Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden is superstitious. So having the same room in the same beachside hotel in Fort Lauderdale as he did three years ago when the Colts beat the Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI is a positive omen.
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“It was kind of blurry to me at first, but once we stepped in the hotel everything kind of came back to me,” said Hayden, who had 50 tackles and an interception this season. “I’m going to wear the same suit as I did last time.
“I try to keep things the same. If it works, why try to fix it?”
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning — MVP of that rain-soaked game in then-Dolphin Stadium — warns against the theory that familiar circumstances guarantee a victory against the Saints on Sunday.
“I don’t think staying in the same hotel helps you stop Drew Brees’ offense or figure out where Darren Sharper is going to be,” Manning said. “It still has a different feel. It’s a new year because we have a new team. We have a new head coach.”
Colts rookie coach Jim Caldwell was the defensive coordinator three years ago, and 25 of his players now were on that championship team.
“It certainly does give you a little less trepidation because it’s not new to them in terms of surroundings, but that is only not new to a portion of our team,” Caldwell said.
One memory that Hayden would like to relive is his 56-yard touchdown return off an interception in the fourth quarter that sent the Bears into hibernation.
Happy underdogs: The oddmakers favor the Colts by 6 points, and the Saints aren’t surprised. They seem to welcome the underdog role.
“We embrace it. But in no way is that a slight on the confidence that we have,” said Marques Colston, the team’s leading receiver. “I think we have a really confident group of guys, and that confidence stems from our preparation.”
Tailback Reggie Bush said the first time the Saints felt respected as a “legit contender” was when they beat the Patriots 38-17 in Week 12.
“I feel like we haven’t been picked to win a game all year and have faced the criticism head on,” Bush said. “Without the critics, who would push you to play harder?”
Line dance: The Saints’ offensive line was the winner of the first Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award, given to the NFL’s best offensive line. The Saints finished sixth in rushing yards (2,106) and gave up just 20 sacks.
The trophy weighs 102 pounds, which explains why two of the Saints’ linemen struggled to hold it up Tuesday.
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