Boston Sports Extra

The Super Bowl is just 8 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 8 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

South Florida hosted Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. The game pitted the NFC champion New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts of the American Football Conference. Peyton Manning was going up against his father Archie’s old team.

New Orleans Saints 8 Years Ago

New Orleans had come up from the dregs of professional football. It took them a ridiculous thirty-four seasons to win a single playoff game. After a hurricane battered their city in 2005, they had a dreadful season. That opened the door to the acquisition of Head Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees. That combo helped the Saints win their second playoff game in 2006.

In 2009, expectations were quite high. They were jam-packed at wide receiver, but nobody was better than Marques Colston. With running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush and veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey, Drew Brees had a host of weapons at his disposal. Thus, he passed for 4, 388 yards and led the Saints to a 13-0 start. They took their foot off the gas as they clinched everything at the end of the regular season.

In the playoffs, Brees was his usual dynamite self in a 45-14 win over the defending-conference champion Cardinals. The win set up a wonderful matchup between the Saints and Minnesota Vikings. The Vikes were led by ancient Brett Favre and all-world Adrian Peterson.

Battle for NFC Title

The game was as see-saw a battle as there has ever been. The Vikings were as capable of making a big play on offense as they were of coughing up the ball with a momentum-changing turnover. Minnesota outgained the Saints, 475-257, but were -4 in turnover differential. The Saints’ defense was hitting Minnesota players especially Favre with tremendous ferocity throughout the game.

Brees was calm under fire as he tossed three touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. With the score tied at 28, the Vikings found themselves in great field position with an opportunity to kick a potential game-winning in regulation. However, the veteran gunslinger made a critical mistake as he threw across his body toward the middle of the field where Saints’ cornerback Tracy Porter stole the trophy.

In overtime, the Saints drove the field on the first possession for a game-winning field goal by Garrett Hartley. The Saints were off to their first Super Bowl in franchise history!

Indianapolis Colts 8 Years Ago

Their opponents would be Jim Caldwell and the Indianapolis Colts. The ’09 Colts started the season 14-0 led by the amazing Peyton Manning. Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne both caught 100 passes and exceeded 1000 receiving yards for the season. And, on defense, Dwight Freeney was a first-team All-Pro recording 13.5 sacks in just nine starts.

Caldwell controversially sat many of his main guys over the last two games costing them the chance to go undefeated. In the playoffs, the Colts held off challenges by the Ravens and Jets to make it back to their second Super Bowl in four seasons.

Colts Early Lead

Ronald Martinez

Indy controlled the first quarter converting three third downs en route to a 10-0 lead. Young Pierre Garcon was the recipient of a gorgous Manning lob for the first touchdown of the game. The Saints responded with a good second quarter. The unsung Hartley connected on two long field goals to cut the lead to 10-6 at the half.

Payton rolled the dice with an onside kick to open the second half and it worked. The Saints made the gamble pay off with a perfect screen play to Thomas. The Colts would not go away, however. Manning led them right back on a scoring drive that included two more third down conversions. Joseph Addai scored the go-ahead touchdown. Hartley responded with another long field goal.

Saints Get the Lombardi

In the fourth quarter, the Colts drove to the Saints 34 and decided to go for a field goal. Adam Vinatieri was out with an injury. Veteran Matt Stover missed setting up New Orleans with great field possession and they took advantage. The Saints regained the lead on a short scoring strike from Brees to Shockey. They added a 2-point conversion and led 24-17 late in the fourth.

The Colts moved the ball well again. However, on this third down, Manning and Wayne seemed to be on different pages. Porter jumped the route and took the interception to the house. The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 setting off a party on Bourbon Street like never before!

Neither the Colts nor the Saints have aspired to such lofty heights since. But, in 2009, they gave football fans a great game. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss how the Green Bay Packers brought the Lombardi Trophy home!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

The 2017 NFL Postseason is finally upon us. This weekend teams will take their first crucial step on their journey to Super Bowl LII. These past seventeen weeks have earned these teams the right to play in January, while the rest clean out their lockers early. In this year’s playoffs there are a few familiar faces but mostly new contenders. The Patriots, Steelers, Falcons, and Chiefs are the only four teams making it back to the postseason after appearing last year. On the flip-side, the Rams, Bills, Jaguars, and Saints are all teams that had losing records last season and are now in the playoffs. This will surely be a dramatic postseason this year, starting with these eight teams that will face off in the Wild Card round this weekend:

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs

The Titans had a quiet season but clinched the fifth seed in the waning moments of Week 17. At 9-7, they snuck into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Their path to the postseason was almost squashed towards the end of the season as they dropped three of their last four games. However, a Week 17 win against their division rival Jaguars was all they needed to secure a spot to play in January.

The Titans are one of the few teams in the league that base their offensive solely on running the ball. Their running back committee of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry carried the offense throughout the season as Marcus Mariota had a rather mundane year. With DeMarco Murray suffering a Grade 3 MCL tear in Week 16, Henry became a workhorse for the Titans against the Jaguars yesterday. Murray’s status seems bleak to make a return for the Wild Card, so coach Mike Mularkey will need to reconfigure his offensive scheme.

At the beginning of the season the Chiefs seemed to be the most dominant team in the league. They trounced the Patriots in Foxborough on opening night in September and went on to have a blaring 5-0 start. However they learned quickly that a NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. From Weeks 6 to 13 the Chiefs only won a single game. They were able to hold on afterwards by winning out their final four games to secure a 10-6 record and a AFC West title. Their only trouble in the division came from the Chargers, who finished the season looming one game behind.

