MIAMI (Reuters) - The New Orleans Saints completed their long-awaited transformation from chumps to champions by defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in the Super Bowl on Sunday to claim their first NFL title.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns to out duel the Colts' Peyton Manning in a match-up of marquee quarterbacks.
A Mardi Gras-style celebration broke out in Dolphin Stadium when Tracy Porter picked off a Manning pass with just over three minutes left and raced 74 yards for a score to give the Saints a 31-17 lead.
"I'm proud of this team, these coaches and everybody back in New Orleans," Saints coach Sean Payton told the crowd after the game.
The Colts' last gasp ended with 44 seconds left when Manning's pass slipped through the hands of Reggie Wayne in the end zone, giving the Saints their first title in their mostly moribund 43-year history.
Manning, who was hoping to guide the Colts to their second Super Bowl crown in the last four seasons, finished with 31 completions in 45 attempts for 333 yards, one touchdown and one very costly interception.
New Orleans entered the final quarter trailing 17-16 but Brees hit Jeremy Shockey on a two-yard scoring pass to give the Saints a 22-16 lead with under six minutes remaining.
The quarterback, named the game's MVP, found Lance Moore on a two-point conversion attempt that was ruled incomplete. But the Saints successfully challenged the call to take a 24-17 lead.
Porter, who had a key pickoff against Minnesota in the NFC championship, sealed the victory with his interception of Manning's pass, pointing to the end zone during the last 20 yards.
The Saints have been a ray of hope for beleaguered New Orleans residents since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast, leaving death and destruction in its wake.
New Orleans scored the first time they touched the ball as a new franchise back in 1967. That shining moment was merely a blip, however, as the team not only lost the game, but waited two decades before their first winning season.
Story Copyright 2010, Reuters
Photo Copyright 2010, Getty Images
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