Tag: tracy porter

Tracy Porter’s Super Bowl-winning INT is the Saints Play of the Day

Tracy Porter’s Super Bowl-winning INT is the New Orleans Saints Play of the Day. It’s the finest play made by someone wearing No. 22:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igR6W_QCteA

There were some great choices for today’s New Orleans Saints Play of the Day, but with 22 days to go until kickoff in the regular season opener we had only one real option: Tracy Porter’s interception off of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning to help the Saints win Super Bowl XLIV. It’s one of the finest plays ever made by someone wearing No. 22.

It’s a simple enough play on its face. Manning was targeting his favorite receiver Reggie Wayne on a quick curl route to pick up a first down — but Porter picked it off instead, racing across the field to score a defensive touchdown and put the game out of reach. That Manning and Wayne were both New Orleans natives made the victory that much sweeter. That this was the deciding play to win a Super Bowl (New Orleans’ first Super Bowl!)  made it truly special. And it wouldn’t have happened without Porter.

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Where ESPN ranked the 2009 Saints among 57 Super Bowl-winning teams

Did ESPN get it right? Where they ranked the 2009 Saints among 57 Super Bowl-winning teams:

Where do you rank the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning squad among the greatest teams of all time? Or at least, among the NFL’s other 57 champions?

That’s a question that ESPN writer Aaron Schatz set out to answer. Using his advanced-stat DVOA ratings (which you can read more about here), Schatz estimated the play-by-play efficiency for every team to win a Super Bowl.

And his findings have the 2009 Saints at No. 32. New Orleans fielded a high-powered offense and an opportunistic defense that year, outscoring the next-best team by 40 points (at 510, far above the second-place Minnesota Vikings at 470) and nearly tying the league lead with 39 takeaways (the Green Bay Packers had 40).

The Saints achieved a level of dominance that season that’s only rarely seen. We’ll let Schatz explain it further:

The Saints led the NFL in DVOA after a 13-0 start but fell to sixth because of a three-game losing streak to finish off the regular season. (Their starters played in the first two of those three losses, but not the third.) The Saints were second on offense, narrowly behind the Patriots, but 13th on defense and 28th on special teams.

Their DVOA moves up nicely thanks to some big playoff victories. They dominated Arizona 45-14 in the divisional round. The NFC championship required overtime and a Brett Favre interception for a 31-28 victory over the Vikings. But then the Saints beat the Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV, capped off by a Tracy Porter pick-six off Peyton Manning.

It’s disappointing that the 2009 Saints were not ranked higher, but the numbers back it u p. They allowed the 12th-most yards per play that season on defense. No team gave up more yards per punt return (14.3) and they were fourth-worst in yards per kick return (24.5). But they made up for it with an offense that few teams could match and, critically, key stops on defense with sacks and turnovers.

That may have been a difficult strategy to sustain, but it took the Saints all the way to the Super Bowl. And when the chips were down, that same hungry defense sealed the win with one of the most memorable plays in franchise history. And we shouldn’t overlook the benefits of having a Hall of Fame quarterback in the prime of his career leading the way, either.

Now, what’s frustrating — and we’re twisting the knife here, so stop reading if you are not in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you — is how low Schatz ranked some of the teams that won the Super Bowl in years that got away from New Orleans. The 2011 New York Giants, who advanced on a miracle overtime run over the San Francisco 49ers (and who lost to the Saints in a regular season blowout) clocked in at No. 56 out of 57 Super Bowl winners. If Gregg Williams’ defense had held up against the 49ers in the final minutes of their divisional round classic, Drew Brees might have two Super Bowl rings.

Heck, he could have had three. The 2018 Patriots knocked out the Los Angeles Rams to win a championship after L.A. got through with a lot of help from a botched officiating decision in New Orleans in the conference title game. New England won that title in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in the history of the sport. Schatz ranked them all the way down at No. 48 in this list. That’s a matchup they could have handled better than the Rams, who lost in a pathetic effort 13-3. Ah well.

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New Orleans Saints draft record at pick No. 40 overall

The New Orleans Saints draft record at No. 40 overall includes a fan-favorite Super Bowl champion: former Indiana cornerback Tracy Porter

We’ve already recapped the New Orleans Saints draft history at No. 29 overall, their expected slot in Thursday’s first round, but they have made several more picks at their second-round choice at No. 40. The list includes a fan-favorite Super Bowl champion, so let’s dig into their history at this slot to get an idea of who they could find in the 2023 draft:

Every second-round pick the Saints have made since 2002

The Saints have a strong history picking in the second round. Here’s every player they’ve taken in Round 2 since 2002:

The New Orleans Saints have a strong history picking in the second round, dating back to the early years of Mickey Loomis’ stewardship as general manager — where they found Pro Bowlers like LeCharles Bentley, Jon Stinchcomb, and Roman Harper. That success has continued in recent years with impact players like Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams, Erik McCoy, and of course, Michael Thomas.

