Colts to spoil the Super Bowl party for Saints

Indianapolis Colts will try to spoil the Super Bowl party for New Orleans Saints, after 3 years of not making it that far.

Forgive the Indianapolis Colts if they try to dampen the party spirit on Bourbon Street by beating the New Orleans Saints to win their second title in four seasons in Super Bowl 44.

The Saints, an inspiration to a city still struggling to bounce back from Hurricane Katrina's devastation in 2005, reached the first Super Bowl in their 43-year National Football League history by beating Minnesota 31-28 on Sunday.

That touched off an all-night celebration in the French Quarter by ''Who Dat Nation'', the loyal Saints' fan base known for their cajun-accented battle cry - ''Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints?''

Colts coach Jim Caldwell, whose team ousted the New York Jets 30-17 to reach the title game, said Monday that the Colts do not want to diminish the joy the Saints have brought to their city, but they will fight hard for the crown also.

- We're not trying to stomp on that. It's a great story. They have done so much for that city to bring it back. The enthusiasm you see around that team is incredible - Caldwell said.

- We don't want to stamp any of that out. But we want to win this ball game - Caldwell added

The Colts had not been to a Super Bowl since 1971 until defeating Chicago in 2007, a span that saw the club move from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees guides the NFL's most potent scoring attack while Indianapolis counterpart Peyton Manning directs an offense that threw for more touchdowns than any other except Brees and the Saints.

- He's a lot like Peyton in that he can move the ball downfield in chunks. He's able to find weaknesses in coverages quickly. They are a team that can really spread it out - Caldwell said of Brees.

- They present a number of problems. They have a number of weapons. They spread the ball around very well. They are tough to handle. They put a lot of points on the board -

With the Colts and Saints each advancing, the top playoff seeds from each conference will meet in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1993.

Indianapolis began the season 14-0 before benching starters and dropping their final two regular-season games. The Saints began 13-0 before losing their final three games. Neither managed a perfect season but one will claim a title.

- I didn't look at it from a critical standpoint but nevertheless it's tough to ignore - Caldwell said.

- They were playing well at the same time we were. Rarely do you find the number one seeds playing each other. They are a good team and we're looking forward to playing them -

Fans can expect a Super Bowl thriller. The comeback-minded Colts won a league-best seven games this season when trailing in the fourth quarter.

- We've shown the ability to endure with quickness and speed toward the end of ball games. I do believe when you are fresh you can make up a mistake here or there with a little speed - Caldwell said

Caldwell will be the fifth rookie coach in the Super Bowl. The only prior Super Bowl winners among first-time coaches were the Colts' Don McCafferty in 1971 and George Seifert of the San Francisco 49ers in 1990.