Colts win Super Bowl, 29-17

By Mark Curnutte
Email mcurnutte@enquirer.com

MIAMI – Indianapolis’ high-scoring offense had moved up and down the field Sunday night against a stubborn Chicago defense in Super Bowl XLI, but quarterback Peyton Manning & Co. could not close the deal.

They scored just one touchdown in five trips inside the Bears 20-yard line, and it would be Colts’ much-maligned defense that finally put the over-matched NFC champions away.

The AFC champion Colts won the franchise’s first world title in 36 years, 29-17, and first since it moved to Indianapolis in 1984.

With less than 12 minutes remaining and the Bears trailing by just five, quarterback Rex Grossman lofted an under-thrown pass down the right sideline in the direction of wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

Colts backup cornerback Kelvin Hayden – who was born and grew up in Chicago – plucked the wobbly pass out of the air. Hayden, a second-year pro who attended Hubbard High School in Chicago and went on to play at the University of Illinois, kept his feet in bounds and slithered 53 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.

Game over.

The Bears had tried to hide Grossman and didn’t want to allow him to make a game-losing mistake.

He did.

Hayden’s touchdown put the Colts up 29-17. On Chicago’s next possession, Grossman was intercepted again when he under-threw open receiver Bernard Berrian. Colts safety Bob Sanders returned the ball to the Chicago 41-yard line.

Grossman threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, accounting for three of Chicago’s five turnovers. Indianapolis turned the ball over three times. The game was the first of 41 Super Bowls played entirely in rain.

For three quarters, Indianapolis’ offense had little in terms of points to show for its statistical dominance.

As the third quarter came to an end, the Bears trailed just 22-17 when Robbie Gould lined a 44-yard field goal through the rain and wind.

Still, Indianapolis had overpowered Chicago in every measure except the score.

At that point, the Colts had run 63 offensive plays to just 29 for Chicago. The Colts had gained 370 yards. The Bears had just 121, and 52 of them came on a Thomas Jones run in the first half.

Another reason the Bears had hung close was Indianapolis’ ineptitude in the red-zone. In five possessions inside the Chicago 20-yard line through three quarters, the Colts scored just one touchdown.

For the game, Indianapolis had possession for 38:04 and collected 430 yards in total offense.

The Colts missed a field goal and botched an extra point to help the Bears stay within striking distance.

Colts sure-handed holder Hunter Smith dropped a snap on an aborted extra point, after Manning had thrown 53 yards to Reggie Wayne for a touchdown on a broken play.

The Bears scored first when Pro Bowl kick return specialist Devin Hester ran the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a touchdown. It was the first time in 41 Super Bowls that the opening kickoff was returned all the way.

Afterwards, the Colts decided to squib the kickoff to keep the ball out of Hester’s.
Backup tight end Gabe Reid fielded the ball but fumbled when tackled. Former University of Cincinnati linebacker Tyjuan Hagler recovered the ball for the Colts.

Then on Indianapolis' first play from the 34-yard line, Bears defensive end Alex Brown blew up a Manning handoff to Joseph Addai. Mark Anderson recovered.

Then Chicago's Thomas Jones broke loose on a 52-yard run to the Colts 5. On third and goal from the 4, rossman threw a touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad on a quick slant. Muhammad got inside cornerback Nick Harper, who is playing on a gimpy ankle.

In a stretch of three consecutive possessions in the late first into the second quarter, Chicago punted three times without gaining a first down. The Bears gained 23 yards in those three possessions, calling Thomas Jones run plays on third down on two of them. In the meantime, Indianapolis scored on an Adam Vinatieri 29-yard field goal and a 1-yard Dominic Rhodes run to go up 16-14.

Colts coach Tony Dungy had taken his Indianapolis team to the playoffs in all five years he had been there, just as he had Tampa Bay for his last three seasons as Buccaneers coach.

But Dungy and his quarterback, Manning, for all of their success, had endured criticism that they could not win the big one.

Dungy becomes the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl.

And like Pittsburgh the year before, the Colts won four consecutive postseason games to take home the Lombardi Trophy.