A fourth-down gamble by the Saints late during the second quarter didn’t pay off.

The Saints cut the Colts’ lead to 10-3.

The Colts scored on each of their first two drives while the Saints sputtered.

The Saints’ return to basics keyed their first Super Bowl scoring drive.

NFL.com analysts Pat Kirwan and Gil Brandt break down the Super Bowl’s first scoring drive.

Peyton Manning directed a Super Bowl record-tying 96-yard drive that ended on a 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, giving the Colts a 10-0 lead over the Saints in the first quarter.

The Colts’ lightly regarded running game is giving the Saints fits behind Joseph Addai’s workmanlike effort.

Teams that score first are 28-15 all-time in Super Bowls, but have also lost five of the last eight.

The only thing left is the usual rather lame prediction. But, basing my theory on the truly original and totally Brit-oriented fairytale factor (i.e. using the idea of the winner being the one with the most ‘romantic’ storyline) from the 16 years since I first started covering the Super Bowl, I can exclusively reveal that…

It’s about 30 minutes before kickoff, and the scene around the field at Sun Life Stadium is still frenzied and electric. And it’s not just because AC/DC is playing inside the stadium.

Colts DE Dwight Freeney started Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Saints despite missing practice the last two weeks because of an injured right ankle.

Seahawks LT Walter Jones posted a cryptic message on his Twitter account Sunday (via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer), suggesting that he’s retiring after some injury problems.

There’s no doubt about it, it’s a true Brit-fest here at XLIV.

Dwight Freeney didn’t look bad moving around in warmups. Looks like he can go straight ahead. What you don’t know is if can he push off against pressure. But he absolutely looked better than you thought he would. The Colts are going to try to get some situational pass rush out of him.

While Indianapolis Colts DE Dwight Freeney completed a brief workout on his injured right ankle prior to Super Bowl XLIV, how effective he’ll be remains to be seen.