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Super Bowl XLIV marked a perfect ending to the decade for reasons beyond its high entertainment value and the fact it was won by perhaps the most popular underdog in the game's history.

What truly made the Super Bowl an ideal punctuation to the NFL's first 10 years of the 2000s is the fact it featured two of the best quarterbacks in the leagueCould there have been a more fitting way to wrap up the Decade of Great Quarterbacking than Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees?

Manning and Brees are two of the faces of a position that clearly became better since the last group of the quarterbacks that dominated the NFL: Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway, Steve Young, and Jim Kelly.

Manning and Brees piled up staggering numbers on the way to each winning a Super Bowl. Manning also won a record four NFL Most Valuable Player awards.

Tom Brady won three Super Bowls while also putting up some spectacular numbers, especially during a historic 2007 season. Ben Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls, while fellow 2004 first-round draft pick Eli Manning won one. Philip Rivers, another '04 first-rounder, doesn't have a ring, but he has firmly established himself among the better passers in the NFL. Ditto for Tony Romo.

Further enhancing the notion that the position is emerging from the decade in the best shape ever is a couple of rising prolific stars in Aaron Rodgers and Matt Schaub, as well as a couple of promising youngsters in Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. (Jay Cutler is worth mentioning somewhere, although his struggles with the Chicago Bears last season raise questions about the validity of his impressive stint with the Denver Broncos. Perhaps the Bears' hiring of Mark Martz as their new offensive coordinator will bring Cutler back to his Bronco form).

The league's emphasis on enforcing rules that helped open up the pass is a factor in their success. But it doesn't explain everything. It still takes exceptional talent to make the plays, and this collection of quarterbacks has it.

Saints' Super win was perfect ending to entertaining decade in NFL

www.sportsshooter.com/johnjcoleman

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Rugby Saint II

Winning the Superbowl was the best way to close out the decade. Now let's go out and clearly make this our decade. We have as good a chance as any other team and better than most going into this decade. We can be a factor for a long long time. I want a dynasty.

breesfan27

I second this. I would love to tell my future grandkids about the Saints' Dynasty. Plus, I want to repeat so I can be in New Orleans the next time for the celebrations. Still bummed I couldn't go this year.

stbepraised

I concur!

reggie060

I'm with you....but now its time to talk about the draft...