Peyton Manning is getting a lot of grief for his 9-9 career playoff record after the 31-17 loss to the Saints. But keep in mind that his nine playoff wins are four more than the Saints have had in their entire history — even including this season. Four of his wins came in the 2007 playoffs, when the Colts won the Super Bowl. The Saints, by contrast, had never reached the big game. That added up to a big mismatch in Super Bowl experience: 25 players on Indy’s roster were on the title-winning team, while just six Saints had Super Bowl experience, according to the Detroit News.

“There is a confidence in experience, and it speaks for a lot,” Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said, according to the News. “When you’ve done something before, you can be confident that you can do it again.”

Perhaps that familiarity with the Super Bowl explains the Colts’ quick start, as they seized a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. But the Saints quickly got comfortable and outscored Indy 31-7 the rest of the way.

And that’s more or less how it’s gone in prior Super Bowl matchups between a team with recent experience in a title game and one without any. On Pro Football Reference, Jason Lisk found 12 prior Super Bowls pitting a team that had won a title in the four previous seasons against one that hadn’t reached a Super Bowl in that span. The 13 “experienced” teams, including the Colts, appeared to get a three-point bonus in the point spread for the experience, but on average they didn’t show they deserved it with their play, doing four points worse than the line predicted. Players with experience may arrive at the Super Bowl with a slight edge in confidence, but once the newbies realize that after the whistle, it’s just a football game like any other, they seem to do just fine.

“Rick Barnes needs help. And fast,” Kirk Bohls frets in the Austin American-Statesman. “What he has now is barely a Top 25 team despite Top 10 — and some might say Top 5 — talent. Some 24 games into the season, Barnes’ team is searching for any semblance of consistency and well-defined roles beyond the free-lancing, if explosive, J’Covan Brown, who went off for 26 of his 28 points in the second half.”

CBS Sports’s Gary Parrish sees no end to the Texas slump.

The picture is much brighter in Lawrence, Kansas. The top-ranked Jayhawks used a 22-0 run to improve to 9-0 in Big 12 play. “Kansas could throw in a clunker or two along the way, but this is starting to look and feel like 2008,” Blair Kerkhoff crows in the Kansas City Star.

Marcus Morris is one reason why the Jayhawks could win their second title in three years. “Whether it’s a turnaround jumper from 10 feet, a slash to the basket for an easy layup or a putback off an offensive rebound, Morris’ skill set is as versatile as it gets,” Yahoo’s Jason King writes.

* * *

The party celebrating the New Orleans Saints’ first Super Bowl may have ended by now, but revelers are taking only a quick respite before gearing up again for Tuesday evening’s parade. Then it’s time to look ahead to the 2010 season, when the Saints will try to repeat.

CBS Sports’s Clark Judge says one obstacle is a roster that might be depleted by free-agent defections. Another is that the Saints play in the NFC South. “The Falcons are the chief concern, primarily because they have a young franchise quarterback in Matt Ryan and a head coach who hasn’t had a losing season in two years,” Judge writes. “But never discount Carolina, especially with the Panthers winning their final three games under quarterback Matt Moore, the frontrunner for the position next season.”

Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks takes an early look at the Saints’ and Colts’ chances next season.

In the New York Daily News, Gary Myers predicts the Jets will face Dallas in Super Bowl XLV.

While the Super Bowl attracted the biggest audience in TV history — 106.5 million — Chicago Now’s Kyra Kyles hardly watched. Mostly, she was too busy doing other things.

* * *

Saturday’s bonus Fix focused on the chances the NFL might lose the 2011 season to a work stoppage. Other leagues also are seeking cost certainty (read: more money for owners). Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes that NBA “owners have delivered commissioner David Stern an unmistakable mandate: Get our money back and get us profitable.”

* * *

The Soviet Union was an Olympics juggernaut until its collapse almost 20 years ago. Without the infrastructure and government support, however, Russia and other former Soviet republics have seen their medal hauls tumble in recent Games. After the collapse of Communism, new national governments had higher spending priorities than sports. But now Russia is investing billions of dollars to prepare for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort city Sochi, and athletes are getting rich incentives to win medals at the Olympics, Canwest’s Randy Shore writes.

China’s famed sports system is still churning out athletes, and this year the Asian country is aiming to win gold in women’s curling. The Chinese women curlers’ status as paid professionals might give them an edge in Vancouver, Geoff Dyer writes in the Financial Times.

Elana Meyers is headed to Vancouver as a member of the U.S. bobsled team. Meyers always wanted to go to the Olympics, but as a softball player. Her dream seemed dead when softball was dropped from the slate for the 2012 Games in London. But two years ago Meyers got an invitation from the USOC to attend a bobsled camp in Lake Placid. In the Washington Post, Barry Svrluga chronicles the change of course for the athlete from Douglasville, Ga.

Meyers isn’t the only athlete from a place not always associated with winter sports. Ellie Koyander, Britain’s youngest Olympian at age 18, has her sights set on winning a medal in moguls skiing, the Times of London’s Alyson Rudd reports.

CBC Sports’s Paul Gains writes about Ethiopia’s only Winter Olympian: cross-country skier Robel Teklemariam, whose journey to Vancouver has been anything but smooth.

Canada launched its Own the Podium program to improve its medal haul at the Olympics. If all goes well, Canada could be among the leading medal winners at Vancouver. No matter its overall medal count, Canada is under enormous pressure to bring home the gold in men’s hockey, Michelle Kauffman writes in the Miami Herald.

* * *

It’s been a couple of tough years for reporters at major metro dailies that have trimmed sports coverage. Some journalists, such as baseball beat writer Mark Zuckerman, lost their jobs when the Washington Times recently axed its sports section. But Zuckerman is determined to report on the Nationals from spring training in Viera, Fla., hoping to raise the $5,000 necessary through his blog.

– Tip of the Fix cap to reader Don Hartline and fellow Fixer David Roth.

Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email Garey at ris84rap@gmail.com.

Before this year, in 42 seasons the Saints had won two playoff games. That’s one playoff win every 21 years. The 32 NFL teams, on average, have won more than a game every three years in their franchise history during the Super Bowl era. Even after winning three playoff games, including the Super Bowl, this year, the Saints’ total of five is greater than that of only two other active teams: the Houston Texans, who are in their first decade of existence, and the Lions, who have just one playoff win since the Super Bowl era began. The Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers, both founded in the mid-’90s, both already have more wins than New Orleans, even after this postseason, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, also a relatively new club, have matched the Saints’ five.

After the Saints clinched the Super Bowl on Sunday, CBS flashed a graphic pointing out that the Saints won their first Super Bowl by winning three playoff games, one more than their prior total of two playoff victories. In and of itself, it’s not unusual for a championship team to win more playoff games in its first Super Bowl-winning season than it had before. Of the 18 active teams, including the Saints, who have won a Super Bowl, 10 accomplished that feat. But no other team waited nearly as long as the Saints made their fans wait. Only three such teams took more than eight years to win a Super Bowl, with the longest stretch the Bears’: They’d won just one playoff game in the Super Bowl era before winning it all in 1985.

