Super Bowl XLIV
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Date | February 7, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||
Market share | 68 (national) 82 (New Orleans) 80 (Indianapolis) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cost of 30-second commercial | $2.5 – $2.8 million[8] | ||||||||||||||||||
Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | Westwood One | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Marv Albert, Boomer Esiason, James Lofton and Mark Malone | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2009 season. The underdog Saints defeated the Colts by a score of 31–17, earning the franchise its first Super Bowl win.[9][10] The game was played at Sun Life Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida, for the fifth time (and in South Florida for the tenth time), on February 7, 2010, which was the latest calendar date for a Super Bowl until Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
This was the Saints' first Super Bowl appearance and the fourth for the Colts franchise, and their first since Super Bowl XLI in 2007. The Saints entered the game with a 13–3 record for the 2009 regular season, compared to the Colts' 14–2 record. In the playoff games, both teams placed first in their conferences, marking the first time since Super Bowl XXVIII (16 years previously) that both number-one seeds have reached the Super Bowl. The Colts entered the Super Bowl off victories over the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, while the Saints advanced after defeating the previous year's runners up, the Arizona Cardinals, and then overcoming the Minnesota Vikings in the Conference Championship. It was also the first time both teams started with a 13-game winning streak. This game would also mark the last Super Bowl appearance for both the Colts and Saints as of the upcoming 2024 NFL season.
New Orleans was behind 10–6 at halftime of Super Bowl XLIV. During a play many consider the turning point of the game, Thomas Morstead kicked off the second half with a surprise onside kick. The Saints recovered the kick and soon got their first lead of the game with Pierre Thomas's 16-yard touchdown reception. The Colts responded with Joseph Addai's 4-yard touchdown run to regain the lead at 17–13. The Saints then scored 18 unanswered points, including Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return for a touchdown, to clinch the victory. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns, was named the Super Bowl MVP.[1][11] His 32 completions tied a Super Bowl record set by Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Saints' win was seen as a major morale boost for the city of New Orleans following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. However, the game would later become controversial by the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, when the NFL determined in 2012 that the Saints operated a slush fund between the 2009 and 2011 seasons to pay out bounties to their players for injuring their opponents.[12]
The live broadcast of the game on
Background
Host selection process
The league initially voted on March 23, 2005, that New York City host the game, contingent on the completion of the proposed West Side Stadium being built for the New York Jets by 2008.[13] After New York state government officials declined to approve $400 million for the stadium, the NFL decided to reopen the bidding for the game's site.[14] The league reconsidered the other, unsuccessful candidates for Super Bowl XLIII: Atlanta, Houston, and Miami. On October 6, 2006, the league selected Miami as the host city, with the formerly-named-Joe Robbie Stadium as the venue.
This was the tenth time the Super Bowl has been held in the Miami Metro area at the home stadium of the
With
Miami became the first city to host two Super Bowls designated as a National Special Security Event (NSSE). In the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, every Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXXVI has been designated as an NSSE. Super Bowl XLI was Miami's first Super Bowl designated as an NSSE.
Pro Bowl changes
The 2010 Pro Bowl was played on January 31, during the off-week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl, breaking with the precedent of scheduling the game for the Sunday after the Super Bowl. The game also changed venues from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, where it had been held since 1979, to Sun Life Stadium in Miami (the same city and stadium hosting the Super Bowl itself). Fourteen players from the Super Bowl participants, seven from each team, had been selected but were unable to participate due to the change. The new schedule took advantage of the bye week given to the conference champions to rest and prepare for the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl returned to Honolulu the following season and remained there until 2015, when it was played in Glendale, Arizona, a week before Super Bowl XLIX, also in Glendale. The game returned to Honolulu in 2016, and beginning in 2017 was played in Orlando permanently. This, however, changed again in 2020, when the league announced that the 2021 Pro Bowl would be played at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The move also meant that the Pro Bowl, which was won by the AFC by a score of 41–34, would avoid competing against the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the second full day of competition in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the 52nd running of the Daytona 500, as would have been the case had the game been played on February 14 per its traditional post-Super Bowl scheduling.
Teams
New Orleans Saints
The
The Saints' offense led the NFL in scoring, averaging just under 32 points per game. Brees finished the season as the NFL's top rated quarterback (109.6), completing an NFL-record 70.6% of his passes for 4,338 yards and 34 touchdowns, with just 11 interceptions. His top target was Colston, who caught 70 passes for 1,074 yards and 9 touchdowns, but he had plenty of other weapons, such as receivers Devery Henderson (51 receptions) and Robert Meachem (45), along with tight ends Jeremy Shockey (48) and Dave Thomas (35). With fullback Heath Evans out of action due to injury for most of the season, Dave Thomas often lined up as a fullback, with tackle Zach Strief serving as an extra blocker on short yardage plays. The ground attack was led by running backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell. Thomas rushed for 793 yards and caught 39 passes for 302, while Bell added 654 yards on the ground. Bush was also a major contributor, rushing for 390 yards (with a 5.6 yards per carry average), catching 47 passes for 335 yards, and adding another 130 yards returning punts. New Orleans also had a strong offensive line with three Pro Bowl selections: guard Jahri Evans, center Jonathan Goodwin, and tackle Jon Stinchcomb.
