The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 24, 2005, Page 10, Image 10
NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Super Bowl set after Eagles, Patriots dominate
WINSLOW TOWNSON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, center, fires a pass to Corey Dillon during the second
quarter of the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Pittsburgh.
By ALAN ROBINSON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH — Nobody beats
Brady and Belichick in a big game, not
even Big Ben.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were an
unstoppable combination again for the
New England Patriots, exposing all of
the Steelers’ weaknesses to end their 15
game winning streak and win the AFC
championship 41-27 Sunday night.
Brady gave the inexperienced Ben
Roethlisberger a lesson in
quarterbacking a championship game,
throwing two touchdown passes — one
to Deion Branch that gave New England
a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
Belichick also upstaged can’t-win
the-big-one Steelers coach Bill Cowher,
improving to 9-1 as a playoffs coach and
matching Vince Lombardi’s NFL-best
playoff coaching record.
t Brady has a record of his own: 8-0 as
a postseason quarterback, bettering Troy
Aikman’s 7-0 record at the start of his
playoffs career.
Now, the defending champions will
play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super
Bowl on Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla. New
England was installed as an early 6-to-6
1/2 point favorite.
The Patriots can become the first
team to win three Super Bowls in four
seasons since Dallas did it between the
1992-95 seasons.
This game was a near-replay of
Pittsburgh’s breakthrough 34-20 win Oct.
31 that ended New England’s record 21
game winning streak. Again, an under
pressure quarterback kept making mistakes
as a team seized a 24-3 lead in the first half.
For the Steelers, it was their fourth
loss in five AFC championship games at
home since 1995 under Cowher and, at
least psychologically, the worst. They
were on a franchise-record winning
streak and, with their seemingly can’t
be-beaten rookie at quarterback,
thought they had what it took to get
back to the Super Bowl for only the
second time in 25 years.
The Steelers publicly toed the
Cowher-dictated corporate line, saying
they understood New England’s role as a
3-point favorite despite their 15-game
winning streak and NFL-best 16-1
record. Privately, they were motivated
by the perceived slight and linebacker
Joey Porter promised they wouldn’t flop
in a title game again.
New England didn’t have an injured
Corey Dillon during that Halloween
game, and the presence of the 1,635-yard
rusher was supposed to make a big
difference in the rematch. Instead it was
Branch, also injured and out of the first
game, who made the big plays with a
touchdown catch, touchdown run and
another long reception that set up a score.
Branch got behind cornerback
Deshea Townsend for a 60-yard scoring
pass on the play after Jerome Bettis
fumbled on a fourth-and-1 at the
Patriots’ 39, and it was 10-0 New
England halfway through the first
quarter. It was Bettis’ second fumble in
10 carries over two games after he went
more than a season without fumbling.
Branch, a tough matchup for the
Steelers’ average secondary because of
his speed, came back in the second
quarter with a 45-yard reception to the
•14 when Brady alertly found him
between defenders in Pittsburgh’s
cover-2 defense.
With the Steelers driving for the first
time in the half, Roethlisberger made yet
another rookie mistake, and it all but
finished oflF Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh could have gotten to
within a touchdown early in the fourth
quarter, but was turned aside on three
straight plays after having first-and-goal
at the 5 and settled for Jeff Reed’s field
goal.
r
■ WOMEN
Continued from page 9
problem that has plagued the team all
season.
The Gamecocks have several
difficult opponents remaining,
including their Thursday night
matchup with one of the nation’s best,
the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
Additionally, the Gamecocks will have
to play host to No. 2 Louisiana State in
mid-February, a team that is 18-1 and
5-0 in the SEC. The Tigers solidified
themselves as a truly formidable
opponent again last night in a 79-68
victory over No. 17 Vanderbilt.
Coming into its game with the
Gamecocks Thursday, the No. 7 Lady
Vols are 16-3 and have won six straight
games. During this streak, Tennessee’s
I
average margin of victory is nearly 12
points per game. The stretch -began
following a loss to Rutgers with a win
over Old Dominion and was highlighted
by a victory over No. 13 Connecticut in
Hartford.
As the Gamecocks remain winless in
Fayetteville, they also stare at a zero in
the SEC win column. Also, many
challenging games remain before the
regular season’s end. While USC only
has one upperclassman on the team in
junior forward Olga Gritsaeva, the team
must find consistent play and leadership
in its core of sophomore guards. To have
any hope of being a presence in the SEC
Tournament, the team will look to
decrease its average number of turnovers
and increase its shooting percentage.
