Ranking Every Super Bowl Of The 2010s, From Worst To Best
7. Super Bowl XLIV (2010) New Orleans Saints 31-17 Indianapolis Colts
The Saints enjoyed the lions’ share of neutral fan support coming into the game, with their playoff success portraying a tale of city resilience and spirit coming only several years after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.
With focus split between the uplifting story of the Saints and the battle between two talismanic quarterbacks in Drew Brees and league MVP Peyton Manning, a barrage of dynamic plays was expected in the game from the start.
It was after halftime, however, that the Saints’ Sean Payton made clear the stark contrast in styles between the opposing head coaches. Recovering a surprise onside kick to begin the second half, the Saints took their first lead of the game setting up an exchange of scores leading to a final quarter with the result looking to come down to the wire.
While both QBs had performed well statistically, it hadn’t quite been the offensive explosion many expected. Alas, Peyton Manning was the first to blink, throwing a crushing pick-six to Saints cornerback Tracey Porter just as the Colts were looking to tie the game. Now down two scores with only three minutes to play, Manning’s mistake proved to be the decider.
An entertaining enough Super Bowl and wonderful story for fans, but not quite enough drama to stand out as a truly memorable championship tilt.