Relentless champions

The Patriots are their spectacularly unspectacular selves as they wear down the Eagles to win their third Super Bowl title in four years.

By King Kaufman

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Feb. 7, 2005 | They're going to have to work overtime at NFL Films to make this one look like a classic. They'll have to use every play in the book, every kettle drum and French horn, every slow-motion montage, and still it probably won't work. But that's the thing about the New England Patriots: They don't win 'em pretty. They just win 'em. And win 'em. And win 'em again.

Sunday night the Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years, taking control of a tense but sloppy game in the second half and outlasting the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Deion Branch was the game's Most Valuable Player, tying a Super Bowl record by catching 11 passes for 133 yards.

Branch overshadowed Terrell Owens, though the Eagles' star was almost as good on his famously injured right ankle, catching nine passes for 122 yards and proving to be Philadelphia's only consistently effective weapon.

The Eagles, given no chance by most observers, had their chances to take over the game early and didn't do it. The Patriots aren't inhuman. It's possible to let them off the hook in the first half and still beat them. Actually, that's just a theory. New England has won 32 of its last 34 games. Nobody has let them get off the deck and lived to tell about it. The Eagles didn't.

New England went ahead for good when Corey Dillon pounded in from the 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter for a 21-14 lead. Dillon ran for 75 hard yards, a third of them on one play. Seven Patriots caught a pass, including linebacker Mike Vrabel, who lined up as a tight end and made an athletic, juggling catch for his second touchdown in as many Super Bowls.

The Patriots defense more or less contained multi-purpose back Brian Westbrook, sacked quarterback Donovan McNabb four times and didn't let him make any of his patented spectacular scramble plays. It also kept Owens from doing too much damage once it became clear he was more than just a hobbling decoy. The Patriots forced four turnovers.

And their injury-mangled secondary, already a work of sealing wax, chicken wire and moonlighting wide receivers, took yet another hit when safety Eugene Wilson hurt his arm covering a punt late in the first half. They survived it, though Wilson's replacement, Dexter Reid, was partly responsible for a couple of touchdown passes.

In short, it was a pretty typical Patriots win. There wasn't a lot in the way of spectacular highlights unless you count hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as a highlight.

On New England's first play from scrimmage, a little more than a minute into the game, the Patriots picked up a blitz and quarterback Tom Brady hit Branch for 16 yards and a first down. It was three punts and more than a quarter of football later before the Pats got another first down.

In the meantime, McNabb moved the Eagles from their own 26 to the New England 19 before lofting a pass up for grabs in the neighborhood of Westbrook, who watched helplessly as Rodney Harrison stepped in front of him for the first of his two interceptions. An opportunity missed.

Next page: Terrell Owens: "We could have won and that hurts"