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Perhaps you can file this in the “hindsight is always 20-20″ category, but I think it should be mentioned in the immediate aftermath of New Orleans’ Super Bowl win because it was vital to the winning effort. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton was aggressive in his coach style on Sunday and it keyed his team to a championship.

I want to preface this piece by acknowledging the Saints wouldn’t have won without the MVP performance by Drew Brees (32 of 39 for 288 yards and 2 TDs), a great defensive game plan by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams that held Peyton Manning and Co. to just 17 points and of course the 74-yard pick 6 by CB Tracy Porter late in the game.

With all of that being said, I believe it was a series of events late in the 2nd quarter and then right away in the 3rd quarter that keyed the Saints to victory. Here’s what went down…

– The Saints began a series on their own 28 with 8:14 to play in the 2nd quarter. Brees got his team to the Colts 23 after 7 plays and then connected with WR Marques Colston for a 27-yard gain down to the Colts 3. There, Indianapolis’ defense bowed up and forced a 4th and goal situation with 1:55 to play in the half. I’m willing to wager that many coaches would’ve elected to kick a FG in that scenario. But Payton didn’t. He knew that FGs were not going to beat the Colts. So he went for it. But the Colts held and the Saints came away with 0 points.

– The Colts then took over, but they were too conservative in their playcalling and went 3-and-out with all 3 plays being runs. Indianapolis punted the ball and New Orleans wound up with a FG to close the half anyway.

– New Orleans was to kick off to begin the 2nd half, but that’s where it got interesting. Payton called for an onside kick and it paid off. The Saints recovered and Brees came on to drive his team for a TD that resulted in a 13-10 lead.

– Not only did that onside kick and early 3rd-quarter TD give the Saints a lead, but it got their offense in a rhythm. Brees drove his team 58 yards in just 6 plays. Here is a list of the yards gained on those 6 plays: 12, 9, 5, 9, 7, 16 (touchdown). Payton, Brees and the offense got hot thanks to the onside kick. The Saints scored 10 more points on their next 2 possessions and then Porter housed his INT return to finish the scoring.

– The aggressiveness Payton displayed by going for it on 4th and goal in the 2nd quarter didn’t pay off right away, but it sure did a few moments later. If Payton had decided to kick a FG in that situation, who knows if the Saints would’ve also decided to onside kick to start the 3rd quarter.

Ultimately, there are times to be aggressive and times to be conservative. Being aggressive 100% of the time will lead you to failure and being conservative 100% of the time will also lead you to failure. So it’s a head coach’s job to determine when to be aggressive and when to be conservative.

On Sunday against the Colts, Sean Payton did a good job.

Another great NFL season has come to a close as the New Orleans Saints topped the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV in South Florida on Sunday evening. The 14-point spread doesn’t tell the story because this year’s Super Bowl was intriguing and dramatic from kickoff to 00:00.

If you can put aside any rooting interests you may have developed over the past 2 weeks, you’ll see that Super Bowl XLIV was indeed all any football fan can ask for in a Super Bowl. It had great play from QBs, big plays and stops by the defenses and even a pivotal play on special teams.

And it was that pivotal play on special teams that served as the turning point in this game. After failing to score a TD late in the 1st half near the goal line, the Saints went into the locker room trailing 10-6 and seemingly stymied by the Colts defensive game plan. But Saints Head Coach Sean Payton called for an onside kick to open the 2nd half and it worked. New Orleans recovered and then Drew Brees and Co. drove the field to score a TD and take a 13-10 lead.

While Brees and Colts QB Peyton Manning put on impressive passing displays – they had 63 combined completions for 621 yards – it was a defensive play against Manning that was the deal closer in this game. Trying to drive his team down the field to tie the game with less than 5 minutes to play, Manning had his team on the New Orleans 31. He tried to connect with Reggie Wayne on a 3rd-down pass by Saints CB Tracy Porter stepped in front of the pass and returned it 74 yards for the back-breaking score as they Saints went on to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Again, the game was all any football fan could ask for. It wasn’t the high-scoring, defense-disrespecting affair many thought it would be (including me). But it still featured plenty of offensive fireworks and fine QB play. The game was managed well by both teams and was drastically affected by a gutsy onside kick call to start the 2nd half. And the game kept fans entertained throughout, never rendering either team desperate or hopeless until Manning threw an incomplete pass near the goal line on 4th down with just 50 seconds to play.

