While it is a surprise to see the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, it would be even more shocking if the Rams weren’t on the field on Sunday.
A lot of people were disappointed to see the heavily favored Rams actually make it to the Super Bowl, but none the less this solid St. Louis team will compete for the league’s championship in New Orleans.
For the most part, the Rams went to work every Sunday and handed some poor team — except for Tampa Bay and New Orleans, the only two teams to beat them this season — a good trouncing, never letting them get close.
In the playoffs, Brett Favre and the Packers certainly didn’t interrupt their schedule. At times it seemed as though Favre was even helping the Rams win the game. Then, against the Eagles, the final score was close, but the Rams were clearly in control of the game.
And now comes the unlikely Patriots. Even if the game turns into a blowout, which odds say it will be, these teams bring a lot of interesting storylines to this game.
Everybody knows about the Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady situation in New England. And everyone knows about the amazing life story of Kurt Warner, the former stock boy at the local grocery store.
Despite these popular story lines there are a couple of players in this Super Bowl that the casual observer probably wouldn’t recognize. Two 11-year veterans, Aeneas Williams of the Rams and Bryan Cox of the Patriots are both playing in their first Super Bowl.
Both players have seen success individually, but have never been on successful teams. Going to New Orleans for the Super Bowl is a bit of a homecoming for Williams, as he is originally from Louisiana.
Williams spent his first 10 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, the perennial losers of the NFC East. This was his first year with the Rams, and he is a big reason why their defense has become so formidable.
Unlike Williams, Cox has seen a much different path on his way to the Super Bowl. Cox started his career with the Miami Dolphins and quickly established himself as one of the most fiery, if not dirty, players in the league.
After five seasons in Miami, Cox played with Chicago for two seasons, and then with the New York Jets for three seasons. The Patriots acquired him only one month before this season started, and he has provided leadership and intensity for a young defense as well as continuing as a physical presence on the field.
After a long career Cox is in disbelief about finally making it to the big game. “After the AFC championship game, I was smoking a cigar and it finally hit me: for the first time in my 11 years in the NFL, I’m going to play in the Super Bowl,” Cox wrote in a diary.
Whether or not the Patriots can actually beat the Rams remains to be seen, but win or lose, for two players at least it should be a night to remember.