Comments on this story ? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edit
By PAUL NEWBERRY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHILADELPHIA — Yo, Philly. Lose
those jitters and relax. Your Eagles
made it to the Super Bowl.
Donovan McNabb and company
ignored the burden of three straight
losses in the NFC championship game
and warmed a frozen city’s heart,
stuffing Michael Vick and the Atlanta
Falcons 27-10 on Sunday.
Philadelphia moves on to its first
Super Bowl in 24 years — the only
acceptable outcome for the Eagles and
their rabid fans after so many close
calls. They will meet either defending
champion New England or cross-state
Pittsburgh in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb.
6.
McNabb threw a pair of touchdown
passes to Chad Lewis, including the
clinching score with 3:21 remaining.
That turned the final minutes into a
delirious coronation, the 67,717 fans
— most of whom never sat in their
seats on a 17-degree day — saluting a
team that finally fulfilled its destiny.
The only warm-weather team left in
the playoffs went cold in its biggest
game of the year. Vick was sacked four
times by the fearsome Philly defense,
which also came up with a crucial
interception that set up David Akers’
second field goal.
McNabb completed 17-or-zb passes
for 180 yards, a workmanlike
performance that solidified his position
as one of the game’s best quarterbacks.
Vick is, too, but his first appearance
on the Super Bowl stage will have to
wait. He completed just ll-of-24 for
136 yards, while the Eagles’ stifling
defense kept him from pulling off one
of his signature runs.
He ran it just four times for 26
yards, but gave up even more yards on
the sacks. Derrick Burgess dropped the
elusive quarterback twice.
Philadelphia led only 14-10 at
halftime, a bit to close for comfort for a
team that had lost to St. Louis, Tampa
Bay and Carolina in the last three NFC
title games. Even more galling — the
last two losses were at home.
But, as the sun gave way to a nearly
full moon over “The Line," the Eagles
dominated the final two quarters.
Akers connected from 31 and 34 yards,
then McNabb and Lewis teamed up to
finish off the Falcons with their 2-yard
touchdown play.
Then, it was time for the party —
Philly-style.
“For those about to rock, we salute
you,” AC-DC screamed over the sound
system. Fireworks went off above the
stadium. And tons of glitter fluttered
over the field, recreating the blizzard
that swept through the city a day earlier.
Philadelphia scored on its second
possession after Chris Mohr managed
just an 8-yard punt into a stiff wind.
The Eagles appeared to go three-and
out, but a holding penalty on rookie
cornerback DeAngelo Hall kept the
drive alive.
Westbrook broke off a 36-yard run,
scooting through a huge hole on the
right side and breaking through Brian
Scott’s attempted tackle. Dorsey
Levens finished it off with a 4-yard
touchdown run, appearing to be
stopped at the 2 but getting a shove
into the end zone from offensive guard
Jermane Newberry.
The Falcons responded by holding
the ball for almost nine minutes, also
benefiting from a defensive holding
penalty on third down that kept the
drive alive. But Philadelphia stiffened
on first-and-goal from 2, throwing TJ
Duckett for a loss — only the second
negative run of the season for the
254-pound back. Atlanta was forced
to settle for Jay Feely’s 23-yard field
goal.
Back came the Eagles for another
touchdown, set up by another big play.
McNabb lofted a pass to Greg Lewis,
who was covered by undrafted free
agent Christian Morton. Lewis slowed
up to catch the ball while Morton
stumbled out of position, the result
being a 45-yard completion to the
Atlanta 4.
Two plays later, it was another
Lewis, tight end Chad, making a
spectacular catch in the corner of the
end zone. He somehow managed to
drag both feet inbounds after leaping to
pull down the high throw. Atlanta
challenged, but the replay clearly
backed up the refs’ call.
The Falcons followed with their
most impressive offensive display. In
only five plays, they shredded the
Eagles for 70 yards, capped off by
Warrick Dunn’s 10-yard touchdown
with 2:02 left in the first half.
But Atlanta’s offense never warmed
up over the final two quarters.
Leading up to the kickoff, there was
another Philly moment.
The “Rocky” theme blared from the
speakers, sending the crowd into a
towel-waving frenzy. The video board
showed clips from the movie
interspersed with highlights from the
Eagles’ season.
Now, they’ve got a chance to show
the biggest highlight of all — a Super
Bowl championship.
Finally.
RUSTY KENNEDY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Philadelphia Eagles’ Derrick Burgess sacks Atlanta’s Michael Vick
in the fourth quarter during Sunday’s game.
Don’t miss Sports
editor Jonathan
Hiliyard and Ryan
Clary every
Monday night
from 8 to 10 p.m.
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