Defensive lineman Will Smith led the team in sacks with 13. Another big weapon on defense was linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who led the team with 87 tackles and intercepted three passes. The Saints' secondary was led by 12-year veteran safety Darren Sharper, who recorded 9 interceptions and set an NFL record by returning them for 376 yards and three touchdowns. Cornerback Tracy Porter was also effective, recording 49 tackles and 4 picks with one touchdown.
The Saints started out the season strong, winning their first 13 games. But then they became the first 13–0 team ever to lose their last three games of the year. After losing their 14th game to the Dallas Cowboys 24–17, they suffered a narrow loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20–17 in overtime) after Garrett Hartley missed a potential game-winning field goal. With the team's playoff seed clinched, head coach Sean Payton chose to rest Brees and other starters in the final game of the season, resulting in a 23–10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The string of defeats cast a cloud over the team's postseason chances. Still, they clinched the No. 1 NFC playoff seed and scored 76 points in their two playoff wins en route to their first ever Super Bowl.
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis had the NFL-best 14–2 record, winning seven games by less than a touchdown,
Indianapolis' defensive line was led by Pro Bowl defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. Freeney led the team with 13.5 sacks, while Mathis added 9.5 sacks and forced 5 fumbles. Behind them, the Colts had a solid corps of linebackers featuring Clint Session and Gary Brackett, who each recorded 80 tackles. Pro Bowl safety Antoine Bethea led the secondary with 70 tackles and four interceptions.
Under their new coach Jim Caldwell, the Colts started off the season with 14 consecutive wins before suffering their first loss to the New York Jets, 29–15, a game in which Caldwell made the controversial decision to rest his starters after the team took a slim lead rather than keep them in to play for a chance at a 16–0 season. Indianapolis finished the season at 14–2 following a loss to the Buffalo Bills, in which they rested their starters and went on to advance to the Super Bowl, making them perfect in all their games in which their starters played all four-quarters.
Caldwell led the Colts to the Super Bowl the season after Tony Dungy retired, just like in Tampa Bay when Jon Gruden led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl XXXVII after Dungy was fired. Senior offensive line coach Howard Mudd retired following the game.[16]
Playoffs
The Saints started off their playoff run with a dominating 45–14 win over the defending NFC champion
Their opponent in the NFC Championship Game was the Minnesota Vikings, led by 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback Brett Favre, who had thrown four touchdown passes in their divisional round win over the Dallas Cowboys. Even though the Saints' offense could only muster 257 total yards, their defense made up for it by forcing five turnovers. Additionally, the Saints outgained the Vikings in punt and kickoff return yards 166 to 50. The key play of the game occurred late in the fourth quarter with the score tied 28–28 and the Vikings driving for a potential game-winning field goal. With less than a minute left, they reached the Saints 33-yard line. But after two runs for no gain and a penalty that pushed them back to the 38, Porter picked off a pass from Favre to send the game into overtime. After the Saints won the coin toss, Pierre Thomas's 40-yard kickoff return set up a 10-play, 39-yard drive that ended with a game winning 40-yard field goal by Hartley, sending the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl.
The Colts' first opponent was the Baltimore Ravens, a 9–7 squad that had advanced to the divisional round by defeating the New England Patriots 33–14, forcing four turnovers from their All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady. Against the Colts, however, all they could manage was a field goal on their opening drive. Indianapolis built up a 17–3 first half lead with a Matt Stover field goal and Manning's touchdown passes to Wayne and Collie. In the second half, the Colts survived two interceptions from Ravens safety Ed Reed on one drive, one of which Reed fumbled, and the other which was called back by a penalty. Stover, who spent 18 years with the Modell franchise, finished the drive with his second field goal to make final score 20–3, as their defense put the game away by forcing two consecutive turnovers.
Their next opponent was in the
This was the first Super Bowl matchup in which both teams had a first-round bye since Super Bowl XXXIX. All four of the Super Bowls in-between had one team that played all three rounds (two of which were wild card teams), with three of those teams (including the Colts in Super Bowl XLI) winning it all.
Broadcasting
Television
United States
The game was televised live in the United States on
With an average U.S. audience of 106.5 million viewers, this was the third
Advertising
Notable returnees and absences
Perennial Super Bowl advertisers
What aired
The rest of the Top Five:
- 2. The aforementioned Doritos's amateur ad featuring a dog strapped to an anti-bark collar getting revenge on a teasing man.
- 3. A Bud Light ad with a house completely made of beer cans of the sponsor's product.
- 4. A Budweiser ad featuring the relationship between a Longhornsteer.
- 5. Coca-Cola's man walking through an African savanna in the middle of the night.
The YouTube Top Five of their "2010 Ad Blitz" were:
- Another Doritos ad that showed a kid slapping his mom's suitor.
