The Rams and 49ers were playing an exhibition game at the L.A. Coliseum one year when a fight broke out near the 49ers’ bench.



“I turn around and I start forward,” former 49ers guard Howard Mudd said Thursday, “and there is ‘Oly’ standing there.”



“Oly” was Merlin Olsen, the Rams’ huge defensive tackle, one of the first truly athletic big men in the NFL. Olsen stood 6-foot-5 and weighed 270 pounds in an era before players loaded up on dietary supplements or lifted weights as seriously.



“I looked at him and he looked at me,” Mudd recalled, “and he said, ‘You want to just stand here and watch it?’ ”



Olsen, who died from cancer Wednesday at age 69, proved great players could be nice guys, too. He was a 14-time Pro Bowl choice and member of the Fearsome Foursome line featuring Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier.



“He belonged in the Hall of Fame not because he went to 14 Pro Bowls, but because he was a great player and could affect a game that he played in,” Mudd said. “If you didn’t take care of him, he was going to make big plays on you and change your offense. That is what a Hall of Famer should be.”



While some players cast football as warfare for the sake of gaining a psychological edge, Olsen could disarm an opponent with his politeness. Mudd recalled knocking down Olsen once with a peel-back block, then bracing for trouble when Olsen ran toward him after the play.



“I’m laying on the ground and this big guy runs right at me, puts his hand on my head and says, ‘Nice block,’ ” Mudd said. “I thought he was going to kick my ass or something.”



Olsen played from 1962 to 1976 and earned 14 consecutive Pro Bowl berths. He reached another generation of football fans through his work as Dick Enberg’s broadcast partner during NBC’s coverage of the AFC during the 1980s. Olsen also played Jonathan Garvey on Little House on the Prairie, which ran opposite “Monday Night Football” during the late 1970s.



News of Olsen’s passing was only beginning to spread Thursday. I reached out to Mudd, who said he had been thinking of Olsen lately and had wondered what had become of him.



“I pictured him as this devout Mormon guy who had ridden off into the sunset and found a nice place and a great life,” Mudd said.

Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels, who will announce his retirement Thursday, had a superb career and must be considered one of the premier offensive linemen of this generation. But it was time for him to retire. The last thing anyone wants to see is a superstar player being a shell of what he once was. We saw that last year with Orlando Pace in Chicago and I fear that Samuels would have been heading down that path if he chose to return. Not only is he hampered with a serious neck injury, but his level of play and athleticism is not what it once was. That isn’t a knock on Samuels. Surely those injuries had a lot to do with his play declining from his glory days, but he became a player who depended on body positioning and technique rather than his physical attributes, which were once immense. Once extremely reliable, Samuels was only able to appear in 17 games over the past two seasons.



If he were to return next season, Samuels would be learning a new system. Mike Shanahan stresses movement skills and athletic ability in his zone blocking run game. Samuels no longer has the quickness, agility and ability to get downfield that he once did. Of course it is difficult to comment on injuries, but assuming what he went through this season further deteriorated his physical abilities, a transition in offensive systems could prove very difficult. It is better to get out too early instead of too late. Not to mention, if doctors are warning him about playing with his neck condition, getting out now seems like the correct decision for his long-term health and well being.



Looking back at Samuels’ illustrious career, it is very difficult to find holes in his game. He might not have been the most physical masher in the run game, but he had very light feet, was a natural knee-bender and understood body positioning quite well. He was extremely physically gifted and knew how to use those gifts to his advantage, particularly as a blind-side protector, where he was routinely left one-on-one against the elite pass-rushers in the game.



In terms of the big picture, I would put Samuels behind Pace, Jonathan Ogden and Walter Jones. That probably makes him a fringe Hall of Fame player. With Pace and Jones in the NFC, Samuels may not have always gotten his due, but there is an awful lot to like about what this great player did on the field week after week and season after season. He will be missed.

The New England Patriots are mourning the loss of a fan favorite.



Fullback and special-teams ace Mosi Tatupu died Tuesday in Attleboro, Mass. He was 54.



Tatupu, a gritty eighth-round draft choice in 1978, played 13 seasons with the Patriots. He was the lead blocker for Craig James when the Patriots went to their first Super Bowl and was selected to the Pro Bowl for 1986.



Tatupu had his own cheering section called “Mosi’s Mooses” in Sullivan Stadium. He was named to the Patriots’ 50th anniversary team.



