Game ranked as one of best

by Fred Mitchell
reporter Chicago Tribune (KRT)

Q. How did Super Bowl XXXVIII rank with the others you have seen?
A. It will be remembered as a classic, one of the most entertaining and competitive Super Bowls ever.
Like two heavyweight fighters, the teams bobbed and weaved in the scoreless first quarter, before combining to score 24 points in the final 3:05 of the second quarter.
After a scoreless third period, the teams again mounted scoring flurries, culminating in a dramatic 41-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.
Q. Which play was the key one?
A. There were many significant plays. But one that might be somewhat overlooked was Carolina’s John Kasay kicking off out of bounds with 1:08 left in the game after the Panthers had tied the game 29-29.
The Patriots got the ball at their 40-yard line, which made it easier for them to get into range for Vinatieri.
Q. Were you surprised the Patriots did not lose their poise after Jake Delhomme completed that 85-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad to give Carolina a 22-21 lead?
A. It was the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl history. And New England had not been behind in a game since Nov. 23. But Tom Brady maintained his cool to lead the Patriots on a long drive that culminated in a TD pass to Mike Vrabel. A two-point conversion run by Kevin Faulk made it 29-22.
Q. Coaches always talk about the importance of turnovers. How did they factor into Sunday’s outcome?
A. New England took advantage of a Delhomme fumble that Vrabel forced. Richard Seymour made the recovery at the Carolina 20. The Patriots then scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Deion Branch for a 7-0 lead.
Carolina stayed in the game when Reggie Howard intercepted Brady’s third-down pass in the end zone with 7:38 left.
The Panthers had a minus-five turnover ratio during the regular season, the worst among playoff teams. New England was plus-17 in that category.
Q. New England dominated the first half statistically. Why was it that the Pats only led 14-10 at the half?
A. The Patriots failed to take advantage of excellent scoring opportunities.
When Vinatieri missed a 31-yard field goal wide right, it was the first time in six games that the Patriots didn’t score on their opening drive.
Vinatieri also attempted a 36-yard field goal that was blocked. Scoring touchdowns from inside the 20-yard line had been a problem for New England before the Super Bowl. The Patriots were next to last in the AFC in that category during the regular season and were 1-for-7 against Indianapolis in the AFC title game.
Q. How about Vinatieri coming through with the winning field goal after missing one earlier and having another one blocked?
A. Vinatieri has had incredible success kicking indoors. He has made 32 of 36 field-goal tries in domed stadiums. Interestingly, all four of his misses have come at Reliant Stadium.
Q. All of the talk last week seemed to be about the Patriots’ defense. Wasn’t Carolina’s defense overlooked?
A. Carolina shut out the opponent in the first period in 12 of 16 regular-season games and did so again in Sunday’s scoreless first quarter.
Carolina’s secondary has been stingy as well.
The 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Branch was the first one allowed by the Panthers in the postseason.
Q. On what basis were the honorary captains chosen for the pregame coin toss?
A. Since the game was in Houston, six of the 10 native Texans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame were selected for the coin toss. They were Earl Campbell, Ollie Matson, Mike Singletary, Y.A. Tittle, Gene Upshaw and Don Maynard.