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FIRST QUARTER
The New Orleans Saints won the coin toss and elected to receive but that was the only thing that went their way in the first quarter that was dominated by Peyton Manning and the Colts, who opened a 10-0 lead.
The Saints went three and out on their first possession and managed just one first down the second time they had the ball.
The Colts? All they did was march down the field on each of their two possessions, the first one ending in a 38-yard field goal.
The next time they got the ball they started from their own four-yard line and thanks to the accurate passing of Manning and the power running of Joseph Addai, who had three key bursts of 16, 10 and 26 yards.
On third and six on the Saints 20-yard line, Manning threw a perfect strike to receiver Pierre Garcon and the Colts were out to a surprsingly easy 10-0 lead.
The Saints, who were making their first Super Bowl appearance, won the NFC on the strength of quarterback Brew Brees and an offence that seldom could be stopped.
In the opening quarter, though, the Colts shut it down with ease and the Saints, who entered the game as five-point underdogs had no answer for Manning.
SECOND QUARTER
Just like the Colts had their way offensively in the first quarter, the second quarter was dominated by the Saints. Down 10-0 the Saints came to life in their first possession of the second quarter, moving from their own 10-yard line down to the Colts 22-yard-line.
But on third and two, Brees was sacked by defensive end Dwight Freeney, who rolled his ankle in the AFC championship game, ruptured the ligaments and was considered the longest of shots to appear in the game.
But when the game started there was Freeney and his sack of Brees, the first of the game, ended the Saints drive from where Garrett Hartley connected on a 46-yard field goal to cut the deficit to seven points.
Thanks to a dropped pass, the Colts were forced to make their first punt of the game on their next possession with the Saints getting the ball back on their own 27.
Brees looked to have found his rhythym on this possession making a couple of key throws to Marques Colston, one for a 27-yard gain that brought the ball to the Indy three.
After an illegal procedure five-yard penalty and eight-yard run, the Saints were at the one-yard line. Two plays later they were still at the one and on fourth down, coach Sean Payton elected to go for the touchdown.
It didn’t happen as running back Pierre Thomas was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, preserving the Colts 10-3 lead.
The Saints, though, weren’t quite finished as with time running out in the first half they moved into position for a second field goal by Hartley to make it 10-6 for Indy at the half.
It wasn’t quite the shootout that everyone expected.
THIRD QUARTER
Coach Payton wasn’t gun shy about taking another gamble, even though his decision to go for the TD instead of the field goal in the second quarter failed.
Following the halftime show put on by the wheezing, geriatric rock band The Who, Payton elected to go for it early as on the second-half kickoff he elected to try an on-side kick.
It was a beaut as the ball deflected off an Indy lineman and was recovered by the Saints on their own 41.
It pumped up the Saints as they moved downfield on Brees arm to the Indy 16.
On first down, Brees dumped a screen pass to Pierre Thomas and he took it in to give New Orleans a 13-10 lead.
But it didn’t last long.
This time the Saints kicked it deep with Indy starting their drive on their own 24.
Manning, who was hardly on the field in the second half, thanks to the Saints offensive dominance, calmly moved his club downfield to the Saints four from where Joseph Addai ran it in to allow the Colts to regain the lead, 17-13.
Now it was the Saints turn and this time they moved from their 34 down to the Indy 30 from where Hartley booted his third field goal of the game to shave the Colts lead to 17-16.
It set things up for what promised to be a wild fourth quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
Indy came close to adding to their lead moving from their own 10-yard line to the Saints 32.
The drive included a fourth-and-two gamble by the Colts from the Saints 44 that Manning negotiated with a completion to Reggie Wayne.
When the drive stalled on the 32, Matt Stover came on to attempt a 51-yard field goal.
His effort, though, sailed wide left giving Brees and company the ball.
With the Saints offence in overdrive, Brees marched them down to the Indy two. On second down he found tight end Jeremy Shockey in the end zone putting the Saints back on top 22-17.
Now it was time for coach Payton to gamble a third time as he went for the two-point conversion. It appeared the Saints had failed.
The Saints called for a replay on the catch and the ruling went in their favour, putting them into a 24-17 lead with 5:42 to play.
Indy got the ball back and was driving when the backbreaker came for Manning and the Colts fans.
With just over three minutes to play it was third and five for the Colts on the Saints 31.
Manning let loose with his 37th pass attempt of the game but this one would be picked off by the Saints Tracy Porter and he would race 74 yards the other way for a game-breaking touchdown giving them a 31-17 lead and the party in New Orleans was off and running.
The Colts needed two touchdowns just to tie the game and with two minutes to go they were at the Saints 30.
But time finally ran out on the Colts as on fourth and goal from the five, and 44 seconds on the clock, Manning couldn’t connect.
That was the final last gasp and the Saints aren’t the Aints any longer.
The final was 31-17 for the Saints in the 44th Super Bowl..
It was No. 1 for New Orleans.