He briefly played for the St. Louis Rams before retiring in 1991. He coached his son, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu, at King Philip Regional High in Wrentham, Mass.



The Patriots have released statements from the organization and some of Tatupu’s teammates.



Patriots owner Robert Kraft

“I know that I share a heavy heart today with Patriots fans everywhere who have learned of Mosi Tatupu’s passing. I was shocked by the news this morning. My sons and I loved to watch Mosi. He was one of our favorite players for more than a decade. I don’t think you could watch a Patriots game in the ’80s without becoming a fan of his. He was a dominant special-teams player and a punishing rusher who loved the Patriots as much as the fans did. He gave everything that he had on every play. … He was an iconic player and will be remembered for all of his contributions as a Patriot, both on and off the field.”

Former Patriots receiver Stanley Morgan

“There was only one Mosi. I first met Mosi the year after I came to the Patriots, when he got here in 1978, and it was love at first sight, I guess you could say. He got along great with everybody. He had that air about him that you were comfortable around him all the time, and nobody was a stranger around him. People were attracted to that.”

Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett

“You probably couldn’t ask for a better teammate than Mosi. It was the way he approached the game. He worked hard. He practiced hard. He had a way about him. He always had an upbeat attitude. He was happy all the time and just pleasant to be around. He had a special connection with the fans and his teammates. Everybody loved him.”

Former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan

“As a teammate, he was one of the best. He was one of those guys that made life fun, whether it was in the locker room or on the practice fields. He had a smile that radiated. The fans appreciated him because he was a lunch-pail kind of guy and did whatever was asked of him, whether it was on special teams, on the goal line, in blocking or catching situations. I think Patriots fans really appreciated that.”

Former Patriots center Pete Brock

“The thing about Mosi was that he did everything. He wasn’t the glamour guy out in front, getting all the carries. He just played football and he played hard. A lot of people remember the ‘Snow Plow Game’ and, of course, John Smith’s kick won it. But it was Mosi, who ran for more than 100 yards that day, that really won that game.

“It’s really a shock, and it’s so much tougher because we played before the era of free agency. So you really got to know everybody. We were a community. We raised our children together. Because of that it’s just like losing a family member.”

Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune posted this story just as I was wrapping up a mailbag devoted, in part, to Facebook Sam’s question about the possibility of the NFL fining Minnesota left tackle Bryant McKinnie for his conduct and ultimate dismissal from last month’s Pro Bowl.

McKinnie

Scoggins reports that McKinnie won’t receive his $22,500 game check, which makes sense considering he did not play in the game, and that he must repay $4,285.13 in expenses. As I was going to write in my response to Facebook Sam, I don’t think the NFL had the authority to do much more.



There is no doubt McKinnie’s conduct conveyed a lack of respect to the game and his teammates. Beyond that, however, I don’t think it qualified as a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. That is the ultimate arbiter of player discipline.



In this case, no laws were broken. No charges were filed. And McKinnie has already made public his side of the story: That he told NFC medical officials he was sick during the week and then called them two days before the game to say he was too injured to play.



The NFL’s Competition Committee will review the matter to determine if a policy can be implemented to deter similar incidents in the future. I know there have been public calls for McKinnie to receive a six-figure fine, but the league’s own rules wouldn’t have justified it in this case.

The Cardinals’ signing of veteran center Melvin Fowler last offseason seemed to upgrade their depth on the line.



Fowler didn’t last. The Cardinals cut him. Detroit signed him. Fowler still hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2008.



The lesson: There’s usually a reason teams release players.



That context should help Rams fans from getting too excited about the team’s addition of former Bills tight end Derek Fine, recently claimed off waivers. Fine’s addition is still a move worth monitoring, based on the potential he has shown when healthy. Unlike Fowler, an older player with 60 regular-season starts, Fine has played in only 18 games over two NFL seasons.



Before a knee injury ended Fine’s 2009 season, Allen Wilson of the Buffalo News had this to say about him:

“Fine gives the Bills a bigger and more physical body at tight end than (Derek) Schouman or (Shawn) Nelson offers. A 6-foot-3, 250-pounder, Fine should be an asset in the running game because he is a tenacious run blocker who plays with good strength, leverage and technique at the point of attack. He’s also an underrated receiver. He doesn’t have the same burst to separate from defenders like Schouman or the speed and raw athleticism that Nelson possesses. But Fine has very reliable hands, runs good routes and has shown the ability to make himself an available target by finding soft spots in coverage.”

