DON’T BLAME IT ALL ON PEYTON
Before we condemn Peyton Manning to eternal damnation in Super Bowl hell, let’s consider what really happened.
Yes, Manning’s interception late in the fourth quarter was a fatal mistake, and yes, it does mean Manning’s postseason record is a disappointing 9-9.
But the real story in Miami is getting buried under an avalanche of empty words spouted by empty heads. The real story is that Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell’s conservative (some would say gutless) strategy was the real reason for the loss, just as New Orleans coach Sean Payton’s daring tactics won his deserving city a championship.
Caldwell had already displayed his yellow streak when he sacrificed a perfect season and handed a playoff berth, to the Jets. And then, with his ultimate goal on the line, he somehow managed to keep Manning off the field for all but three plays over a 70-minute period — three sad, little running plays near the end of the first half.
Payton outmaneuvered Caldwell at every turn, and never more glaringly than when a bold onsides kick at the beginning of the second half caught the Colts by surprise. Caldwell coached as if it was a foregone conclusion that his team would win. Payton coached as if he had nothing to lose.