If the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles play as good a game Sunday as they played all week, Super Bowl XXXIX will be worth watching past the halftime show.
The defending champion Patriots fought so hard to wrest the underdog role from the challenger Eagles that coach Bill Belichick blurted before the question was asked: “We’re not defending anything. We’re just trying to win just like everybody else was this year.”
To recall last year and 2001 and muse about the chance to become the first team to win three titles in four years since the 1992-93, ’95 Dallas Cowboys might shatter focus, Belichick thinks. And when Belichick thinks, people listen.
Solid one-touchdown favorites, the Patriots neverthelesss manufacture reasons to feel unappreciated if not downright disrespected. Belichick has reminded everyone that the Eagles had 10 players voted to next week’s Pro Bowl, compared with only six Patriots.
One of those Philadelphia stars, receiver Terrell Owens, has commanded enough media attention to alienate both teams. A fractured right fibula and severely sprained ankle suffered Dec. 19 caused his doctor to recommend against playing, but Owens insists, “I’ve got the best doctor anyone can have, and that’s God.”
If Owens makes more of a difference than Eagles running back-receiver Brian Westbrook, it will be the miracle he promises.
“We expect him to be 100 percent,” said Rodney Harrison, the Patriots’ lightning-rod safety. “We want to see their best. We don’t want any excuses.”
Harrison and Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb are Chicagoans, giving the city a Super Bowl presence and Bears fans a longing for the territorial drafts of bygone days.
Though both teams are clearly the class of their conferences, neither wants to sound that way, with a few Eagle exceptions. “They think they’re as good as any team in the league,” coach Andy Reid said.
McNabb said the Patriots “can be beat. Me being the captain of the ship and leader of this team, I’m going to lead us to where we want to go.”
Compared with counterpart Tom Brady, those are nearly fighting words. Others have to speak for Brady, including newcomer Corey Dillon, more of a running threat than Brady ever has enjoyed.
“In my eyes, he’s basically perfect,” Dillon said.
At 8-0 in playoffs, Brady actually is perfect. And at 27, he’s the youngest two-time Super Bowl winner and takes nothing for granted.
“This game is a very, very difficult game,” Brady said.
“The two times we have played in it before, it’s gone right down to the wire, and we’re expecting very much of the same.”
In that case, says the Patriots’ third quarterback, ex-Bear Jim Miller, “When the game is on the line, his heartbeat slows down.”
Maybe it’s because Brady has Adam Vinatieri, who has won both of those Super Bowls with kicks. “You have to always welcome and be ready for the opportunity,” Vinatieri said.
Who has the edge?
When the Patriots have the ball
The Eagles can blitz themselves into big plays for both teams. Tom Brady has the patience and moxie to make them pay. He also has Corey Dillon’s power running and 10 receivers who caught more than 10 passes. The Eagles want to get in Brady’s face, but he’s very cool.
EDGE Pats’ O
When the Eagles have the ball
Donovan McNabb claims he’s not Peyton Manning, who was shut out by the Patriots. McNabb’s movement in the pocket will help, but his options are limited without a healthy Terrell Owens, allowing the Patriots to target Brian Westbrook. McNabb is confident he can buy time and improvise if necessary. The Patriots haven’t faced anyone with McNabb’s mobility.
EDGE Pats’ D
Special teams
Adam Vinatieri and David Akers are the best kickers in football. The punters are even in average and placement inside the 20. While the Patriots’ speedy Bethel Johnson is the only player in the game with a kick return for a touchdown, the Eagles return and cover punts slightly better. They get the edge here.
EDGE Eagles
Coaching
Two of football’s best planners face off. Andy Reid’s 9-0 record with two weeks to prepare is even better than the celebrated Bill Belichick’s 6-2. Reid will call the plays against Belichick’s defense. The most intriguing chess game is Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis against Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Both adjust well.
EDGE Patriots
Intangibles
The pressure is all on the Patriots, says McNabb, because Brady is undefeated in the postseason. But the Patriots thrive under pressure. The Eagles have pressure, too, from a city that hasn’t won an NFL title since 1960. Though favored, the Patriots always feel like underdogs. Will Owens be a boost or a distraction?
EDGE Patriots
— Terry Bannon
Super Bowl Q & A
— By Don Pierson
In commemoration of their 46-10 loss to the Bears in Super Bowl XX, the Patriots continue their revenge tour, adding Sunday’s Super Bowl XXXIX to appearances in Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXI.
Q. Why haven’t the Bears been back?
A. They haven’t received the news that these things are held every year. They thought Super Bowl XX meant roughly every 20 years. That’s why they won in 1985, 1963 and 1946.