- E-Trade's baby with his girlfriend.
- The Doritos dog collar ad.
- The Snickers Betty White/Abe Vigoda ad.
- The Doritos commercial with the gym rat.
ADBOWL results reflected the following ranking:
- Snickers: You're Not You – Betty White & Abe Vigoda
- Doritos: House Rules
- Volkswagen: "Punch Dub" Game
- Google: Parisian Love
- Doritos: Underdog
Internet domain registrar
was also aired.Other advertisers for 2010 included
Controversies
Three advertisers in particular raised eyebrows with their choice to advertise during the Super Bowl. One new advertiser, Focus on the Family,[32] aired a commercial featuring 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother that elicited criticism from some women's groups who demanded CBS cancel the ad because they claimed it would be divisive, under the impression that it would mention Tebow's mother was advised, for health issues, to abort her son Tim, but she chose to give birth to him. In the first quarter, CBS aired the advertisement, which had not been pre-released to the public.[33] Per a statement released earlier, the ad did not mention the topic of abortion explicitly.[34]
One proposed sponsor,
Among other rejected or modified ads were one for Electronic Arts' Dante's Inferno, which had to be edited for content (the closing phrase, originally intended to read "go to Hell", was replaced with "Hell awaits"), and GoDaddy's originally planned advertisement.[37] Career Builder's ad, showing people dressed too casually for "Casual Friday" and a Dockers ad to promote a free pair of their pants with men in shirts but sans trousers aired back-to-back early in the second quarter.
An
International
Viewers worldwide were able to watch on the following channels:
- North America:
- simsub due to CRTC mandatesall cable/satellite providers to replace the American feed.)
- Mexico: Televisa, TV Azteca (broadcasting in HD).
- Belize: Tropical Vision Limited, Great Belize Television.
- Fox Sports Latin America.
- Fox Sports Latin America.
- Fox Sports Latin America.
-
- Oceania
- Channel Ten and One HD
- New Zealand: Sky Sport 2 and ESPN
-
- Europe:
- Austria: Puls 4 started at 23:30 (CET)
- Belgium: Prime Sport
- Denmark: )
- Europe: ESPN America.
- Finland: Viasat Sport/Viasat Sport HD started at 00:00 (CET)
- France: W9
- Germany: ARD Das Erste started at 23:35 (CET)
- Greece : Nova Sports started 01:30 (EET)
- Hungary: Sport 1
- Ireland and United Kingdom: BBC One and on Sky Sports 1 and HD 1 at 10:55 pm and 11 pm (GMT)
- Italy: Rai Due started at 00:15 (CET), broadcast also in HD in selected areas.
- Norway: Viasat Sport/Viasat Sport HD
- Poland: Polsat Sport/Polsat Sport HD started at 00:00 (CET)
- Portugal: SportTV 2 and on SportTV HD started at 23:00 (WET)
- Romania: Sport 1 started 01:00 (EET)
- Russia: NTV Plus
- Slovenia: Šport TV 1
- Spain: Canal+
- Viasat Sport/Viasat Sport HD started at 00:00 (CET).
- Turkey: Fox Sports [Turkey] Spormax HD started 01.00 (EET)
- South America:
- ESPN
- Esporte Interativo
- Fox Sports Latin America
- ESPN
- ESPN
-
- Asia:
- China: Sina TV
- Hong Kong: ATV
- Japan: NTV
- China:
Radio
On radio,
- United Kingdom: BBC Radio 5 Live (English; Arlo White announcing)
- Spain: Canal+ Spain (Spanish)
- Russia: NTV Plus (Russian)
- France: W9 (French)
- Japan: NHK (Japanese)
- Germany: ARD (German)
- Italy: RAI (Italian)
- Hungary: Sport1(Hungarian)
- Netherlands: Prime Sport(Dutch)
- Denmark: Viasat (Danish)
Entertainment and other ceremonies
Pregame
performed during the Super Bowl pre-game tailgate party, which started at 2:00 p.m.Queen Latifah sang "America the Beautiful" and Carrie Underwood sang "The Star-Spangled Banner". Underwood's performance marked the third straight year that an alumnus of American Idol has been invited to perform the national anthem, joining Jordin Sparks at Super Bowl XLII and Jennifer Hudson a year later. Translation of both songs into American Sign Language was provided by Kinesha Battles, a student at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.[42]
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the San Francisco 49ers' fifth Super Bowl victory, which took place at this stadium, Jerry Rice, who had also been MVP of Super Bowl XXIII, another Super Bowl played at this stadium, joined the coin toss ceremonies. Rice had just been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010. The rest of the class – Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, Russ Grimm, John Randle, and Emmitt Smith – were named the day before. The Saints won the coin toss, marking the 13th straight Super Bowl the NFC won the toss (the Cardinals won the toss in Super Bowl XLIII but elected to defer to the second half, giving the Steelers the ball to open the game). The coin used for the toss was flown into space on STS-129 before the game.[43]
Halftime
The Who performed at the Super Bowl XLIV halftime show. The band played a medley of their hits, consisting of "Pinball Wizard", "Baba O'Riley", "Who Are You", "See Me, Feel Me", and "Won't Get Fooled Again". For the first time since the Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show, there was no crowd of fans surrounding the halftime stage.[44] This performance was also released as downloadable content for the Rock Band series, named "The Who Super Bowl S-mashup".
