Champs! Colts Too Slick For Bears

MIAMI -- In a Super Bowl full of firsts, the Indianapolis Colts came away with the one that matters to them most: a championship -- their first since moving to the city more than 20 years ago.

Fueled by five takeaways and solid performances by offensive players -- including game MVP Peyton Manning, who quashed all questions of being able to winning the big one -- the Colts overcame steady rain and a shaky start to beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI.

The Bears started fast, with rookie Devin Hester returning the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown -- the first score from an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history.

But the Colts -- a team built for indoors -- found its footing in the first rain-soaked Super Bowl.

"It didn't look great after the opening kickoff, but kind of like we've done all playoffs, no panic whatsoever," said Manning, who ended up 25-for-38 for 247 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

The first half was marred by six turnovers, three for each team. Even football's most clutch kicker, Adam Vinatieri, missed a chip-shot field goal, and an extra point attempt was botched, too.

The second half wasn't quite so ugly, but a Bears turnover in the fourth quarter sealed the game. Colts backup defensive back Kelvin Hayden, a Chicago-area native, intercepted the Bears' Rex Grossman and returned the ball for a touchdown for the game's last score, which came with less than 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Chicago (15-4), which led the league in takeaways this season, finished with five turnovers, including two interceptions by Grossman.

The Colts (16-4) will take it. It's their first title since the 1970 season, when they played in Baltimore.

Tony Dungy became the first black coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured two black coaches for the first time in Super Bowl history.

The Colts had come from behind to win the AFC championship game against the Patriots two weeks ago. Dungy said the Colts weren't stunned when Chicago went ahead 7-0.

"We talked about it last night -- there would be some storms in the game," Dungy said. "No one was really shocked ... after the opening kickoff. It was just seven points, and we felt we could get back in it."

The game was a confirmation of Manning's brilliance, even if he didn't need to be dynamic. The son of a quarterback who never got to the playoffs, Manning has been a star throughout his college career at Tennessee and his nine pro seasons with the Colts.

Now he is a champion.

It also was a validation of Dungy's leadership. He helped build Tampa Bay, one of the NFL's worst franchises, into a contender before being fired after the 2001 season. The next year, the Bucs won the Super Bowl under Jon Gruden.

The Colts hoisted their coach on their shoulders and he switched his blue Colts cap for a white one that read "NFL champions." Dungy was carried from the sideline, then was lowered so he could share a long embrace and a handshake with Smith.

Then Dungy waded through the mob to find his quarterback, giving him a big hug.

"I don't think there's anything you can say now other than this guy is a Hall of Fame player and one of the greatest players ever to play the game," Dungy, speaking to reporters later, said of Manning.

The Colts reached the pinnacle by winning four postseason games with a defense that made a complete turnaround in the playoffs.

And with a running game that perfectly complemented Manning, thanks to Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes, who combined for 190 yards -- 113 on 21 carries by Rhodes and 77 on 10 carries by Addai, who also had 66 yards receiving.

Chicago was denied its first Super Bowl title since the powerhouse 1985 team. These Bears could have used Da Coach, Sweetness and their buddies.

It rained from start to finish; there was even "Purple Rain" during halftime when Prince sang some of his signature songs. And though Vinatieri twice was a victim of the slop, he kicked three field goals.

Hester's spectacular return provided a stunning beginning -- and a severe jolt to the Colts. The local product and only rookie All-Pro this season pumped his arms to excite the crowd before the kickoff, then lifted the fans from their seats with an electrifying run on which he never was touched.

He barely touched the ball again as Indy went to squibbing kickoffs.

Leading 16-14 at halftime, the Colts spent half the third quarter with a march to Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal. Twice on the drive, Manning fell to the ground while throwing. But he completed them.

Grossman had it even worse on Chicago's initial possession of the second half, twice in a row slipping and getting sacked.

Thomas Jones, forced to carry the Bears' entire rushing load when Cedric Benson was hurt in the first half, was Chicago's best player. But with Grossman ineffective, all the Bears managed in the second half was Robbie Gould's 44-yard field goal late in the third period.