Anticipation

Brady is cool in the pocket. (photo from www.foxsports.com)


I have nerves tonight. That's not to say that I think my team may not win. It's just that 2 week wait, hearing nothing but the media hyping up the Super Bowl. I just need that opening kick-off to sail through the air & see the Patriots establish their presence immediately to clam me down. I want to get immersed in the game & stop listening to all the speculation. There are many reason why the Patriots are the favorite to win, the least of which is that this isn't unfamiliar territory for them. What I don't understand is how this is their 3rd go-round in the famed Super Bowl, yet there are still those who act like they are a fluke to even be there. After all, Tom Brady is used to the pressure of big games, of THE Big Game. He's undefeated in post-season play. He is somehow even cooler in the pocket in these huge games, making all the right decisions. I'm surely not going to say that McNabb isn't a good QB because he is & he has improved tremendously this year & he has been on quite a roll this season...but it stands to reason that it took him 4 tries to even reach the Super Bowl. All it will take is one set of jitters resulting in one error--the Patriots capitalize on that one error. They LIVE for that one error. Sure he can scramble when he's under pressure but is there someone out there who can honestly tell me how that makes him more intimidating an opponent than the illustrious Manning scoring machine or the white-hot rookie Roethlisberger? Brady is the master of being patient as he waits for the long ball to open up. And if anyone thinks that the Patriots haven't spent the last 2 weeks preparing a defensive package for coming up against Westbrook and Owens and Mitchell (excuse me while I roll my eyes), they obviously don't recognize the coaching genius of Bill Belichick or how he has been only lost a total of 4 games in the last 2 seasons combined, against some much scarier AFC teams. I know that the Patriots physical presence will shut down the Philly receivers regardless of the criticisms that New England's defense lacks the "speed to keep up". Ask Peyton Manning's 5 unstoppable receivers about that would ya? And I know we can rely on Adam Vinatieri's trusty foot. We have the edge of a whole team of play-makers over Philly's McNabb/Westbrook combo & not much else. All the "will he/won't he" nonsense surrounding T.O. overshadows a more poignant appearance by Richard Seymour's timely return. I guess I just need to sit in my chair & feel the comfort of seeing my team march down the field, showing a continually disbelieving NFL audience how it's done yet again...