Merchandising
Retailers had ordered much more New Orleans Saints merchandise prior to the game than they had ordered Colts merchandise.[citation needed] The NFL estimated that US$100million worth of Super Bowl merchandise would be sold.[45]
Game summary
First quarter
As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Colts elected to wear their home blue uniforms with white pants, while the Saints wore their road white uniforms with old gold pants.
The Saints won the coin toss and chose to receive, but their first possession resulted in a punt after going three-and-out.
The Colts offense took the field for the first time, with the ball spotted at their own 27-yard line. The Colts put together a drive that went 53 yards and resulted in a 38-yard field goal by kicker Matt Stover. At 42 years old, Stover became the oldest person in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl.
Following the game's first score, Courtney Roby returned the ensuing kickoff to the New Orleans 26-yard line. Approaching the 25-yard line, Roby swooped into a dive and appeared to fumble the ball, but he was ruled down by contact. This time, the Saints managed to get a first down with a 16-yard completion from Drew Brees to Reggie Bush, but they were eventually forced to punt again. Punter Thomas Morstead pinned the Colts back at their own 4-yard line with a 46-yard kick.
Indianapolis responded with a 96-yard scoring drive, tying the record for the longest drive in Super Bowl history. Joseph Addai rushed three times for 53 yards on the drive, while Manning completed three passes for 35 yards, the last one a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Pierre Garçon, increasing the Colts lead to 10–0.
Second quarter
The Saints' next drive carried over from the previous quarter. Brees completed three passes for 36 yards as the Saints advanced to the Colts' 22-yard line. But on third down, Brees was sacked for a 7-yard loss by Dwight Freeney, forcing New Orleans to settle for a 46-yard field goal from Garrett Hartley. After scoring points on their first 2 drives, the Colts looked to add more, but Garcon dropped a pass on 3rd down. The Colts were forced to punt, and the Saints took over driving down into Colt territory. They drove down the field to a 1st-and-goal at the Colts' 3-yard line. A false start penalty set them back to the 8, and after getting a yard away from the end zone, they attempted 3rd and 4th down runs. They failed to convert both times. The Colts ran three straight running plays in an effort to wind down the clock and go to halftime with a seven-point lead, but the Saints kept the Colts from getting another first down. Following Bush's 4-yard punt return to the New Orleans 48, with only one timeout left to use in the half, the Saints got back into field goal territory, and Hartley hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired, with the Colts still leading 10–6. This was the first 10–6 halftime score in Super Bowl history.
Third quarter
The Colts were set to receive the ball to start the second half but were caught by surprise when the Saints executed an onside kick. This was the first onside kick attempted before the fourth quarter in Super Bowl history,[46] a play the Saints referred to as "Ambush."[47] Thomas Morstead kicked the ball to his left, and after traveling almost 15 yards, the ball bounced off the face-mask of the Colts' Hank Baskett, who failed to make a clean recovery. Several players dove for the loose ball, creating a pile that took over a minute for the officiating crew to separate. When the dust finally cleared, linebacker Jonathan Casillas of New Orleans was officially credited with the recovery on the 42-yard line, but Casillas and other Saints players insisted that it was actually safety Chris Reis who came up with the football.[48] The Saints' offense took over and stormed down the field on an effective 58-yard drive in which they never faced a third down. Brees completed five consecutive passes for 58 yards on the drive and capped it off with a 'check-down' pass on the right side to Pierre Thomas, who took it 16 yards to the end zone behind blocks from Jonathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans, Devery Henderson, Kyle Eckel, Carl Nicks, and Jeremy Shockey, to give the Saints their first lead of the game at 13–10.
Manning and the Colts answered with their own touchdown drive, moving the ball 76 yards in ten plays. Clark caught 3 passes for 45 yards, while Joseph Addai finished the drive off with a 4-yard touchdown run to put the Colts back on top 17–13 with 6:15 remaining in the quarter. For just the second time in Super Bowl history both teams scored touchdowns on their initial possessions of the second half; the only other time occurred in Super Bowl XIV.
Hartley would bring the Saints to within one point of tying the game at 17–16, with his third field goal, launched from 47 yards away. In doing so he became the first kicker in Super Bowl history to score three field goals of 40 or more yards in one game.
