By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor

Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, Joe Banner and the rest of the Eagles better have been paying attention to the Super Bowl tonight. They must learn a lesson from the Saints and head coach Sean Payton: Be aggressive and don’t be scared to fail.

The Saints got off to a slow start, trailing 10-0 at one point, but they never got down. They never doubted themselves. And, if they did, coach Sean Payton wouldn’t let his troops roll over.

They Saints are hoisting their first Lombardi Trophy tonight because they were aggressive and took chances. That is often the difference between winning and losing.

Andy Reid and the Eagles need to get back to believing in themselves and not being scared to fail.

There was a point early in Andy Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia when he would gamble like Payton did on Sunday. He started his second season as Eagles coach with an onside kick in Dallas. The Eagles followed Reid’s confidence en route to spanking the Cowboys 41-14 as Duce Staley piled up more than 200 yards on the ground. That play was the spark that ignited a string of five straight playoff trips, four NFC title games and a Super Bowl appearance.

Reid also tried an onside kick against the Chiefs to start the second half in a game a year later.

The point is that Reid took risks and usually made the most of them. His players believed in themselves because of his play calling.

In recent years, Reid has gotten too conservative. He is scared to fail and when you prepare and play that way, you lose. It’s that simple.

Sure, Big Red tried an onside kick to start the game against the Redskins in November, but that was against a bad team. Reid knew failing in that situation likely wouldn’t cost his team the game. He had nothing to lose.

Would Reid try that or another risky play in a bigger game? A playoff game? A Super Bowl?

That’s the question he and his quarterback need to ask themselves today. If they need proof on the impact gutsy, risk-taking play calling can have on a team, all they have to do is watch the tape of Super Bowl XLIV. They have the next five months to do so.

Drew Brees didn’t win win Super Bowl 44 for New Orleans. Neither did Reggie Bush.

Coach Sean Payton won the game with gutsy play calling and should be the MVP of Super Bowl 44. Obviously, he’s not a player and can’t win the award, but everyone has to realize that Bourbon Street isn’t partying right now if not for the Saints head coach.

The onside kick to start the second half will go down as one of the top plays in Super Bowl history. And, Payton will go down as the coach with the most guts in the history of sport.

Sean Payton will forever be a part of Super Bowl lore.

Trailing 10-6 to start the second half, many coaches would not start with an onside kick. Especially not in the Super Bowl! The SUPER BOWL!

That call was more about whether or not his team recovered the ball. Of course, the fact that Hank Baskett’s hands got soft from playing with Kendra’s breasts didn’t hurt.

Instead, that call was more about displaying confidence in his players, in his coaches, in his team, in his organization. Every person on the Saints sideline walked with more moxie after that play. If they thought they could win the Super Bowl when the game started and at halftime, they knew would win after that call.

The entire squad played even more aggressively, getting after Peyton Manning. Heck, when’s the last time a team has forced Manning to make a mistake with the game on the line in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. Tracy Porter did that by picking off Manning and taking it 74 yards to the house to seal the game and bring the Lombardi Trophy to New Orleans.

None of that happens without Sean Payton’s leadership. It doesn’t happen without his moxie. It doesn’t happen with the balls he had to try an onside kick.

When people look back on this game, they’ll think of Payton. The coach left his mark on the NFL on the biggest stage in all of sports.

Payton Manning looks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for a second time today.

Whether you’re a hard core football fanatic or a casual fan, the 44th installment of the Super Bowl should continue the string of solid, down-to-the-wire contests we’ve seen the last few years. And, if you’re a person who dislikes defensive battles, you’re in luck.

With two of the best offenses in the NFL today, the Saints and Colts should have no trouble finding the end zone. Drew Brees and Payton Manning will be able to move the ball up and down the field, and both can lead their teams to scores on any given play.

We’re not going to make this a long post at all. There’s no point really. Block pools don’t rely on any actual football knowledge.

The bottom line is we see the Saints playing a tough game and being in a position to win. However, manning is on the road toward establishing himself as one of the best to ever play the game. He needs another Super Bowl win or two to join the conversation.

Consider it fair game to compare him and Montana after today.

PREDICTION: Colts 34, Saints 31