Colts 41, Saints 30

On a day when the outside temperature nearly matched that inside the dome, te Indianapolis Colts were seeking to avenge their loss in the most recent Super Bowl to the New Orleans Saints. The game didnt start out well for the Colts as the Saints took the opening kick ad went 80 yards in 11 plays to end with a Drew Brees to Marques Colston (7-105, 1 td) 6 yard touchdown pass. Peyton Manning had difficulty finding his receivers and the Colts punted the ball. Reggie Bush fumbled the return but Will "Fresh Prince" Smith recovered for the Saints. Brees then threw an interception which was nullified by a pass interference call. On the sideline Manning could be seen throwing his helmet to the ground and the camera definitely picked up his words, "Damn dice rolls." Brees recovered from his mistake and led the Saints down the field again, ending with a Pierre Thomas 6 yard run for a touchdown. After the kick, Manning began connecting with his receivers and marched down the field 75 yards in 7 plays with Joseph Addai (18-88, 1 td) carrying the pigskin in from 5 yards out to cut the lead to 14-7.

Brees started the second quarter by throwing another interception, but this time there was no flag. Gary Brackett returned the ball to the New Orleans 40. But Manning gave the ball right back as "The Fresh Prince" picked an errant pass to set Brees up once again. The Saints got a field goal from John Carney to open a 17-7 lead. Manning brought the Colts back, moving 80 yards in 9 plays and finding Pierre "The Waiter" Garcon (5-72, 1 td) for a 7 yard touchdown pass. The two teams traded punts and Brees went to work again. He hit Devery Henderson for 14 yards, but Henderson was injured on the play and would not return until the fourth quarter. His absence would be felt. Brees completed four more passes on the drive then found Robert Meachem (5-85, 1 td) streaking down the sideline, hit him stride and was rewarded with a 31 yard touchdown pass and a 24-14 lead. Chad Simpson returned the kickoff to the 40 and Manning, with 1:38 remaining in the half went to work. In an extreme hurry up, Manning managed to run 11 plays in the time remaining and then, on 4th and 1, found Joseph Addai (4-36, 1 td) on a short curl route for a 4 yard touchdown pass with 16 ticks remaining in the half.

The Colts got the second half kick and Manning continued to move the Colts. Mixing a few runs with the ever present passing game, Manning moved the ball 80 yards and finished with a 7 yard td pass to Reggie Wayne. The Colts had their first lead of the game, 28-24. Brees went three and out. Manning controlled the ball for more than five minutes but ended with a 36 yard Matt Stover field goal to take a 7 point lead 31-24.

The fourth quarter opened with the Colts again driving. Manning (35-56, 434 yards, 4 tds, 1 int) completed the drive with a 1 yard pass to Wayne (8-127, 2 tds) and a 14 point lead. On their next possession, Stover added another field goal. Brees (30-48, 341 yards, 3 tds, 1 int, 1 sack) found Henderson (5-65, 1 td) late in the game for a 4 yard score that was too little too late. Colts 41 Saints 30

--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--