The Rams were happy with backup tight end Billy Bajema, late of the 49ers, last season. They probably need to replace Randy McMichael, who is scheduled to become a free agent. Fine, a fourth-round pick in 2008, helps their numbers at the position while giving them another prospect to develop.

US PresswireAre Tom Brady and the Patriots on the fall, and Mark Sanchez and the Jets on the rise?

We’re in that long, desolate period when meaningful football looks like a tiny dot on the horizon. Without a shot at redemption for the next seven months, fans of 31 teams must deal with the fact they’re losers.



This is the long wait until next year. Or in the case of most teams, the year after that and the year after that and the year after that.



The only folks not in a rush for the 2010 season to begin are in New Orleans. But when they sober up sometime around Bastille Day, they’ll be ready to get after it again.



Even Buffalo Bills fans, who haven’t seen their team in the playoffs for a full decade, find enough reasons to return to the box office every offseason and fill Ralph Wilson Stadium.



Hope and the pursuit of glory are powerful stimulants.



With that in mind, let’s cast our gaze forward in the AFC East and consider which team will experience the next big payoff.



Who from the AFC East will return to the Super Bowl first?



The New England Patriots have been the default favorite for many years, and they might remain the safest pick.

Jim Rogash/Getty ImagesWith coaches Bill Belichick and Rex Ryan at the helm, the Patriots and Jets will always be competitive.

But there’s a growing belief the Patriots better do it quickly. The New York Jets came within 30 minutes of making it this year and appear to have the kind of roster that sets them up for many years to come.



“The Patriots would be a good guess,” said former Bills special-teams star Steve Tasker, an analyst for CBS Sports. “But the Patriots have a lot further to go. The Jets are stronger.”



A sampling of accomplished former AFC East players who still follow the game closely raised many recurring sentiments:

• The Jets at least have pulled even with the Patriots.
• The Patriots are getting older and have more roster concerns.
• If quarterback Mark Sanchez can develop, the Jets will be the team to beat for a long time.
• The Miami Dolphins are on the rise but still trail the Jets and Patriots.
• The Bills are a mess and don’t belong in the conversation until they show significant improvements on the field.

ESPN analyst Herm Edwards, a former Jets and Kansas City Chiefs head coach, already has picked the Jets to represent the AFC in next year’s Super Bowl.



“The Patriots are closer to getting back to the Super Bowl, but the better long-term future would be the Jets,” said Steve DeOssie, who spent a dozen years in the NFL and hosts a Patriots postgame show on Boston sports radio station WEEI.



“That window of opportunity is closing for the Patriots in two, three maybe four years on the outside. If Sanchez develops, the Jets have a very bright future for the next seven, eight, nine years.”



Sanchez has emerged as perhaps the central figure in the entire division. His progress will influence the direction of more than the Jets.



Sanchez endured a turbulent rookie campaign in which he threw 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in the regular season. But the Jets dialed him back down the home stretch. He played well enough to get them into the AFC Championship Game, where they held a lead over the Indianapolis Colts in the third quarter.



“At worst case, the Jets have pulled neck and neck with the Patriots,” said former Dolphins linebacker Kim Bokamper, sports anchor of Miami’s CBS affiliate. “The thing that keeps me from going ahead and saying [the Jets have overtaken the Patriots] is what to make of Mark Sanchez. You’ve seen the good and the bad with him. It’s hard to give the free pass on him being the next guy.”



The Jets have so much going for them: a fearsome defense, an extraordinary offensive line, a relentless running game. They feature an envious number of stars with many years ahead.



Tasker noted the offense should get better with some help at receiver and stressed how remarkable it was the Jets’ defense remained dominant without studly nose tackle Kris Jenkins, who will be back.



“Sanchez played well in that championship game, but as we saw with Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan, every year’s different,” Tasker said. “When you start giving these guys more and more things to worry about and more and responsibility, sometimes these guys take a step backward. That doesn’t mean I think Sanchez is going to flop, but I don’t think a great, big, giant step forward this offseason is something that can be assumed.”



If Sanchez merely utilizes the assets around him, then the Jets should be fine. If he can mature into a bona fide franchise quarterback, then the Jets will be dangerous.