This was the first one-point lead after the third quarter in Super Bowl history and second closest game after three-quarters, behind Super Bowl XXXIX which was tied between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Fourth quarter
Indianapolis responded with a drive to the New Orleans 33-yard line, only to have Stover miss a 51-yard field goal attempt, giving the ball back to the Saints with good field position on their 41-yard line. After that, Brees led the Saints on another touchdown drive featuring seven different players getting the ball. Bush started off the drive with a 12-yard run, and then Devery Henderson caught a pass on the Colts' 36-yard line. Following an 8-yard catch and run by Bush, Brees completed passes to Colston, Robert Meachem and tight end David Thomas, moving the ball to the 5-yard line. After a 3-yard run by Pierre Thomas, Brees threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey. Rather than settle for a six-point lead, and risk a potential Colts game-winning touchdown, the Saints chanced a two-point conversion. Lance Moore received a pass and attempted to stretch the ball out over the goal line as he fell to the ground and rolled over on his head. The ball was kicked away from his hands by defender Jacob Lacey, and the play was ruled an incomplete pass, prompting a coach's challenge from Sean Payton. After the review, the ruling on the field was overturned when it was determined that Moore maintained possession of the ball long enough and the ball had crossed the plane of the goal line for a successful conversion, giving the Saints a 24–17 advantage.
On the ensuing drive, Manning led the Colts into Saints territory in an attempt to tie the game. However, Tracy Porter intercepted a pass by Manning at the Saints 26 for the first takeaway of the game and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown; following the successful extra point, the Saints' lead grew to 31–17 with 3:12 remaining.[49] Porter's interception return for a touchdown improved teams to 10–0 in Super Bowls when returning an interception for a touchdown, although that record is now 12–1 following Super Bowl LI (when the New England Patriots overcame a 28–3 deficit versus the Atlanta Falcons).
Now down by two touchdowns, the Colts needed a touchdown on their next drive, followed by a successful onside kick, to stay alive, though they still had all three of their timeouts to use. They were able to drive to the New Orleans 3-yard line. When an offensive pass interference penalty on 1st and goal pushed them back 10 yards, the Colts got those 10 yards back on the next play. However, the next three plays saw a tipped pass that went off the goal post and incomplete, a loss of two yards on a rushing play, and a pass that went through the hands of wide receiver Reggie Wayne and incomplete, effectively sealing the win for the Saints. Brees knelt the ball with 0:44 left on the clock, ending Super Bowl XLIV and winning the Saints' first league championship in franchise history, the first major league world championship for the state of Louisiana.
Box score
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints (NFC) | 0 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 31 |
Colts (AFC) | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: February 7, 2010
- Game time: 6:32 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 74,059
- Referee: Scott Green (19)
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
- Recap, Game Book
Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Statistical overview
Drew Brees was named Super Bowl MVP for tying a Super Bowl record by completing 32 of 39 passes, with 288 passing yards and two touchdowns. After the game, Brees said, "Four years ago, who ever thought this would be happening when 85 percent of the city was under water? Most people left not knowing if New Orleans would ever come back, or if the organization would ever come back. We just all looked at one another and said, 'We are going to rebuild together. We are going to lean on each other.' This is the culmination in all that belief."[50]
Final statistics
Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XLIV, Super Bowl XLIV Play Finder NO, Super Bowl XLIV Play Finder Ind, Hoffco Super Bowl XLIV Play by Play
Statistical comparison
Statistic | New Orleans Saints | Indianapolis Colts |
---|---|---|
First downs | 20 | 23 |
First downs rushing | 3 | 6 |
First downs passing | 16 | 16 |
First downs penalty | 1 | 1 |
Third down efficiency | 3/9 | 6/13 |
Fourth down efficiency | 0/1 | 1/2 |
Net yards rushing | 51 | 99 |
Rushing attempts | 18 | 19 |
Yards per rush | 2.8 | 5.2 |
Passing–completions/attempts | 32/39 | 31/45 |
Times sacked–total yards | 1–7 | 0–0 |
Interceptions thrown | 0 | 1 |
Net yards passing | 281 | 333 |
Total net yards | 332 | 432 |
Punt returns–total yards | 1–4 | 1–0 |
Kickoff returns–total yards | 4–102 | 5–111 |
Interceptions–total return yards | 1–74 | 0–0 |
Punts–average yardage | 2–44.0 | 2–45.0 |
Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 0–0 |
Penalties–yards | 3–19 | 5–45 |
Time of possession | 30:11 | 29:49 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Records set[51] | ||
---|---|---|
Highest completion percentage, career (minimum 30 completions) | 82.1 | Drew Brees (New Orleans) |
Most completions, game, both teams | 63 | Saints (32), Colts (31) |
Highest completion percentage, both teams | 75% | Saints (82.1%), Colts (68.9%) |
Most field goals, 40 or more yards, game | 3 | Garrett Hartley (New Orleans) |
Oldest player | 42 | Matt Stover (Indianapolis) |
Records tied | ||
Largest deficit overcome, winning team | 10 points | Saints |
Most completions, game | 32 | Drew Brees (New Orleans) |
Most two-point conversions, game | 1 | Lance Moore (New Orleans) |
