2009 Season Game Reviews
Championship Games
by Jody Jamieson
26/1/2010
 
Jets 17 Colts 30
 
The Jets defense made an early statement in this one, bringing the blitz up the middle on 3rd and 8 and a David Harris sack of Peyton Manning ended the drive with a punt. New York looked like they were about to go three and out when Sanchez lobbed a beautiful pass to the sideline to Jericho Cotcherry for 14 yards. They drove down to the Indianapolis 23 yard line with Mark Sanchez looking poised and confident, but two consecutive runs for negative yards gave him too much to do. Jay Feely missed the 44 yarder.
 
Manning was sacked again on the first play of the next drive as the Colts went three and out again, but the Jets replied in kind as defense ruled the early stages. Pierre Garcon made two big catches including an over the shoulder grab to set up first and goal for Indianapolis. The Colts went backwards however and ended up kicking a field goal to make it 3-0, but it took the Jets one play on their next drive to get on the board. Sanchez launched an 80 yard play action bomb to Braylon Edwards to make it 7-3.
 
Indianapolis set up first and goal at the 4 yard line. Austin Collie looked like he may have scored on second down, but he was ruled short and Indy didn’t challenge. On review they wouldn’t have won the challenge and Peyton Manning’s QB sneak was well short. They could have went for it on 4th and goal, but Jim Caldwell opted to kick the field goal to make it a one point game. The Jets then allowed Brad Smith to throw from the shotgun and the Colts completely over pursued the run. Jericho Cotcherry was left wide open and made the catch at the 12 yard line. On third down Sanchez threw a dart to the endzone under immense pressure and Dustin Keller made the catch for an 8 point Jet lead.
 
On the next Colts drive Calvin Pace lit up Joseph Addai in the backfield and almost got to Addai before Manning did for the handoff. The loose ball was picked up by Jim Leonhard to give Sanchez and the offense the ball on the 30 yard line. They didn’t take full advantage, but Feely kicked a 48 yarder right down the middle for a 17-6 lead. Manning then launched a 46 yard pass to Austin Collie to set up the Colts in the redzone and it was Manning and Collie who hooked up again on the next play for a 16 yard touchdown. The Jets went in 17-13 up at the half, but the Colts sent an ominous message with their quick score to end the half.
 
The Jets attempted a 52 yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half, but Feely missed badly to give the Colts the ball on their own 42. Manning meticulously led his team down the field and gave them the lead when he threw a fade to the back of the endzone to Pierre Garcon. Shonn Greene left with an injury and was replaced by Thomas Jones. Jones was running with some purpose, but the Jets took too many penalties in the third quarter and never got going.
 
In the 4th quarter the Colts looked to have booked their Super Bowl berth when Manning threw a TD pass to Dallas Clark. When the Jets went three and out on their next possession with just 8 minutes left, the Colts were never going to let the lead slip away. The Colts drove down the field, draining the clock away. Matt Stover kicked a short field goal to make it 30-17 with 2:29 left to play. Sanchez threw too high for David Clowney, who tipped it and Kelvin Hayden made the pick to ice the game and book the Colts trip to Miami three years removed from winning a championship at the same location.
 
Vikings 28 Saints 31 (OT)
 
With the Colts taking the AFC Championship, it was time to decide who would take the crown in the NFC. Minnesota came out passing on their opening drive and took the drive down to the 19 yard line. In baseball they talk about pitching backwards (slower stuff to set up a fastball) and the Vikes reversed their roles, using the pass to open up the run. Adrian Peterson took the handoff and ran 19 yards for the opening score. It wasn’t long though until the Saints replied when Pierre Thomas took a screen pass 37 yards for the touchdown. Favre then had a really sloppy start to his next series, throwing passes all over the place, but an offside, an illegal contact and a personal foul penalty put the Vikings on the NO 31. Five plays later on third and goal Favre was given enough time to find Sidney Rice open to make it 14-7. The Saints went three and out to end a first quarter than was far from offensively challenged.
 
