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It’s been nearly two years since a soaking-wet Sean Payton was carried off
the field following his New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl victory over Peyton
Manning(notes) and the Indianapolis Colts.

After a collision last week injured his knee and left leg, Payton won’t be
on the sidelines for Sunday night’s rematch, while Manning won’t be on the field
once again for the winless Colts.

Payton was hurt during New Orleans’ 26-20 loss at Tampa Bay when tight end
Jimmy Graham(notes) was tackled into him. The coach had surgery Monday to repair a torn
meniscus and a broken tibia.

Payton will likely be confined to the press box during his recovery, which
is expected to take three to six months, meaning the Saints (4-2) will have to
adjust quickly.

“He’s just got a kind of presence and moxie that when you’re on the sideline
you look for,” guard Carl Nicks(notes) said. “He’s yelling and he’s calling the plays.
He’s getting everybody situated. You can take it for granted. He’s our leader,
you know? So it’s kind of weird.”

If any team knows the uneasiness of losing a leader, it’s the Colts (0-6).
They haven’t been the same since losing Manning indefinitely following his third
neck surgery in 19 months.

After being confined to the press box earlier this season, he was on the
sidelines for yet another close loss for his team last Sunday, a 27-17 defeat in
Cincinnati.

Curtis Painter’s(notes) 1-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark(notes) cut Indianapolis’
deficit to three points in the fourth quarter, but the Bengals blocked Adam
Vinatieri’s(notes) 52-yard field goal attempt and returned a late fumble 35 yards for a
score, one of three turnovers for the Colts.

“We’re hurting ourselves,” center Jeff Saturday(notes) said. “We’re doing things
that, we talk about week in and week out, we can’t do. Lose the turnover battle.
Make mistakes at critical times in the game. It’s little things here and there.”

Indianapolis has dropped each of its past five games by 10 points or fewer
and is off its worst start since beginning the 1997 season 0-10. The Colts’
streak of nine seasons with 10 or more wins could officially end this week.

“We’ve been to the mountaintop,” defensive end Robert Mathis(notes) said. “We’re in
the valley low right now. Got to keep fighting.”

The Saints, meanwhile, will try to bounce back from their first loss in five
games. Drew Brees(notes) set an NFL record by topping 350 yards passing for the fourth
consecutive contest last Sunday, but he also threw three interceptions -
including one in the end zone with 3:16 remaining.

Pierre Thomas’(notes) fumble in the first quarter was converted into a field goal,
and New Orleans was held to a season-low 70 yards on the ground.

“They took the ball away four times, which if you do that you’re going to win
a lot of games,” Brees said. “We gave it away four times. The fact of the matter
is that will get you beat.”

The Saints forced the only turnover in their Super Bowl victory with Tracy
Porter’s(notes) 74-yard interception return for a touchdown that all but put the game
away. Payton also made the bold decision to call for an onside kick to begin the
second half, which New Orleans recovered.

That led to one of Brees’ two touchdown passes during his Super Bowl MVP
performance, but he was intercepted twice during his last regular-season matchup
with the Colts, a 41-10 Indianapolis rout Sept. 6, 2007.

Manning had 288 yards passing and three TDs in that game, and Joseph Addai(notes)
rushed for 118 yards and a score. Addai, however, missed last week’s game
because of an injured right hamstring, and his status for Sunday is unclear.

Rookie left tackle Anthony Castonzo(notes), the team’s first-round draft pick, is
dealing with a sprained ankle ahead of Indianapolis’ first visit to the
Superdome since 2003.

The Colts claimed a 55-21 victory that year as Manning had a career-high six
touchdown passes, a mark he tied the next season.

The teams have split their 10 regular-season meetings.

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