Most yards, touchdown drive | 96 yards | Colts |
Most first downs passing, both teams | 32 | Colts (16), Saints (16) |
Fewest rushing attempts, game, both teams | 37 | Colts (19), Saints (18) |
Most completions, game, team | 32 | Saints |
Fewest times sacked, game, team | 0 | Colts |
Fewest times sacked, game, both teams | 1 | Colts (0), Saints (1) |
Fewest fumbles, game, both teams | 0 | Colts vs. Saints |
Fewest turnovers, game, team | 0 | Saints |
Individual statistics
Saints passing | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C/Att1 | Yds | TD | Int | Rating | |
Drew Brees | 32/39 | 288 | 2 | 0 | 114.5 |
Saints rushing | |||||
Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
Pierre Thomas | 9 | 30 | 0 | 7 | 3.33 |
Reggie Bush | 5 | 25 | 0 | 12 | 5.00 |
Mike Bell | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2.00 |
Drew Brees | 1 | −1 | 0 | −1 | −1.00 |
Devery Henderson | 1 | −7 | 0 | −7 | −7.00 |
Saints receiving | |||||
Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
Marques Colston | 7 | 83 | 0 | 27 | 9 |
Devery Henderson | 7 | 63 | 0 | 19 | 7 |
Pierre Thomas | 6 | 55 | 1 | 16 | 7 |
Reggie Bush | 4 | 38 | 0 | 16 | 5 |
Jeremy Shockey | 3 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
Lance Moore | 2 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 2 |
Robert Meachem | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
David Thomas | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
Colts passing | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C/Att1 | Yds | TD | Int | Rating | |
Peyton Manning | 31/45 | 333 | 1 | 1 | 88.5 |
Colts Rushing | |||||
Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
Joseph Addai | 13 | 77 | 1 | 26 | 5.92 |
Donald Brown | 4 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 4.50 |
Mike Hart | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2.00 |
Colts receiving | |||||
Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
Dallas Clark | 7 | 86 | 0 | 27 | 9 |
Joseph Addai | 7 | 58 | 0 | 17 | 7 |
Austin Collie | 6 | 66 | 0 | 40 | 9 |
Pierre Garçon | 5 | 66 | 1 | 19 | 7 |
Reggie Wayne | 5 | 46 | 0 | 14 | 11 |
Donald Brown | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
Notes:
- 1 Completions/attempts
- 2 Carries
- 3 Long gain
- 4 Receptions
- 5 Times targeted
Super Bowl records
- New Orleans recorded the first successful onside kick attempt in a Super Bowl outside of the fourth quarter.
- Indianapolis' place kicker Matt Stover became the oldest player to participate, as well as to score, in a Super Bowl at 42 years and 11 days of age.
- New Orleans' place kicker Garrett Hartley became the first kicker in Super Bowl history to kick three field goals of 40 or more yards.
- New Orleans' victory marked the sixth straight win by the team wearing its white jersey.
- New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees had the second highest completion percentage in Super Bowl history (Phil Simms in Super Bowl XXI has the highest.) Brees also tied the mark for most completions in a Super Bowl, with 32. Drew Brees then broke the record when he made a 33rd pass completion in the game on a two-point conversion pass to Lance Moore in the 4th quarter.
- This was the first Super Bowl played in the formerly-named-Joe Robbie Stadium not to have a kickoff returned for a touchdown; because the Colts did not have a return touchdown, they also became the first team ever to lose a Super Bowl at this venue without achieving that. The San Francisco 49ers would later join them after Super Bowl LIV.
- New Orleans became the third team to win the Super Bowl after trailing at halftime and failing to score a first-half touchdown. The New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII and the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII are the only other two teams to do so. The New England Patriots would join them in Super Bowl LI.
- The Saints' 25 points in the second half is the fourth highest total in Super Bowl history. The New York Giants scored 30 in Super Bowl XXI while 28 was scored by both the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.
- The Saints also became the seventh team to win a Super Bowl after trailing to start the fourth quarter. The others to do so were: the Giants in Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII, the Pittsburgh Steelersin Super Bowls X and XIV and the Colts in Super Bowl V.
- Brees and Peyton Manning combined for a Super Bowl record 75% completion rate (63 of 84). They also accounted for the most combined pass completions in a Super Bowl, with 63.
- The Colts became just the sixth team to score 10 or more points in the first quarter and lose the game, joining the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI, Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, the Denver Broncos in both Super Bowls XXI and XXII, and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI
- Having been down 10 points in the first quarter, the Saints tied a record for the biggest comeback win in Super Bowl history, set in Washington Redskins faced a 10-point first quarter deficit of their own. The New England Patriots tied this record in Super Bowl XLIX and broke it in Super Bowl LI when they overcame a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. The Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIVwould also tie New Orleans' 10-point comeback.
- The Saints are the ninth team to win the Super Bowl on their first attempt. The others are the Green Bay Packers of Super Bowl I, the New York Jets of Super Bowl III, the Pittsburgh Steelers of Super Bowl IX, the San Francisco 49ers of Super Bowl XVI, the Chicago Bears of Super Bowl XX, the New York Giants of Super Bowl XXI, the Baltimore Ravens of Super Bowl XXXV, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of Super Bowl XXXVII.