More typical of Super Bowl-winning teams is a franchise such as the Rams, who had won 10 playoff games before finally winning it all in 2000, or the Raiders, who’d already won seven playoff games before taking the 1977 Super Bowl. And nearly every long-suffering team has at least come close before, most notably the Vikings, Eagles, Bills and Titans/Oilers, who all have won at least a dozen playoff games without winning the Super Bowl. Only a Lions Super Bowl title — or a Texans’ championship, after three more fallow decades — could compare to the Saints’ glorious Sunday, in terms of contrast with a franchise’s long history of futility.

Brian Burke, of Advanced NFL Stats, uses his calculations of win probability to mine the NFL for inefficiencies in coaching strategy. By analyzing thousands of games, he’s estimated the probability a team will win in a given situation, like position on the field or down and distance. Then he can calculate how win probability would shift for a given strategy, when it’s successful and when it isn’t — and do the same for an alternate strategy available to coaches. These calculations inform analyses as to the breakeven point for an unconventional strategy: what chance it needs to have to succeed in order to make it superior to the tried-and-true alternative.

While there are plenty of innovative NFL coaches, some strategies still aren’t pursued as often as their breakeven points would suggest. Consider onside kicks. Earlier this NFL season, Burke produced stats showing that this maneuver — in which a kickoff team deliberately kicks the ball just past the 40-yard line or off a return man near that line in an attempt to recover the ball — is almost only used when the kicking team is in dire straits. More than a quarter of the time that this team has a win probability below 10%, it tries for the onside kick. But opposing coaches know the kick is coming, and thus they’re able to recover the kick more than four out of five times. When the kicking team is in a better situation — such as the Saints’ position, down four points with an entire half remaining — the onside kick is almost never tried, and because it’s unexpected, it works 60% of the time.

Since the breakeven point on onside kicks is 42%, they aren’t being used enough. If they were, we’d see equilibrium: The frequency of attempts would rise and the success rate would fall to the breakeven point as coaches changed their return formations to better prepare for the possibility of onside kicks. (Colts special teamers admitted they were caught off guard after the game.)

Perhaps Payton read Burke’s post from earlier in the season pointing that out. But it took more than a good decision to ensure the success of his ploy. That required deception and great execution, which the Saints special teams — great earlier in the playoffs, and great on Sunday — delivered.

That contrasts with Payton’s other unusual decision. Late in the second quarter, with the Saints a little more than a yard short of the end zone and facing fourth down, he decided to try for the touchdown rather than kicking a field goal that would almost surely have gone in. Statisticians generally liked the decision, as they did another unsuccessful fourth-down try against Peyton Manning and the Colts earlier this season. That’s because the fourth-down try — likely to succeed and to pin the Colts deep in their own territory if it doesn’t — is worth more than four points, compared to three points for the field goal. But Payton’s actual play call of a run, without much deception, was as dull as his decision to go for it was bold. “It was great strategy by Payton, leaving the Colts pinned at their own 1 if the offense fails and with three time outs, but the play calls were definitely shaky,” Jonathan Comey writes at Cold, Hard Football Facts.

The Saints led all NFL teams with five interception returns for touchdowns. Just three other teams had more than two (the Colts were one of 11 teams with two). Just 3.1% of passing attempts in the NFL this year were picked off, but 4.5% of passes against the Saints defense were. And fewer than one in 10 interceptions were returned for touchdowns, but nearly one in five Saints INTs were. All told, there were 48 interceptions returned for touchdowns this season, and the Saints secondary had more than one in 10.

New Orleans had so much success returning touchdowns in part because its defensive backs excelled at jumping routes and catching balls in stride. (Good blocking also helped, though the block of Peyton Manning on the Super Bowl pick may have been an uncalled illegal block in the back.) Their five regular-season touchdowns totaled 340 yards, or an average of 68 yards — or six yards shorter than Porter’s 74-yard run-back in the Super Bowl. The Saints’ 21 interceptions that weren’t returned for scores also often yielded good yardage after the catch. They yielded 312 return yards — more than 23 teams had on all interception returns, including touchdowns. The Saints’ overall return yardage of 652 was 175 more than second-place Green Bay, and Saints returns averaged 25.1 yards, more than every team but the Chiefs — who averaged 25.3 yards on a paltry 15 interceptions.

Porter himself exemplified this Saints defense. By some measures he was an ordinary cornerback this year, and below average in stopping yards after the catch. But his own yardage after catches was very good — 20.5, on average, on six prior picks, including one of Brett Favre in the NFC championship game that Porter returned for 26 yards.

That Manning was the goat on the signature Super Bowl play is less surprising than you might think. Though he earned his regular-season MVP award with a host of fourth-quarter comebacks, and by contributing more wins overall to his team than any other player did (at least by some measures), his one weakness was interceptions. He threw 16, more than any other quarterback ranked in the top 20 in passer rating (including No. 1 Brees’s 11). Part of that is a reflection of the Colts’ league-leading preference for the pass over the run: He threw more, giving opposing defenses more chances to pick him off. But even his rate of throwing INTs on 2.8% of his attempts was the highest of any of the top 14 rated passers. Manning also struggled against blitzing formations such as the one New Orleans used on the key play.

How big was the pick-six? Before it, the Saints had a 77% chance of winning, according to Brian Burke’s win-probability graph of the game. That seems about right — the Colts looked like they had about a 50% chance of forcing overtime, and presumably a 50% chance of winning if they did. After the pick, New Orleans was a 98% lock. No other play created as big a swing in win probability.

It’s a reflection of how great the past decade of Super Bowls has been that this one, even with the signature INT, rated in the bottom half by Burke’s measures of excitement — how much win probability varied. Only the blowouts in 2001 and 2003 trailed this year’s. By comeback factor — basically, what was the losing team’s peak winning probability — Colts-Saints rated higher, which is fitting since New Orleans came back from a 10-point deficit, tying the biggest deficit overcome in a Super Bowl. However, each of the last three games had higher comeback factors.

“The New Orleans Saints bandwagon will now stop and pick up the rest of America,” the Journal’s Jason Gay crows. “Mardi Gras is now a permanent state, and you’re all expected on Bourbon Street within the next 72 hours, or you’re fired. … Once tragically late to New Orleans, a nation wants to move in and establish residency. The Saints are unquestionably America’s team. Stand down, Jerry Jones.”

There were several compelling reasons why the Saints were underdogs, most notably a 25th-ranked defense that was the lowest-ranked unit to make the Super Bowl since the 1993 Buffalo Bills. But the embattled Saints defense delivered the biggest play of the game when cornerback Tracy Porter took home a backbreaking fourth quarter pick-six to pad New Orleans’s lead to 14 points. In the Newark Star-Ledger, Jerry Izenberg delivers a rapturous appreciation of Porter’s unlikely heroism.

Then again, the whole thing felt pretty unlikely, starting with the groundbreaking decision by New Orleans coach Sean Payton to lead off the second half with an onside kick. At Slate, Josh Levin argues that Payton’s gutsy call on the onside kick — and another to go for it on an unsuccessful fourth-and-goal attempt in the first half — reflected the coach’s game plan. “Head coach Sean Payton’s Super Bowl philosophy, it appeared, was that it was better to look foolish than to act timid,” Levin writes. “Win or lose — or lose while taking huge risks that could make you look totally ridiculous — Payton had decided the Saints would be aggressors.”