Vikings fans quickly got used to seeing QB Brett Favre in a purple jersey during the 2009 season. But for 16 years Favre was the QB for Green Bay, and in those 16 seasons the rivalry between the Vikings and Packers continuously grew.

While Favre was certainly a major factor in the growth of that rivalry, new Hall of Famer John Randle was, too. The Vikings-Packers rivalry grew and it was largely a function of the rivalry that developed between Favre and Randle.

Numerous times throughout the 2009 season, Favre mentioned to reporters that it was nice to be on the good side of the fans inside Mall of America Field at the HHH Metrodome because for so many years he was forced to battle not only the Vikings defense but also a decided home-field advantage in Minnesota.

In commenting on Randle’s election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, Favre mentioned the rivalry that developed between him and Randle and also the role that Randle played in making Minnesota such a tough place to play.

“I’m happy for John and all the guys who earned a spot in Canton today,” Favre said. “They’re all deserving of the honor and should be remembered among the all-time greats to play the game. John and I had a lot of great battles over the years and I always respected him and  considered him one of the most intense players we faced. He was nearly unblockable and he was a big part of what made playing at Minnesota so tough.”

Longtime and pioneering NFL scout Gil Brandt is a great football mind. Perhaps he’s not the household name he should be, considering his accomplishments and credentials in the NFL, but his opinion is respected by those inside the game and by those who know the history of the NFL.

Among his many affiliations is NFL.com. He writes for the league’s official website, often times breaking down important matchups in NFL games. Right now he’s of course looking forward to Super Bowl XLIV, but he took time out of his day to speak with our Vikings public relations buddy Tom West.

“John Randle is probably the most underrated player in the Hall of Fame finalists this year and one of the most underrated in NFL history,” Brandt told Tom. “His quickness was just unbelievable. We always had a really hard time blocking him. He’s probably not as well known as some of the names up there this year, but he deserves it as much or more than any of them based on where he came from to get where he did.”

Amazingly, Randle registered 137.5 sacks during his 14-year career, more than any other DT in NFL history. He was a 7-time Pro Bowler and 6-time All-Pro selection, and was also named to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Teams.

More amazing than any of that, though, is that he accomplished all of that after going undrafted out of college.

Just one year after his teammate Randall McDaniel was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, former Vikings DT John Randle will also enter football immortality. It was announced in South Florida on Saturday afternoon that Randle will join 6 others as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

Randle, who went undrafted, is one of the best interior defensive linemen of all-time and the honor is more than well-deserved for #93. He was with the Vikings for 11 seasons (1990-2000) and spent 14 total seasons in the NFL.

A 7-time Pro Bowler and 6-time All-Pro selection, Randle finished his career with 137.5 sacks, the most by a DT in NFL history and tied with Richard Dent for 5th all-time. He started 150 of the 176 games he played in Minnesota, recorded 114.0 sacks as a Viking (3rd in franchise history) and was named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.

Aside from outstanding production, Randle also was known for his leadership and fiery passion for the game. From players who lined up against him to teammates who lined up with him, Randle was a popular player known for his boisterous and outgoing personality. He was an NFL Films favorite, often captured on camera for his bizarre dialogue during and after plays as well as his mask of eye black.

The other 6 members of the 2010 class are: G Russ Grimm, LB Rickey Jackson, CB and current Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, RB Floyd Little, WR Jerry Rice and RB Emmitt Smith.

Be sure to stay tuned to vikings.com for more coverage and information surrounding Randle’s election. The Pro Football HOF Class of 2010 will be enshrined in August.

We normally shy away from making NFL predictions on this blog, primarily because the thought of providing cork board material for a potential future opponent is a scary one.

But this Sunday’s Super Bowl is obviously the last game of the season, so it’s safe to make a prediction on this particular game.