Starting lineups
Hall of Fame‡
- Source:[52]
New Orleans | Position | Position | Indianapolis |
---|---|---|---|
Offense | |||
Marques Colston | WR | Reggie Wayne | |
Jermon Bushrod | LT | Charlie Johnson | |
Carl Nicks | LG | Ryan Lilja | |
Jonathan Goodwin | C | Jeff Saturday | |
Jahri Evans | RG | Kyle DeVan | |
Jon Stinchcomb | RT | Ryan Diem | |
Jeremy Shockey | TE | Dallas Clark | |
Devery Henderson | WR | Pierre Garçon | |
Drew Brees | QB | Peyton Manning‡ | |
Pierre Thomas | RB | Joseph Addai | |
Reggie Bush | RB | FB | Gijon Robinson |
Defense | |||
Bobby McCray | LE | Robert Mathis | |
Sedrick Ellis | DT | LDT | Daniel Muir |
Will Smith | RE | RDT | Antonio Johnson |
Marvin Mitchell | ILB | RE | Dwight Freeney‡ |
Scott Fujita | LOLB | Philip Wheeler | |
Jonathan Vilma | ILB | Gary Brackett | |
Scott Shanle | ROLB | Clint Session | |
Jabari Greer | LCB | Kelvin Hayden | |
Tracy Porter | RCB | Jacob Lacey | |
Roman Harper | SS | Melvin Bullitt | |
Darren Sharper | FS | Antoine Bethea |
Aftermath
Over a two-month period before
The Saints finished the next season with an 11–5 record, but failed to defend their league title after they were eliminated by the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card playoff round. Super Bowl XLIV later became the subject of the wider New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, also known as "Bountygate", in which the NFL alleged in 2012 that several Saints defenders operated a slush fund that was in operation from the 2009 season and Super Bowl XLIV, through 2011. This alleged slush fund paid out bonuses, or "bounties", for in-game performance in violation of NFL rules, including deliberately injuring or knocking opposing players out of games. The league responded with some of the most severe sanctions in the league's 92-year history, and among the most severe punishments for an on-field incident in North American professional sports history.[54] On appeal, former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, appointed by Goodell to investigate, agreed that the bounty program had taken place, but he disagreed that it was the NFL's place to enact disciplinary measures and contended it was the duty of the coaches and management.[55] All player suspensions were overturned in 2012.[56] In 2012, New Orleans failed to make the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl win, with the sanctions for Bountygate cited as one of the primary causes. The Saints rebounded in 2013, but were eliminated in the Divisional playoff round by the eventual Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks. They returned to the playoffs in 2017 by defeating the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card Round, but lost to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round. The next season they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round to advance to their first NFC Championship Game since 2009 but lost to the Los Angeles Rams in controversial fashion. After playoff losses in 2019 and 2020, Saints quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees retired after 20 seasons. Super Bowl XLIV remains the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance.
The Colts would finish the
The Saints were the last team to win a championship game of a major professional sports league in North America on their first attempt until 2019, when both the
Officials
- Referee – Scott Green (#19)
- Umpire – Undrey Wash (#96)
- Head Linesman – John McGrath (#5)
- Line Judge – Jeff Seeman (#45)
- Field Judge – Rob Vernatchi (#75)
- Side Judge – Greg Meyer (#78)
- Back Judge – Greg Steed (#12)
- Alternate Referee – Gene Steratore
- Alternate Umpire – Ruben Fowler
- Alternate Flank – Jim Mello
- Alternate Deep – Jeff Lamberth
- Alternate Back Judge – Kirk Dornan
Game time and weather conditions
- Kickoff was at 6:32 p.m. EST (23:32 UTC).
- Weather at kickoff was 66 °F (19 °C), clear.
- Game length was 3 hrs. 14 min.[57]
References
- ^ a b "Brees selected as Super Bowl MVP". National Football League. February 7, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ "Super Bowl Winners". NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ "Underwood, Latifah sing at Super Bowl". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 28, 2010.
- ^ "CBS Sports Coverage of Super Bowl XLIV Is Most-Watched Program In Television History". TVbytheNumbers.com. February 8, 2010. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
- ^ a b c Super Bowl XLIV most watched Super Bowl of all time/ Archived February 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Nielsen Blogs
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ Cannizzaro, Mark (February 8, 2010). "Underdog Saints stun Colts to bring home New Orleans' first world title". New York Post. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Jenkins, Lee (February 15, 2010). "Super Bowl XLIV: For You, New Orleans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Battista, Judy (February 7, 2010). "Champs? The Saints, Dat's Who". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ Coffey, Wayne (March 3, 2012). "NFL needs to start cleaning up 'BountyGate' by going after Sean Payton and Gregg Williams for role in Saints' bounty system". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- ^ Brown, Clifton (March 24, 2005). "N.F.L. Owners Vote to Give the Jets a Super Bowl". New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
- ^ "NFL owners work on testy NFLPA contract extension". August 11, 2005. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
- ^ "2009 Indianapolis Colts Statistics & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Matt Detrich / Indianapolis Star via AP (February 4, 2010). "Title game a 'cool' finale for Colts assistant Howard Mudd: Super Bowl Insider". cleveland.com. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ "CBS Sports' "Super Bowl Today" features set for Super Bowl XLIV – CBSSports.com".
