Super Bowl XLIV thoughts

So I'm finally getting around to discussing the Super Bowl. Being a huge Colts fan, it's important to realize what a great season it was.
A great season filled with record breakers, thrilling come from behind wins and a pursuit of perfection, came to a bitter end on February 7 when the Colts fell to the New Orleads Saints 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.
I was confident about the Colts chances heading into the big game. The media was hopping on the Saints bandwagon, but the Colts had dealt with that before when everyone backed the Jets in the AFC title game. Plus Manning was going to eat up that 26th ranked Saints defense.
When the Colts took a 10-0 lead in the final minute of the first quarter, I was all but sure they were going to win. The Defense was playing well and always relishes playing with a two score lead.
But the unit never faced anyone as good as Drew Brees in 2009. Brees would go on to be the MVP of the game, moving the ball up and down the field as if he were Peyton Manning. The short passes killed the Colts.
The momentum of the game changed with the onside kick Saints coach Sean Payton called to open up the second half. The Colts had a four point lead and thought they were getting a chance to add to it with the ball in Peyton's hands.
But New Orleans recovered (maybe, no way to know for sure under the pile, but the refs called it that way) and the Saints took their first lead on a Pierre Thomas touchdown run.
But the Colts responded with a Joseph Addai touchdown and it looked as if they weathered the storm. They just needed to close them out.
The Saints dominated from then on out, scoring the game's final 15 points, incuding a Tracy Porter pick six that all but put it out of reach for Indy.
It still would have been nice if the Colts could have scored a touchdown at the end and at least forced an onside kick attempt.
New Orleans deserved it, no doubt. But I still think that if these teams were to play ten games, the Colts would win seven. Remember that Dwight Freeney was hobbled all night and Reggie Wayne was clearly not himself after tweaking a knee injury in Friday's practice.
It was the toughest loss a Colts fan could take. To come so close, only to be disappointed in the end. Colts fans aren't even used to losing regular season games, let alone a Super Bowl defeat.
As disappointing as the ending was, 2009 was a memorable year. In no year (not even 2006), was it so fun to be a Colts fan from week to week. Every week you knew they would be met with a tough challenge, and every week you knew they were going to find a way to win.
November 15's triumph over New England will always be one of my favorite sports memories since I was at Lucas Oil Stadium when it happened.
The team proved the critics wrong by winning two playoff games after a long layoff. Jim Caldwel did a phenomenal job.
Before the year began, experts forcasted the Patriots, Steelers and Chargers to be stronger than the Colts. After all, Indy lost a Hall of Fame coach and receiver.
But coming out of the AFC, it was the Colts, the good old reliables. The model of consistency.
2009 was great, but in 2010, they need to take it just one step furthur.