Get the Super Bowl started

By Mason Williams Sports Central Columnist The stage is set for this weekend's week's Super Bowl and the contestants are the St. Louis Rams juggernaut and the upstart New England Patriots.

Championship Sunday provided better games than the bookmakers in Las Vegas had predicted. Both the Rams and the Steelers were considerable favorites, but both underdog teams kept the action close and exciting.

In stark contrast to last week's snow bowl in Foxboro, the Patriots and the Steelers played the AFC Championship in beautiful autumn weather. Defense and special teams dictated the games' pace during the first half. Neither team displayed much offensive prowess as both defenses played aggressively, rarely allowing the offenses to move the ball passed midfield.

With time running down in the first quarter, New England's speedy wideout, Troy Brown, fielded a punt and eluded the Pittsburgh coverage. He sprinted into the endzone scoring on the most exciting play of the game. New England did not seem to be in command of the game strictly because Pittsburgh's defense continually harassed Tom Brady and stifled the Patriot offense.

Similarly, Pittsburgh's "Bus," Jerome Bettis, appeared to be stalled at the station. Bettis and the Steeler rushing attack took the day off and only amassed 17 rushing yards throughout the game. Kordell "Slash" Stewart had his tires slashed by the ever-blitzing Patriot defense, led by Otis Smith and Teddy Bruschi.

The turning point in the game came late in the second quarter when Tom Brady was injured by the persistent Steeler pass rush. As the Pittsburgh crowd felt the games' momentum shift to their team, the Patriots looked as if the dream season was about to become part of their troubled history.

Instead, Drew Bledsoe, who had not seen action since the second week of the season, stepped into the pocket and promptly completed three quick strikes to David Patton. The third pass was a bullet touchdown pass that not only padded the New England lead, but also reminded the Patriots that they had the best backup quarterback in the league patiently waiting for his time to reemerge.

The Steelers battled back into the game during the second half, but Bledsoe's return provided the Patriots with the psychological boost they needed to fend off any attacker. The injured Tom Brady cheered heartily for Bledsoe in the same manner Bledsoe spent the entire season helping Brady mature into the starting role. Witnessing the unselfishness and dedication to the team concept that both quarterbacks exhibited makes it impossible for any fan to not appreciate the New England Patriots.

The NFC Championship pitted the favorite Rams against the underdog Eagles. The Rams capitalized on an early turnover and jumped out to a seven point lead. It looked like the rout had been initiated, but Philadelphia kept the game close and eventually took a lead into halftime.

The R. Kelly performance at halftime must have pumped the Rams up because they came out firing and their defense put the clamps on the Philadelphia offense for almost the entire second half. To their credit, the Eagles defense did limit Kurt Warner and the Rams receivers' effectiveness, but they had no answer for Marshall Faulk. Faulk demonstrated all of his skills by running outside when necessary, running up the middle when called upon, and controlling the ball as the Rams marched toward a Super Bowl birth.

Philadelphia launched a late fourth quarter comeback that culminated in a Donovan McNabb touchdown scamper, but it proved to be too little too late in the game. The Eagles proved that with sound defensive execution and a ball control offense they could give the Rams trouble.

Hopefully, the Patriots had finished celebrating their victory in time to study the Philadelphia approach to the Rams. New England's hard-nosed defense line an outstanding cornerbacks will be put to the test against the Rams. In addition, the lack of a week off in between Championship Sunday and Super Bowl Sunday has to give an increased advantage to the Rams.

The Patriots enter this Super Bowl with the same kind of odds they faced in 1986 when they were annihilated by the Chicago Bears. If there is a team to overcome this blatant disadvantage it has to be the Patriots. They have battled adversity valiantly all year and have proven to be the real deal.

On the other side of the field stands the St. Louis Rams. The Rams have been the class of the NFL for three years and the Super Bowl crown seems to be theirs for the retaking. The Rams dazzled the competition this year, but they have also shown their ability to win ugly. The Rams are focused and must prepare for anything when playing against and opponent that has nothing to fear and nothing else to prove. The game will be intriguing and will, hopefully, provide the crowning moment to another exciting NFL season.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.