- ^ El Super Bowl corteja a los latinos – Marcia Facundo, BBC, February 4, 2010
- ^ Deans, James (February 8, 2010). "Super Bowl ends MASH finale's 27-year reign as most-watched US TV show". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ "CBS's Super Sunday = Super Week". TVbytheNumbers.com. February 9, 2010. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
- ^ Game On! CBS Sells Out Last Super Bowl Ads[permanent dead link], AP via Comcast.net, February 1, 2010
- ^ "Pepsi turns ad focus online". ESPN. December 17, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ Horovitz, Bruce (September 10, 2009). "Doritos Ad Contest Raises The Stakes". USAtoday.com. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ "Taxpayers to Fork Out $2.5 Million for Single Census Ad During Super Bowl". Fox News.
- ^ Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer (January 26, 2010). "Census Bureau counts on Super Bowl ad CNN.com, 26 January 2010". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Horowitz, Bruce (January 28, 2010). "Snickers Will Try, Try Again With a Super Bowl Ad". USA Today.
- ^ Elliott, Stuart (September 14, 2009). "GoDaddy Goes Back to the Super Bowl – Media Decoder Blog – NYTimes.com". Mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- Advertising Age. Archived from the originalon January 14, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
- ^ "Griswolds in Hotel Hell Vacation Video; Use HomeAway Rentals Instead of Hotels". Homeaway.com. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ "Diamond Foods Will Advertise Pop Secret Brand During Super Bowl". Sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved February 7, 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Boost Mobile Shuffle". Boostmobile.com. January 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ "Focus on the Family to Air 'Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life' Super Bowl Ad with Tim Tebow". Superbowl-ads.com. January 15, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ CBS Urged to Scrap Super Bowl Ad With Tebow, Mom, Associated Press Archived January 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine comcast.net, January 25, 2010
- ^ Focus on the Family buys pre-game ad time for Super Bowl USAtoday.com, February 7, 2010
- ^ CBS Rejects Gay Themed Super Bowl Ad Archived March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Tracy Phillips, Fancast.com, January 29, 2010
- ^ CBS Rejects Another Super Bowl AD Archived February 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Ann Murray-Lavar, Fancast.com, February 2, 2010
- ^ Stephan, Doug (February 1, 2010) CBS Rejects Another Ad Archived February 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Doug Stephan's Good Day Retrieved February 3, 2010
- ^ Crowley, Kieran (March 9, 2010). Lindsay Lohan wants ,0M over E-Trade ad. New York Post. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
- ^ "Lohan satisfied after settling NYC E-Trade lawsuit".
- ^ [MARV ALBERT STEPS ASIDE AS PLAY-BY-PLAY VOICE OF MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON WESTWOOD ONE]. Westwood One press release (June 4, 2010). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ^ "Super Bowl XLIV on Sirius". Sirius.com.
- ^ "FSDB student to sign at Super Bowl". February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
- ^ "Super Bowl's start hinges on space coin flip | collectSPACE". collectSPACE.com. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "The Who's Townshend Reveals the Story Behind Big Super Bowl Set". Rolling Stone. February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ^ Noam Cohen (February 8, 2010). "Super Bowl Merchandise and the Bets Behind It". The New York Times.
- ^ "Saints' successful onside kick to open 2nd half reverses game's momentum".
- ^ "Aggressive 'ambush' boosts Saints to title". Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
- ^ "Who Dat, indeed: Two nobodies play vital roles in Saints' Super win". CNN. February 8, 2010.
- ^ "Manning throws away bid for one final comeback". Retrieved February 7, 2010.
- ^ Saints win 1st NFL title by beating Colts 31–17 Sports Illustrated
- ^ "Records set in Super Bowl XLIV". The Times-Picayune. February 7, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ "Super Bowl XLIV–National Football League Game Summary" (PDF). NFLGSIS.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. February 7, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- Slate. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
- ^ "Jonathan Vilma banned for year". ESPN. May 2, 2012.
- ^ Sports, Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY. "Roger Goodell: No apology to Saints' bounty players". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Breer, Albert (September 7, 2012). "Saints player bounty suspensions overturned on appeal". NFL.com. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- ^ "STLtoday.com – Sports – Stats, Inc". Stltoday.stats.com. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
External links
- Super Bowl XLIV: NFL Full Game on YouTube
- NFL.com's official Super Bowl website
- Host committee website
- Super Bowl XLIV at IMDb
- Super Bowl XLIV at ESPN
- "New Orleans Saints video: Super Bowl highlights from NFL Films". The Times-Picayune. February 24, 2010.