Sunday

NFL News, Opinion, Top Posts

Sean Payton coaches a Super Bowl gem

EDDIE LEE
NFLPosts.com Editor

A quarter of a million dollars is a large sum to most people. Even NFL coaches. So when Sean Payton offered up $250,000 of his salary so that his team, the New Orleans Saints, could hire high-profile defensive coordinator Gregg Williams last January, it was not an empty gesture.

Turns out it was the best money Payton may have never spent.

According to published reports, the Saints reimbursed their head coach the money sometime this season. Still, the win-at-all-costs philosophy had to ring through the club as it stampeded to a 13-0 start.

On Super Bowl Sunday, with his team listed as five-point underdogs to the Colts and facing the NFL’s version of the prom king, Peyton Manning, Payton was at it again.

Down 10-3 with a fourth-and-goal from the Colts one-yard line? Was there any question he would go for it?

Though the play was stuffed, his defense (coached by Williams) bailed him out, forcing a Colts 3-and-out, and the Saints came away with a 44-yard FG before the first half ended.

Payton’s signature play will be the successful onside kick to start the second half.

No other coach had ever attempted such a play outside of the fourth quarter. But down 10-6, Payton doubled down on his previous gamble.

The resulting recovery not only denied Manning and the Colts an opportunity to score, but also made it crystal clear to his team that it was time to step on the gas. The Saints responded with their first TD of the game, a 16-yard reception by RB Pierre Thomas. Just like that, Mo-mentum swung toward the fleur de lys.

Payton also opted for a 2-point convert on Shockey’s 2-yard TD catch in the 4th quarter and then successfully challenged the initial ruling that the pass was incomplete.

The irony is that outside of those singular decisions, Payton played it as close to the vest as the Saints can, both offensively and defensively. Yet when the opportunities presented themselves, he rolled the dice.

As it turns out, it was brilliant strategy.

Instead of getting into a shootout with the Colts, the Saints opted to drain the clock on both sides of the ball. Brees, who was named game MVP after the Saints’ 31-17 win, nickled and dimed the Colts defense and could have continued to do so forever.

He completed 32-of-39 passes for 288 yards and those 2 TDs, but none of his receivers averaged more than 12 yards per reception.

After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, the Saints played keep away to perfection.

Williams, who let it slip that his defense was out to get hits on Manning (what a surprise!), instead laid back for most of the game with nickel and dime packages and little of the blitzkrieg expected after the comments were made.

The Saints dared the Colts to beat them with their run. And when Indy fell behind 24-17, the great Manning blinked. Twice. That’s because Williams mixed up his coverages in the final quarter and earned his salary tenfold.

First, rookie Malcolm Jenkins jumped a Reggie Wayne out route and nearly picked off a pass. The second was the dagger that put the game out of reach, a similar play that Tracy Porter snagged and returned 74 yards for the final score. And the celebrations began in earnest on Bourbon St.

Payton lost a Super Bowl, as the Giants offensive coordinator, eight years ago to the Ravens 34-7. He had not intention of coming out on the short end once again. But he also didn’t want his team too serious, too tight for the game.

It’s a tightrope for all Super Bowl coaches. But throw in a long-suffering and a city recovering from a natural disaster and there’s a tendency to try to do too much. Often with dire results.

In keeping his team focused and inspiring the necessity of victory through his educated gambles, Payton earned himself an impressive place in NFL lore and a hallowed place in New Orleans, the coach who led Who Dat Nation to the promised land with style.