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Houston Texans

Texans second-round pick Ben Tate hasn't played a snap in the NFL yet, but already has his own day.

HoustonTexans.com has a position preview of the cornerbacks.

Indianapolis Colts

Seventh-round draft pick Kavell Conner has agreed to terms with the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The National Football Post reports the Jaguars have reached a deal with sixth-round pick Deji Karim.

Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio is Sandra Bullock's latest co-star.

In their countdown of the greatest players in UCF history, the Orlando Sentinel ranks Jaguars wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker No. 8.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are hoping to put more pressure on the passer this season.

Kerry Collins is gearing up for his 15th NFL training camp.

Does cornerback Cortland Finnegan want Terrell Owens in Tennessee? "No. I don't ... no. No. No. Not gonna happen," Finnegan said during an interview on Nashville radio station 104.5 FM The Zone. "Jeff Fisher wouldn't allow it. The guys ... no. He wouldn't be part of the Tennessee ... no. I'm just gonna say 'no' and just keep on pushing."

» NFC Schemes/Themes: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

» Draft Watch: Biggest needs (2/17) | Busts/gems (2/24) | Schemes, themes (3/3) | Recent history (3/10) | Needs revisited (3/17) | Under-the-radar needs (3/26) | History in that spot (3/31) | Draft approach (4/7) | Decision-makers (4/14) | Dream scenario/Plan B (4/21)

Each Wednesday leading up to the NFL draft (April 22-24), the ESPN.com blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today’s topic: Schemes and themes.

Houston Texans

Alex Gibbs is gone, but offensive line coach John Benton learned from the master and the Texans are expected to continue to rely largely on the zone blocking run scheme Gibbs installed. That means the interior offensive lineman the Texans bring in to compete for a starting spot will be a smaller, more agile type, not a super-heavyweight bruiser. The bigger running back they seek to run behind that line needs to be a one-cut-and-go guy, not a dancer. If the Texans draft a back, look for them to go for a bigger guy who can get a tough yard and fare better in goal-line situations.

Indianapolis Colts

Speed and agility are always at more of a premium than size for the Colts, though they welcome all of those when they can get them. It would seem they would look to add at least one offensive tackle who’s a sure pass-protector but can also help spring a running back like Joseph Addai around the corner with some consistency. Another Colts' tenet is that a steady, threatening pass rush is a crucial component and it’s likely time to upgrade end No. 3 and groom the next Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Head coach Jack Del Rio says quarterback David Garrard is good, but not elite, and that’s perfectly true. For him to lead the Jaguars to the playoffs, he needs to be surrounded by a quality cast that plays close to error-free. So look for second-year general manager Gene Smith to try to mirror his first draft that brought in quality players who had no character questions. Many members of his first draft class were team captains in college, a leadership trademark the team would like to continue to add to its roster. They dabbled with a 3-4 last season, but are back to a 4-3 and need a high motor, consistent pass-rusher more than anything.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans don’t prefer to blitz, but when their front four doesn’t generate sufficient heat they either have to bring extra people or suffer the consequences. Defensive linemen in Tennessee are asked to stop the run on the way to the quarterback. A defensive end who can be disruptive as a rusher is a priority for a team coming off a mediocre pass-pressure season and looking at a youth movement. They’ll be looking at cornerbacks, too. Just as they expect their wide receivers to be a force in the rushing offense, they expect their corners to be big parts of the run defense on the perimeter. They won’t draft a guy afraid to nose in on tackles.

Jeremy Lambert from Charlottesville, VA writes: Am I the only person who thinks the Colts are in desperate need of a solid cornerback? I know of no respectable NFL receiver who would be intimidated in the slightest by any Colts cornerback of the last 10 years. If there are not good ones in the draft, what about a rare trade possibility? The Colts have three running backs, two of which are first-round picks. I am thinking of Philadelphia, who need a running game badly and also have Asante Samuel. I understand NFL trades are very rare, I am just a concerned fan, that's all.

Paul Kuharsky: I can’t look over the last 10 years, but these Colts aren’t looking for intimidation out of their corners. Like most teams they are looking for coverage.

Put Marlin Jackson back in the mix healthy and they are pretty solid at cornerback. Kelvin Hayden, Jackson, Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey are a pretty good foursome. They aren’t asked to cover one-on-one for a long time very often. Still, I’d say it’s the best group in the division.

People often seem to forget that even bad quarterbacks complete passes on somebody in an NFL game.