Q. So the Bears are about due?
A. Yes, and they have sent a contingent of ex-Bears to this Super Bowl as advance scouts: Rosevelt Colvin, Keith Traylor, Jim Miller and Rabih Abdullah with the Patriots and Paul Grasmanis with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Q. How much will Terrell Owens play?
A. Probably no more than Richard Seymour.
Q. Who is Richard Seymour?
A. Probably more important than Owens. He’s the Patriots’ best defensive lineman. He’s been out since the day after Christmas with a knee injury. He has made a quieter comeback than Owens, but if he can play, linebacker Mike Vrabel said it will be “a huge lift.”
Q. Have the Eagles faced a 3-4 defense this year?
A. Twice. They won Game 7 against Baltimore 15-10 and lost Game 8 against Pittsburgh 27-3.
Q. Who will be the happiest if the Eagles win?
A. There will be a long line in the City of Brotherly Love after the first title since 1960, but Freddie Mitchell will be at the front. The receiver had a very unhappy week trying to explain his sense of humor to the apparently humorless Patriots.
Q. Why is Tom Brady so good?
A. He lies. Actually, he just deceives. “He has the ability to look off guys,” Eagles safety Michael Lewis said. “He looks guys off and pulls guys out of coverages and hits the guy.”
Q. But Brady looks so innocent, sounds so sincere.
A. He’s sincere, all right. But four-time Super Bowl quarterback Terry Bradshaw had this observation: “I don’t think he’d hesitate to take your face off your head if it would help his team win.”
Q. Isn’t Donovan McNabb the same way?
A. McNabb probably would rather drown you in mother Wilma’s soup, but, yes, this is the most compelling quarterback matchup in a Super Bowl since Kurt Warner against Steve McNair, or maybe John Elway against Brett Favre.
Q. But haven’t recent Super Bowls demonstrated that teams can win with all kinds of different quarterbacks?
A. Eagles coach Andy Reid prefers this way: “I think in our system–and for the Patriots, for that matter–you have to have the franchise quarterback. For what we try to do, it is very, very important.”
What’s on elsewhere?
Before the game, the usual suspects on Fox, CBS and ESPN, among others, will have the pregame hype machine redlining. But should the game turn into a blowout or you’re just not interested in Paul McCartney, here are some viewing alternatives. Consider yourself warned.
Lingerie Bowl: Musical artist Chingy will perform as part of the pay-per-view 2005 event in which teams of scantily clad women play football.
Girls Gone Wild Pay-Per-View: Five teams of women in bikinis play football on the beach. The Web site promises “wardrobe malfunctions.” Of course.
MTV and MTV2: The producers of last year’s Super Bowl halftime show will preview MTV2’s new look, featuring a combination of music, shows and random content aimed at young males.
“Supper Bowl” Marathon: The Food Network will run seven back-to-back episodes of Paula Deen’s “Home Cooking” show.
A
X-FACTORS
— By Terry Bannon.
Wide receiver Deion Branch
Branch is only 5 feet 9 inches but plays taller, as Pittsburgh was reminded in the AFC title game. Branch caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady and ran 23 yards for another score. In two playoff games, he has five receptions for a 26.2-yard average and one touchdown.
Branch and his fellow receivers have a tough matchup against a Philadelphia secondary that is one of the NFL’s best and includes three players voted to the Pro Bowl in safeties Brian Dawkins and Michael Lewis and cornerback Lito Sheppard.
Tight end Daniel Graham
Graham is effective near the goal line; he has seven touchdown receptions. When the Patriots beat the Eagles in the 2003 season, Brady threw two TD passes to the tight ends.
Cornerback Randall Gay
Injuries forced Gay, an undrafted rookie from LSU, into the lineup. He started nine games, plus the two playoff games, and had two interceptions. Still, his inexperience could make him a convenient target for Donovan McNabb.
Linebacker Willie McGinest
Playing in his fourth Super Bowl, McGinest will be asked to keep Brian Westbrook from getting around the corner. With 9 1/2 sacks, McGinest’s 11th season has been one of his best.
