Jets coach sees close Super Bowl

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Posted 4:38PM on Monday, January 28, 2002

Like any football coach, Herman Edwards of the New York Jets brings an analytical eye to Sunday's Super Bowl between the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots. Edwards did not watch Sunday's championship games but knows both teams. The Jets split two games with the Patriots, winning 10-3 and losing 17-16. St. Louis beat the Jets 34-14. Edwards, speaking on a conference call, began with the Patriots. "New England is a team that tries to hang around," he said. "On paper they don't match up with a lot of teams. But they play good as a team. They use all their weapons. They play close to the vest and basically they find a way to win." The Jets' coach was impressed that the Patriots scored two touchdowns on special teams in their 24-17 AFC championship game victory over Pittsburgh. "They believe they can win at home or on the road," he said. "I think the Patriots are dangerous. They're playing with a lot of confidence. They go in and beat Pittsburgh. That's huge for them. They know what they're dealing with. No one expects them to win. They've got nothing to lose. "The Rams are what they are. They have a lot of offensive weapons. They're in an attack mode on offense." Edwards thought Philadelphia did a nice job denying explosive plays in the NFC title game. "They didn't allow big, explosion plays." And Edwards know just how the Patriots can pull off the upset. It all has to do with coach Bill Belichick designing a defense that will contain Rams running back Marshall Faulk. "Stop 28," Edwards said. "It all starts with him. You know where he's at. Don't let him start running the ball. Then you've got a shot. "Belichick will have a plan to stop 28 and take (Isaac) Bruce out of it. That's what he's got to do. He'll take weapons away. He'll make them beat him with (Torry) Holt and the tight end. That's what he did in Pittsburgh. He decided (Jerome) Bettis was not going to run the ball and made Kordell (Stewart) beat them." Bettis was limited to 8 yards on nine carries and the strategy worked. Now, though, if Belichick decides to concentrate on Faulk, there is the matter of quarterback Kurt Warner, the NFL's MVP. Edwards said the Patriots shouldn't worry about Warner. "The quarterback is not playing as well as he was," he said. "He's been hurt. He missed some time. He not functioning the same way." The Jets coach wasn't making any picks but he wouldn't rule out an upset. "I think New England has an excellent chance," he said. "There's no pressure on New England. They can get down 14-0, 14-3, it won't matter to them. They'll play loose. They can do some things to keep them in the game." Edwards thinks the Patriots are a deceptive team. "They're kind of OK," he said. "They're not real flashy. They'll just hang around, make a play here and there and play within their ability. They're the consummate team. That's kind of how they play."