“He doesn’t have to be in the neighborhood of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, but if Sanchez can get into that second tier of quarterbacks, that would be enough,” said DeOssie, who won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants before playing with the Jets and Patriots.



“He has to be able to, at given times, put the team on his shoulders and win a game. But if he develops into a competent or slightly better than average quarterback, the Jets easily have the inside track.”



To take the next step, the Jets’ offense needs to drift away from such a domineering run game and attain something that resembles balance. The Jets need to augment their pass attack to be able to win a game when they trail by a couple scores.



The deeper into the playoffs a team goes, the more likely an opponent will be able to put points on the board in a hurry. The Saints were only the second team in Super Bowl history to come back from 10 points down and win.



The Patriots finished their season with a clunker performance. The Baltimore Ravens went into Gillette Stadium and annihilated New England in the first round of the playoffs.



When discussing New England’s future, there are more questions than there’ve been in years.



“We’re starting to see their age,” Bokamper said.



Seemingly out of habit, though, analysts still mention Bill Belichick and Brady like they’re shamans who can cure whatever ails the organization.



The Patriots crave pass-rushing help. They might need cornerbacks. Brady’s best friend on the field, Wes Welker, is coming off a serious knee injury.



“It’ll be a big question if Wes Welker can come back and have a good season,” Tasker said. “Randy Moss seems to be on the backside of his career.



“That said, it doesn’t mean Bill Belichick won’t figure something out, and Tom Brady makes everybody better.”

The champs have been crowned. Thirty-one other teams now head toward March 5 when free agency begins and the 2010 league year begins.



In the copycat NFL, everyone is already wondering how they match up to the New Orleans Saints.



Not everyone will toss their formulas and look to install the Saints’ systems. But it makes sense to look at how the Saints got where they are and set off “Lombardi Gras.”



And so here’s a look at the AFC South and how its teams stack up against New Orleans. (AFC South teams won’t be playing the Saints during the 2010 regular season; they’ve drawn the NFC East for next season.)



Houston Texans



The Saints are built around quarterback Drew Brees and the Texans feel they’ve got a Super Bowl-caliber signal-caller of a similar ilk in Matt Schaub. Like Brees, Schaub is accurate and capable of posting some serious numbers — he actually threw for 382 more yards than Brees did in the regular season. But Schaub had to throw more because he didn’t have a run game to match the one Brees worked with.



The Texans didn’t need to see the Saints’ path to the title to know their run game is insufficient. Coach Gary Kubiak re-emphasized Wednesday that his team will be committed to the run. That means finding a guy who can take a good share of the carries and work in some sort of tandem with Steve Slaton is priority one on offense.



A defense that can make big plays can supplement that sort of offense. The Texans have defensive playmakers in Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Bernard Pollard. But they don’t have a guy like Darren Sharper, and free safety is clearly a spot Houston needs to improve to be championship-ready.



The big stat: The Saints averaged 39.4 yards per game and a full yard per carry more on the ground than the Texans in 2009.



Indianapolis Colts



We don’t need to say much here, as we just saw how the Colts measure up to the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. Their offensive line and special teams didn’t match up well. They’ve allowed special teams to be an issue for too long, and need to look to upgrade those units. They can win with a less-that-fantastic run game. But when the Colts need that vital rushing yard, the line needs to deliver the blocking more consistently.



The big stat: While New Orleans led the league in average total yards per game (403.8) and Indianapolis ranked ninth (363.1) in that stat, the Saints were far more balanced (sixth in rush yards a game, fourth in pass yards) than the Colts (32nd and second).



Jacksonville Jaguars



It wasn’t only the Saints. Three out of the NFL’s final four teams got there largely because an elite quarterback led them there. David Garrard doesn’t fit the bill. I’m one of any number of commentators or analysts who don’t believe he does, and his coach Jack Del Rio has said it as well. I expect the Jaguars will be looking to upgrade the spot in the draft.



Jacksonville is not going to be built in the Saints’ mold, as it looks to prove a defensive, run-oriented team can grind away and knock off teams like New Orleans. But to be that sort of team at a playoff level, the Jaguars need to find a way to beat division-rival Indianapolis with some regularity. That means winning without an elite quarterback against an elite quarterback.