Before we get to the predictions, though, I wanted to point out that a few people with great football minds whose opinions we respect vary quite a bit in their predictions for Super Bowl XLIV. Our buddy Paul Allen, who is the voice of the Vikings Radio Network and hosts a radio show on KFAN from 9-noon, sounds like he sees the Saints winning. But Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com and former Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy see Indianapolis winning convincingly.

This just goes to show that no one knows anything for sure and that all the speculation and predictions don’t really matter. What matters is what happens on the field on Sunday.

Anyway, here are our predictions:

Mike: Colts 38, Saints 21
I’m trying not to over-think this matchup, which is how I came up with the Colts winning and with the margin being so wide. It’s my impulse prediction and I’m going with it.

The primary motivation behind this gut feeling is that the Vikings took apart the Saints defense – scoring 28 points and out-gaining the Saints 475 yards to 257 – in spite of a myriad of mistakes and turnovers. Indianapolis will not make an equal amount of mistakes and the Saints defense will pay the price.

The running game has been overlooked in the buildup to this game, but for good reason – we have Peyton Manning and Drew Brees going against each other. With that said, however, the Saints might benefit from making the run a factor in this game. Saints RBs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas are better than what the Colts have to offer.

Ultimately, though, Manning will out-perform Brees and will lead the Colts to victory. I like how Indianapolis’ secondary matches up with the Saints receivers and I don’t like how any defense, let alone New Orleans’, matches up against the Colts passing game.

Ryan: Colts 31, Saints 23
As bored as I personally am with the Colts and Peyton Manning, the bottom line is that they haven’t lost a game all year when they’ve tried/needed to win, and Manning is the best player in the NFL today at the most important position.  It does worry me that DE Dwight Freeney will be far from 100% if he’s even active for the game with his ankle injury, but not enough to swing who I think will win the game.

The Saints peaked after they beat the Patriots on Monday Night Football in week 12, and have had some pretty shaky efforts since then, including an improbable overtime win at Washington and home loss to the lowly Buccaneers.  They smoked the Cardinals in the Divisional Round and then we all know the story behind their win over the Vikings to advance to the Super Bowl.

I just don’t foresee the Colts turning the ball over like the Vikings and many other teams did against the Saints defense, which is the only way I can see the Saints winning this game.

Vikings WR/KR Percy Harvin added the 2009 Pepsi Rookie of the Year Award to an accolade-filled rookie resume on Thursday. Harvin was selected by fans – who decide the award with online voting – out of a talented group of finalists that included Bills S Jairus Byrd, Texans LB Brian Cushing, Packers LB Clay Matthews and Ravens T Michael Oher.

“This is a tremendous honor and I want to thank all the Vikings fans and NFL fans who took the time to vote,” Harvin said. “This really does mean a lot and I appreciate the support. I also have to thank my teammates and coaches who helped me out so much this season and put me in positions to succeed.”

Harvin was also named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Football Weekly Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl as a kick returner, though he did not participate.

Dubbed “the little phenom” by teammate Adrian Peterson, Harvin joins Peterson (2007) as the only other Viking to be the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year and is the first WR to garner the honor in its 8-year history. He was nominated as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week 7 times throughout the season, winning twice after outstanding performances against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers in Weeks 8 and 9.

Harvin, the Vikings 1st round pick (22nd overall) in last year’s NFL draft, quickly transitioned into an explosive and productive NFL player after a prolific career at the University of Florida that included a pair of BCS National Championship victories. His versatility and toughness made him one of the Vikings most dangerous weapons, both on offense and on special teams.

In 15 regular season games, Harvin set a Vikings record with 2,081 all-purpose yards, a total that ranked him 2nd in the NFC. He had 60 receptions – tied for the lead among rookies – for 790 yards and 6 TDs and 135 rushing yards on 15 attempts, setting a franchise record for rushing yards by a WR and also leading all rookie non-kickers in scoring and registering 24 receptions on 3rd down. Harvin became the 2nd Vikings player (Peterson) in the past 3 seasons to be named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Harvin also recorded 2 kickoff returns for a TD, including a 101-yarder, and ranked 4th in the NFL with a 27.5-yard kickoff return average (42 returns for 1,156 yards) despite teams consistently kicking away from him during the 2nd half of the season.

