Patriots cement their place in NFL history

By Steve Keating

Jacksonville - Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to lead the New England Patriots to a 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles and their third Super Bowl title in four years on Sunday, cementing a place among the NFL's great teams.

All week the build up to Super Bowl XXXIX had centred around New England's credentials as an NFL dynasty.

The debate ended on Sunday as the Patriots joined the Dallas Cowboys as the only team to win three Super Bowls in four years and Brady confirmed his place as one of NFL's greatest playoff quarterbacks, improving his post-season record to a perfect 9-0.

"We never self-proclaimed ourselves anything," said Brady, who completed 23 of 33 passes for 215m.

"We just love playing football.

"I know it sounds like a cliche, we keep saying we are just a team but we are.

"If you guys (the media) say we're great then we accept the compliment but we still worked hard."

MVP in the Super Bowl wins in 2004 and 2002, Brady missed out on a third award that went instead to wide receiver Deion Branch, who hauled in a title game record-equalling 11 catches for 121m.

The victory also earned Patriots coach Bill Belichick a special place in the game's history, becoming the first coach to win three Super Bowls in four years and improving his playoff record to 10-1, surpassing the legendary Vince Lombardi.

"We started at the bottom of the mountain with everyone else and we're happy to get to the top," Belichick said. "I'll leave the historical perspectives to everyone else.

"We're just thrilled to win, it was a very tough year."

As in their two previous NFL championship wins, the difference once again was an Adam Vinatieri field goal, this time a 20m effort with just over eight minutes remaining.

For the first time in Super Bowl history the teams entered the final quarter tied but the 14-14 deadlock did not last long, Corey Dillon bulling his way over from the 1,8m line to put the Patriots back in front at 21-14.

Vinatieri then had the luxury of coming onto the field without the game on the line and his field goal gave the Patriots a 24-14 lead.

However, it would be a 10-point cushion the Patriots would need after Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb found Greg Lewis with a 27m touchdown pass with 1:48 to play to set up a thrilling finish.

True to his word, Eagles injured wide receiver Terrell Owens was on the field for the opening play and underlined his fitness by catching the game's first pass.

Owens participation in Super Bowl had been the biggest question mark hanging over the title game since he injured his right ankle six weeks earlier and underwent surgery.

The talented but controversial All-Pro receiver had maintained he would play in Sunday's game saying God had given him the go ahead while doctors refused to clear him.

Owens diagnosis proved correct as he led the Eagles with nine catches for 111m.

Back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1981, the Eagles got the game off to a jittery start, losing the ball four times and turning it over twice in a scoreless first quarter on a fumble and a Rodney Harrison interception on the three-metre line.

The Eagles, however, grew in stature and drew first blood with their first possession of the second quarter, when McNabb capped off an 81-yard drive with a touchdown pass to LJ Smith.

Trailing for the first time in this postseason, the Patriots came back, Brady marching his team down to the Philadelphia 10 only to fumble away their first good scoring chance.

Displaying the poise of two-time Super Bowl MVP, Brady took command the very next possession, hitting David Givens with a four-yard touchdown strike to send the teams into the intermission tied at 7-7.

After an opening half dominated by defense, sloppy play and mistakes, the Patriots and Eagles opened the third quarter with displays of precision, trading touchdown drives.

The Patriots seized the early initiative marching 63m in nine plays to take a 14-7 lead with a touchdown pass to Mike Vrabel.

The Eagles answered with a 10-play, 67m march capped off when McNabb hooked up with Brian Westbrook for a nine-metre touchdown strike but were unable to get into position to attempt a game-tying field goal

McNabb finished with 30 completed passes from 51 attempts for 326m, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

The smallest city to ever host the NFL's showcase event, Jacksonville had endured a week of unrelenting criticism in the build up to the big game as visitors scrambled to find hotel rooms, cabs and tickets that were going for $5 000 (about R31 000) a pair.

Hoewever, as the sun set on the St Johns River and the floodlights at an Alltel Stadium containing 78 125 fans sparkled, all seemed to be forgiven as the Patriots and Eagles thundered onto the field.

After Janet Jackson's controversial "wardrobe malfunction" last year, the halftime show went off without incident as former-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney entertained the crowd.