While we can debate the way to throw Peyton Manning off his game — blitz and look for ways to hurry him or complicate the coverages — we know the Jaguars don’t yet have the personnel to do either well enough. The pass rush will be as big an offseason issue for the Jaguars as anything.



The big stat: No matter how much the Jags want to run the ball, they need to score more. New Orleans outscored Jacksonville by a 510-290 margin over the regular season. That’s nearly two touchdowns a game.



Tennessee Titans



Stylistically, the Titans are going to be more like the Jaguars than the Texans or Colts, though Chris Johnson gives them a dynamic player who can match anyone’s most explosive option on offense. They won’t build to try to mirror the Saints’ mold; they will build intending to be ready to shatter the Saints’ mold.



To do so, they’ll need to rush the passer better and play stickier coverage — keys to beating elite quarterbacks. The Saints beat Eli Manning, Tom Brady and Tony Romo in the regular season before knocking off Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning in the playoffs. Tennessee lost to Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, lost twice to Peyton Manning and split against Matt Schaub.



If Vince Young emerges as an elite quarterback, he’ll still be of a vastly different style than Brees. He had one receiver who averaged better than 13.7 yards a catch in 2009 while the Saints had three who were at 15.3 yards a catch or better.



The big stat: The 2009 Titans surrendered 31 passing touchdowns compared to the Saints’ 15.

Bill Polian’s weekly radio show in 97.1 Hank FM in Indianapolis always produces a lot of quality material for discussion, and we always appreciate that John Oehser takes the time to transcribe it. You’ll find it all here.



Let’s touch on a few of Polian’s points:



Polian: “In terms of this particular game, we weren’t outplayed. We weren’t outhit. We weren’t out-hustled. We weren’t out-coached. The statistics — whatever statistics mean or don’t mean, they mean nothing. We didn’t execute in the critical times and therein lies the story of the game, nothing more, nothing less.”



Kuharsky’s take: Polian repeatedly stressed that there was no fault in preparation, that the outcome of Super Bowl XLIV was about the Saints’ ability to execute and the Colts’ failure to do the same. It must be a coping mechanism for him, because I haven’t heard any criticism about Indy’s preparation.



Polian: “The offensive line, by our standards, did not have a good game. They were outplayed by the Saints’ defensive line, I thought, pretty decisively.”



Kuharsky’s take: Um, didn’t that first quote say “We weren’t outplayed?” I said Tuesday it’s time to consider revamping the O-line and that as Pete Metzelaars takes over for Howard Mudd, he needs to have more physical options. The Saints D-line isn’t an all-star cast. It shouldn’t have been able to win so many plays.



Polian: “Our special teams, in terms of handing the ball — both in the return game and on the onside kick were outplayed by the Saints. Therein lay the result. It had nothing to do with strategy or preparedness of toughness or effort. All of that was there. We just didn’t execute.”



Kuharsky’s take: Um, didn’t that first quote say “We weren’t outplayed?” For too long the Colts have been content with average special teams. I’ve gotten to know Ray Rychleski, the special teams coach who just completed his first year, a bit and I think he’s good at his job. He needs more to work with. Start with some sort of explosive possibility at the return spots. The kicker situation needs resolution so the team has the comfort level there it has with Pat McAfee, the strong young punter and kickoff man.



Polian: “I made it clear to Gary (Brackett) on Sunday night that we very much want him back and will do what is necessary within all reasonable bounds to get him back. It may take a while, as it did with (center) Jeff Saturday last year, because you have to work through budgets.”



Kuharsky’s take: The Colts are usually tight against the cap. But we are heading to no cap. If they are fair, they should be able to keep Brackett. His would be a big hole to fill.



A final thought: Out-played, out-executed, out-prepared — all that stuff is pretty meaningless in the big picture where all that matters is out-scored.

When the Colts were ousted from the 2008 playoffs, their inability to convert a third-and-short was the root cause. Had they converted it in San Diego, they could have iced the game and advanced.



Super Bowl XLIV included a similar play, though not at such a crucial or obvious time.



Superb in the last two minutes of the first half all season, the Colts went a little conservative — uncharacteristically — on Sunday night.



On a third-and-1 from their own 10-yard line, they ran Mike Hart up the middle for no gain and punted. The Saints managed a field goal before the half, cutting Indy’s lead at intermission to 10-6.



Bill Polian ranked the failed run conversion with the onside kick as the moments that turned the game.



