2007 Super Bowl
The 2007 Super Bowl was held on February 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, making this the 9th time the Super Bowl was hosted in the state of Florida since it’s beginning 40 years earlier. Only one other state, Louisiana, has hosted the Super Bowl as many times.
The 2007 Super Bowl was a game of firsts, setting some unusual records in super bowl history. Because an African-American coached both teams for the first time, the 2007 Super Bowl would see the first time in its history where a Black coach would win the Super Bowl. This also was the first time the super bowl was played on a wet and soggy field, as the rain did not let up all day. Another record was within the first minute when the opening kickoff was run back for a touchdown by Bears rookie Devin Hester, making it the earliest score in super bowl history.
Super Bowl 2007 featured the AFC (American Football Conference) champions, the Indianapolis Colts, against the NFC (National Football Conference) champions, the Chicago Bears. This would be the second appearance for both teams, who each won their previous super bowls, The Colts in Super Bowl V (1970), and the Bears in Super Bowl XX (1985).
Peyton Manning for the Colts was named the 2007 Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) after completing 25 out of 38 passes for a total 247 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. Peyton Manning’s exceptional 10-year career as a quarterback would finally pay off with this coveted title, his first one.
The first quarter of the 2007 Super Bowl was lively as the bears took the lead 14-7 over the colts. Because Hester had returned the opening kick to score a 92-yard touchdown, the Colts avoided kicking to him for the rest of the game. Going into the halftime, the colts had slightly overtaken the Bears with a 2-point lead as the score stood at 16-14.
Entering the third quarter, the colts would maintain their lead throughout the remainder of the game as the Chicago tried desperately to gain possession. Two field goals by Indianapolis and one by Chicago would make the score 22-17 (Colts) at the end of the third. The lead was not significant, however, in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, Kelvin Hayden’s 56-yard interception return resulted in a touchdown for the Colts as they broke away with a 29-17 lead.
Chicago was unable to push much past their own 47, and with only 1:42 left in the game, the Colts only had to bide their time. The final five plays of the game resulted in no score as the colts took home the 2007 Super Bowl trophy and their second super bowl win with a final score of 29-17.