And the Colts gave up fewer pass plays of 30 yards or more than any team in the league. Intimidating enough for you or not, the corners are a big piece of that, don’t you think?

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Stephen Shumock from Jackson, MS writes: Have you considered a few other things? There's one other piece of the blue print other teams should follow to beat the Colts. They need the Colts' #1 receiver to be injured, their #2 (Anthony Gonzalez) to be on IR, their all-pro DE to be hurt, their all-pro safety to be on IR, and their #1 and #2 CB's on IR and their #4 CB to be injured. Let's face it no other QB or team makes it to the Super Bowl with those injuries. I have no clue how Peyton Manning and Jim Caldwell did it. I will say one other thing, for all Peyton's lack of success in the post-season, he did win the one Super Bowl in the season in which the defense showed up for him. If the Patriots' defense give up one more score in two of the Super Bowls, does that make Brady a "failure" like Manning? If the 49ers had given up one more score which nullified the significance of the catch, is Montana not as great?

Paul Kuharsky: The Colts overcame an awful lot of that to go 16-3, so why all of a sudden should we use all that as an excuse?

They were in position to win the Super Bowl or at least force OT and failed to do so. To analyze why or how it impacts Manning’s legacy or the Colts’ legacy is hardly unreasonable.

I don’t rate Manning a failure for this game at all, but he and Reggie Wayne failed on the pick and there is no way you can say otherwise.

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Rick M either from Mobile or via mobile writes: Great article… Reggie Wayne quit on his team and everyone except you will not call him out...Dungy mentioned it on TV… Wayne catches the TD at the end and Peyton has almost 400 hundred yards passing and 2 td with chance to win… Wayne quit… Run the film over and over in slow motion and watch Reggie Wayne’s effort... Pitiful... He quit on his team… Peyton will never ever trust him again...Watch for him to be traded… best to you.

Paul Kuharsky: Wayne insisted his knee wasn’t an issue. His effort on those two plays was. Was he moping because he didn’t like the approach? Was there some incident earlier? I don’t know. I don’t know if and when we will know. But I don’t expect him to be traded. I expect it’ll be resolved behind the scenes. It’s worth noting that Manning worked hard all season to stoke Wayne’s ego, noting how much he impacted coverage for Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie when they were productive and Wayne wasn’t.

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Jonathan in Ft Wayne, IN writes: Paul, Thanks for a great season of coverage, but I want to hit on what I know is an over-talked about subject now with Peyton and his legacy. I am a Colts fan and a Peyton fan, but I actually take all of this critical talk about him being a choker positively. While I agree it’s hard to truly determine a GOAT, only truly great players are criticized as harshly as Manning has been for a mistake because of how uncommon it is for these players make them. I think back to Roger Federer when he lost the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back to Nadal and everyone thought something was wrong and he was done, to only then go on and win the US Open (and more subsequently). Or even Woods (pre-scandal), who struggled to not win a major for awhile when tinkering with his swing and everybody thought something was wrong, to then win multiple ones, including one on essentially only one knee. So, while I agree the general idea of conversation is a struggle involving a GOAT, people only criticize players as harshly as they are Manning when they are truly one of the elite.

Paul Kuharsky: Thank you for reading, Jonathan, and for the kind words. Hadn’t really heard many people with that take, and so it gets play in the mailbag. Some truth in it. But maybe a little simplistic too?

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Chase Hargis in Brentwood, TN writes: Hey Paul, I’m a huge fan of your blog and check it nearly every day. Anyway, to my question, I’m also a HUGE Titans fan and was wondering if you thought there was any way that the Titans would try to get a big name defensive player such as Peppers this offseason? Now that our offense is so dynamic, I’m more worried about our D for once and with Vanden Bosch possibly being let go we will need a good DE. Also I was curious how likely it is you think we resign players such as Brown, Bulluck, Tulloch, Mawae, Amano, Scaife, and Crumpler? Thanks, Paul, keep up the good work!

Paul Kuharsky: Nearly every day? What do we have to do to get you up to a few times a day?

Constant theme with me: Big name does not equate with great production but does mean big price.

How high were you on Chris Hope and David Thornton when the Titans signed them? They weren’t big names. They were guys with upside who could play. I always defend the Yancey Thigpen and David Givens signings -- they were the best guys available at a sore spot. But they were big names and how did that work out?

