip away by attempting to reach for a catch over Johnathon Vilma rather than running through him while he was turned away from the play. Manning made the mistake you just can't make, an up for grabs pass on a short outside route. It was fitting that the final play of the game for the Colts was a pass right through Reggie Wayne's hands for what would have been a touchdown.

Special Teams

The goal is to make no mistakes. The Saints didn't. The Colts made two huge ones, missing a FG, and failing to recover an onside kick.

Final Thoughts - The mistakes of the Colts offense, and their strategy on the defensive side, left the Saints with the opportunity to control the game. The Saints offense still had to perform though, and Brees and his corps of recievers did so to near perfection. Thanks to their mistake free execution, and with help from the special teams, the Colts found themselves in a situation where they did not have the time to make up for their own failures.