Of course, all that sideline toughness wouldn’t have meant much if quarterback Drew Brees, who connected on 32 of 39 passes and tied a Super Bowl record for completions, hadn’t been so locked-in. “The win might earn Brees a key to the city but it also gives him the key into an elite club that previously included two — [Peyton] Manning and Tom Brady,” Prisco writes at CBS Sports. “The two-man club now includes three. Brees is in that class. They can’t deny him now.”

And what of Manning, who will have to wait at least another year to further burnish his legend? At Sports Illustrated, Joe Posnanski ponders this often unlucky superstar. “There is little doubt that when Peyton Manning’s career ends, he will have made his case as the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL,” Posnanski writes. “And still, there’s no way to look at Manning’s brilliant career without noticing that there’s an awful lot of heartbreak in it.”

Manning, a New Orleans native (maybe you’d heard?), will surely not be joining the raucous Big Easy celebration Jenny Booth describes in the Times of London, but the rest of America’s football fans already have. After one of the more satisfying Super Bowls in history, it’s tough not to.

* * *

Danica Patrick’s surprisingly excellent finish in her stock-car racing debut Saturday earned her another week in Daytona Beach, Fla. After starting in the 12th position, Patrick rallied from a spin-out in lap 54 to finish sixth in her ARCA series debut, and will race again at Daytona International Speedway next Saturday in a Nascar Nationwide Series race, ahead of her previous schedule.

“All over the speedway, faces beamed at this performance,” Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel writes. “NASCAR officials couldn’t contain their glee that Patrick’s experimental move from open-wheel racing to stock cars got off to such a rousing start. She has been a big a draw at the Indy Racing League. If she ever gets to NASCAR’s top level, the Sprint Cup, and her on-track success matches her magazine spreads and television advertisements, everything will go to a new level.”

* * *

The Washington Capitals extended their winning streak to 14 consecutive games on Sunday, and could tie the NHL record of 17 before the NHL breaks for the Olympics. Down 4-1 in the second period, the Caps stormed back, overcoming a pair of goals by Sidney Crosby thanks to an Alex Ovechkin hat trick and an overtime goal by Mike Knuble to claim a 5-4 overtime win over the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

In the Toronto Star, Damien Cox applauds the fierce rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin, and looks forward to seeing the two young greats clash in the Olympics, where Crosby’s Team Canada and Ovechkin’s Team Russia both are expected to vie for the gold.

* * *

College basketball saw two top-five teams take a tumble over the weekend, as fifth-ranked Michigan State lost at Illinois and second-ranked Villanova fell big to eighth-ranked Georgetown. There was nothing super-surprising about those results: Upsets are a way of life in college basketball. Perhaps the most striking result of the weekend was how routine North Carolina’s latest loss felt. The Tar Heels took a pasting at the hands of the Maryland Terps on Sunday, and are Coach Roy Williams is very much at risk of not making the NCAA tournament for the first time in 20 years.

“For the most part, though, Tar Heel nation understands that North Carolina is in rebuilding mode after losing four players to the NBA — including first-rounders Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington — from last year’s team,” Yahoo’s Jason King writes. “Williams knows he’s running out of time. The loss to the Terrapins marked North Carolina’s sixth defeat in its last seven games. At this point the Tar Heels’ chances of making the NCAA tournament appear slim at best.”

* * *

There’s never a great time for a college’s athletic department to vacate a bunch of wins. But Florida State University’s academic-cheating scandal — which wound up encompassing 61 student-athletes in 10 sports — was inevitably going to lead to a bunch of retroactive forfeits. What better time, then, than a Sunday with a bit of other sports news to overshadow it, for FSU to announce the decision to vacate 12 wins in football, the 2007 men’s outdoor track-and-field national championship, and a host of wins in women’s basketball, softball, baseball and other sports? On Sunday, hours before a Super Bowl in the same state would wash the news all but off the sports pages, FSU stepped up and announced its punishment. On some winter Wednesdays, a scandal this big would have been a top story. On the day after the Super Bowl, it’s impossible to find a columnist out there who gave it any thought.

“Shhh. You hear that? It’s the sound of Florida State moving on,” ESPN’s Heather Dinich writes.

— Tip of the Fix cap to reader Don Hartline and fellow Fixer Garey Ris.

Found a good column from the world of sports? Don’t keep it to yourself — write to us at dailyfix@wsj.com and we’ll consider your find for inclusion in the Daily Fix. You can email David at droth11@gmail.com.

“They caught us with our pants down,” said Colts running back Chad Simpson, who was too far away to try and fall on the ball. “They got us.” Mr. Simpson  said he noticed the awkward approach to the ball by Mr. Morstead. “I knew something was up,” he said. Mr. Simpson tried to get to the ball, but it was too late. He couldn’t even dive into the pile to help his teammates fight for possession.

The onside kick took a crucial possession away from the Colts, keeping the ball out of Peyton Manning’s hands, and it allowed the Saints to drive down the field and score on a Pierre Thomas touchdown reception.

“Essentially that’s a turnover. So yeah, that’s important,” said guard Jamey Richard, who was also on the field at the time. Mr. Richard was too far back to get there in time to make a play, but he said he tried. “When I got there, people were still jumping on the pile and I jumped on too and it turned into a little bit of a scrum, I guess.”

Defensive end Fili Moala said the kick caught the tea team off guard, but the Colts should have won anyway. “It’s not an excuse,” he said.

Amen. Good morning. And one last Who Dat.

The Journal provides minute-by-minute analysis of Super Bowl XLIV as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 for their first National Football League championship. Journal staffers Reed Albergotti and David Kozo and Daily Fix emeritus Jason Gay are at Sun Life Stadium to offer commentary on the game, while Speakeasy editor Christopher Farley comments on the pregame and halftime musical performances. Guest blogger Brittany Hite (Colts) and Journal staffer Alex Martin (Saints) give a fan’s perspective from the teams’ home cities.

For a WSJ live blog of the Super Bowl ads and music, click here.

3:36 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

After a week in South Florida (read: Fort Lauderdale), the part of the Super Bowl where they actually play a football game is finally upon us. The Wall Street Journal team will be at Sun Life Stadium, where the New Orleans Saints will try to upset the Indianapolis Colts, a five-point favorite.

It’s not raining like it was three years ago when Peyton Manning crushed the Chicago Bears in the same location. It’s worse than that -- it’s windy. The palm trees outside my hotel window are swaying violently and the conditions are no different at the stadium. This could put a damper on the high-scoring fireworks display we were all promised should the coaches opt for the ground attack to avoid errant, wind-blown passes.

The questions are many: Can the Saints defense stop Peyton Manning, who is having one of the best seasons of his career? Will the Saints opt for their high-octane passing attack, or will they try to keep Manning off the field using their running attack? If Manning wins, will the Hall of Fame just induct him on the spot? If the Saints win, will the French start charging the NFL royalties for use of the fleur de lis?

Whatever happens, we’ll live-blog all the action. We’ll be there during warm-ups to let you know whether injured Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney is hobbling on the field. We’ll tell give you the mood of the stadium and critique the pregame and halftime shows. We’ll even have people on the ground in Indianapolis and New Orleans, where the party of the century is no-doubt already beginning. Tune in and enjoy.

