University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, February 4, 2005 Page: 3 of 6
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University Press
QUOTABLE
"Maybe he was drinking before he
started talking. That was clearly a
mistake, because no one in this league
would attack somebody a week before
the Super Bowl."
- New England safety Rodney Harrison
on Philadelphia receiver Freddie
Mitchell’s criticism of the Patriots’
defensive secondary.
Super Bowl
3
Friday,
February 4,2005
Owens’ health,
Pats’ defense
keys to success
in Super Bowl
By MIKE TOBIAS
UP Photo Editor
Two teams. One trophy. One winner.
One loser.
When the dust settles that is all that will
be left after this Sunday’s Super Bowl
XXXIX match-up as the Philadelphia
Eagles attempt to unseat the defending
champion New England Patriots.
It’s been almost two weeks since their
last game, and although spending the last
few days in the warmer climate of Jack-
sonville isn’t exactly ‘roughing it,’ we should
expect to see nothing less of a stellar,
wardrobe malfunction-free performance.
Standing in the Pats’ bid for their third
title in four years is an Eagles squad chomp-
ing at the bit to get their hands on the Lom-
bardi Trophy. Having been ousted from the
playoffs just one game short of the big
dance for the past three years, the Eagles
bring with them one of the league’s pre-
miere quarterbacks (Donovan McNabb),
one of the leagues’ top 10 defenses, and a
Cinderella story in the making.'
Eagles’ receiver Terrell Owens is ver-
bally committed to playing in Sunday’s
game, setting the stage for an injury come-
back of Willis Reed proportions Although
team doctors have not officially cleared
Owens, the nine-year veteran insists that the
coaches who “know him well” will take his
word on his ability to play when game time
rolls around.;
On the flip side, the injury-free Patriots
will put their defense to the test in trying to
not only quell the fire beneath Owens, but
also contain the offensive duo of McNabb
and funning back Brian Westbrook. Ac-
cording to staff reports, the key to the offen-
sive shutdown will lie in linebackers Mike
Vrabel, Willie McGinest, and Rosevelt
Colvin. The triumvirates’ ability to drop
back for pass coverage and quickness
near the fine of scrimmage will be
the gift that keeps on giving for
the Patriots defense...for at
least 60 minutes, anyway.
The difference in the game
may come down to whose line
breaks down first, pitting the Patri-
ots’ defensive line into an all out brawl
with the Eagles’ offensive goons. This
gameday matchup may lead the game into
yet another possible x-factor: the kicking
game.
With the Eagles and the Patriots so
closely stacked, the uprights are a wide-
open battleground that should not be taken
lightly. Patriots’ kicker Adam Vinatieri hit
impressive 31 out of 33 field goals through-
out the season, and also packs an impressive
post-season resume. But Eagles’ kicker
David Akers had a good season in his own
right, shanking only 5 of 32 attempts and
converting on 17 field goals of 40
yards or longer.
And given the Patriots’
recent Super Bowl history, the
special teams match-up could be
the ace in the hole for either i
squad. ;
CANTON BOUND?
Patriots win
likely guarantees
Hall of Fame berth
for QB Brady
By JIMMY GOLEN
The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The dimpled
chin, the middling pedigree, the unspectacular
stats, the aw-shucks good manners.
Don’t let it all fool you: Tom Brady is a
tenacious competitor.
“He may be a pretty boy,” former
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw
said, “but 1 don’t think there’s any lack of fire
there. I don’t think he would hesitate to take
your face off if he thought it would help his
team win.
“Montana was like that.”
The comparison is being thrown around
a lot this week as Brady prepares to lead
the New England Patriots in the Super
Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brady already has two MVP awards
from the title game, matching Bart Starr
and Bradshaw and one behind the for-
mer 49ers quarterback he idolized
while growing up in the San Francisco
area.
“His name’s been mentioned with
some of the all-time greats, as it should
be,” said former Cowboys quarterback
Troy Aikman, who will broadcast the
game with Bradshaw for FOX TV. “He’s
played great in the big ballgames, which I think
is the way you measure it.”
Aikman was the MVP of the 1993 game
and winner of three Super
Bowls in a four-year span,
another feat Brady could
match with a victory
Sunday. But unlike
Aikman, Brady has done
it with steady leadership
more than flashy statistics.
“He’s the key. He is
the heart and soul of
the team,” Eagles
defensive end
' Jevon Kearse said
at Super Bowl
media day on
TUesday. “He.
doesn’t have really
big numbers in any cate-
gory. He just wins games.
He’s got some pretty big
numbers in the wins cate-
gory. He just does what
it takes.”
Brady’s numbers are
solid, but they seem lack-
luster in comparison to
those put up by AFC
rivals like Peyton
Manning who regularly
start in front of him at the
Pro Bowl. In three-plus
seasons as a starter,
Brady averages 220
yards per game. He’s
thrown 97 touch-
downs, 52 inter-
Tom Brady
ceptions and completed 61 percent of his passes.
But he hasn’t missed a start in 62 games,
and his mistakes are so surprising that they
stand out — like a costly interception that hurt
the Patriots against Miami this year.
“Tom Brady is one of the toughest players
I’ve ever been around,” coach Bill Belichick
said. “It’s not like he’s the most athletic quarter-
back in the league. But he stands in there and
takes the hits and he makes throws.”
A sixth-round draft choice who only had
one year as the undisputed starter at Michigan,
Belichick saw enough in him to use a coveted
roster spot on him as a fourth quarterback for
the 2000 season. Brady described himself as too
light and not strong enough when he was draft-
ed.
“It’s very unlikely for any kid growing up.
It’s unlikely for every guy on the roster,” Brady
said. “It’s so hard to reach the professional level.
I think every kid I knew growing up wanted to
be a professional athlete. The odds are definitely
against you.”
After a summer of weightlifting, Brady
leapfrogged to second on the depth chart, taking
over for Drew Bledsoe when the franchise quar-
terback sheared blood vessel in his chest in
Week 2 of the 2001 season.
In just his third game as a starter, Brady led
the Patriots to the game-tying and game-win-
ning drives to come back from a 10 points,
fourth-quarter deficit.
“In two of his first three games, he showed
a lot of poise and production,” Belichick said
when asked if there was a point that convinced
him Brady was special. “That led to other
opportunities later in the year and ultimately
the St. Louis game.”
Against the Rams in his first Super Bowl,
with less than a year of experience as a starter,
Brady moved the Patriots into position for
Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal as
time expired for New England’s first NFL title.
Already a folk hero in New England, Brady
cemented his stature as a national phenomenon
that week and followed his first Super Bowl
MVP performance with a whirlwind victory
tour. He dated supermodels, frequented the
local gossip columns and visited the Playboy
Mansion, Disney World and the White House.
“My first year, I didn't realize I could say
‘no’ to some things,” he said. “The most impor-
tant thing for me is to be able to win football
games and to make sure nothing gets in the way
of that. I like to put everything I can into play-
ing football.”
The second Super Bowl victory netted
Brady a seat at the State of the Union as the
guest of first lady and an audience with the Pope
at the Vatican.
A third and he will probably land in a place
that — for football players — is the most hal-
lowed of all.
“I know he’ll play well, and he’s a sure lock
for the Hall of Fame,” Bradshaw said. “He just
needs to finish his career and stay healthy.”
University Press
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Show, Mark. University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, February 4, 2005, newspaper, February 4, 2005; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500795/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.