The New England Patriots
%%
O = Offensive starter
D = Defensive starter
S = Special teams starter
No. PLAYER POS. WT. HT. YR. COLLEGE
K 4 Adam Vinatieri K 6-0 202 9 South Dakota State
6 Rohan Davey QB 6-2 245 3 Louisiana State
P 8 Josh Miller P 6-4 225 9 Arizona
10 Kevin Kasper WR 6-1 202 3 Iowa
O 12 Tom Brady QB 6-4 225 5 Michigan
13 Jim Miller QB 6-2 225 10 Michigan State
D 21 Randall Gay CB 5-11 186 R Louisiana State
D 22 Asante Samuel CB 5-10 185 2 Central Florida
D 26 Eugene Wilson CB 5-10 195 2 Illinois
27 Rabih Abdullah RB 6-0 235 7 Lehigh
O 28 Corey Dillon RB 6-1 225 8 Washington
29 Earthwind Moreland CB 5-10 182 3 Georgia Southern
30 Je’Rod Cherry SS 6-1 210 9 California
31 Hank Poteat CB 5-10 192 4 Pittsburgh
PR 33 Kevin Faulk RB 5-8 202 6 Louisiana State
34 Cedric Cobbs RB 6-0 225 1 Arkansas
O 35 Patrick Pass FB 5-10 217 5 Georgia
D 37 Rodney Harrison S 6-1 220 11 Western Illinois
42 Dexter Reid S 5-11 203 R North Carolina
48 Tully Banta-Cain LB 6-2 250 2 California
D 50 Mike Vrabel LB 6-4 261 8 Ohio State
51 Don Davis LB 6-1 235 9 Kansas
D 52 Ted Johnson LB 6-4 253 10 Colorado
53 Larry Izzo LB 5-10 228 9 Rice
D 54 Tedy Bruschi LB 6-1 247 9 Arizona
D 55 Willie McGinest LB 6-5 270 11 Southern California
58 Matt Chatham LB 6-4 250 5 South Dakota
59 Rosevelt Colvin LB 6-3 250 6 Purdue
O 61 Stephen Neal G 6-4 305 3 Cal State-Bakersfield
O 63 Joe Andruzzi G 6-3 312 8 Southern Connecticut State
64 Gene Mruczkowski G/C 6-2 305 2 Purdue
LS 66 Lonie Paxton LS 6-2 260 5 Sacramento State
O 67 Dan Koppen C 6-2 296 2 Boston College
71 Russ Hochstein G 6-4 305 4 Nebraska
O 72 Matt Light T 6-4 305 4 Purdue
74 Billy Yates G 6-3 305 1 Texas A&M
75 Vince Wilfork DT 6-2 325 R Miami
O 76 Brandon Gorin T 6-6 308 3 Purdue
80 Troy Brown WR 5-10 196 12 Marshall
KR 81 Bethel Johnson WR 5-11 200 2 Texas A&M
O 82 Daniel Graham TE 6-3 257 3 Colorado
O 83 Deion Branch WR 5-9 193 3 Louisville
85 Jed Weaver TE 6-4 258 6 Oregon
O 86 David Patten WR 5-10 190 8 Western Carolina
87 David Givens WR 6-0 212 3 Notre Dame
88 Christian Fauria TE 6-4 250 10 Colorado
91 Marquise Hill DE 6-6 300 R Louisiana State
D 93 Richard Seymour DL 6-6 310 4 Georgia
D 94 Ty Warren DL 6-5 300 2 Texas A&M
95 Roman Phifer LB 6-2 248 14 UCLA
97 Jarvis Green DL 6-3 290 3 Louisiana State
D 98 Keith Traylor DT 6-2 340 13 Central State (Okla.)
99 Ethan Kelley DT 6-2 310 1 Baylor
Patriots injury report: None
%%
N
X-FACTOR
— By Terry Bannon.
Running back Brian Westbrook
Westbrook is one of the NFL’s most versatile running backs. He has the speed to get outside on sweeps and causes major problems for defenses in the passing game. The Eagles will try to isolate Westbrook against a linebacker. How the Patriots decide to cover Westbrook-with a linebacker, safety or cornerback-will be pivotal. Westbrook led the Eagles in rushing, gaining 812 yards and averaging 4.6 per carry. He also had 73 receptions, averaging 9.6 per catch.
Offensive tackle Jon Runyan
The 6-foot-7-inch, 330-pound right tackle was the Eagles’ biggest free-agent signing until Jevon Kearse and Terrell Owens. He’ll have to win his battles, often against linebacker Willie McGinest, if the Eagles are to move the ball.
Defensive end Jevon Kearse
Where will the Eagles deploy their 6-4 defensive end, who usually lines up on the left side? Kearse is a weapon who had a bigger impact than his 7 1/2 sacks would indicate. The Patriots might try to double-team him.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter
The Pro Bowl middle linebacker improved the Eagles’ run defense when he became a starter at midseason. He’ll lead the effort against running back Corey Dillon. The Patriots will make him a target.