If there were questions about how hard Albert Haynesworth would play after a big contract, well Julius Peppers sure seems to be a guy willing to turn it off for stretches. I don’t think he solves the Titans problems and I wouldn’t expect them to chase the most expensive guy on the market. When’s the last time they did that?

Bill Polian’s weekly radio show on 97.1 Hank FM in Indianapolis always produces a lot of quality material for discussion, and we always appreciate that John Oehser takes the time to transcribe it. You’ll find it all here.

Let’s touch on a few of Polian’s points:

Polian: “In terms of this particular game, we weren't outplayed. We weren't outhit. We weren't out-hustled. We weren't out-coached. The statistics -- whatever statistics mean or don't mean, they mean nothing. We didn't execute in the critical times and therein lies the story of the game, nothing more, nothing less.”

Kuharsky's take: Polian repeatedly stressed that there was no fault in preparation, that the outcome of Super Bowl XLIV was about the Saints' ability to execute and the Colts' failure to do the same. It must be a coping mechanism for him, because I haven’t heard any criticism about Indy’s preparation.

Polian: “The offensive line, by our standards, did not have a good game. They were outplayed by the Saints' defensive line, I thought, pretty decisively."

Kuharsky's take: Um, didn't that first quote say "We weren't outplayed"? I said Tuesday it’s time to consider revamping the O-line and that as Pete Metzelaars takes over for Howard Mudd, he needs to have more physical options. The Saints D-line isn’t an all-star cast. It shouldn't have been able to win so many plays.

Polian: “Our special teams, in terms of handling the ball -- both in the return game and on the onside kick were outplayed by the Saints. Therein lay the result. It had nothing to do with strategy or preparedness of toughness or effort. All of that was there. We just didn't execute.”

Kuharsky's take: Um, didn't that first quote say "We weren't outplayed"? For too long the Colts have been content with average special teams. I’ve gotten to know Ray Rychleski, the special teams coach who just completed his first year, a bit and I think he’s good at his job. He needs more to work with. Start with some sort of explosive possibility at the return spots. The kicker situation needs resolution so the team has the comfort level there it has with Pat McAfee, the strong young punter and kickoff man.

Polian: “I made it clear to Gary [Brackett] on Sunday night that we very much want him back and will do what is necessary within all reasonable bounds to get him back. It may take a while, as it did with [center] Jeff Saturday last year, because you have to work through budgets.”

Kuharsky's take: The Colts are usually tight against the cap. But we are heading to no cap. If they are fair, they should be able to keep Brackett. His would be a big hole to fill.

A final thought: Out-played, out-executed, out-prepared -- all that stuff is pretty meaningless in the big picture where all that matters is out-scored.

After re-watching most of Super Bowl XLIV, I was left wondering whether the goats and gaffes beyond Peyton Manning's late interception got off a bit easy. So let’s revisit a couple:

Hank Baskett mangled the onside kick. He was wide to the side that Thomas Morstead sent the surprise second half kickoff to and took a giant step and a half back before realizing what was going on. Cody Glenn, who was beside him, and Ramon Humber, who was central, also reacted poorly. But Baskett’s the hands guy of that trio. He recovered and got a clean look at the kick before any Saints player arrived, sprawling forward and letting the ball bounce off his face mask. A horrific effort.

Another special-teams error came from Chad Simpson. The guy is not an explosive returner. If he’s not positive he’s getting to the 20 or beyond, he better take a touchback. So what is he doing at the end of the third quarter bringing out a kickoff from 4 yards deep when the best he could manage was the 11-yard line?

Reggie Wayne’s effort on two big passes seemed questionable. He and Manning can praise Tracy Porter endlessly, but Wayne seemed to give up on the route. He allowed Porter to gain position on a pattern analysts say he’s got to be sure continues and crosses the corner who’s in coverage. The move he made before he made his break didn’t look like much and the cut wasn’t very sharp. TV only showed it for a quick second, but Manning went to Wayne before walking off the field, head down, and said something to Wayne who kind of shook his head no and shrugged.

The Colts would have had to retrieve an onside kick and scored another touchdown, but Wayne also botched a TD catch near the end of the game. I asked him what happened there and he said he wasn’t in the end zone and was trying to ensure he had proper depth as he made the catch to make sure it was a score.

Maybe he was slow playing it, but Wayne seemed almost disinterested in his crossing route from wide to the left to between the hashes, and as the ball went through his hands, I didn’t think he was worrying about his depth, I thought he was worrying about Scott Shanle preparing to pop him.

