One of the notable plays from Super Bowl XLIV was the Saints’ onside kick at the start of the second half, which is something Patriots great Gino Cappelletti could certainly appreciate as a former kicker.
“When you’re studying film on a normal kickoff, sometimes you notice players kind of peeling back a little sooner than they probably should and evidently that is something the Saints noticed to that side of the field,” Cappelletti said. “When you look at onside kicks, it’s usually the ones that are surprises that have the best chance to be effective, not the ones that are totally expected late in the game.
“Then there is the reason for the onside kick. They knew the Colts would start with the ball in the second half so they went with the theory that everyone tries to do -– keep Peyton Manning on the bench. It was 10-6 at halftime, the Colts had moved the ball, and it would have been 17-6 if they marched the field and scored like many thought they would. But the Colts ended up with just six plays in the third quarter.
“Once they recovered that onside kick and capped it with a score, it let them know they were back in the game. They were about to lose that game in the third quarter but they turned it around and played with extreme confidence.”
Cappelletti felt the onside kick was part of some terrific halftime adjustments by the Saints (e.g. attacking the middle of the field in the passing game).
As for how the Super Bowl might relate to the Patriots, Cappelletti focused on locker room dynamics.
“It looked like the Saints had the kind of year in which they had a lot of trust among each other, a lot of belief,” he said. “Sean Payton did an outstanding job coaching the team, and he deserves credit, and the players did the execution part. Players have to believe in what the coach is telling you and I don’t think that is a problem with the Patriots.
“I think the continuity and cohesion that you need among players, and having a total understanding of what each guy is doing and why he is doing it comes from being together. This team wasn’t together as much as it will be and could be. I feel like they can get there, but when you take away some of the players who are important to that -– Vrabel, Harrison, Bruschi, Seymour -– those guys had bonded. They policed themselves in the locker room and on the field. As soon as the Patriots get that back, they should be all right.”
“When you’re studying film on a normal kickoff, sometimes you notice players kind of peeling back a little sooner than they probably should and evidently that is something the Saints noticed to that side of the field,” Cappelletti said. “When you look at onside kicks, it’s usually the ones that are surprises that have the best chance to be effective, not the ones that are totally expected late in the game.
“Then there is the reason for the onside kick. They knew the Colts would start with the ball in the second half so they went with the theory that everyone tries to do -– keep Peyton Manning on the bench. It was 10-6 at halftime, the Colts had moved the ball, and it would have been 17-6 if they marched the field and scored like many thought they would. But the Colts ended up with just six plays in the third quarter.
“Once they recovered that onside kick and capped it with a score, it let them know they were back in the game. They were about to lose that game in the third quarter but they turned it around and played with extreme confidence.”
Cappelletti felt the onside kick was part of some terrific halftime adjustments by the Saints (e.g. attacking the middle of the field in the passing game).
As for how the Super Bowl might relate to the Patriots, Cappelletti focused on locker room dynamics.
“It looked like the Saints had the kind of year in which they had a lot of trust among each other, a lot of belief,” he said. “Sean Payton did an outstanding job coaching the team, and he deserves credit, and the players did the execution part. Players have to believe in what the coach is telling you and I don’t think that is a problem with the Patriots.
“I think the continuity and cohesion that you need among players, and having a total understanding of what each guy is doing and why he is doing it comes from being together. This team wasn’t together as much as it will be and could be. I feel like they can get there, but when you take away some of the players who are important to that -– Vrabel, Harrison, Bruschi, Seymour -– those guys had bonded. They policed themselves in the locker room and on the field. As soon as the Patriots get that back, they should be all right.”
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Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter here.
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