3:42 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

It’s a sunny, cool day here in Sun Life Stadium, and having just arrived at our seats in the media area in the corner of the end zone, just about the only thing you can hear are the helicopters overhead and the noisy video screen showing highlights of the season (set to some surging music straight out of a Michael Bay movie). There are a few balls being thrown around on the field, but most of the activity is on the sidelines, with camera people and other media types milling about. Our media space is on the Colts’ sideline, which, for now, is where most of the activity is.

4:01 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

Our media hotel was in Fort Lauderdale, which was definitely Colts country this week. Lots of blue and white could be seen yesterday along A1A by the beach, including a car that drove by with two Colts flags so big they blocked our view of the ocean. But our hotel lobby this morning was pretty evenly divided, with plenty of black and gold everywhere, along with the attendant beads and other New Orleans craziness.

Overall I was very impressed with the fandom of both these teams for the couple of days I've been here -- passionate but not rude, wearing their colors proudly, coexisting peacefully. Major sporting events that don't feature a team with a dedicated fan base lose a little something in my eye. But this is one Super Bowl that I feel like the losing fan base will be crushed, and that makes it more compelling.

4:03 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

Have the Saints gained an early edge in Super Bowl XLIV by staying put? According to reports, the Colts followed an old Super Bowl tradition by switching hotels Saturday night to avoid any distractions. But the Saints stayed where they were, avoiding the hassle of moving and checking an entire football team into a new hotel the night before the game.

4:04 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

The pregame entertainment here in the stadium is a series of NFL Films shows recapping the highs and lows of every team in the NFL. How does NFL Films put together these programs so quickly? These teams stopped playing as little as two weeks ago. The guy who does the voice over must have destroyed his vocal chords by now.

4:05 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

The Colts all week have been calling the game a business trip, which is suddenly the "it" term in sports (following closely on the heels of walk-off home run, shut-down corner, and others.) So far here in the stadium, it looks like their fans feel that way too. For the most part the only people to have taken their seats so far are in blue and white. They're being mostly quiet, sitting watching the video board, which is just now showing highlights of the AFC Championship Game against the Jets. We don't see many Saints fans here yet. We think they may be just waking up now.

4:58 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

Drew Brees just jogged out onto the field wearing a gold, long-sleeve shirt and black shorts. Saints fans went nuts. Brees is doing jumping jacks, warmup drills and stretching, along with two dozen other Saints players.

4:59 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

All week leading up to the Super Bowl, Colts fans have been getting blitzed by Saints fans yelling "Who Dat" in their direction. But like Peyton Manning against the blitz, Colts nation made a crucial adjustment. They've been countering "Who Dats" with the witty response "We Dat!" Have the Colts uncovered a blueprint for a way to beat Saints fans?

5:08 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

Saints nation was overrepresented in Miami the last couple of nights, but it's becoming clear that the number of Colts and Saints fans will be more balanced in the stadium. There is quite a lot of blue here, which stands out against the red seats. It's more difficult to spot the black and gold jerseys of the Saints fans.

5:13 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

The wind is dying down here a bit in Sun Life Stadium. The wind socks on the goal posts are not nearly as active. Place kickers Matt Stover of the Colts and Garrett Hartley of the Saints both look comfortable booting practice kicks from 50 yards out and the balls don't seem to be drastically affected by the breeze.

5:41 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

On Friday, in the midst of the season's heaviest snowfall, the Blue Crew Sports Grill on the city's north side was packed. A painted blue 1970 fire truck sits outside, while inside, a local musician sang an ode to Peyton Manning, to the tune of Don McLean's "American Pie."

Most of the Indianapolis area was blanketed in a half-foot of snow over the weekend, but that certainly was not enough to keep the Colts crew at home. A circle through downtown Indianapolis found the entire area decked in blue and white with many mini-Mannings bustling about. Manning jerseys are so abundant you'd think they were a prerequisite to get into any bar downtown. Signs adorn virtually every business establishment, and the whole city is going to be zoned in come game time.

But this time, it's a different feeling. Having already secured a Super Bowl victory just three years ago, this is welcome territory, and most of Colts nation seems confident and more at ease. The rest of the country may be against Indy, but that just makes the fan base more resolute.

I recently moved to China, where coverage of (American) football games is virtually nonexistent. As the only game I'll get to see live all year, I'm hoping the Super Bowl will have been worth that 7,000-plus-mile flight back home. We're ready to get started and see if Peyton can add another ring to his collection.

5:42 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

The stadium is quickly filling up with the scoreboard clock showing 25 minutes and counting until whatever comes at that point. That's not kickoff yet but rather the official opening ceremony/flyover/anthem, I'm guessing. Little roars go up every once and a while when one team's players take the field, but so far the players have run out just in clusters, not any single group.

5:43 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

Drew Brees just did his pregame chant that he picked up from the U.S. Marines on a USO visit. If you've never heard it, it's an electrifying pump-up ritual.

5:43 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

I love the simplicity of the Colts' blue-and-white uniforms (just two colors--so elegant). But what really stands out on this field are the gold sweatshirts worn by the Saints who are hobbled and on the sidelines. That gold's a very cool color.

5:47 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney is warming up now with the rest of the defensive line. Freeney, who has a torn ankle ligament and is key to the Colts pass rush, did sit out some drills. But he planted pretty hard on his injured right ankle in one drill. He wasn't showing any signs of pain, but he did just go into the locker room early, possibly for some kind of treatment.

5:49 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

An hour or so before game time, traffic magically disappears from Decatur Street in front of Jackson Square. As Saints players and coaches appear on the screen inside The Corner restaurant/bar, Saints fans erupt. Drew Brees. "Yeaaaahhhhhh! Drew Dat!" Devery Henderson, a Louisiana guy. "Yeaahhhh. LSU! LSU! LSU!" Jeremy Shockey. "Wooooooo."

And then Peyton Manning. "Boo! Hissssss!" Then a fan nearby grumbles, "And now back to the 'Peyton Manning Show.'"

Folks here are more than a little tired of this particular program -- even though people find Peyton, a New Orleans native, "dawlin'," as we'd say in the local dialect.

The restaurant's getting noisy, cheering even the sight of the Saints stretching.

Then, Katie Couric is interviewing Drew Brees on the TV, and the place goes quiet.

6:02 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

An hour or so before game time and streets in downtown Indianapolis are empty, but that's not uncommon for the city that never wakes up.

But Scotty's Brewhouse downtown has been packed for hours. The first shot of Peyton Manning and the bar erupts in cheers. A quick glance shows that most fans today are sporting his No. 18 jersey -– yet another sign that the game is resting on his shoulders.

Katie Couric is on the screen, talking to Brees (a Purdue grad, located about an hour north of here) about his move to  downtrodden New Orleans, restoring hope to the city Katrina wrecked. Yes, it's unfortunate, but really, we've been hearing about it for weeks. As I recently saw it so succinctly summed up by a friend on Facebook, this game feels like Colts vs. America.

Three of the four broadcasters just picked the Colts to win. Today's special Super Bowl section of the Indianapolis Star showed similar results: Of all two dozen or so sports analysts quoted, only a single one picked the Saints. Fans here are confident -– let's just hope that confidence isn't a curse.