The Philadelphia Eagles
%%
O = Offensive starter
D = Defensive starter
S = Special teams starter
No. PLAYER POS. HT. WT. YR. COLLEGE
K 2 David Akers K 5-10 200 6 Louisville
O 5 Donovan McNabb QB 6-2 240 6 Syracuse
P 8 Dirk Johnson P 6-0 205 2 Northern Colorado
10 Koy Detmer QB 6-1 195 8 Colorado
11 Jeff Blake QB 6-1 223 13 East Carolina
D 20 Brian Dawkins FS 6-0 210 9 Clemson
21 Matt Ware CB 6-2 210 R UCLA
22 Eric McCoo RB 5-10 210 1 Penn State
D 24 Sheldon Brown CB 5-10 200 3 South Carolina
25 Dorsey Levens RB 6-1 230 11 Georgia Tech
D 26 Lito Sheppard CB 5-10 194 3 Florida
29 Roderick Hood CB 5-11 196 2 Auburn
KR 30 J.R. Reed S 5-11 201 R South Florida
PR 31 Dexter Wynn CB 5-9 175 R Colorado State
D 32 Michael Lewis SS 6-1 211 3 Colorado
34 Reno Mahe RB 5-10 212 2 Brigham Young
O 36 Brian Westbrook RB 5-10 205 3 Villanova
46 Quintin Mikell S 5-10 206 2 Boise State
O 49 Josh Parry FB 6-2 250 1 San Jose State
D 50 Mark Simoneau LB 6-0 245 5 Kansas State
51 Nate Wayne LB 6-0 237 7 Mississippi
53 Hugh Douglas DE 6-2 281 10 Central State (Ohio)
D 54 Jeremiah Trotter LB 6-1 262 7 Stephen F. Austin
D 55 Dhani Jones LB 6-1 240 5 Michigan
D 56 Derrick Burgess DE 6-2 266 4 Mississippi
57 Keith Adams LB 5-11 223 4 Clemson
58 Ike Reese LB 6-2 222 7 Michigan State
59 Mike Labinjo LB 6-0 241 R Michigan State
O 63 Hank Fraley C/G 6-2 300 5 Robert Morris
65 Jamaal Green DE 6-2 272 2 Miami
66 Trey Darilek G/T 6-4 301 R Texas-El Paso
68 Steve Sciullo OG 6-5 325 2 Marshall
O 69 Jon Runyan T 6-7 330 9 Michigan
O 71 Jermane Mayberry G/T 6-4 325 9 Texas A&M-Kingsville
O 72 Tra Thomas T 6-7 349 7 Florida State
76 Alonzo Ephraim C 6-4 312 2 Alabama
O 77 Artis Hicks T 6-4 318 3 Memphis
78 Hollis Thomas DT 6-0 306 9 Northern Illinois
79 Ian Allen OT 6-4 310 3 Purdue
80 Billy McMullen WR 6-4 210 2 Virginia
O 81 Terrell Owens WR 6-3 226 9 Tennessee-Chattanooga
O 82 L.J. Smith TE 6-3 258 2 Rutgers
83 Greg Lewis WR 6-0 180 2 Illinois
84 Freddie Mitchell WR 5-11 195 4 UCLA
85 Jeff Thomason TE 6-5 255 11 Oregon
O 87 Todd Pinkston WR 6-3 180 5 Southern Mississippi
LS 88 Mike Bartrum TE/LS 6-4 245 11 Marshall
D 90 Corey Simon DT 6-2 293 5 Florida State
91 Sam Rayburn DT 6-3 303 2 Tulsa
D 93 Jevon Kearse DE 6-4 265 6 Florida
95 Jerome McDougle DE 6-2 264 2 Miami
96 Paul Grasmanis DT 6-3 298 9 Notre Dame
D 97 Darwin Walker DT 6-3 294 5 Tennessee
Eagles injury report: Questionable: WR Terrell Owens (ankle).
Probable: T Jon Runyan (knee); LB Mark Simoneau (ankle);
TE L.J. Smith (back).
SUNDAY IN JACKSONVILLE
From WGN-TV chief meteorologist Tom Skilling:
Partly cloudy, breezy and mild, with winds 14-18 m.p.h. out of the
northeast. Temps will be typical (66 high/43 low).
AT KICKOFF: 61
Finally, our brave predictions
DON PIERSON
Patriots 27
Eagles 10
RICK MORRISSEY
Patriots 28
Eagles 10
TERRY BANNON
Patriots 30
Eagles 20
MIKE DOWNEY
Patriots 34
Eagles 20
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