Super Bowl 50: 10 biggest underdogs of all-time
By Randy Gurzi
4. New Orleans Saints: Super Bowl XLIV
The New Orleans Saints were a very good football team in 2009 as they finished 13-3 and as the number one seed in the NFC, yet they headed into Sun Life Stadium in Miami and were expected to lose to the offensive powerhouse, the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts featured Peyton Manning at quarterback and were only a couple of seasons removed from their own championship from 2006. They also entered the game as their conference’s number one seed, but bested the Saints record with a 14-2 mark.
Manning was poised to win his second Super Bowl and the Saints were just a feel good story that should be happy with second place. Head coach Sean Payton and Drew Brees joined forces in New Orleans in 2006 and gave life to the team, and in turn to the city that was so ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and even the NFC title would have been enough to justify the team staying in New Orleans after questions arose about them fleeing after the disaster.
Payton and his team however, were not satisfied with second best and they went full throttle all game long. With the game close at half, the Saints, trailing by a score of 10-6, were set to kick off. In what set the tone for the rest of the game, Payton gambled and called for a surprise onside kick, which his team recovered.
The play led to the Saints taking the lead and they outscored Indy 25-7 in the second half en route to a 31-17 victory that saw Brees earn the title of Super Bowl MVP.
Next: Super Bowl III