Two other things of interest at this point in the game: On the first timeout, Manning signaled for it, then tried to change his mind. I was surprised by his indecision. And the third-down run call at 1:10 is just silly. The Colts couldn't afford the 21 seconds they lost when Joseph Addai was stuffed.

Final review of some Super Bowl hot topics is available here.

Head to the bottom left of SportsNation's page, click on NFL and get some things off your chest.

Once you're heard, you may have an easier time letting go.

Houston Texans

Bud Adams was inducted into the Texas sports hall of fame, says John McClain.

The Texans hired Cedric Smith as their new strength coach, says Mark Berman. Smith is Gary Kubiak’s third coach in the post in three years.

Top draft prospects by position from Lance Zierlein.

The Redskins hired another former Texans assistant, says Alan Burge.

Indianapolis Colts

Their winning culture will help the Colts rebound, says Mike Chappell.

Bob Kravitz’s Super Bowl report card.

Only 11 people were at the airport to greet the Colts, but the setup was hardly fan friendly.

An Indianapolis plant makes New Orleans championship T-shirts, says Dana Hunsinger.

Disappointment now becomes fuel, says John Oehser.

Missed opportunities will haunt the Colts for a long time, says Tom James.

What the Colts need to do to get better, from Deshawn Zombie.

Matt Snyder looks at how the officials did in Super Bowl XLIV.

Peyton Manning won’t live it down, says Terence Moore.

Joseph Addai’s solid game didn’t get him a second ring, says Nancy Gay.

Manning took a serious hit, says Mike Freeman.

Three cures for the Colts from Clifton Brown.

What’s next for the Saints and Colts? Don Banks looks at the questions.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags have told Tra Thomas and Torry Holt they will be released and Tim Mingey won the scout of the year award, says Michael C. Wright.

Dropping Thomas and Holt is a good sign for the Jaguars, says Gene Frenette.

Vic Ketchman addresses the possibility of eliminating the three-point stance.

Tennessee Titans

Ten years later, Gregg Williams got his ring, says Jim Wyatt.

The Saints showed the Titans how to beat the Colts, says Joe Biddle.

When the Colts were ousted from the 2008 playoffs, their inability to convert a third-and-short was the root cause. Had they converted it in San Diego, they could have iced the game and advanced.

Super Bowl XLIV included a similar play, though not at such a crucial or obvious time.

Superb in the last two minutes of the first half all season, the Colts went a little conservative -- uncharacteristically -- on Sunday night.

On a third-and-1 from their own 10-yard line, they ran Mike Hart up the middle for no gain and punted. The Saints managed a field goal before the half, cutting Indy’s lead at intermission to 10-6.

Bill Polian ranked the failed run conversion with the onside kick as the moments that turned the game.

"The onside kick was the turning point, and along with that, not being able to get a yard on third-and-1 is what really cost us. Polian told Peter King. "Those were two plays in our control, and we didn't make them. Today, they were the better team. They deserved to win.''

Two years, two third-and-shorts, two failed conversions.

This leads to a somewhat obvious conclusion:

As the Howard Mudd era ends, the Colts need to rethink their offensive line approach as Pete Metzelaars takes over as the line coach. Smart pass protectors will still be at a premium, but there needs to be more physical play, particularly on the edges. Charlie Johnson did admirable work as the left tackle once the team gave up on Tony Ugoh, and Ryan Diem is a solid guy and quality player at right tackle, but could the Colts upgrade?

The need to draft offensive linemen, allow for training camp competition and be better at the run efficiency they like to talk about. Joseph Addai showed in the Super Bowl he can still run quite well. Donald Brown is promising.

In 2010, when the Colts face the crucial third-and-short, they’ve got to convert it.

Mike Tirico discusses Peyton Manning's legacy and points out that some great quarterbacks have been on the losing end of the recent Super Bowls.

After a lovely and busy 10 days in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, it's time to get back home.

So you'll excuse me. Barring major developments for the remainder of the day, I'm spending the afternoon napping on a flight and reintroducing myself to a wife, a child and a chatty dog.

Can't say enough about how much I enjoyed blogging about the Colts this postseason and Super Bowl week, and how much I appreciate all the clicks you've given me.

We'll try to begin our shift into offseason mode Tuesday.

And the mailbag becomes more important than ever, so please fill it up.