New Orleans finally held on the third Minnesota drive and forced a three and out. This forced Kluwe to punt to Reggie Bush, who took two Kluwe punts back to the house in the 2008 regular season. Bush called for the fair catch on his own 35 as the Saints looked to tie the game. A 3rd and 10 completion to Reggie Bush really got them going on the drive, and they finished it off when Brees stepped away from the pressure and fired it in to Devery Henderson for the. Defense then took over as five consecutive scoreless drives derailed the madness. The Saints even flirted with going for it on 4th and 1 just before the two minute warning, but the Vikings didn’t jump offside and the Saints decided to take the timeout and punt. After the Vikes went three and out with 1:24 left in the first half Kluwe punted to his nemesis Bush, but he muffed the punt and the Vikes took over at the NO 10. The first turnover of the game looked like it would give Minnesota the half time lead, but the second turnover killed the chance. Favre and Adrian Peterson messed up the snap and it was recovered by the Saints as they dodged a real bullet.
 
The opening kickoff of the second half gave the Saints a huge lift as Courtney Roby took it back 61 yards to give the Saints excellent field position. It took the Saints four plays to get in the endzone as Pierre Thomas weaved his way up the middle for a 9 yard score. Minnesota should have challenged the play as Thomas was clearly short of the goalline, but the play stood and the Saints led 21-14. Peterson then put the ball on the floor, but Naufahu Tahi recovered for the Vikings at midfield. They took advantage of the reprieve when they drove down the field and two huge Visanthe Shiancoe catches gave them first and goal at the 1 yard line. Peterson made up for his fumble by taking first down carry for a touchdown to tie the game at 21.
 
Peterson fumbled yet again on the next possession, but yet again he got lucky as the Vikes recovered. Minnesota drove into Saints territory but Brett Favre was picked off by Jonathan Vilma. After getting roughed up a couple of plays before the pick, he looked in a bad way and he was crushed on the play by two defenders and had to be helped off the field. On the next possession it was clear he wasn’t 100% so to try and alleviate some of the discomfort they essentially gave him a play off, splitting him out wide and putting Percy Harvin in the shotgun. Harvin however fumbled the ball and this time the Saints were able to pick it up to set up first and goal and a glorious opportunity to take the lead. On third and goal, Bush was ruled just short of the goalline by the officials, but the Saints challenged and when it was correctly overturned to make it 28-21 in the 4th quarter.
 
Favre was gutting it out but was obviously struggling. That was until on 3rd and 8 he threw a missile to Bernard Berrian for 30 yards and a first down. That seemed to energise the offense until two plays later the fumbling became even more out of control. Berrian was stripped by Tracy Porter on the NO 10, and Porter recovered himself. It was the 6th Minnesota fumble of the day, and the third one that was lost. Brees fumbled himself on 3rd and 2, but recovered himself and they were lucky to be able to punt the football away. Peterson almost ripped one off on the Vikings possession, but he unfortunately slipped in the open field. A Brett Favre pass to the endzone towards Berrian drew an interference flag on Tracy Porter to set up the offense on the one yard line. Two plays later Peterson powered in for his third touchdown of the game to make it 28-28 with just 4:58 remaining.
 
It seemed the fumbles weren’t exclusive to the purple side of the football as Brees fumbled again on first down, but it was recovered by Jahri Evans for an 8 yard loss. A 16 yard completion to Marques Colston was not enough for a new set of downs and they had to punt the ball away. Darius Reynaud returned the punt to the 22 yard line and Favre came on with 2:37 with a chance to put together the drive to win the NFC and set up a date with the Colts on Super Bowl Sunday. Berrian converted a 3rd and 8 after breaking a tackle, and Favre threw a dart to Sidney Rice to set them up at midfield. A Chester Taylor run took them to the edge of field goal range and it became a case of running the clock and kicking the game winning field goal. But all their good work was undone when they stupidly backed themselves up with a 12 men in the huddle penalty with 19 seconds left and they were compelled to throw to get back into range. Favre was intercepted by Porter and the pass was returned to midfield to end regulation.
 
The Saints won the overtime toss and didn’t allow Minnesota to touch the ball. They put together a methodical 10 play, 39 yard drive and when Garret Hartley drilled a 40 yard field goal right through the middle of the uprights, it was time for the city of New Orleans to celebrate and for the fans to book their trips to Florida for Super Bowl XLIV.