Super
Bowl XXXIX - The Edge
Part 3: Special Teams - New England Patriots versus Philadelphia Eagles
In this third of four parts, we look at the Special Teams of the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles and give our view of which team has the edge.
Special Teams
Many games in the NFL are decided by the play of the Special Teams. In this year's NFC Championship, the Eagles' Special Teams clearly outperformed the Special Teams of the Atlanta Falcons providing them with better field position throughout the game. The Eagles kicker David Akers was able to master the swirling winds at Lincoln Financial Field. Dirk Johnson's punting continually gave Atlanta a long field to play while Atlanta's punter Chris Mohr struggled on every punt.
The Eagles have the best kicker in the NFC with All-Pro David Akers. The Patriots have the best kicker in the AFC with kicked Adam Vinatieri. Both teams' punters have had excellent seasons. The return men for both teams have frequently provided their teams with excellent field position. Both teams have dangerous kickoff return men. Across the board these two teams stack up evenly.
If one team has any advantage, the Eagles kicker, David Akers, has a slightly more powerful foot, but Super Bowl XXXIX is not going to be a game of field goals. Both of these teams score touchdowns and rarely risk a 50+ yard field goal which, if missed, provides their opponent with good field position.
Field Goals
| Player | 1-29 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-40 | 50+ |
| Adam Vinatieri | 0/0 | 13/13 | 7/7 | 11/12 | 0/1 |
| David Akers | 0/0 | 4/4 | 6/7 | 15/18 | 2/3 |
Punting
| Player | No | Avg | Net | TB | Inside 20 | Long | Blocked |
| Josh Miller | 56 | 42.0 | 33.7 | 5 | 19 | 69 | 0 |
| Dirk Johnson | 72 | 42.1 | 37.4 | 6 | 20 | 62 | 0 |
Punt Return
| Player | Ret | FC | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
| Kevin Faulk | 20 | 11 | 133 | 6.7 | 16 | 0 |
| Troy Brown | 12 | 3 | 83 | 6.9 | 23 | 0 |
| Dexter Wynn | 18 | 7 | 194 | 10.8 | 40 | 0 |
| Reno Mahe | 19 | 8 | 109 | 5.7 | 25 | 0 |
Kickoff Return
| Player | No | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
| Bethel Johnson | 41 | 1016 | 24.8 | 93 | 1 |
| Patrick Pass | 6 | 115 | 19.2 | 24 | 0 |
| J.R. Reed | 33 | 761 | 23.1 | 66 | 0 |
| Roderick Hood | 15 | 336 | 22.4 | 45 | 0 |
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The Edge |
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| LARGE | SLIGHT | EVEN | SLIGHT | LARGE |
Part 1 - The
Offense
Part 2 - The Defense
Part 4 - Coaching / Intangibles