MIAMI -- A quick look at the Monday mail revealed these two items I thought I should address.

Anthony Neal in Nashville, Tenn., writes: Hey Paul, loyal listener/reader from Nashville here! Quick questions: (1) Is it common for players of opposing teams in a Super Bowl to shake hands at midfield after the game? And (2) did Peyton Manning just walk off the field after the game?! If so, and it's observed etiquette to congratulate the winning team after the Super Bowl, Peyton takes a big hit in my book for not being the good sport. Thanks for all the work you do! I love catching up with your blog every day.-Anthony

Paul Kuharsky: Thanks, Anthony.

The Super Bowl is a much less linger-on-the-field environment with the confetti flying and all that goes on.

Manning said in his interview session after the game that he intended to find Brees and congratulate him, but that he thought it best to let the Saints dive into their celebration and kind of get out of the way and off the stage.

He’s never going to do something inappropriate in football etiquette, I don’t think.

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S. Crowe in Picayune, Miss., writes: Still think Colts win 33-20? Now it's time for you to give credit to the Super Bowl Champions. The media never gave us a chance. This had nothing to do with Katrina, our last 40 yrs., etc. This win was due to the Saints out-playing the Colts.

Paul Kuharsky: Nope. Now I have a feeling about 31-17 Saints.

Wait, a sportswriter actually picked a game in the unpredictable NFL incorrectly? Whoa.

All credit goes to the Saints. They gave a superb performance and are a deserving champion.

I'm sad for you that in light of that and all you have to enjoy and relish, you got caught up in the "nobody thought we could do it/no respect" nonsense.

My advice: This could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Dance, sing, drink, hug people, call in sick, enjoy it, rewatch it, savor it.

Don’t spend it tracking down all the people who thought, not unreasonably, it would go a different direction.

Congrats.

MIAMI -- In many ways the Saints beat the Colts at their own game Sunday in Super Bowl XLIV. Here’s some of ESPN Stats & Information’s great breakdown:

Under 10: Drew Brees masterfully took what Indianapolis gave him. On passes of 10 yards in the air or fewer, he hit on 28 of 32 attempts for 219 yards, both of his touchdowns and a 116 passer rating. And that included one drop and one spike.

Battle of the checkdowns: On passes of 5 yards or fewer, Brees beat Peyton Manning. Brees was 22-of-25, 6.9 per attempt, two TDs, no INTs and a 122.2 passer rating; Manning was 18-of-24, 5.2, zero TDs, one pick and a 68.8 passer rating.

Nickel after half: The Saints played five or more defensive backs for 13 plays in the first half and yielded 90 yards (6.9 a play). They were in nickel or dime for all 37 plays in the second half and gave up 188 (5.1 a play).

Disconnected: Manning and Reggie Wayne had a great postseason run. Manning completed 68.8 percent of his passes to Wayne, with a touchdown and a 110.9 passer rating. But that success ended against New Orleans. Manning hit on just 45.5 percent of his throws to Wayne, with 4.2 yards per attempt, an interception, a drop and a 19.5 rating. To everyone else he was 76.5 percent, 8.4 yards per attempt, one TD and no picks, one drop and a 110.8 rating.

Bad against the blitz: Two weeks after Manning did well to figure out the Jets' blitzes before halftime, he struggled against New Orleans’ additional pressure. Against five or more rushers, he was 9-of-16 for 69 yards with an interception and a 40.9 rating.

Two bad elements united: Entering the Super Bowl, Manning had thrown only one interception in the fourth quarter this season (124 pass attempts). Manning also attempted 164 passes on third down entering Sunday and turned the ball over just twice. The pick-six came on a third-down attempt in the fourth quarter.

Well, you broke them up for good: New Orleans broke up six of Manning's pass attempts Sunday. That was the second-most pass breakups against Manning this season (Texans, Week 9).

Freeney’s limitations: The Colts attempted to limit Dwight Freeney’s participation to passing situations. He was on the field for 27 of the 39 Saints' pass plays (69.2 percent), but only eight of 18 Saints rush plays (44.4 percent).

He missed the Saints' touchdown drive after the onside kick to open the second half, as he was getting his ankle re-taped, expecting the Colts to be on offense.

The Saints were a bit less effective passing when Freeney was in the game -- averaging 0.6 fewer yards per attempt and completing 6.5 percent fewer passes.

Up the middle, before and after The Who: In the first half, the Colts got 59 yards on seven carries up the middle. That fell to just 8 yards on three carries in the second half. Joseph Addai was noticeably absent in runs up the middle in the second half. In the first half, Addai had three rushes for 47 yards up the middle. Addai had just one carry for minus-2 yards up the middle in the second half.

Stop running: The Saints and Colts tied the Super Bowl record for fewest combined rushes. The Steelers and Cardinals also combined for 37 carries last year. How's that for evidence of what a passing league it's become?

The Colts did well to live in the present all season. But after they lost Super Bowl XLIV to the Saints, many quickly turned to the future.

MIAMI -- Cue it again.

All the talk about Peyton Manning's failures in the clutch, all the comparisons of the Indianapolis Colts to the Atlanta Braves.

Boy, the Colts sure are good in the regular season, but when it comes to collecting rings …

A team that made a season out of fourth-quarter comebacks couldn’t find one Sunday night, and when it came to explaining Tracy Porter's game-sealing 74-yard interception return with 3:12 left, the Colts didn’t have a lot to say.

"Porter made a great play on the ball," Manning said not long after New Orleans’ 31-17 Super Bowl XLIV was in the books and red and silver confetti littered the Sun Life Stadium floor. "He made a good break on it. And he just made a heck of a play.”

"He jumped the route," said Reggie Wayne, the intended receiver. “He did a good job jumping the route.”

The quarterback and receiver both treaded lightly, not wanting to cast blame about what went wrong on a play Manning said they’ve run quite a bit. The throw was a bit off, or the route was, or both. And while we want to dissect it precisely, they weren’t interested parties.

Brett Favre threw an interception that hurt the Vikings' shot in the NFC title game in New Orleans. Like Manning, he owns a 1-1 record in the Super Bowl. I expect, though, that while Favre keeps people’s attention cast as a rugged gunslinger, Manning will get a new round of holes punched in his résumé for being a cerebral signal-caller with just a .500 playoff record.

A win would have done a lot for those wanting to crown him the best of all time. A loss led to a classification in much more terrestrial terms.

“I don’t think it dents him,” Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “He’s one of the top three quarterbacks in the league right now. Would he like to have that throw back? Of course. But every quarterback would like to have his interceptions back.

“I don’t think it really does anything to his legacy. He’s still going to be a Hall of Fame quarterback. And if he wins another, he’ll probably be the best quarterback to ever play the game.”

Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell, the rookie coach who guided an improbably successful season, shared the sentiment.

“I don’t think it will have any bearing on his legacy,” he said. “Obviously, he’s a great player. It never comes down to just one single play in a game. There are a lot of different things that could have happened in that game that could have put us in a different position. He’s still a great player, and outstanding performer, a great competitor. And that doesn’t diminish it at all.”

Even the most confident Saints had to think that Manning could tie the score quickly after Jeremy Shockey caught a 2-yard touchdown pass and Lance Moore added a two-point conversion to put the Saints up 24-17 with 5:42 on the clock: That’s a lot of time for that quarterback and that offense.

Manning and the Colts regularly march the field in less. Their 11-play, 96-yard drive in the first quarter matched the 1985 Bears for the longest touchdown drive in Super Bowl history, and that one took just 4:36.

The way they played in a 14-2 season made them believe they would simply do it again. The worst that could happen was overtime.

With no huddle and out of the shotgun, Manning moved them 39 yards before the fateful third-and-5, which followed a timeout.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said Porter trusted the play, knew the rush up the middle wouldn’t allow Manning the time to beat him deep, allowing him to make the read and jump the pass.

“I felt that was the route they were going to run,” Williams said. “Tracy knew that was the route they were going to run.”

And so with a chance to bolster his legacy, Manning and his Colts instead watched Drew Brees build his. Instead of joining Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger as multiple Super Bowl winners, Manning was joined by Brees in a club of quarterbacks with one.

Brees posted the second-best completion percentage in Super Bowl history as the Saints’ 10-point comeback matched the largest deficit overcome to win the ultimate game.

“Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are two of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League, and the people tonight got their money’s worth watching two great warrior quarterbacks play,” Williams said. “We were able to come up with a play, but he made plays also.

“We were able to hit him, we were able to hurry him, we were able to move him off his spot. He was still making plays. We made one play right there that was the difference in the ballgame. I’m sure he’d like to have that one back. But I’m happy we made it.”

Trent Dilfer on the Saints' 31-17 Super Bowl win over the Colts.