6:13 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints come marching onto the field first to a flood of "Who Dat" cheers. The Colts prance onto the field next through blue and white flags adorned with lucky horseshoes.

6:14 pm | Pregame | by Jason Gay

Tonight's game: SOLD OUT. 5,000 seats were available at 5 p.m. and Reed  
and I bought them with petty cash to prevent a TV blackout. You're  
welcome, America.

6:16 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

The NFL and CBS have gone with a "Survivor" theme in a pregame video, making believe the NFL playoffs were actually a season of Survivor. If you think about it, it kind of is like Survivor, except these contestants are definitely not emaciated.

6:21 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley

Early in the coverage, they played the song "Run This Town" featuring Rihanna and Jay-Z. It's a popular song, but does have some lyrics that aren't family friendly. It's a bit surprising that, for this broadcast, they didn't cut the line with the n-word.

6:21 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley

Queen Latifah sang "America the Beautiful" accompanied by lots of strings and a large chorus. She's known as a rapper and an actress, but has been singing more in recent years.

6:25 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley

Carrie Underwood, the country singer and "American Idol" star, sang the National Anthem. Sports championships have been leaning on "Idol" winners more and more. As is traditional, she sang without musical accompaniment. She held the note for "Freeeeeeeeee" for an awfully long time. Say what you want about "Idol," they have produced some singers that have real pipes and she's one of them.

6:26 pm | Pregame | by David Kozo

Wow, those fighter jets in the flyover are LOUD!

6:27 pm | Pregame | by Christopher Farley

I wonder what Simon Cowell would have said about Carrie Underwood's performance of the National Anthem.

6:29 pm | Pregame | by Jason Gay

Dave Kozo disappointed they didn't use new Bose noise-cancelling flyover jets.

6:29 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

Heads it is. The Saints win the toss and elect to receive the ball. Can the Colts overcome this hurdle?

6:30 pm | Pregame | by Jason Gay

Heads! I just won $500,000 at the MGM Grand!

6:31 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

We haven't even kicked off yet, and the bar is already out of its specially blue-dyed Coors Lite.

Carrie Underwood is singing the national anthem, and the crowd here at the bar is up on its feet. Colts fans are at least classy enough to not boo the Saints players shown during the national anthem. After the song ends, though, no such mercy will be extended.

6:32 pm | Pregame | by Reed Albergotti

I wonder if all the other Saints receivers make fun of Adrian Arrington for being the only one with a number not in the teens. Wide receivers typically have numbers in the 80s, but five of the Saints six receivers in their depth chart have numbers in the teens. It seems like all the cool, young receivers in the NFL want a number in the teens these days.

6:33 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

After the coin toss, Who Dats 1, Indy 0.

6:36 pm | 1st quarter, 0-0 | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints go three and out, but it was a promising three and out. On third and short, Brees went deep to Robert Meachem and just missed him. They punt to the Colts.

6:39 pm | 1st quarter, 0-0 | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints are trying an interesting tactic against Manning: They're hanging back and not bringing pressure. It's not working. The Colts are marching down the field.

6:40 pm | 1st quarter, 0-0 | by Reed Albergotti

Manning can kill you when you blitz him. But he can really kill you if you don't get any pressure at all. And that's what's been happening on this first Colts drive of the game. But the Colts still need to establish the run.

6:47 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The impressive Colts drive stalled on a false start (perhaps due to a surprisingly large amount of crowd noise coming from Who Dat nation) and ended with a Matt Stover field goal. Now the oldest person to score in a Super Bowl. It's 3-0 Colts with 7:22 in the first quarter. After the kickoff, Saints ball on their own 26 . First and 10.

6:48 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

It’s amazing how much football fashion has changed in less a decade. Saints backup quarterback Mark Brunell still wears his old-school jersey and shoulder pads, which makes him look like he was just beamed here from the early 90s. While starting quarterback Drew Brees has sleek shoulder pads and fitted sleeves, Brunell wears bigger pads and looser sleeves that jut out well past his arms. We’ll check the locker room later to see if he uses one of those old-school straight-edge razors, too.

6:49 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

The Saints may have won the coin toss, but the Colts are the first on the board. Peyton looks like his usual self -– in the zone, totally focused, prepared and ready for this.  Indy fans clearly wanted that drive to go all the way, but for now they'll take the FG.

Kicker Matt Stover's parents will surely be glad to see him score the first points of the game. His mother recently had brain surgery and is watching him from a hospital in Dallas, where she's recovering.

6:52 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints are driving now at midfield on a big pickup by Reggie Bush after a catch over the middle. Dwight Freeney has been a non-factor and looks to be gimpy on his right ankle.

6:54 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints drive stalls with stellar play from the Colts defensive backfield. A Thomas Morstead punt pins Peyton Manning and the Colts offense inside their own 5-yard line with 5:12 left in the first quarter.

6:55 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints fans are winning the "loud" battle. There may indeed me more Saints fans. But as one Saints fan told me earlier in the parking lot: "We're louder."

6:59 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Saints cornerback Tracy Porter has been covering Reggie Wayne on the left side and  Jabari Greer has been covering receiver Pierre Garcon on the right. The cornerbacks have been doing well, but Manning is finding the open guy consistently.

7:01 pm | 1st quarter, 3-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Big gain by Joseph Addai, who takes a handoff up the middle to the Saints 24-yard line.

7:04 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Touchdown Pierre Garcon, who finds room over the top of safety Roman Harper, who should have been able to stay deeper than the receiver in a shortened field. The 19-yard throw from Manning and XP puts the Colts up 10-0 with 36 seconds left in the first quarter.

7:05 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Jason Gay

This quick Colts start is seriously cutting into Kim Kardashian's camera time.

7:06 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

And the Nation wept. Well, more like Who Dat Nation got very, very quiet.

7:07 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints got to the Super Bowl by hiring an aggressive defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams, who blitzes like crazy. They relied on the arm of a sharp-shooter quarterback in Drew Brees. They don't look like the Saints today. They haven't been blitzing. They have been trying to establish a running game. Don't be surprised if, down by 10, they don't go back to their old ways and start throwing and blitzing again.

7:07 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by David Kozo

Manning has completed his nine passes to six different guys. Now that's spreading it around.

7:08 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

The Colts may be the worst rushing team in the league, but that isn't because of a lack of talent but rather a lack of necessity. The rushing game begins to come to life here, and then as Peyton connects with Garcon, I think the entire of downtown Indy just went wild. (Though to be fair, that only encompasses about 10 square blocks.)

7:10 pm | 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Colts said all week that this was just a business trip for them. They've been here before. Their fast start is testament to that. The Saints look a little jumpy. Brees missed a big throw to Meachem. Marques Colston dropped a big one. The Saints do not look like they've been here before.

7:11 pm | End of 1st quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

End of the first quarter. Colts 10. Saints 0.

7:13 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

This is my third Super Bowl and it's the least amount of seat schwag I've ever seen. There are plastic bags attached on the seats. Inside, white towels. What, no Super Bowl glow sticks for the halftime show? No seat cushions? Usually, there are loads of giveaways.

7:21 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Jason Gay

Sitting in press box, eating baby carrots, Marv Albert whispering in my ear. Bliss.

