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Dynasty? Or retribution? The Eagles finally advanced to the Super Bowl after losing the previous three NFC Championship games, while the Patriots could cement their status as an NFL dynasty with a win, making it three Super Bowl titles over the last four seasons. Both teams are strong defensively, have great QBs and coaches who have won a lot of games over the last four years despite losing key talent. Both teams also like to strike quickly, get out in front early and then let their defenses harass the opposing offenses, who they know need to pass. These are not fluke teams that came out of nowhere to win their conferences, like Carolina a year ago. They are confident teams that expected to be here back in August. Here are a few keys to the game.
Running games: It’s no secret that balanced offenses can do so much to help a team win. The Patriots didn’t get a lot out of Corey Dillon against Pittsburgh, but let’s not forget Dillon (1,635 rush yards) was a monster this season and tore up the Colts for 144 yards in the first playoff game. The Eagles had some trouble against the run this season, and ranked 16th in the NFL allowing 119 yards rushing per game. They also allowed 4.3 yards per carry, ranking 18th in the NFL. That’s something they will have to improve and a potential weak spot the Patriots will attack behind the workhorse Dillon. Dillon’s ability to get yards makes the Pats strong passing game even better. The Patriots' defense ranks 6th against the run, allowing just 98 yards rushing pg. The Eagles prefer to pass anyway and RB Brian Westbrook is good at catching passes out of the backfield. On paper, at least, New England has an edge in the running game on both sides of the ball.
Secondaries: The Eagles have one of the top defensive backfields in football behind safeties Michael Lewis and Brian Dawkins and CB Lito Sheppard. Dawkins is a four-time Pro Bowler who had four interceptions, and three sacks in 2004. The Patriots have had injuries to the secondary all season, with starting CBs Ty Law and Tyrone Poole out. It makes sense that the Eagles will try to attack that area, but the ailing Patriots held Peyton Manning and the Colts to 3 points two weeks ago!
Contain QBs: Pats' coach Bill Belichick said last week that he doesn’t want McNabb to hurt them with “big plays.” This means long passes, as Belichick explained that a smart, mobile quarterback like McNabb can juke around and buy time, which means defensive backs can lose their man for a second. He’s concerned about this and might employ the same tactic he used against Peyton Manning: rotate the safeties and cornerbacks deep to take away deep passes. The Patriots had trouble a year ago as Jake Delhomme found Muhsin Muhamaad on a long TD in the fourth quarter that gave Carolina a 22-21 lead. Tom Brady is not a scrambler, but in the Patriots only two defeats, Brady struggled with turnovers because of intense pressure from the Dolphins and Steelers during the regular season. Jevon Kearse and the strong Eagles’ pass rushers will be a huge key to the game against New England’s offensive line, which is a good pass blocking unit.
Experience: This is difficult to quantify but it certainly raises its heads in Super Bowl games. The Panthers didn’t play well a year ago, with only a wild and wacky fourth quarter making the game close. After tying the game late, Carolina made a foolish short kickoff that gave New England fantastic field position that enabled them to win the game. Experience, nerves and shaky decision making at crunch time can play vital roles in Super Bowls. The Patriots certainly have an edge in Super Bowl experience, and if it comes down to field goal kicking, ice-water Adam Vinatieri has already kicked TWO Super Bowl winners at the buzzer in his career! It will be interesting to see if the Eagles jump offsides or look out of synch at all as this will be Philly’s first Super Bowl since 1981.
