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Indy holds slim lead going into fourth quarter

Sun 7th, February 2010

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Joseph Addai's four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter has helped the Colts grab a tenuous 17-16 lead over New Orleans heading into the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIV.

Drew Brees has lit a fire for the Saints with a spectacular performance over the last two quarters, but he'll need to lead the team to at least one more score if New Orleans is to celebrate its first-ever Super Bowl victory.

Garrett Hartley has kicked three field goals - all over 40 yards - for the Saints. New Orleans' lone touchdown came on a 16-yard pass from Brees to Pierre Thomas.

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning has been steady under center for the Colts as he tries to engineer his team to a second title in four years.

Trailing, 10-6, the Saints used a gutsy approach to start the second half, trying on onside kick. The ball glanced off Indianapolis' Hank Baskett, and after a scrum at the bottom of the pile, New Orleans' Jonathan Casillas came away with the football.

It was the first onside kick in the Super Bowl coming before the fourth quarter, and the move paid off. Brees moved the Saints into the lead at 13-10 on a 16-yard touchdown pass to Thomas with 11:41 left in the third. Brees completed all five of his passes on the drive for 51 yards, the last one being a screen on the right side of the field. Thomas evaded defenders, stepped out of a tackle in the middle of the field before diving into the end zone.

Indianapolis went back on top, 17-13, with 6:15 left in the quarter thanks to Addai's four-yard TD run. Manning hit Dallas Clark with an 11-yard gain up the middle to convert a 3rd-and-5. On the next play, Addai powered up the middle, spun out of a tackle and scored standing up to end the 10-play, 76-yard drive. He accounted for 24 yards in the march.

Brees then moved the Saints from their own 34 to the Indy 29, but the drive stalled when Jeremy Shockey couldn't break loose for a first down after a four-yard catch over the middle. Hartley was called on and split the uprights from 47 yards out with 2:01 remaining.

Hartley became the first kicker to have at least three field goals made of 40- plus yards in the same Super Bowl game.

The Colts were deep in their territory when the quarter came to a close.

A Manning touchdown pass capped a 96-yard drive in the opening quarter and then the Colts had a goal-line stand to stop the Saints in the final two minutes of the half.

Matt Stover kicked a 38-yard field goal midway through the first quarter, and Manning ended the Super Bowl's record-tying longest drive with a 19-yard scoring toss to Pierre Garcon with 36 seconds remaining in the same period.

The Saints, in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, got a 46-yard field goal from Hartley in the early moments of the second quarter, but were thwarted on a fourth down run from the one with 1:49 left. Hartley split the uprights from 44 yards on the final play of the second quarter.

Through three quarters, Brees has connected on 25-of-32 passes for 244 yards, while Manning is 17-of-24 for 162 yards. Addai has 10 rushes for 79 yards.