7:21 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-0 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Colts are playing cornerbacks Jacob Lacey and Tim Jennings off the ball, and that is allowing Saints receivers to get open for short routes. They are typically only rushing four defensive linemen and Brees is getting time.

7:23 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Wow, Dwight Freeney bull-rushes his way directly to Brees and takes him down! A huge play for the injured defensive end many people didn't think would even play. The Saints are held to a 46-yard Hartley field goal, but they get on the board. It's Colts 10, Saints 3 with 9:34 in the second quarter.

7:25 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

I can't be certain, but I believe water pressure in the city of New Orleans dropped precipitously low after the Saints' field goal as all of a relieved Who Dat Nation went to seek, well, relief.

7:28 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

As I suspected, the Saints came out blitzing on that drive. On third down, the Saints sent everyone after Manning. He found Pierre Garcon open over the middle, but Garcon drops the ball. Colts punt. Saints ball on their own 28 with 8:14 left in the 2nd quarter.

7:30 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Free safety Antoine Bethea just dropped what should have been an interception throw by Brees. Apparently, the Colts didn't work on catching during their week-long "business trip." Two costly drops in a row.

7:35 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Big gain for Saints receiver Lance Moore. On third and short, the Saints line up in short-yardage run formation and find Moore underneath, bringing the ball to the Colts 30.

7:36 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints are sniffing end zone with a chance to tie the game here. Second and goal on the 2.

7:37 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by David Kozo

Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was just jawing with Colts safety Antoine Bethea after that pass play to Marques Colston. Something to keep an eye on. Shockey made some kind of gesture to Bethea; something to keep an eye on.

7:38 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Huge mistake! backup tackle Zach Strief false-starts, backing the Saints up.

7:39 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Pierre Thomas makes up for much of that penalty, taking the handoff inside the 1 yard line. The Saints are a foot away from tying the game.

7:44 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The undersized Colts defense makes a miraculous stand on the goal line, stopping running back Mike Bell, who slips on this immaculate Miami turf. Fourth and goal Saints. 1:55 left in the second.

7:45 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Jason Gay

This is getting interesting. The Who needs to be back to the Seabreeze Condos in Boca by 9.

7:45 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

A lot of tension here. The Saints look to be going for it.

7:46 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Stop! One of the great Super Bowl defensive stops there. The swarming Colts defense forces a turnover on downs. Colts ball. 1:45 left in the half. Two-minute drill for Manning?

7:47 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Peyton Manning has a reputation for using opportunities like these to march down the field and get his team in field-goal range. Will they try it?

7:51 pm | 2nd quarter, 10-3 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Saints are shooting for a last-second kick. Hartley comes on the field. He came up big with an overtime kick in the NFC championship to get them here. Let's see if he can do it again.

7:53 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Hartley's 44-yard kick with five seconds to go is good with plenty of distance.

The Colts take a 10-6 lead into half time.

7:54 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

It's halftime and the Saints, down 10-6, are looking like themselves again. They still haven't gotten in the end zone, but their offense seems to be looking like itself.

7:55 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

The Who just arrived in their Oldsmobile Cutlass.

7:56 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by David Kozo

One thing you don't see on TV Is the quick work of the roadies installing the halftime stage. There are about a dozen teams each trotting out giant devices that almost resemble bicycle spokes. After plugging them in, they're illuminated within seconds. And the instruments are up on the stage. It's a very impressive display. Meanwhile, the house lights are dimming...

7:57 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

As WSJ ace reporter Dave Biderman would say, that's 5.5 minutes of action in the books!!

7:58 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

The last time the Saints were in this stadium it had a different name (LandShark), they fell behind early, and they scored just before half time. They owned the second half and won going away. Who Dat Nation believes.

And, another round of Abita Amber for this table, please, waitress.

7:59 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Christopher Farley

Finally, the Who are coming up.

The halftime show is usually more about spectacle than great music. But some of the acts that have played the Super Bowl in the past have set a high bar -- Prince, U2 and Bruce Springsteen among them. I really hope none of the Who have a "wardrobe malfunction."

8:00 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

The Who appear to be playing on a giant upturned wok.

8:04 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Christopher Farley

The Who start off their set with “Pinball Wizard” from their 1969 rock opera “Tommy.”

8:05 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by David Kozo

Unlike many recent halftime-show acts, there are no throngs of young fans surrounding the stage. Daltrey, by the way, looks so much younger than Townshend, and they're only a year apart in age.

8:05 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Christopher Farley

They slide right into "Baba O'Riley."

8:06 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

Colts fans seem relaxed at halftime. The Saints may have pulled closer, but we see no reason to worry.  Everyone's refilling their beers, ordering more wings and singing along to The Who.

8:07 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

RED ALERT: TWITTER IS OVER CAPACITY. TWITTER IS OVER CAPACITY.

8:08 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

Folks, that's WSJ's Reed Albergotti on drums. Dude is AMAZING!

8:08 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

Man, this makes me want to go watch Gary Sinise dust some fingerprints.

8:09 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Christopher Farley

With only two of the original members, is this band still The Who? Or The What? A philosophical question to consider as they sing “Who Are You,” first issued in 1978. Younger readers may know it as the CSI theme song.

8:12 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by David Kozo

After the stage was set for The Who, the stage appears to be set for a classic second half between two quarterbacks that are just getting going. Peyton Manning has been quiet since his 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon. (Actually a key drop by Garcon didn't help matters.) After 88 yards passing in the first quarter, Manning had just 9 in the second. Drew Brees, on the other hand, had 137 yards in the second quarter after 27 in the first. So he's getting warmed up, but you know that Peyton likely will, too.

In retrospect it was probably good that the Saints went for that fourth down, because the last thing teams want to do is kick off to Peyton very late in the first half. They didn't make it, and most people were scratching their heads, but the Colts couldn't engineer anything from deep in their own end. So Saints coach Sean Payton played the field-position game, and his team got the ball back and got the field goal. Should be a great second half.

8:12 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Christopher Farley

They sing a bit of “See Me Feel Me,” another song from “Tommy” before going into “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Younger readers may know that last song as the “CSI” Miami” theme song.

8:13 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

As the geriatic halftime act belts out "Who are you," the equally geriatric fans in The Corner answer, "who dat, who dat."

8:15 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

Outside The Corner, fans are kicking a stuffed blue horse around. Ah, the spirit of sportsmanship.

8:16 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Christopher Farley

"Meet the new Boss/ Same as the old Boss," Roger Daltrey sang at the close of the set.

Meet the new Who, not quite the same as the old Who -- but they did fine.

8:19 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Jason Gay

Here in the stadium -- I'm not making this up -- they just started cranking the Arcade Fire, as if it was air freshener.

8:20 pm | Halftime, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Kozo is right on. This game is up for grabs. I think the Saints will unveil their most complicated and confusing blitzes in the second half. Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Willaims was laid back in the first half, when most teams blitz the living daylights out of Manning. By the second half, most teams have used up all their ammunition and Manning has figured them out. By keeping the game close, the Saints are in position to go after Manning in the second half, when it's too late to go into the locker room and make adjustments. Expect the Saints on defense to look like bees whose hive just got bashed in with a baseball bat.

