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Super Bowl XXXVI - Pats 20, Rams 17 Congratulations Patriots!!!
NFL ^ | 2/3/02

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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"We don't care if we win by 20, if we win by 30 or if we win by one," said Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, who set a Super Bowl record with 414 passing yards two years ago.

"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.

  New England QB Tom Brady says he'll be ready to go on Sunday.
  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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: masslist; monacofreetedmaher
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To: Walkin Man
Where do terrorists get their money?

How about that libertarians?

Shut up.

581 posted on 02/03/2002 5:04:35 PM PST by riley1992
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To: JessicaDragonet
I was too. i thought it was great. I got goose-bumpy. Especially when the towers fell. Very good performance by U2. Though I don't know the full politics of the song. It doesn't matter. The U.S., though not perfect, is a hell of a good country. And what happened to us was wrong. And the performance projected that thought.
582 posted on 02/03/2002 5:04:39 PM PST by My back yard
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To: 3catsanadog
I've got Dorals....and have to go outside to smoke. Wonder if it's started snowing yet?
583 posted on 02/03/2002 5:04:41 PM PST by Tennessee_Bob
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
are you talking about the rat ad? that was anti-smoking ad.
584 posted on 02/03/2002 5:04:57 PM PST by Big Guy and Rusty 99
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To: Walkin Man
You must have hit a nerve.
585 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:18 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
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To: PackerBoy
OMGoodness, I sure hope someone you know had a VCR running!
586 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:23 PM PST by Diddle E. Squat
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To: Northpaw
I wonder if they care to take on the 'infection-truth' about homosexuals and AIDS.

Yeah when Hades freezes over!

587 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:24 PM PST by Walkin Man
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To: Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy
Maybe I'm wrong but I always thought of the finals to be the end of the playoffs. Indeed you save nothing at this point.
588 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:26 PM PST by xp38
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To: riley1992
Damn is all you have to say? Your paycheck is that much thinner for that piece of work.

Who cares? That commercial was right. Buy drugs, you might be funding Hezbollah.

589 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:35 PM PST by sinkspur
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To: Tennessee_Bob
YET AGAIN!!!!
590 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:42 PM PST by Pyro7480
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To: all
Looks like the Rams have a case of the ‘cheesehead’ disease
591 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:42 PM PST by Lockbox
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To: Tennessee_Bob
Rams turn it over.....again
592 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:43 PM PST by Bogey78O
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To: Bogey78O
the drug commercial went too fast for me as I was busy with something else...what was the tag line at the end....
593 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:44 PM PST by RummyChick
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To: Tennessee_Bob
Pat turnover!
594 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:46 PM PST by tet68
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Warner picked off by Otis Smith!

03 - ST. LOUIS RAMS
14 - NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

3rd Quarter / 3:25 left

595 posted on 02/03/2002 5:05:56 PM PST by CounterCounterCulture
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To: hole_n_one
Ha. I'll still do the Hustle with you any day.

Damn it! This game is giving me a stroke.

596 posted on 02/03/2002 5:06:00 PM PST by riley1992
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To: 3catsanadog
i'm not allowed. wife caught me already this week.
597 posted on 02/03/2002 5:06:10 PM PST by Big Guy and Rusty 99
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To: Big Guy and Rusty 99
are you talking about the rat ad? that was anti-smoking ad.

Maybe, just maybe, it was an anti-DemocRAT ad.....

598 posted on 02/03/2002 5:06:15 PM PST by CheneyChick
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To: tet68
Nevermind.
599 posted on 02/03/2002 5:06:29 PM PST by tet68
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To: Diddle E. Squat
Except for maybe a few xenophobics/wet blankets, anyone under 40 was blown away ... unlike that rat/smoking ad.

Look at the bright side. "TheLie.com" spent 3.8 million bucks (1.9 mil apiece) on those ads, which means that much less they have to pollute the airwaves with their propaganda. No one is going to remember either one 7 nanoseconds after they ran.

600 posted on 02/03/2002 5:06:34 PM PST by strela
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