Another Super Bowl blowout? Not if Belichick works his magic

NEW ORLEANS -- The only thing standing between the St. Louis Rams and yet another Super Bowl blowout could be a 49-year-old coach with a reserved demeanor and a knowledge of defense that's in his genes.

In other words, a Super Bowl between the Rams and Bill Belichick, with the coach maneuvering his New England Patriots like pawns into spots where they can shut down the NFL's best offense. If that happens, the Pats might just pull off one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets since Joe Namath "guaranteed" the New York Jets would beat Baltimore 33 years ago.

And if that happens, it would be an appropriate end to a somewhat disoriented Super Bowl.

The game was moved back a week, from Jan. 27, because of the terrorist attacks and now is designated a National Security Special Event, with local police, Secret Service and national guardsmen at every turn.

It's almost fitting that this particular title game features one of the NFL's pre-eminent defensive gurus.

"You have to prepare for anything when you face one of Bill's teams," says St. Louis coach Mike Martz, who seems to have spent the week preparing his team as much for what Belichick might throw at it than for what any individual New England player might do to it.

Listen to Rams quarterback Kurt Warner's recap of St. Louis' 24-17 win over New England on Nov. 18:

"We saw a 3-4 look. We saw a 4-3 look. We saw a 3-3 look, We saw a lot of different looks," Warner said. "I expect the same thing Sunday."

A variety of looks is a specialty of Belichick's, the son of an assistant coach at Navy. He was diagramming defenses before he was in his teens.

He was an NFL assistant at 23, defensive coordinator of the New York Giants at 33, and a head coach at Cleveland at 37, after he helped the Giants win their second Super Bowl. Until this season, however, he was a mediocre head coach in six seasons -- 42-56, including a 5-11 stint with New England a year ago.

He started 0-2 this year, lost quarterback Drew Bledsoe in game two but finished 11-5, winning the AFC East and two playoff games.

Still, today's game, like many Super Bowls, seems to be a blowout waiting to happen.

On one side are the Rams, seeking their second NFL title in three seasons and favored by more than two touchdowns to do just that.

Their 14-2 regular-season record was the NFL's best; they led the league in offense; they were third in defense; they allowed 198 points fewer than last season; and they outscored their opponents by more than two touchdowns per game.

Warner was the league MVP, his 4,830 passing yards the second best (behind Dan Marino) by any quarterback in any season. And running back Marshall Faulk, who had his fourth straight 2,000-yard season of combined yardage, was offensive player of the year.

On the other side are the Patriots, picked in the preseason as no better than fourth in the AFC East.

When Bledsoe got hurt, up stepped Tom Brady, a fourth-stringer