If the Colts stick with their conservative approach on defense, keeping their safeties way off the ball, Saints quarterback Drew Brees may just pick them apart.

8:24 pm | 3rd quarter, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

That's one way of not allowing Peyton Manning to come on the field. Just onsides kick it. Saints ball! Unbelievable. You don't usually see those kinds of trick plays in the Super Bowl. Sean Payton needs to go to Gambler's Anonymous.

8:25 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

A drunken fan keeps trying to start a C-O-L-T-S chant, a lá J-E-T-S. But Colts fans don't seem to be having any of it.

8:25 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

And the Nation roared. Sean Payton -- in it to win it.

8:27 pm | 3rd quarter, 10-6 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Freeney's getting his ankle taped now. The Colts are still playing their bend-don't-break defense and Drew Brees is lighting. Them. Up.

8:31 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Touchdown Pierre Thomas, as he catches a short Brees pass and goes in from 16 yards out. The Saints just stole the momentum. Sean Payton looks like a genius with the onsides kick, and Larry Coyer's defense is looking very porous. The Saints kick the XP to go up 13-10 with 11:41 left in the third quarter.

8:31 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

You can't hear any Colts fans right now, but you can hear a LOT of Saints fans. It's like they're multiplying. "Who Dat" chants abound.

8:33 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Jason Gay

One last blast from halftime. Here's the take on The Who's performance from a Rolling Stone editor and serious Who-ologist Andy Greene, who emailed in his review:

I was nervous because Daltrey's voice was on the fritz during his recent solo tour, but he pulled it together and sounded great (assuming he didn't lip-sync). I normally hate medleys, but they made it work -- even if i question the need for three seconds of "See Me, Feel Me." It didn't come close to the brilliance of their Concert For New York set in 2001, but doing a great job in 12 minutes is tough. For a band that is literally half dead and the survivors are pushing 70, they did a pretty great job. Also, Daltrey hit the wail in "Won't Get Fooled Again" better than I've heard in a very long time.

8:34 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by David Kozo

OK, Peyton Manning has to be super antsy. Since his TD pass at the end of the first quarter, he's had the ball for two three-and-outs, and during that time his team has gone from 10-0 up to trailing 13-10. Fascinating to see how he responds. This next possession is key. He needs to get back into a rhythm.

8:35 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

The screen pass has worked in that part of the field all year for the Saints. I guess the Colts missed that.

8:35 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

The Colts offense comes out strong. Joseph Addai with another good run. Why aren't they running him more? He's averaging about 10 yards a carry.

8:36 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

The Saints defense actually has a home-field advantage here. I'ts not Metrodome loud, but it is definitly hard to hear. Jason Gay had to ask me three times to pass the popcorn.

8:37 pm | 3rd quarter, 13-10 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Peyton threads the needle with a deep pass to tight end Dallas Clark. Ball on Saints 20.

8:39 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Manning finds Clark again, who comes off the end of the line for a dump over the middle. First and goal at the 5. And hand-off to Joseph Addai who breaks three tackles for a 5-yard touchdown run. Colts regain the lead. 17-13. 6:15 to go in the third quarter.

8:41 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Jason Gay

Oh, I'm sorry, what part of MY NAME IS PEYTON MANNING did you not hear?

8:42 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by David Kozo

Classic Manning drive. The way he looked off his guys, checking down repeatedly to Clark, and not being afraid to use the ground game. It didn't look beautiful, but that's what makes it classic Manning. And Addai looks young and spry for a relatively old running back.

8:43 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

I just read Saints coach Sean Payton's lips on the sideline. "OK, we're never kicking off to them again. Onside kicks for the rest of the game!"

8:44 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

High-fives all around. A wave of relief floods the place. Let's see if we can hold the lead.

8:44 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Why does that CBS cable camera keep hovering over the cheerleaders during the comercial breaks?

8:49 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Colts linebacker Clint Session trying to cover Reggie Bush in the open field is a total mismatch.

8:49 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-13 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

I'm getting sympathy pain in my right ankle watching Dwight Freeney run all over the field. He is literally everywhere on every play.

8:53 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Garrett Hartley with a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-16 Colts with 2:01 left in the third quarter.

8:54 pm | 3rd quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Jason Gay

Garrett Hartley is a laid-back dude. Spent a bit of time talking to him the other day, and if he didn't have the Saints uniform on, you'd think he was serving smoothies on a beach in Santa Cruz. Unflappability, of course, is a key to a successful field-goal kicker. That -- and being able to kick the football far, and accurately.

8:59 pm | End of 3rd quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

That's the end of the third quarter. Colts getting a good-looking drive started. Colts up 17-16 going into the fourth.

9:00 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Notice that nobody on the Colts has fumbled yet. You can see the Saints have been trying to strip it, but every ball carrier and receiver on the Colts seems to be overprotective of the ball. They all put two hands over it, sometimes even at the expense of gaining more yards. Seems like they watched some of that fumble fest two weeks ago when the Saints played the Vikings.

9:01 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

You know, I'm sure people are saying that the Saints have no chance, going into the fourth quarter down against one of the greatest quarterback who's ever lived. But it doesn't feel that way. The Saints seem like they should be able to score at will against the Colts defense.

9:04 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Colts get a huge fourth-and-short to burst into Saints territory. Reggie Wayne with a little slant play.

9:04 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo

Fast-moving game, surprising given the passing nature of these teams. We shouldn't have been surprised. These aren't chuck-and-duck quarterbacks. Peyton especially, with all his short passes, doesn't throw many incompletions. And Brees has also only missed on seven passes.

9:05 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

Cheers of "Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie!" after converting on that fourth down.

9:06 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

The Colts hot drive stalls when the a Saints blitz finally works, and Manning is forced to give it up.

9:08 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

There is one big-name free agent the Colts have on their roster: kicker Adam Vinatieri. Now you know why Colts owner Jim Irsay went out and got him -- their backup kicker, Matt Stover, just missed a big one from 50 yards out.

9:09 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo

Jason Gay bet me $20 that Stover would miss the kick. I don't think I ever technically agreed to the bet...

9:10 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Jason Gay

You don't ever see this on TV, but if you are live in the stadium, there are women in funny outfits dancing on the sidelines.

9:10 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo

Take one, pass it down. A bit after each quarter, the helpful NFL PR people come around with the quarter summaries, with all the stats and plays. They're still warm when you get them, like the mimeographed copies your teacher used to pass out. No one stops to smell these, however.

9:11 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

What is the play of this game? Last year had James Harrison's interception return and the catch by Santonio Holmes. The year before had David Tyree's helmet catch. There have been good ones tonight. But have their been any great ones?

9:12 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

And the Nation sighed. Who Dats rejoice as Matt Stover, who kicked at Louisiana Tech in the last ice age, puts the kick wide. God is invoked, and the Who Dat cheer rains from the heavens. Drew Brees with a short field.

9:13 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo

I've been writing a lot about Manning tonight, but Brees is having a whale of a game. Most of these throws, from where I'm sitting, appear to be off his back foot with a guy three inches taller in his face.

9:13 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by Reed Albergotti

Keyunta Dawson is rotating in for the injured Dwight Freeney and the Saints are yet again moving. First and goal at the 5.

