Sunday, February 03, 2002
DAUGHERTY: Super Bowl XXXVI
Rams have players that Pats don't
By Paul Daugherty
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEW ORLEANS — As good a coach as he is, Bill Belichick doesn't play. He cannot excuse himself from a film session and turn into a Pro Bowl cornerback. We spend too much time glorifying coaches and not enough time realizing they're no better than the people they coach. This is why the New England Patriots won't win today.
The Patriots aren't fast enough or skilled enough. They're not young enough, not when one of their starting cornerbacks is 36. Otis Smith guarding Torry Holt or Isaac Bruce seems cruel and unusual. The Pats defense ranked 24th in yards allowed.
Pittsburgh would have been a better test for The Greatest Show on Turf. The Steelers had the league's best defense, outstanding linebackers to blitz and fill the creases Marshall Faulk finds, and a secondary good enough to keep the St. Louis receivers from taking off and landing at will.
New England's only chance is to take chances, play aggressively and bust the Rams upside the head. It would help them if Kurt Warner tested the “tuck” rule five or six times.
Stay on your toes
If you're not on your toes against the Rams, you're on your back. The Patriots have to blitz Warner, to disrupt his timing and bang his tender ribs. Their cornerbacks have to play bumper cars at the line with the receivers. Everyone has to tackle Faulk.
The New York Giants did that this season. Michael Strahan knocked the air out of Warner on a blitz; the New York defense knocked Faulk out of the game by the fourth quarter. The Giants played without fear. And, they still lost 15-14.
Belichick has smart, veteran players who grasp quickly any defensive wrinkle he adds. This week, Belichick's defensive game plan will have more wrinkles than a 90-year-old man.
The Patriots know they can compete with the Rams, having played them 10 weeks ago. “We left that game feeling confident,” said safety Lawyer Milloy. “We hung in there with the "Greatest Show on Earth.' ” And lost, at home, 24-17.
Warner threw for 401 yards and three TDs that day. Faulk had 153 running and receiving. St. Louis outgained New England 482-230. And Belichick had no more time to prepare for this game than he had for that one.
Plus, he just doesn't have the players.
Blitz, blitz ...
What will happen is this:
The Patriots will blitz. Warner will drop three steps, locate his “hot-read” receiver and hit him. The Patriots will blitz again. Faulk, maybe the smartest player in the game, will see the blitz before it happens. He'll take the handoff, breeze past the blitzer, avoid a tackler while cutting back, then make like he's running for the roses.
The burned Pats will ease off the blitz, drop seven into coverage and give Warner all day. He'll stand in the pocket and fire at will.
By the fourth quarter, the Patriots will be down a couple scores and Belichick will summon Drew Bledsoe, whose arm has better home run potential than starter Tom Brady's. New England might make a late run, but it'll be like a Ford chasing a Porsche.
As Patriots defensive back and 10-year vet Terrell Buckley sagely noted, “You can have the most wonderful mind, but if you don't have the players ...”
Belichick has a beautiful mind, just not enough players to execute his vision. Rams, 34-24.
Contact Paul Daugherty at 768-8454; fax: 768-8550; e-mail: pdaugherty@enquirer.com.
Bengals Stories
Marquette's Wade sparks upset of Bearcats
Former Bearcats coach dies at 85
SULLIVAN: Loyalty to Jucker endures
UC notebook
Beautiful rally, ugly end
Williams saves day for Muskies Big baskets lead rally
Knight content as coach
Baseball notebook
Stoll strong choice to take over Turpin football
West Carter upsets No. 2 NewCath 52-48
Roundup: Ohio boys
Roundup: Ohio girls
Roundup: Kentucky girls
Roundup: Kentucky boys
Boys basketball sectional draw
Boys sectional draw
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Indiana boys basketball scores
Indiana girls basketball scores
Wrestling: No. 4 Purcell rules day on mat
Mike Tyson: Exhibit A for national regulation
It's a Cincinnati State of mind
Page Two Power Rankings
Ursuline swimmer wins Big 12 honor
College basketball Top 25 roundup
Minnesota 88, Indiana 74
No. 25 Ohio St. 58, Northwestern 57
Ohio 94, Marshall 78
Road remains unkind to Miami
Three's a charm for UK
Tristate colleges
Gold Cup: United States 2, Costa Rica 0
Hula Bowl: South 45, North 28
Request for Parole wins Frog Stakes
Khabibulin sparkles in NHL All-Star Game
Nets beat Raptors
Coming up this week
• Return to Bengals front page...
DAUGHERTY: Super Bowl XXXVI