I think they were trying to draw them offsides or something...never had any intention of actually carrying the play out.

From coach's Monday Press Conference

Were you going to fake that field goal?
“Yes.”

It wasn’t just a ploy to get them to use the timeout?
“No. It was a fake. You know that one of two things is going to happen: you’re going to get a chance to run it and see how it looks or you’re going to get a timeout, and they called the timeout.”

My first thought was that they were going to go for it. Then I thought .....no......wait they are trying to get an off sides call. Then when Peyton said he meant to do it I believed him. For anyone that hasn't read Home Team I highly recommend it. It gives you a ton of insight as to how Sean Payton thinks and how he plays the percentages.

Anyone stop to think that Pittsburgh was gonna ice Hartley anyway?

No one knows how Payton thinks.

Even the Shadow says, "Hell, I give up. I dont know what dude is thinking."