Turning Pages of '100 Things Colts Fans:' Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI started off rather dubiously with a couple of Indianapolis Colts errors in judgment.
When asked to relive arguably the greatest moment in the franchise’s Indianapolis history, head coach Tony Dungy started with two confessions about how he prepared the Colts for their 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Feb. 4, 2007, in Miami.
As a longtime Florida resident in Tampa, Dungy assured players to ignore the weather forecast for rain.
“Then, of course, it rained,” Dungy said for 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. “I had told the guys, ‘Hey, I live in Florida. If it’s going to rain, it’s going to shower fast and furious and then it’s going to be done. But there’s no way it’s going to rain and rain and rain.’ And of course Peyton (Manning) wants to practice with the wet balls and dunk them. We did all that. And sure enough, it rained.
“I remember the first quarter not even feeling it. That’s how much I was into the game. When we turned and went to the other end for the second quarter, and we had a little break, I was walking and I said, ‘Man, I am all wet.’ That was the first time I really realized it had been raining. (Equipment manager) Jon Scott got me a jacket and I put it on. From then on, I was cognizant of it. But I was so into the game, it took me a whole quarter to really realize it was raining.”
Dungy’s other gaffe was wanting to make an opening statement by kicking off to Devin Hester.
“Yeah, that was me, too,” Dungy said with a chuckle. “All week (special teams coach) Russ Purnell had said, ‘That’s the only real threat they have. If we just keep the ball away from him, we’re going to be fine.’ That was our plan all week. Then Saturday, I was just thinking, ‘We’ve got to be the aggressors on this.’ So Saturday night, I said, ‘I hope we lose the toss because we want to kick off and we’re going to kick it right down the middle, we’re going to kick it to Devin Hester and when we pound him, they’ll know that we mean business.”
Dungy paused and laughed about what transpired. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri called “Tails” and it was heads. The Bears wanted the ball. Hester broke the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, the earliest lead in Super Bowl history. It took 14 seconds. Vinatieri pounded the ground after missing him.
“Sure enough, it was one of the dumbest decisions ever,” Dungy said. “That was all on me. It kind of got things going on the wrong foot. But again, like our team did all year, they just didn’t get concerned about little disappointments or little problems.”
The Colts had learned their lesson and would avoid Hester with squib kicks the rest of the game.
And they got back into the game when the Bears blew their coverage on wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who was all alone for a 53-yard touchdown reception.
The Bears built a 14-6 lead after Thomas Jones ripped the NFL’s worst rushing defense for a 52-yard gain and Rex Grossman threw a TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad.
But everything turned toward the Colts after that.
Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal, then Peyton Manning connected with Marvin Harrison for 22 yards and Dallas Clark for 17 to set up Dominic Rhodes’ three rushes for 11 yards, including the last yard for a score. Despite the mistakes, the Colts led 16-14 at halftime. And it could have been a bigger lead, but Vinatieri missed a 36-yard field goal wide right on the final play of the half.
The Colts dominated time of possession through three quarters, 30 minutes, 51 seconds to the Bears 14:09. But two Vinatieri field goals and one Robbie Gould kick kept the game close at 22-17.
That set the stage for the game’s pivotal play. Grossman pump-faked and tried to throw to a spot, but Muhammad had not turned around. Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden, inserted for an injured Nick Harper in the second quarter, saw the ball the whole way, leaped and intercepted. He came down ever so close to the sideline, then followed a Colts caravan of blockers to weave his way for a 56-yard touchdown return. But would the score stand?
“I was right in front of it,” Dungy said. “And you know how they have extra officials, the emergency guys? (Referee) Buddy Horton was on our sideline and right next to me. We were talking while they were going. ‘You saw this, Buddy? His foot didn’t hit the line, did it?’ And he said, ‘No, I would have called ’em in. I think it’s good.’ You’re sitting there for what seems like forever waiting on it.”
Instant replay confirmed Hayden had stayed inbounds. The touchdown stood, 29-17 Colts, just 11:44 remaining in the final quarter.
“When they said, ‘The play stands,’ we pretty much knew that was it,” Dungy said. “That was the game.”
What a moment for Hayden, too. Raised on the Southside of Chicago by his mother, he grew up a Bears fan. And although he would later play a final season for the Bears in 2012, Hayden will be forever known for his first NFL interception.
“And against my hometown team,” he said with a smile outside the locker room.
The Colts defense took care of the rest. Grossman threw another interception. Wide receiver Bernard Berrian had a step deep, but the ball hung up forever and Bob Sanders sped over to catch it.
Content to go ground and pound to chew up clock, the Colts dominated in the run game. Rhodes finished with 113 yards rushing on 21 carries.
Running back Joseph Addai caught a then-Super Bowl record 10 passes for 66 yards. Manning was MVP after he completed 25-of-38 passes for 247 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Dungy received two Gatorade baths. Dwight Freeney and Booger McFarland had the first container, Jeff Saturday and Tarik Glenn the second. Manning raised his right clenched fist in triumph.
Glenn recalled how the team was greeted back home. It was freezing outside, but fans lined the streets.
“One of my fondest memories was when we got back and saw the town shut down,” Glenn said. “The people in the street, everybody was wearing blue and white. I was just amazed at how the city came together.”
But all these years later, Irsay can still be heard in that euphoric locker room, hoisting that Vince Lombardi Trophy to a deafening roar.
“That’s what you live for as an owner,” Irsay said.
