Colts Lead 10—6 at Halftime in Superbowl XLIV (w/3Q Update)

The Indianapolis Colts took a seven-point lead into the locker room after two quarters of play against the New Orleans Saints in Superbowl LXIV, but the Saints took the momentum.

The Colts came out strong, moving the ball on offense and shutting down the Saints on defense, scoring ten points in the first quarter while the Saints managed only ten offensive plays.

The Saints turned it around in the second quarter, holding the Colts to only fifteen yards on six offensive plays, while Drew Brees took the Saints into scoring range three times. The Colts made a huge goal-line stand once, but then couldn’t move the ball, giving the Saints another opportunity, which Drew Brees did not waste, getting the Saints into range for a last-second field goal.

When the half ended, the Saints had looked stronger than the Colts had in the first quarter. The second half is totally up for grabs.

First Quarter Belongs to Colts

The Indianapolis Colts owned the first quarter. The Colts defense forced a three-and-out on the first Saints possession, which gave Peyton Manning the chance to take the colts downfield with a series of short runs and passes, culminating in a 38-yard field goal. The Colts offensive line was able to keep the Saints pass rush away from Manning by and large. Manning had to find receivers quickly, and he did.

The Saints were forced to punt on their next possession, giving the Colts the ball on their own four-yard line.

The Colt;’ second drive was a Superbowl-record-tying 96 yards. Manning started handing off to Joseph Addai, who ran for 12, 16, and then 26 yards, while the Saints played pass defense.
 
Donald Brown made a few short runs and Manning found Addai on the sidelines for first down keeping the ball moving.

New Orleans cornerback Jabari Green hurt his leg on the 26-yard Addai, run, and Manning immediately capitalized on the weakness in the saints secondary, sending Pierre garcon against Greere’s replacement, Usama Young. Garcon split Young and safety Roman Harper to break free in the end zone where he caught Manning;s perfect pass, giving the Colts a 10–0 lead, with the quarter almost over.

Saints Come Back Strong

The New Orleans Saints were more dominant in the second quarter than the Colts had been in the first. Save for a Colts goal line stand, the Saints would have taken the lead, as well as the momentum into the locker room.

Drew Brees started hitting his passes, and the ZNew Orleans offensive line managed to contain Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (most of the time) which gave saints recievers time to find the seams in the Colts coverage.

Brees was sacked once on the first drive of the second quarter, when Freeney forced his way through the Saints’ blockers and dragged down Brees one-handed. After that, the Saints line stiffened, giving Brews the time he needed to hit his passes, and he used the time well. The Saints got on the board with a field goal.

The Saints defense then did its job, forcing the first Indianapolis punt of the game. The Colts nearly broke free, but Pierre Garcon dropped a wide-open pass up the middle. This play turned the tide. The Saints got the confidence, the Colts lost the ball, and Drew Brees marched down to the Colts 3-yard line, tearing up Colts’ secondary with precise passing, to Marques Colston, for 13, to Jeremy Shockey for 7 , and to Wide receiver Lance Moore for 21.

With the ball on their three-yard line, the Colts got tough, and stopped the Saints, who went for the TD instead of the field goal. This could have sent the momentum back to the Colts, but the Saints defense forced a Colts punt, and Brees took the ball into field goal range with six seconds left. The Saints made the kick and tooka little more energy away from the Colts.

Second Half: Saints Come Out Hard, Colts Respond

New Orleans came out looking to break the Colts’ spirit, opening the half with an onside kick, which the Saints recovered. Brees came out passing, then used a run to get two quick first downs. The Colts defense seemed outclassed. Brees had time to throw, and the Saints receivers got open.

From the sixteen yard line, Brees threw a screen pass to Pierre Thomas, who used good blocking and a missed tackle to work his way through the entire Colts defense and score a touchdown for the saints.

Manning came back in a hurry, making some short yardage plays before threading a 26-yard pass between two defenders to Dallas Clark on the New Orleans 20. Then Manning found Clark open on the four-yard line. Addai took a handoff, and bounced off two Saints into the end zone to put the Colts back on top, 17–13.

The Saints ran the kickoff back to the 34, and with good field position and Brees having lots of time in the pocket, it seemed the saints would retake the lead. But the Colts pass coverage tightened up, and the Saints were forced to settle for a 47-yard field goal.

Manning came back with his mixed attack for a team who supposedly couldn’t run, the Colts managed to make inroads into the Saints defense. After hitting a pass or two, Manning would get the first down with a handoff while the New Orleans defenders watched for another pass.

The Colts showed that they could contain Brees if they could not shut him down. The Saintts had no answer for manning’s passing attack.

The third quarter ended with the Colts in possession of the ball, and in possession of the momentum, if only with a slight margin, and ahead by the equally slight margin of one point.