We’ve already recapped the Saints’ history in the other rounds, which you can find below. Here’s every player they’ve taken in Round 2 since 2002:

Brett Favre’s 2009 NFC Championship Game jersey is up for auction

Brett Favre’s 2009 NFC Championship Game jersey is up for auction. How valuable it would be if Favre had actually won a championship for Minnesota?

Here’s a name we haven’t heard in a while. Brett Favre’s game-worn jersey from the Minnesota Vikings’ 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 NFC Championship Game will be auctioned off later this month. Favre actually wore two jerseys in this game, and the one up for auction was used during the second half and overtime period.

Favre threw two interceptions in the loss to the Saints in front of a sellout crowd at the Superdome, with his game-losing pass picked off by Tracy Porter effectively sending the contest to overtime. That was the fifth turnover by the Vikings offense on the day, which followed fumbles by Favre (one), Adrian Peterson (two), Percy Harvin (one), and Bernard Berrian (one).

The Minnesota defense folded in extra minutes and allowed the Saints to convert a crucial fourth down inside their own territory, which set up Garrett Hartley’s game-winning 40-yard field goal. Favre was battered by the New Orleans pass rush throughout the game but ultimately didn’t play well enough for the Vikings to advance and win a Super Bowl title of their own. Then again, no quarterback ever has accomplished that for their team. Playoff losses come with the territory.

This would make for an impressive addition to any Saints fan’s trophy case. The auction is scheduled for Feb. 25-26 at Heritage Auctions’ Winter Platinum Night Auction and is expected to sell for upwards of $30,000. How valuable it would be if Favre had actually won a championship for Minnesota?

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Ranking each Bears’ free agency class under Ryan Pace

Bears GM Ryan Pace has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his FA classes stack up against one another?

There’s no doubt that NFL free agency is one of the most exciting time of the year for football fans. It’s the first major opportunity for teams to find new talent, shuffle their roster, and make the necessary changes to contend for a playoff spot in the season to come.

However, while a free agency class can take a team to the next level, another can cripple them financially and pull them down to the bottom of the division. When it comes to the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Pace, they’ve experienced both situations.

Pace, now in his sixth season leading the Bears, has had major hits and huge misses in free agency. But how does each of his free agent classes stack up against one another? Below is a ranking from Pace’s worst to best free agent groups between 2015 and 2019.

5) 2017 free agent class

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Key hits – CB Prince Amukamara

Key misses – QB Mike Glennon, S Quintin Demps, TE Dion Sims, WR Markus Wheaton

What a group, huh? When free agency officially opened, Pace inked Glennon, Demps and Sims to three-year deals right off the bat, possibly becoming one of the worst “big three” ever assembled in sports. Glennon, signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was given the opportunity to start but only lasted four games before rookie quarterback and first-round selection Mitchell Trubisky took the reins.

Demps, meanwhile, truly only had one memorable play as a Bear which took place in week one when Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper stiff-armed the veteran to the ground on his way to an 88-yard score. Demps went on injured reserve just two weeks later. Both only lasted one season in Chicago.

Sims at least made it through two seasons, but was lackluster at best. Other signings such as receiver Markus Wheaton, who caught three more passes than I did for the Bears and cornerback Marcus Cooper, who’s most memorable moment in Chicago was showboating after an interception, turning a pick-six into a pick-three.

The only true standout from the class was cornerback Prince Amukamara, who was a consolation prize for the Bears after other corners such as A.J. Bouye and Stephon Gillmore spurned them for other teams. Amukamara became a solid starter for an eventual playoff team and turned his tryout into a bigger contract. But overall, this class was a colossal failure for Pace.

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Tracy Porter officially retires, will be honored during Saints-Vikings game

Saints cornerback Tracy Porter’s interception of Brett Favre is the stuff of legends. So it’s fitting that he’ll retire against the Vikings.

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Here’s an added element to the energy surrounding Sunday’s wild-card round playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. Former Saints cornerback Tracy Porter is officially announcing his retirement from professional football, and will be recognized for his contributions to Saints history during this week’s game day festivities. This is sure to sit well with any visiting Vikings fans.

Porter, of course, rose to prominence during the Saints’ first Super Bowl run, particularly the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Porter intercepted then-Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the closing seconds of regulation to force the game into overtime, which the Saints won off of a legendary Garrett Hartley field goal. Porter also intercepted Peyton Manning to seal the win in Super Bowl XLIV, returning that turnover for a championship-clinching defensive touchdown. Those are some serious credentials to pad out your resume with.

Sure, Porter’s retirement now is more of a formality — he hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2016, which he spent with the Chicago Bears. But this is a perfect opportunity for fans remember his contributions and maybe rile up the Superdome crowd. And if it happens to tweak some salty Vikings faithful — well, take it up with Favre for throwing that awful interception across his body. He and Adrian Peterson were giving away fumbles and interceptions like they were going out of style (the Vikings committed eight turnovers as a team in that conference title game). It’s not the Saints’ fault for capitalizing on Minnesota’s mistakes. But by goodness are we going to celebrate it.

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