“The onside kick was the turning point, and along with that, not being able to get a yard on third-and-1 is what really cost us. Polian told Peter King. “Those were two plays in our control, and we didn’t make them. Today, they were the better team. They deserved to win.”



Two years, two third-and-shorts, two failed conversions.



This leads to a somewhat obvious conclusion:



As the Howard Mudd era ends, the Colts need to rethink their offensive line approach as Pete Metzelaars takes over as the line coach. Smart pass protectors will still be at a premium, but there needs to be more physical play, particularly on the edges. Charlie Johnson did admirable work as the left tackle once the team gave up on Tony Ugoh, and Ryan Diem is a solid guy and quality player at right tackle, but could the Colts upgrade?



The need to draft offensive linemen, allow for training camp competition and be better at the run efficiency they like to talk about. Joseph Addai showed in the Super Bowl he can still run quite well. Donald Brown is promising.



In 2010, when the Colts face the crucial third-and-short, they’ve got to convert it.

MIAMI — Reggie Wayne couldn’t bring himself to admit he admired Sean Payton’s intrepid call for an onside kick to open the second half of Super Bowl XLIV.



“I’m the one that’s over here with my lip puffed out,” Wayne said Sunday night in a tent outside Sun Life Stadium. “So apparently it was a good call.”



Wayne and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts‘ offense were left standing on the sideline when the New Orleans Saints pulled off the big gamble.



Experience was supposed to be the difference-maker for the Colts. They’d been on this grand stage before. The Saints had not.



Yet, the Colts were caught unprepared.



The Saints recovered the kick and, six plays later, established themselves as an underdog on paper only. The Saints went on to win 31-17, and leave the Colts wondering about all the plays that got away.



“I didn’t see it coming,” Colts right tackle Ryan Diem said. “At that point in the game, I didn’t expect them to do anything like that. The element of surprise got us.”



Indianapolis was eager to get the ball first after halftime.



Peyton Manning directed the Colts’ offense with his usual meticulousness in the first quarter. First possession: 11 plays, 53 yards, field goal. Second possession: 11 plays, 96 yards, touchdown.



Then came the second quarter. The Colts short-circuited, experiencing their first lamentable play. On third-and-4 from their 28-yard line, Manning zipped a short pass to Pierre Garcon. The play should have gone for a big gain, but Garcon dropped the ball.



“I seen it late, but I should’ve made the catch,” Garcon said. “It was a great throw by Peyton. It should’ve been caught.



“It could’ve made the difference in the game.”



Instead, the Colts were forced to punt for the first time. In the second quarter, they ran only six plays — the second three-and-out series simply running out the clock. They gained 15 yards. They maintained possession for 2:34.



Still, the Colts seemed to be in control. They snuffed Saints running back Pierre Thomas on a fourth-and-goal run play that looked like it would doom Payton to a lifetime of second-guessing in New Orleans.



The double-team tackle by Colts linebackers Gary Brackett and Clint Session was the type of stop that championship teams make.



“The goal-line stand was big,” Colts defensive end Raheem Brock said, “but you’ve got to play the rest of the game.”



They led the Saints by four points at the extended Super Bowl intermission, and as Pete Townshend churned windmills on his guitar, the Colts strategized to bust the game open.



“In the locker room, we just talked about getting the ball back and going down and scoring some points and putting them in a hole,” Wayne said.



The Saints concocted a plan to chop the Colts off at the knees. Thomas Morstead, who handles their kickoffs, was given the onside green light.



“Thomas came up and told me that we were running ‘Ambush,’ ” field-goal kicker Garrett Hartley said. “To start off the second half of the Super Bowl, nothing like it. It’s a gut shot, and it worked out in our favor.”



Six plays later, Saints quarterback Drew Brees connected with Thomas on a 16-yard pass to give them a 13-10 lead.



“Every possession felt precious out there,” Manning said.



The Colts did recover, mounting a typical 10-play, 76-yard drive to retake the lead on their next series.



But the tone had been set. The Saints were willing to trade shots all night, to get aggressive.



The Colts buckled.



“The Saints got some momentum there at the end of the first half and beginning of the third quarter and kind of kept the momentum from there,” Manning said. “I thought we just didn’t play well enough at certain times.”



Indianapolis was outfoxed and outplayed by a team that hadn’t been there, done that.