With Super Bowl weekend now upon us, I thought it would be a fun and entertaining exercise for Colts fans to take a look back at the last time their beloved franchise was in this position merely three years ago in this same city and same stadium.

I have chosen to take a look back at Super Bowl XLI for a few reasons. First, taking a look back at the last time these two teams played would have had virtually no meaning considering the Colts destroyed the Saints, 41-10, on the opening Thursday in their championship defending season of 2007 and much for both teams has changed since then. Saints actually have an NFL-worthy defense and Marvin Harrison was running the field and not the streets in Philly.

The Super Bowl also represents a much fonder memory for Colts fans, as their franchise had been in a championship drought for 38 seasons and Indianapolis had yet to experience a championship in any sport. But my main reasoning was to calm Colts fans who might get all worked up should the Saints do what they normally do and get off to their signature quick starts, populating the scoreboard faster than the Dugger family pushes out children.

Why would this game help calm fears of a quick start from the Saints on Sunday? Well for those quick to forget, let me refresh your memory. The Chicago Bears were also underdogs in this game but it didn’t take long for them to show that they weren’t going to be pushed around easily, even with scrub Rex Grossman at quarterback, because they had the most electrifying player in the game in Devin Hester. In the driving rain, Hester took the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and the Colts were like a heavyweight champion stunned by a flurry of combos from the unheralded challenger.

It looked like it could only get worse for the Colts too as Peyton Manning answered Hester’s touchdown with an interception on the Colts ensuing drive. But the Colts defense stood up the Bears and allowed Manning and the offense to redeem themselves, which they did in grand fashion with a 53-yard strike to Reggie Wayne to close the gap to 7-6 as the extra point was muffed.

Later in the first quarter, Bears running back Thomas Jones exploded for 52 yards to move the Bears down to the Colts 5-yard line and several plays later Grossman tossed a 4-yard touchdown to receiver Muhsin Muhammad to stretch their lead to eight. At this point, with sloppy play from both sides amid the rain, the Colts chances looked meek and Manning’s reputation of not being able to win the big one seemed to be coming back to haunt him. But in what has become their M.O. ever since, it was more Manning sitting back and waiting for his chance to strike before pulling away and leaving their opponents wondering what happened and how things turned sour so quick.

After an Adam Vinatieri field goal and a few fruitless possessions from the Bears, Manning led the Colts down the field before allowing Dominic Rhodes to put the Colts ahead on an 11-yard run, 16-14. From that point on it was all Colts and the Bears were left dead in the water.


Vinatieri missed a field goal right before halftime, but converted two in the third quarter putting the Colts up 22-14 before the Bears were able to answer again only with a Robbie Gould field goal. With the score 22-17 and the Bears desperately trying to find a way to get some offense going they were forced to do what they were hoping to avoid and put the ball in Grossman’s hands which ultimately led to their demise. He choked away any opportunity the Bears had by throwing a pick-six to Kelvin Hayden and another interception to Bob Sanders and the game was over and the monkey was officially off Manning’s back, which brings me to the final reason I wanted to revisit this game.

I know Manning is quite possibly the best ever to play quarterback in the National Football League, an amazing talent and a very funny and likeable guy. But he simply didn’t deserve to win the MVP award for this game. It should have gone to either Dominic Rhodes, who rushed for 113 yards and a score, or Joseph Addai, who ran for 77 yards and caught 10 balls for 66. But Manning’s name carried weight here and ultimately was the deciding factor for the sportswriters who voted.

But for the Colts fans who might get a little queasy if the Saints score on their first possession or race out to a quick 10- or 14-point lead, don’t fret because the Colts showed that they can come back under the brightest of lights and in fact it seems as of late that it is the only way they know how to win. Keep the faith, you’re in good hands with Manning.

--- BRANDON KOPCEUCH.