The Chiefs are without a doubt the fastest team in the league. Their offense consists of the speedy Tyreek Hill, rookie sensation Kareem Hunt, and widely overlooked quarterback Alex Smith. On the opposite end of the field they have talent with Marcus Peters, Reggie Ragland, Justin Houston, and the list goes on and on.

In the playoffs which Chiefs team will we see? The team that stomped New England or the one that had a meltdown in the fourth quarter to set up an ugly loss against the Jets? Andy Reid and the Chiefs’ coaching staff control their team’s future in January. The Titans might be the underdog in this game coming into Arrowhead, but if they can silence the crowd early they have a chance to pull an upset. Their run defense can stop Kareem Hunt at the line of scrimmage, but they do not have an answer for Kansas City’s air attack.

Prediction: 24-16 Chiefs

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams

The Falcons secured the sixth seed in the NFC through their win-and-in scenario in Week 17. They had an inconsistent season to say the least. The highlight of their season came in Week 2 when they were able to stomp the Packers in the Georgia Dome’s inaugural game. However two weeks later they began to slide, losing three consecutive games in their trip through the AFC East. The Falcons were lost in their prime-time Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots.

At 10-6, they are certainly not the team that went for its first Super Bowl trophy almost a year ago. That doesn’t mean that they can’t play like the team that they were. Matt Ryan will have some slack to pick up with his offense to get things done. Their defense, ranked 23rd in the regular season, will be the focal point in order to succeed in the playoffs.

The Rams have had the one of the most dramatic transitions from last season to today. Their metamorphosis from a 4-12 joke last season to 11-5 NFC West champion now can be accredited to their new coach Sean McVay. The team’s identity lies within their striking offense that consists of MVP candidate Todd Gurley and legitimate franchise quarterback Jared Goff. Wade Phillips has also helped the team’s defense become top five in the league. The team aims to get their first playoff win since 2004.

This match-up will in no way be a blowout on either end. The Falcons might be held to harsh comparisons with their Super Bowl-aspiring selves from last year, but they still know how to get a win. Their offense might not be as electrifying as it was with Kyle Shanahan as their coordinator, but they still have the three-headed dragon of Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Julio Jones. This game will come down to which defense will let up first, and ranking-wise all signs point to Atlanta’s. Expect this game to be a shootout.

Prediction: 31-21 Rams

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

The New Year’s celebration started earlier than most for the Bills. A late touchdown from Andy Dalton and the Bengals was enough to knock the Ravens out of the playoffs. The Bills ended the longest playoff drought in American sports, not making the playoffs since 1999. They will also aim to win a playoff game for the first time since 1995.

Nobody was bigger Bengals fans yesterday than Bills players (via stephenhauschka4/Instagram) https://t.co/oJZZhybhj7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 1, 2018

After a 9-7 season, the Bills deserved a playoff spot. Coach Sean McDermott reshaped the team into playoff contenders after his failed experiment with starting Nathan Peterman. The team’s success comes from LeSean McCoy, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 17. Being without him will hurt, but the Bills’ synergy can hold the team together.

The Jaguars are another team that have had a mammoth reshaping to make them a playoff squad. On a side note, not to brag or anything but I called it back in August that they’d clinch. Without Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, the offense was able to run on the shoulders of rookie Leonard Fournette. The Jaguars’ defense has been the staple of the team, dubbing their city as Sacksonville. They are one of the most dangerous defenses to face this season. Blake Bortles, though inconsistent, was able to put together an admirable finishing push to the season to achieve the AFC South title and the third seed. The last time the team finished with a 10 win season was in 2007, coincidentally the last time they appeared in the playoffs.

Though the Bills slipped into the playoffs this game certainly won’t be easy for the Jags. Both teams have strong defenses and rather weak offenses. The key to this game is how Leonard Fournette performs for the Jaguars. The Bills’ rushing defense had a nightmare game against the Saints, but since then has improved. If Blake Bortles is forced to go to the air then the Jaguars’ chances to win almost deplete. If there is going to be an upset in the Wild Card round, it’d be here.

Prediction: 17-15 Bills

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

The Panthers had a solid bounce-back season from last year’s nightmare. Finishing 11-5, they very well have the power to make a run. This is another case of a two-faced team, however. The Panthers came up big when they needed to, and a prime example of this is bullying the Packers at home. However, there were games this season where they looked lost. If Cam Newton is rolling, then the defense follows in suit. Christian McCaffrey has helped Cam’s game open up this season, whereas compared to last season he had no chance to be mobile. A good mobile quarterback must be accompanied by a viable running back to keep the defense guessing. That’s something that the Panthers lacked last season.

The Saints’ season started out ugly early on. Their offense was erratic and while having the parts to succeed simply couldn’t. Moving Adrian Peterson was the Saints’ defining move this season. Quickly afterwards the running back committee shortened to focus on Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara. From there the duo hasn’t stopped shining, and in turn opened up Drew Brees’s passing game. The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league, and were able to build a solid defense after trading Brandin Cooks for assets to do so. The Saints also finished 11-5, but clinched the division after the Panthers fell to the Falcons in Week 17.

This game will be perfect to watch for anyone who loves offense. The defining factor is that the Panthers lost to the Saints twice already this season. In both of those games the Saints scored more than thirty points. The Panthers need to stay at that scoring pace or their defense will have to play like they did against Aaron Rodgers a few weeks ago.

Prediction: 41-28 Saints

Media Credit

www.panthers.com

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