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Check out a sneak preview of Super Bowl XXXVI. Vic Carucci takes a closer look at the matchup between the Rams offense and the Patriots defense. |
Posted on 02/03/2002 2:25:46 PM PST by Dales
NEW ORLEANS -- The St. Louis Rams are the "Greatest Show on Turf" and the New England Patriots have struggled in Super Bowl's in New Orleans.
But that means nothing to the players.
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Check out a sneak preview of Super Bowl XXXVI. Vic Carucci takes a closer look at the matchup between the Rams offense and the Patriots defense. |
"We've been called 'underdog' all year, so it's not something we feed off of anymore," Patriots receiver Troy Brown said. "If we play well, we can beat anybody."
But the "Big Easy" has been anything but for the Patriots, who lost in their previous two Super Bowl appearances here by a combined score of 81-31.
St. Louis finished with the NFL's best record and seeks its second Super Bowl title in three years.
The Rams posted a 24-17 victory at New England on November 18 and dominated statistically, getting 26 first downs to 13 for the Patriots and 482 yards to 230. But St. Louis coach Mike Martz had a premonition after that game.
"I told the guys that night they beat a Super Bowl-caliber team," Martz said. "They were certainly the most physical team we played."
"(Martz) was right," Rams receiver Isaac Bruce said. "They played us well and went on to win eight straight after that. He definitely knew what he was talking about."
The Patriots trailed 10-7 in the second quarter and were marching for the go-ahead touchdown. But Antowain Smith fumbled after being hit by linebacker London Fletcher at the St. Louis 3 and cornerback Aeneas Williams recovered for the Rams.
It was the turning point of the game as Warner directed an eight-play, 97-yard drive that culminated with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Pro Bowl running back Marshall Faulk with 31 seconds left in the half.
"I lost that game against the Rams. I take responsibility for it," Smith said. "I'm happy for the chance to play against them again."
But Patriots coach Bill Belichick cannot be happy to see the Rams again. Known for his intricate defensive game plans with a multitude of blitz schemes, Belichick had difficulty combating St. Louis' explosive attack. Warner completed 30 of 42 passes for a season-high 401 yards and three touchdowns, Faulk accounted for 153 yards and Bruce caught seven passes for 130 yards.
New England intercepted Warner twice, one of which nickel back Terrell Buckley returned 52 yards for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, St. Louis' defense intercepted Tom Brady twice and held the Pats to 10 points. Fletcher starred with 11 tackles, an interception and the pivotal forced fumble.
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| New England QB Tom Brady says he'll be ready to go on Sunday. |
Brady will get the Super Bowl start after proving during the week that his sprained left ankle is healed. If not, the Pats will turn to backup Drew Bledsoe, who suffered a chest injury in Week 2 and lost his starting job to Brady.
A 2000 sixth-round draft pick, Brady led the Patriots to an 11-3 record and the AFC East title and threw for 312 yards in the snow in a divisional playoff win over Oakland.
Bledsoe, who was signed to a 10-year contract last March, finally got a chance to play again when Brady suffered a sprained ankle late in the first half of last week's AFC championship game. And the nine-year veteran showed no signs of rust, passing for a touchdown and committing no turnovers in a 24-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Brady will have to make more than his share of plays to match the Rams on turf, where their speed is accentuated.
Belichick probably will start with five defensive backs to contain receivers Bruce, Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim.
"Definitely the best group of receivers I ever had to defend," Patriots cornerback Ty Law said. "And Kurt Warner is a very accurate quarterback."
And then there's Faulk, the only player in NFL history to gain more than 2,000 yards rushing and receiving in four straight seasons. Faulk and Williams were born and raised in New Orleans and both were vendors at the Superdome.
"I could not have written the script any better," said Williams, who celebrated his 34th birthday Tuesday. "To have this opportunity and to do it in front of your hometown in the Superdome, where I sold popcorn, peanuts and Coke, where I played high school and college games, is great."
Williams spent his first 10 years with lowly Arizona before he was acquired by the Rams last April. Martz paid him the ultimate compliment, saying Williams is as valuable to the defense as Faulk is to the offense.