9:14 pm | 4th quarter, 17-16 Colts | by David Kozo

Question: Do Saints go for 2 if they get this TD?

9:16 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Two-yard touchdown throw to Jeremy Shockey. Saints take the 22-17 lead with 5:42 left in the game.

9:18 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by Jason Gay

Peyton Manning sitting on sideline, cooly smoking a cigarette...

9:19 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Lance Moore can't hold onto a two-point conversion throw, making it 22-17 Saints. Pretty good game here.

9:20 pm | 4th quarter, 22-17 Saints | by David Kozo

Brees is one completion away from Tom Brady's record 32 in a Super Bowl (the Patriots' 32-29 win over the Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII).

9:20 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

The tension is palpable. Let's just get Peyton back out on the field.

9:21 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Upon further review, the Saints do get the two points for a 24-17 lead. So now there's 5:42 on the clock. Let's say the Colts drive down the field and score and burn 3:45 off the clock and tie the game. That gives the Saints about two minutes to kick a field goal. Garrett Hartley, their kicker, has been great all night. This is not looking good for the Colts at all.

9:26 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Now the Colts need to score quickly so if the Saints score, there is still time for a last-minute Peyton Manning drive.

9:29 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by David Kozo

Another great Manning drive, but if they don't convert after the injury timeout they face another tough call. I feel like they have to go for it. They're not stopping the Saints right now. A FG doesn't help them.

9:29 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

Who Dat Nation wants a challenge. Of course, the Nation has been guzzling beer.

9:30 pm | 4th quarter, 24-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Man, that onsides kick is looking like a better and better idea as this game wears on. I'm not sure the Colts can come up with a defensive stop, assuming the Colts score.

9:32 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

And the Saints defense wins the game! Cornerback Tracy Porter picks Manning and returns it 74 yards for a touchdown with 3:12 left. the XP makes it 31-17. That should end the game. Unbelievable upset. CBS got their money's worth on this game.

9:33 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Jason Gay

Five years ago, I came to Reed Albergotti with an idea. I wanted to open a bar on Bourbon Street called Tracy Porter's Interception. Reed said no. True story.

9:34 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

I can't actually repeat the phrases uttered after that play. Tracy Porter gets the pick on Manning for the score. Ironically, Porter played at Indiana in Bloomington in college, just south of here.

9:36 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

Peyton who? Meet Tracy Porter, America. Who Dat Nation already knows him. He grew up in Port Allen, La.

9:37 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Gotta hand it to Manning. He really never thinks the game is over.

9:38 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

Random thought. What ever happened to that Brees guy the Chargers cut loose a few years back? You know, that guy with the torn up shoulder?

9:39 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by Reed Albergotti

By the way, pretty obvious what the play of the game was. Does Tracy Porter deserve Super Bowl MVP?

9:40 pm | 4th quarter, 31-17 Saints | by David Kozo

Look at these reception totals for Saints receivers. Colston 7, Henderson 7, Thomas 6, Bush 4, Shockey 3, you get the idea.

9:49 pm | Final, 31-17 Saints | by Editor

And that's it. Saints win 31-17 for their first NFL title.

9:50 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

Perhaps Colts Nation was too overly confident coming into this game. Today, we've simply been outplayed. The Saints have played one heck of a game and rightfully earned this win, as much as it hurts.

9:50 pm | Postgame | by Jason Gay

So wish I was Alex Martin's waitress right now.

9:51 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

Ballgame. Saints take a knee, and they upset the Colts 31-17. Reed has gone downstairs to the locker rooms. I think only the Colts will be in theirs for a while. This is a mad scene here. The confetti -- actually little rectangles of tissue paper -- are hitting my computer as I type this. I thought perhaps they'd be color coded to the team that won, but no, they're the official Super Bowl XLIV colors of blue, red and orange.

9:52 pm | Indianapolis | by Brittany Hite

The bar is silent. No one knows what to do. Everyone is waiting for Peyton to go back in and run a one-minute scoring drive. But that's not going to happen today. They're trying to finish off a raffle of some autographed helmets, but no one is interested in that right now.

Well, at least we'll always have Super Bowl XLV. If this was the Colts vs. America, it looks like America won... I guess at least it wasn't Tom Brady.

9:55 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

Sincere congratulations to New Orleans and the Saints' fans, not to mention the team itself, for this win. The stadium's starting to thin out, as we can see some orange seats in the upper reaches. But the Saints fans clearly aren't going anywhere. No one's saying anything from that big scrum at midfield. We're getting a video presentation of Saints' highlights from this season. I guess they have to get everyone in place before the CBS television trophy presentation.

9:56 pm | New Orleans | by Alex Martin

And the Nation danced. It's what we do. Cop cars blared sirens in joy. Horns honked. And screams rose to the sky. Who Dat is an exclamation. As a question, it has no answer.

9:59 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

How long before we get the questions again about the decision to pull the starters in those last two weeks of the season. The fact that the Colts got to the Super Bowl seemed to close that argument for many people, but now the story line could be, well the Colts lost that feeling of invincibility, making tonight possible.

9:59 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

I have to say, very well done by the NFL. Len Dawson walking the trophy up through the scrum of the players is very cool.

10:04 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

There are some Colts fans sticking around watching the ceremony. Nice to see. Guess they figured, I shelled out five grand, I'm getting my money's worth.

10:05 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

Manning finishes 31-45 for 333 yards, but with the key pick. Brees ends up tying that Brady 32 completions record. Drew goes 32-for-39 for 288 and, of course, gets the MVP. He's being congratulated now. Still more confetti hits my computer.

10:10 pm | Postgame | by Reed Albergotti

The mood is obviously somber in the Colts locker room. Peyton Manning has his head hunched over. He's talking to brother Eli in a low voice. Players are in a hurry to leave.

10:16 pm | Postgame | by David Kozo

Meanwhile, back in the stadium, there are still tons of people on the field. Not so many in the stands. Confetti still falling down. Some cleanup going on. Most of the Saints fans still here are gathered down at the bottom, by the rail.

Small black-and-gold clumps move through the streets of the French Quarter toward its heart. New Orleans, very Catholic and very football crazed, is headed toward St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square for 11 a.m. Mass. A baby is to be christened into the church today. He’s also unintentionally being baptized a Who Dat.

The lector announces it is the fifth Sunday in ordinary time. Clearly this is no ordinary time, however. The old church is packed: dozens of Drew Breeses (including an usher), Reggie Bushes and Jeremy Shockeys; a couple of Darren Sharpers, a Scott Fujita, and, going old school, a Dalton Hilliard.

Former Archbishop Alfred Hughes welcomes various groups to the service. When he welcomes “of course, all of those in black and gold,” the church erupts in unchurchly applause.

To close out the service, Archbishop Hughes suggests a patron saint “for all of those interested in the outcome of tonight’s game” to pray to: St. Joan of Arc. “As a saint,” the archbishop says, “she rode a colt to victory.” Louder applause.

A minute later, two friends greet each other in the back of the church. “You do this often?” the first asks. “Yeah, every time the Saints are in the Super Bowl.”

And off they go outside the cathedral, past the archbishop in his mitre and a priest in his Saints NFC championship hat, blending into a foaming sea of black and gold.