Monday, February 04, 2002
Patriots shock favored Rams
Vinatieri's 48-yard FG is winner
By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEW ORLEANS — The underdog New England Patriots wrapped up their “us-against-the-world” drive through the NFL playoffs with a 20-17 victory Sunday night over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Kicker Adam Vinatieri made a 48-yard field goal as time expired, the first winning points scored on the last play in Super Bowl history.
“We'll probably be underdogs again next week,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.
Said wide receiver Troy Brown, whose 23-yard catch and run on the final drive set up Vinatieri's field goal, “Everybody who doubted us, don't talk to me.”
The Patriots carried out their aggressive game plan to the very end.
Stung by a late St. Louis Rams touchdown that tied the game at 17 with 1:30 remaining, the Patriots didn't sit on the ball.
Instead, quarterback Tom Brady, who was voted the game's MVP, was 5-for-7 passing for 53 yards on the last drive. He drove the offense to the Rams 30-yard line, spiked the ball to stop the clock and gave Vinatieri plenty of time to get set.
“It was awesome. Everybody got it done,” said Brady, who was 14-3 as a starter after taking over for the injured Drew Bledsoe.
Belichick stuck with Brady, even after the second-year quarterback sprained an ankle in last week's AFC Championship Game at Pittsburgh and was replaced by a productive Bledsoe.
“He had been playing. He had the timing with the offensive line and the receivers,” Belichick said of Brady, who was 16-for-27 passing for 145 yards passing and one touchdown. “He gave us the best chance to win.”
Brady and the Patriots committed no turnovers. But New England's hard-hitting defense forced three St. Louis turnovers, two on Kurt Warner interceptions, and turned all three takeaways into their first 17 points.
“We challenged them physically. We challenged them mentally,” said cornerback Ty Law, who scored New England's first points on a 47-yard touchdown return of a Warner interception in the second quarter.
New England, which had blitzed on almost every play in its 24-17 regular-season loss to the Rams, blitzed only a few times in the Super Bowl.
Linebacker Mike Vrabel's blitz on Law's interception was the first of the game.
Rams right tackle Rod Jones, a former Bengals tackle, blocked toward the inside, and Vrabel was untouched coming in from the outside. Vrabel hit Warner as he threw for wide receiver Isaac Bruce, and Law stepped in front of Bruce for the interception.
“We missed the blocking assignment on that one,” Warner said.
That play was the turning point, but Rams coach Mike Martz bristled at the suggestions that his team needed a wake-up call or overlooked the Patriots.
“Oh, please, that's insulting to me,” Martz said in response to a postgame question. “This is the Super Bowl. How can you overlook somebody in the Super Bowl?”
The Patriots played man-to-man defense on the Rams' speedy receivers and hit them hard after they got their hands on the ball. It was one such play that set the stage for New England's second touchdown in the second quarter, which sent them into halftime with a 14-3 lead.
Said Patriots safety Lawyer Milloy, “Anybody who caught the ball had to get hit. You saw balls flying all over the place.”
Patriots safety Antwan Harris forced the Rams Ricky Proehl to fumble after a 15-yard reception. Cornerback Terrell Buckley picked up the fumble 10 yards downfield and returned it back to the Rams 40. From there, New England needed only five plays to expand its lead.
Brady completed a wide-receiver screen to Brown, who ran 17 yards to the 23-yard line with 1:12 remaining. Tight end Jermaine Wiggins caught a five-yard pass before a Brady incompletion set up third and 5. Running back Kevin Faulk took a pitch from Brady and ran eight yards around left end to give the Patriots first and goal from the 8.
On the next play, Brady threw a strike to wide receiver David Patten on an out-and-up pass for a 14-3 lead. Patten beat St. Louis cornerback Dexter McCleon on the play.
“Great throw by Tom. Great catch by Dave,” Belichick said. “That was a great play.”
The Patriots, who gained 160 fewer yards in total offense, had their biggest lead at 14 when Vinatieri was good on a 37-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter.
The five-play, 14-yard scoring drive was set up by cornerback Otis Smith's interception of a Warner pass intended for Isaac Bruce.
It would be another big game for Vinatieri, who made a 45-yard field goal in the snow at Foxboro, Mass., to push New England's Divisional Playoff Game into overtime against the Oakland Raiders. Vinatieri won that game in overtime.
Sunday's game at the Louisiana Superdome appeared to be headed to overtime, which would have been a Super Bowl first.
The Rams trailed 17-10 with 1:51 remaining and no time outs left, but they needed only 21 seconds and three plays to tie the game.
Warner completed three passes in a row that covered all 55 yards for the score. He hit Proehl on the sideline for a 26-yard score. New England's secondary, which had played a hard-hitting game, bit on an underneath route, leaving the sideline open for Proehl.
The Rams, the league's highest scoring team with 503 points, scored their first touchdown with 9:31 remaining in the game. Warner ran in from the 2 to cap a 12-play, 77-yard drive that took 6:47.
On a fourth down and goal from the 3, it appeared the Patriots would score again on another Rams turnover. Warner, running to his right, fumbled at the goal line. New England free safety Tebucky Jones picked up the loose ball on the 2 and ran 98 yards for what looked like the game-clinching score. But Rams running back Marshall Faulk was held by linebacker Willie McGinest; the penalty gave St. Louis a first down on the 1.
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