MIAMI, Fla. – The New Orleans Saints aint the Aints anymore, they are the Super Bowl champions after matching the largest comeback in Super Bowl history and defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.

Going into the game as five-point underdogs Coach Sean Payton pulled a few tricks out of his hat including an onside kick to start the second half. The Saints were trailing 10-6 at the time and recovered the kick then went down to score to take their first lead of the game 13-10.

“I just told our guys you’ve got to make me look good on this,” Payton said. “That really becomes like a turnover.”

The Saints embraced their Lombardy Trophy carrying the entire city of New Orleans on their backs and through the playoffs. The city had a parade planned for Tuesday regardless of the outcome ready to celebrate their team’s turnaround and success.

With a championship under their belt, the people in the city of jazz can certainly tuck away their paper bags forever.

Saints’ quarterback Drew Bress who was last year’s AP Offensive Player of the Year won the MVP. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions and was 32-of-39 for 288 yards 2 TDs and no picks.

“We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us,” said Brees. “What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time, and it’s better than expected. “Four years ago, who ever thought this would be happening when 85 percent of the city was under water from (Hurricane) Katrina. Most people not knowing if New Orleans would ever come back or if the organization and the team would come back. … This is the culmination of that belief.”

Going up against the league’s 25th ranked defense, most expected a higher offensive output by Peyton Manning and the Colts but New Orleans defense held strong throughout the game making several key stops including the back-breaker, Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the final quarter.

The Saints (16-3) this season won three postseason games this year after winning only two over the previous 42 years.

This championship comes four years after Katrina destroyed the city and chased the NFL franchise from their home. After the NFL refused to abandon the city, the team played in various other stadiums while the Superdome was repaired.

Coach Payton summed it up after the game, “Everybody back in New Orleans gets a piece of this trophy,” he said.

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