# 2009–10 NFL playoffs

The 2009–10 [NFL playoffs](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfl-playoffs) was the postseason tournament of the 2009 [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league) season, ending with the [New Orleans Saints](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-orleans-saints) defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida. It was the first Super Bowl title for the Saints franchise.<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Top NFC seed | New Orleans Saints, 13-3 (.813), NFC South champion<sup>[2](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/playoffs.htm)</sup> |
| AFC representative | Indianapolis Colts, 14-2, AFC champion<sup>[3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/)</sup> |
| Super Bowl XLIV | Saints 31, Colts 17, February 7, 2010, Sun Life Stadium, South Florida<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup> |
| Title significance | First Super Bowl championship for the New Orleans Saints<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup> |
| Comeback | The Saints trailed 10-0 at halftime before rallying to win<sup>[4](https://as.com/us/nfl/de-la-remontada-28-3-a-la-magia-de-mahomes-las-mayores-comebacks-en-la-historia-del-super-bowl-f202602-n/)</sup> |
| Pro Bowl change | For the first time, the Pro Bowl was played in the Super Bowl city the week before the Super Bowl<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup> |

## The two finalists

**New Orleans Saints.** The Saints entered the postseason as the top seed in the NFC with a 13-3 record and the [NFC South](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-south) championship.<sup>[2](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/playoffs.htm)</sup> They carried the top seed through the conference to the title game, where they overcame a 10-0 halftime deficit against [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis) to win 31-17.<sup>[4](https://as.com/us/nfl/de-la-remontada-28-3-a-la-magia-de-mahomes-las-mayores-comebacks-en-la-historia-del-super-bowl-f202602-n/)</sup> Running back Pierre Thomas finished the [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) with 85 total yards, and his receiving touchdown made him the third running back in NFL history to catch a touchdown in both a conference title game and the Super Bowl.<sup>[5](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/super-bowl-xliv-post-game-qt-09000d5d81646c3a)</sup>

**Indianapolis Colts.** The Colts reached the Super Bowl as the AFC champion with a 14-2 regular-season record, the best mark among the twelve playoff qualifiers that season.<sup>[3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/)</sup>

## Super Bowl XLIV

The championship game was played on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in [South Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-florida), where the Saints beat the Colts 31-17 to claim the first Super Bowl title in franchise history.<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup> The Saints' rally from a 10-0 halftime deficit stands among the noted comebacks in Super Bowl history, though it was far smaller than the record 25-point deficit New England overcame in [Super Bowl LI](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-li).<sup>[4](https://as.com/us/nfl/de-la-remontada-28-3-a-la-magia-de-mahomes-las-mayores-comebacks-en-la-historia-del-super-bowl-f202602-n/)</sup>

## Changes around the postseason

**Pro Bowl relocation.** The 2010 [Pro Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-bowl) was played at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida one week before the Super Bowl, the first time the all-star game was held in the Super Bowl city in that week. The AFC All-Stars beat the NFC All-Stars 41-34 before 70,697 fans, the highest Pro Bowl attendance since 1959.<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup>

**Overtime rules.** On March 23, 2010, shortly after this postseason ended, NFL owners voted to amend postseason overtime rules to a modified sudden death format that guarantees at least one possession for each club if the team receiving the kickoff fails to score a touchdown on its first overtime possession.<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)</sup>

## Aftermath

The Saints' championship did not carry into the next postseason: in the 2010 season they lost to Seattle 41-36 in the NFC wild-card game.<sup>[6](https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-winners-fared-09000d5d8267ab38)</sup>

## References

1. [2010, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/2010-2019/2010)
2. [2009 NFL Playoff Standings, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2009/playoffs.htm)
3. [NFL, AFL and Pro Football History, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/)
4. [Las mayores comebacks en la historia del Super Bowl, AS](https://as.com/us/nfl/de-la-remontada-28-3-a-la-magia-de-mahomes-las-mayores-comebacks-en-la-historia-del-super-bowl-f202602-n/)
5. [Super Bowl XLIV post game QT, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/_amp/super-bowl-xliv-post-game-qt-09000d5d81646c3a)
6. [Super Bowl Winners Fared, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-winners-fared-09000d5d8267ab38)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › National Football League › NFL playoffs and championship games › Titles symbols to N*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

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