Super Bowl XXXIX - The Edge

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Part 1: The Offense - New England Patriots versus Philadelphia Eagles

In this first of four parts, we look at the Offense of the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles and give our view of which team has the edge position by position.

Quarterback

Conventional wisdom and many football pundits will give this to Tom Brady, but that's nothing new for Donovan McNabb who has rarely received the credit he deserves. McNabb has had the perfect season leading the team to a 15-1 record in the games he has played. McNabb rarely throws an interception which is something that Brady cannot claim. Brady, on the other hand, is a strong team leader and is largely responsible for the Patriots' success in the past four years.

Quarterback Stats

Player	Att	Comp	Yards	Comp %	Yds/Att	TD	INT	Long	Sack/Lost	Rating
Brady	474	288	3962	60.8	7.8	28	14	50	26/162	92.6
McNabb	469	300	3875	64.0	8.3	31	8	80	32.192	104.7

Running Back

It's hard to argue about success and Corey Dillon is one of the league's top running backs. He has brought life back to the Patriot's anemic running game which was one of their few weaknesses in the past few years. Dillon is backed up by the player whose job he took this season, Kevin Faulk. Never a legitimate starter in the NFL, he has proven to be a good backup when called upon. Brian Westbrook's rushing stats are on a par with Dillon's considering he has almost half as many rushing attempts. What he brings to the table is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well as when he lines up as a receiver. His total yards from scrimmage are close to Dillon's. Dorsey Levens has filled the role of the Eagles' power back well after being called out of retirement during training camp. 

Rushing Stats

Player	No	Yards	Avg	Long	TD
Dillon	345	1635	4.7	44	12
Faulk	54	255	4.7	20	2
Westbrook	177	812	4.6	50	3
Levens	94	410	4.4	45	4

Receivers

This is one of the big question marks in this year's Super Bowl. The Eagles receiving corps was led by Terrell Owens whose status for Super Bowl XXXIX will likely not be finalized until game time. Owens' surgeon has not cleared him to play, but Owens insists he will play in the biggest game in his career. Assuming Owens does not play, the Eagles receiving corps is led by Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell, both of whom trailed running back Brian Westbrook in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The Eagles receivers have played well during the playoffs, but the loss of tight end Chad Lewis in the NFC Conference Championship is another big blow. 

The Patriots offer a balanced receiving corps with their three D's, David Givens, David Patten and Deion Branch. Together they accounted for 14 touchdowns, but Tom Brady, like Donovan McNabb, likes to spread the ball around. Other players, such as tight end Daniel Graham accounted for a total of 15 touchdown passes. 

Receiving Stats

Player	No	Yards	Avg	Long	TD
Givens	56	874	15.6	50	3
Patten	44	800	18.2	48	7
Branch	35	454	13	26	4
All Others	158	1622	10.3	48	15
Owens	77	1200	15.6	59	14
Westbrook	177	812	4.6	50	3
Pinkston	36	676	18.8	80	1
Mitchell	22	377	17.1	60	2
All Others	128	1252	9.78	31	9

Part 2 - The Defense
Part 3 - Special Teams
Part 4 - Coaching / Intangibles