NFL Game Center: New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts - 2009 Super Bowl

A good game, not a great game. The difference was New Orleans was the more aggressive team AND they did not make any big mistakes. Indianapolis seemed just a bit too controlled and methodical. They should have come out smoking in the first quarter when they had the Saints on their heels. The Saints were very tight and were playing very conservatively. The Colts let Drew Brees settle down and after that he was nearly flawless.

One refreshing change I noticed was the total lack of the "balance" comment regarding play selection. Both teams were "pass happy", the derogatory phrase usually applied solely to Mike Martz' offensive calls and in fact the Colts had the worst rushing record in the entire NFL during the regular season. But you can't second guess Mr. Manning, the unanimous choice for greatest quarterback ever.

Whatever.

This game was also the final nail in the coffin of the "run for 3 yards and a cloud of dust" offense that is the holy grail for old school, smash mouth, "real" footballers. You will NOT be able to win any more with Trent Dilfer and his ilk as your quarterback. The game is about the pass now once and for all. I'm not a big fan of the short passing game that was on display yesterday, in which the short pass is the substitute for the run, and firmly believe if the Colts had stuck to their regular season stretch the field offensive philosophy they would have won. But with all this passing going on, which is really unstoppable if you have a decent quarterback and the team executes properly, I predict the onside kick will be used much more often. And also, defenses will petition for a little bit of help rules-wise or else this will become like a basketball game.