The New England Patriots have sauntered into Houston as favorites and the surprise Carolina Panthers slipped quietly into town sporting “Happy to be here” smiles.
Season long NFL fans will nod, at this point, and think about the Patriots secondary dissecting Peyton Manning and their capable offense headed by Super Bowl XXXVI MVP Tom Brady.
But the Panthers surprise season is much like those Patriots two years ago, who came into town to face the fleet-footed St. Louis Rams.
This article is not for the seasoned fan, but for the millions who tune in to watch one of the great American spectacles-and who ask many annoying questions during the game. Perhaps you watch it for the commercials. Perhaps you watch it because your significant other demands it (cough, your boyfriend, cough). Whatever the reason, if you are alive on Sunday night you will probably be watching the Super Bowl.
An overview
Coach Bill Belichick, renowned as a sage of the NFL playbook, leads his Patriots to their second Big Game in just three years. The way the NFL is now, this is a remarkable accomplishment. And Belichick has received all the praise he so rightly deserves.
In Boston, people speak in reflective, admiring tones when mentioning his name. His presence is enough to hush a crowd and his bewildering, vague press conferences amuse us all. His players respect him more than anyone else, and he has instilled in them a tough, focused attitude.
Similarly renowned is the vaunted Patriots’ defense. Ty Law is a perennial Pro Bowl cornerback. Teddy Bruschi is a fan favorite with a very appropriate name. Then there are newcomers like the behemoth Ted Washington and safety Rodney Harrison, who has been dubbed the spiritual leader of the very spirited defense.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Patriots do not get the credit they deserve. Quarterback Tom Brady, according to one commentator, has been working harder this season than ever before.
So, we have a brilliant coach who values toughness. A strong defense garnering a great deal of respect. And a capable offense that deserves more recognition. The same exact thing can be said for the Carolina Panthers.
Coach John Fox took a spiraling team who only won one game the year that Tom Brady held up the Vince Lombardi trophy and turned them into a tough, talented team. In 2002, the Panthers won four of their last five games, building momentum for their remarkable run this season. Fox has instilled many of the same values as Belichick, so the coaching matchup is great.
The Panthers defense has some talented young players, who Fox drafted over the past few seasons. This is one noticeable difference between the teams. While the Patriots have many players with relatively long curricula vitae in the NFL, the Panthers’ defensive leaders – Julius Peppers being one of them – are a little more inexperienced.
On offense, the Panthers are going to rely on the young Jake Delhomme to quarterback their squad. They have experience, however, in Mushin Muhhamed – the sizeable wide-reciever – and Stephen Davis leading a power running game.
How the game will be won (and lost)
Even if your team does not score on a particular drive, it does not mean that the offense has failed to accomplish an important task. In the playoffs, so much is determined by field position – especially when you have two great defenses competing. If one team makes it to midfield and is then forced to punt, their defense will have an opportunity to pin the other team in the bad part of the field and get the offense into a good position to put points on the board.
The game may come down to one or two missed tackles. Tackling, Tackling, Tackling. Both coaches appreciate the importance of this and the best example is Kevin Dyson of the Titans stopped a few feet shy of a touchdown against the Rams – the Rams won the trophy that year.
Both the Panthers and the Pats tend to play close games, so execution will be crucial. There will be a great deal of pressure on all the snaps, kicks, punts and blocks.
Comments to impress your friends
* If Ty Law intercepts a ball, comment that he caught more Peyton Manning passes than Marvin Harrison did in the AFC game.
* Make the point that both John Fox and Bill Belichick were assistant coaches for the Giants.
* The aforementioned Kevin Dyson is one of the few Panthers to have Super Bowl experience.
* If Ken Walter blows a few punts, he has been problematic all season, mention the previous point about the importance of field position.
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