Usually here on vikings.com, when a Vikings player is up for a fan vote, we encourage fans of the Purple to head over to whatever site the vote is being held on and vote away for said Viking.

Not in this case.

Yesterday, EA Sports and Doritos announced that, instead of naming the player that would be on the cover of the next edition of the popular Madden video game around the time of the Super Bowl, they are now going to let fans vote on who should be on the cover.  The choices this year are Saints QB Drew Brees, Colts WR Reggie Wayne, and Vikings DE Jared Allen.

Now, as cool as it would seem to have a Viking grace the cover of one of the best-selling video games on a yearly basis,  most people are now aware of the “Madden cover jinx” and therefore we are encouraging all Vikings fans to cast their votes for Brees or Wayne by clicking here.

A quick Google search will illustrate the jinx.  Here is a look back at the proof:

Madden 99 – Garrison Hearst

This was the first year that a player — and not John Madden himself — graced the cover.  Hearst, a running back for the 49ers at the time, had a great regular season, but suffered a nasty ankle injury in the playoffs that caused him to miss the next TWO full seasons.

Madden 2000 – Barry Sanders

Sanders didn’t have a chance to get hurt during the season in which he graced the cover since he — seemingly out of nowhere — retired before training camp started that season.

Madden 2001 – Eddie George

For former Titans runner broke the trend and actually had a pretty good season in 2000, but then his career dropped off the following season and was never the same player again.

Madden 2002 – Daunte Culpepper

The last Viking to grace the cover, Culpepper had thrown for 33 touchdowns the season before, but during the season in which he was on the cover, he tossed just 14 touchdown passes, missed five games, and the Vikings finished 5-11.

Madden 2003 – Marshall Faulk

Faulk was coming off a season where he had over 2,000 combined yards and over 20 touchdowns.  But, as the cover boy, he started just ten games and had about 1,400 total yards and ten touchdowns.

Madden 2004 – Mike Vick

Vick was one of the league’s top dogs the year before and thus earned the nod as the cover guy for Madden, but he broke his leg during a preseason game and missed 11 games.  I think he may have had some off-the-field issues later on in his career as well.

Madden 2005 – Ray Lewis

Lewis was the first ever defensive player to be on the cover, and he pretty much avoided the curse, though his numbers were slightly down from the prior season.  He did miss several games the following season with an injury.

Madden 2006 – Donovan McNabb

McNabb was injured after week nine and missed the rest of the season, and Eagles missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 season, finishing 6-10.

Madden 2007 – Shaun Alexander

Alexander had nearly 2,000 yards the season before and 28 touchdowns, but in 2006, he missed six games due to an injury, scored just seven touchdowns, and his yards per carry dropped by 1.5 yards.  He was never a factor in the NFL again.

Madden 2008 – Vince Young

After winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2006, Young following that up by throwing for just nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2007.

Madden 2009 – Brett Favre

Favre almost pulled a Barry Sanders in terms of retiring before the game was released, but he of course made his way to New York to play for the Jets.  He hurt his shoulder late in the season and the Jets missed the playoffs.

Madden 2010 – Larry Fitzgerald / Troy Polamalu

Fitzgerald has almost 400 less receiving yards than the season before, but the real story here is Polamalu, who suffered a knee injury during the opening game of the season and though he played in a handful of games the rest of the way, he was not the same force that he had been up to this season.

Super Bowl XLIV will be played this Sunday, as the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints will clash for the NFL’s ultimate prize. Most Vikings fans probably don’t have much rooting interest in that event.

But there is another event this weekend that should capture the interest of Vikings fans across the country – the election of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010. Former Vikings WR Cris Carter and DE John Randle are among the 15 modern-era finalists who will be under consideration during this year’s selection process.

The Hall’s Selection Committee will meet in South Florida, site of this year’s Super Bowl, on Saturday afternoon to elect this year’s class and then they’ll announce their elections at 4 p.m. CT during a 1-hour NFL Network special, live from the Broward County Convention Center.

For more information on the selection process, this year’s finalists and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you can click here to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s official website.