On Sunday, Williams will match up against Brown, who set a club record with 101 catches. Brown seized the spotlight in the AFC championship game, returning a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, recovering a blocked punt and lateraling it for another score and catching eight passes for 121 yards.
St. Louis' revamped defense also has shined in the postseason, intercepting Brett Favre six times -- three of which were returned for touchdowns -- in a 45-17 rout of Green Bay in the divisional playoff and effectively containing Donovan McNabb in the NFC championship game win over Philadelphia.
Under defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, the Rams changed eight defensive starters and reduced their points allowed from 471 to 273. Fletcher, end Grant Wistrom and cornerback Dexter McCleon are the only defensive starters who remain from the Super Bowl team two years ago.
The Rams are appearing in their third Super Bowl overall, losing after the 1979 season to Pittsburgh and defeating Tennessee.
The Patriots were pounded by the Chicago Bears, 46-10, in Super Bowl XX and lost to Green Bay, 35-21, in Super Bowl XXXI.
Nine Patriots remain from that team, including Bledsoe, Law, Brown, safety Lawyer Milloy, cornerback Otis Smith and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
New Orleans is hosting the Super Bowl for a record ninth time.
The Rams lead the series, 5-3.
Copyright 2002 SportsTicker Enterprises, L.P.
Your an idiot. A complete and Total idiot.
It's the NEW ENGLAND Patriots - that includes where I live, New Hampshire ( Bush Country ).
Not to mention the scores of great Americans like my dad who bleeds fighting patriot red and lives in Taxachusetts.
The Patriots ARE the best team in the NFL.
Just because we don't have flashy break dancing ad campaign types doesn't change that fact.
No doubt about it, this game will go down in S.B. history as one of the very best ever played.
It had everything...
Against a backdrop of dramatic world events that lent a slight tension to being in a stadium, a crowd gathered to see what many (including myself) expected to be just another mugging by the favorite.
Instead, we got some great play, with white knuckle miscalculations and missed opportunities leading to a come-from-behind tie that threatened OT and concluding with an upset victory in the final seconds of the game.
Next year's S.B. will be (unfavorably) compared to this game no matter what happens.
Unfortunately, I can only speak for myself.
While going into the playoffs, I'd have argued against that assertion in favor of AT LEAST 4-5 other teams, there ain't no arguin' who're the National Champs until next January, when my Washington Redskins will be holding that Lombardi Trophy aloft in Triumph!!
Congrats on a great win, my FRiend...MUD
... and the air is filled with the joyful sounds of gnashing teeth, and whine made from sour grapes... gotta love it... ;0)
Interesting question. I think the biggest problem was the 2-week gap between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. With two weeks off, the teams get caught up in the circus atmosphere and lose focus of the game ahead. This time there was no two-week break and thus there was no time for fooling around on Bourbon Street. Both teams had to focus on the day ahead. I don't know about the Rams but Belichick kept the Patriots on a tight lease during the past week with curfews and strict orders on how to behave during the very little freetime they did get.
The Patriots were blown out of the Super Bowl in both 1986 and 1997. I know with the Bears game in 1986, many of the Patriots were partying during Super Bowl week. In fact one of them got so drunk that he had to be pulled to his feet by a sportswriter and placed in a cab. After that Super Bowl, there was a big drug scandal. You know what they say about how idleness is the devil's workshop. If the NFL wants to keep having great Super Bowls, than eliminate permanently the two-week break.
They should!
The only reason I can think of AT&T doing this is that they may have ticked off too many people over the years who now won't use any product by them.
Many Pats fans thought this could happen. Here in Iowa you hardly ever see the Pats play, and I have to admit that the home-town hype of one Mr. Warner here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa had me convinced the Pats were overmatched. That was a great game, and a great outcome.
Go Pats!
To all those that bet against...
To all those that said the Rams couldn't be stopped...
Kiss my freezing cold Bostonian...
I didn't realize that the Pats and Raiders had a history. First I have /heardseen of that terrible call in the 70's. And then the Jack Tatum/Daryl Stingly trajedy. Jack is probably my favorite Raider of all time, but that is a pretty short list...
Unfortunately, I'm still a Red SOx fan, too ;0)
Ask me how Miss Georgia wound up owning the Rams...
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