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February 8th, 2010 
Hiland 
The New Orleans Saints gave President Barack Obama what he wanted, a win for New Orleans. After 43 years of mediocrity or worse, the proud Saints rode the arm of a Purdue Boilermaker to resurrect the city just in time for what shapes up to be an even more fun-filled Mardi Gras.
In the land of Who Dat, it just does not get any better than Dat. Quarterback Drew Brees outgunned League MVP Peyton Manning and led the perennial also-rans to an upset over the unflappable, battle tested Colts in a remarkably well-played game. The relatively penalty-free battle was NFL Offensive football at its best.
Just when it seemed the last team to touch the ball would win, Tracy Porter did the unthinkable. The fleet defensive back boldly cut in front of Manning’s favorite receiver, Wayne Howard, and sprinted 74 yards to thwart a Colt comeback rally and decide the game.
This was no fluke. The Saints appeared the more aggressive team, a team willing to play outside the box, a team ready to take chances and take no hostages. The notoriously weak Saints defense played plenty tough. Obviously well-prepared, the normally porous unit, kept Manning guessing and seemed to anticipate his every move.
This game boiled down to Brees’ faultless execution of coach Sean Payton’s game plan and the defense’s ability to mix the pace and coverage against Manning. The Saints simply took charge of the ball from the second quarter on. With long drives, they effectively took the ball out of Manning’s hands.
The winner’s aggressive style was highlighted by a successful onside kick to start the second half. The stunned Indianapolis Colts Drew Brees, Wayne Howard, Payton, Pierre Thomas, Indianapolis Colts never really got back on their feet. They often seemed to be off balance and wondering what was coming next.
It was quite a reversal from the first quarter when Manning clicked on a touchdown and Matt Stover connected on a 38-yard field goal. The Saints only ran 9 offensive plays in the quarter and trailed 10-0.
The Saints took control in the second quarter allowing Manning only three offensive six offensive plays. Garret Hartley connected on one of his three 40+ yard field goals to pull the Saints within 4 at 10-6.
Little did the Colts know it, but Head Coach Payton, had them right where he wanted them. Just as he had done in the first half when he gambled unsuccessfully on a fourth and one, the Saints boldly went for an onside kick. To the surprise of the stunned capacity Miami crowd, New Orleans recovered the fumbled kick. Moments later, Brees finally struck paydirt on a beautifully executed 16 yard catch and run play to Pierre Thomas that gave the Colts their first lead at 13-10.
Manning promptly marched the Colts down the field on another sustained drive. Running back Joseph Addai, who led all rushers with 77 yards, stormed in from four yards out to regain the Colts lead. It was a typical Manning answer to a challenge.
But, this Saints team did not blink. Hartley booted another field goal to pull within one and then the Saints forced the Colts to punt. The defenses began to assert themselves as the game entered the fourth quarter with the Indianapolis Colts up 17—16. Manning seemed to be under more pressure than Brees, who moved well in the pocket to buy extra time.
At the six-minute mark, Brees hit reliable tight end Jeremy Shockey for a two touchdown. After a ruling reversal, the Saints were awarded a 2-point conversion to build a seven-point lead at 24-17.
But, there were five minutes left and Manning has been there before. Instead of playing it safe, the Saints secondary began to take chances. Porter almost picked off a pass headed for Howard but couldn’t handle it. Using a variety of short passes and down the middle strikes, the Colts seemed headed for the end zone.
Meanwhile Porter was reading Howard like a book. Like his gambling coach, he went for the pick and sealed the game with his scoring dash and let the good times roll.
