It was over when ...
The Saints went three-and-out on their first two possessions of the second half. The Saints kept the Colts roughly in check during the first half, but it was only a matter of time before Peyton Manning and the Colts offense got rolling. Indianapolis scored touchdowns on its first two second-half possessions -- both following Saints' three-and-outs -- to cruise to the victory. New Orleans coach Sean Payton officially waved the white flag early in the fourth quarter, electing not to go for it on fourth-and-inches when trailing by 17 points.
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| Jamie Squire / Getty Images |
| Too old? Some felt that Marvin Harrison has lost a step. There was no evidence of that on Thursday night. |
Game ball
Colts defense. Can the Colts defense really be this good? The unit held the high-flying Saints' offense to only three points, constantly harassing quarterback Drew Brees. Instead of narrowing it down to one defender, the entire defense gets a game ball.
Key stat
Brees completed 28 of 41 passes but for only 192 yards. That's an average of 6.85 yards-per-completion. Brees was on the verge of setting a dubious NFL record -- fewest yards-per-completion in a game (minimum 25 attempts) -- but a few cosmetic completions helped him avoid that mark.
Noteworthy
Former Colts and current Saints cornerback Jason David scored the Saints' only touchdown on a fumble return, but he also was burned for three touchdowns. David is the first player since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to score a defensive touchdown in Week 1 against the team he played for in the previous season. ... Reggie Wayne struggled in the first half with a fumble but rebounded with seven receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. ... Adam Vinatieri has never missed a kick -- as member of the Colts or Patriots -- in the RCA Dome.
