OK, OK, I know what you're all thinking right now, but hear me out!
The Philadelphia Eagles definitely have the necessary qualities to take on a team like the New England Patriots. One of them is named Donovan McNabb.
The Patriots are going to have to shut down McNabb to win this football game. He is one of the more mobile quarterbacks in the NFL right now.
And as much as I do hate to bring this up, I will. During a regular season game with Dallas, McNabb was able to run in and out of the pocket for a full 14 seconds (yes, that's a 14) to elude defenders. While my friend Jason likes to think that the defense will win the game for New England, the postseason has proved the Patriots have had trouble getting to a quarterback. They only managed two sacks in both games.
The other thing the Eagles have is Terrell Owens, who I like to call TO -just a little nickname I came up with. I don't think anyone reading this who knows anything about football needs me to say how awesome TO is. Owens will play Sunday despite having ankle surgery just six weeks ago. Owens has said that he is confident about his ability and is ready to play.
Another reason I know the Patriots won't win is because they have Corey Dillon. Now, this may seem like an advantage for them, but that's not true.
Corey Dillon has so much bad karma built up around him that the football gods would not allow him a Super Bowl win in his first season with the Patriots. His bad karma comes from when he laughed at the Bengals, a team he played with for seven seasons, after someone asked if he thought the Bengals could turn their team around (I have just gained the support of every Cincinnati fan reading this).
The bottom line is that Philadelphia does have what it takes to win this ball game. This will be Eagles' offense pitted against Patriots' defense, and the offense will prevail. But I guess we'll see on Sunday.
Hed: How the letter 'D' equals a W for New England in Super Bowl, again
by Jason Fazzone
This season's New England Patriots have been brought to you by the letter D.
Now, before you bash me for the corny Sesame Street reference, think about it.
D stands for defense, which has been the Patriots trademark since the 2001 season, when they won their first Super Bowl.
D stands for devastating, the adjective used to describe the injuries to a few of their key players throughout the season.
D stands for determination, which has allowed the Patriots to rally around each other and offset the crushing injuries.
D stands for dominating, which they have been nothing short of in their first two postseason victories.
Finally, D stands for destiny, as they seem certain to win their third championship in four seasons after overcoming every wave of obstacles in their path.
That's right, regardless of whether Philadelphia's Owens plays, New England will win Super Bowl XXXIX because its punishing, reliable defense will rise to the occasion once more, and the intangibles will play heavily in its favor.
Not only did the Patriots get here by way of a punishing defense that was one of the NFL's best this season, they have not made mistakes. With the exception of three quarters -the first half against Pittsburgh in their regular-season Halloween loss and the fourth quarter of their shocking loss to Miami -they have thoroughly outplayed their opponents in every facet of the game. They have yet to commit a turnover in the postseason, while forcing seven.
The intangibles are far and away in New England's favor. They have a two-time Super Bowl MVP in Tom Brady, a kicker who won both Super Bowls with his foot -Adam Vinatieri -and an 8-0 playoff record under coach Bill Belichick, including 2-0 in Super Bowls.
Expect another D word to rise to the forefront, -dynasty. Without a doubt, the Patriots will have proved their spot in that prestigious class, a distinguishing feat indeed.
17 Archives
Michelle Mu-oz
