The New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV behind the daring and carefully planned coaching of Sean Payton.

After playing the Indianapolis Colts to a near standstill in the first half, the Saints pulled out all the stops beginning with the surprise onside kick to start the third quarter, which they recovered and turned into a touchdown. Payton's willingness to take a few calculated risks paid huge dividends throughout the entire second half.

Just when analyst Phil Simms was saying the Saints should not blitz Peyton Manning, New Orleans brought the house and forced a throw that Tracy Porter picked off and raced 74 yards for the deciding score of the game.

Manning tried in vain to get his Colts back to the end zone but to little avail. In the end, it was a total victory for New Orleans.

Dwight Freeney did play and other than making one sack on a powerful bull rush he was not effective at all. Time and again Jim Nantz and Simms mentioned how the Colts had relied on their front four to get pressure on quarterbacks.

Well, they could not do it and the result was disastrous. Drew Brees had time to throw and did not even have to pick them apart. All he had to do was throw completions to wide-open receivers, which he did, completing a game record-tying 32 passes. It was as if the Colts were playing a prevent defense. Rarely did they blitz to force Brees' hand.

The city of New Orleans is now complete. From the ashes and debris of Hurricane Katrina to the top of the NFL mountain, the Saints have conquered all foes and odds in their remarkable rebirth. Not many gave them much of a chance this week, and maybe next week the Colts would beat them easily. But for the next year, the Saints are Super Bowl champions.

John Mackovic is a La Quinta resident and former NFL (Chiefs) and college football (Wake Forest, Illinois, Texas, Arizona) coach. He is writing columns throughout the football season.