Super Bowl XXXVI: Encyclopedia II - Super Bowl XXXVI - Background

Super Bowl XXXVI - Background

Super Bowl XXXVI - St. Louis Rams

The Rams advanced to their second Super Bowl appearance in the last 3 seasons after finishing the season with the NFL's best regular season record at 14-2, and leading the league in both total offensive yards (6,930) and scoring (503)

Their offense, nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf", was widely considered one of the best in NFL history. There seemed to be an endless amount of offensive talent at every position. Quarterback Kurt Warner was awarded the NFL Most Valuable Player Award after throwing for 4,836 yards and 36 touchdowns, with 22 interceptions, and earning a league high 101.4 passer rating. Wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce each amassed over 1,100 receiving yards, combining for 142 receptions, 2,469 yards, and 13 touchdowns. Wide receiver Ricky Proehl caught 40 passes for 563 yards and 5 touchdowns. Tight end Ernie Conwell caught 38 passes for 431 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim caught 39 passes for 374 yards, and added another 333 yards returning punts.

Running back Marshall Faulk won NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award for the third year in a row. He rushed for 1,382 yards, caught 83 passes for 765 yards, scored 21 touchdowns, and became the first NFL player ever to gain more the 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards for 4 consecutive seasons. Running back Trung Canidate was also a major contributor, rushing for 441 yards, catching 17 passes for 154 yards, returning kickoffs for 748 yards, and scoring 6 touchdowns. Up front, their offensive line was led by guard Adam Timmerman and offensive tackle Orlando Pace, who was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third year in a row.

The Rams also had a solid defense, ranking third in the league in fewest yards allowed (4,733). The line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Little, who led the team with 14.5 sacks and recovered a fumble, and defensive end Grant Wistrom, who recorded 9 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery. Behind them, the Rams linebacking core was led by London Fletcher, who had 4.5 sacks and 2 interceptions. St. Louis also had an outstanding secondary, led by Dre' Bly (6 interceptions, 150 return yards, and 2 touchdowns), Pro Bowler Aeneas Williams (4 interceptions, 69 return yards, 2 touchdowns), and Dexter McCleon (4 interceptions, 66 yards).

Super Bowl XXXVI - New England Patriots

The Patriots chances for a Super Bowl appearance seemed doomed after the season had barely begun. The Patriots lost their first two games, and starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury that caused him to miss the rest of the regular season. His replacement was second year quarterback Tom Brady, a sixth round draft pick who had thrown only 3 passes in 2000. Then in the fourth game of the year, wide receiver Terry Glenn, their leading receiver in 2000, was benched for the rest of the season due to off the field problems.

But Brady surprised the league by having an outstanding regular season and leading New England to an 11-5 record. He completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,843 yards and 18 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions, and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Veteran Pro Bowl wide receiver Troy Brown was the main threat in the passing game, recording 101 receptions for 1,199 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also adding another 413 yards and 2 touchdowns returning punts. On the other side of the field, wide receiver David Patten was also a big threat, catching 51 passes for 749 yards and 4 touchdowns. Running back Antowain Smith provided the team with an outstanding rushing attack, rushing for 1,157 yards, catching 19 passes for 192 yards, and scoring 13 touchdowns.

New England also had a very solid defense. Up front, linemen Bobby Hamilton (7 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), and Richard Seymour excelled at pressuring quarterbacks and stuffing the run. Behind them, the Patriots had 3 superb linebackers in Mike Vrabel (2 interceptions, 3 sacks), Willie McGinest (5 sacks), and Tedy Bruschi (2 interceptions). But the biggest strength of the defense was their secondary. Defensive back Otis Smith led the team with 5 interceptions, which he returned for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cornerback Ty Law intercepting 3 passes, returning them for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns. Safety Lawyer Milloy had 2 interceptions and was the only player on defense to make the Pro Bowl.

Super Bowl XXXVI - Playoffs

The Rams defeated the Green Bay Packers, 45-17, and the Philadelphia Eagles, 29-24, in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Patriots were victorious in very narrow wins: A 16-13 overtime win over the Oakland Raiders in the infamous "tuck game", and a 24-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XXXVI - Effect of the September 11 2001 attacks

The September 11, 2001 attacks led the NFL to move both the playoffs and Super Bowl XXXVI one week back. Rescheduling the game from January 27 to February 3 was a difficult task. Not only would the game itself have to be moved, but all related events and activities had to be accommodated. It was normal for there to be an open weekend between the Conference Championship games, and the Super Bowl. However, in this particular season, there was not one. Beginning in the 2001 season, the league moved the opening week of games to the weekend after Labor Day (The date of the Super Bowl had been set through 2003, so the bye week would be absent until 2004, when the Super Bowl would be moved to the first weekend in February).

The NFL and New Orleans officials worked diligently to put together a deal to reschedule the game. At first, the league considered shortening the regular season, shortening the playoffs, or even moving the game to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. To further complicate the situation, a convention was scheduled to occupy the Superdome on February 3. By late fall 2001, the three parties came to a settlement, and the game was held on February 3.

Following Super Bowl tradition, the original logo for Super Bowl XXXVI was to have a flavor that represented the host city. A logo was designed and distributed on a very small amount of memorabilia items in early 2001. After the 9/11 attacks, a new logo reflecting American pride was designed, featuring the shape of the 48 contiguous states (see the top of this article). Merchandise featuring the original logo is now considered extremely collectible.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Background", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki