"Super Bowl XXXIX" is special for me because after many years it finally featured my favorite team The Philadelphia Eagles in the big game. After four straight NFC championship appearances the Birds who lost three of them in which two they were favored finally broke thru and won their fourth time and finally made a trip to the Super Bowl. Yet the bad news would be the team they would play the talented and top notch AFC Champion New England Patriots who were making their third Super Bowl trip in four years, plus they had already won two. The game would begin typical and hard fought with each team feeling another out as both defenses blitzed and rattled QB's Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb and the first quarter would end scoreless 0-0. New England would finally break thru the aggressive Philly D by using screen passes and counter runs Tom Brady and the Pats O had found out that the short passing game works and it beats blitzes. Finally the birds offense came alive as moving the football had finally started with the help of WR Terrell Owens who would finish the game with 9 catches and 122 receiving yards. The score was tied 7-7 at the half. Second half Eagles running back Brian Westbrook would come alive with his versatile play of runs and catches as he catch a bullet of a pass from McNabb to tie the score at 14 going into the fourth quarter. Now if like me and an Eagles fan the fourth quarter gives you indigestion as the birds would fall behind 24-14 and yet instead of playing with a sense of hurry and urgency the offense stalled as coach Andy Reid played to conservative with short passes of dink and dunk and the bad clock management took time off the clock as the late TD pass to Greg Lewis cut the lead to 24-21 yet it was to late. The Pats would close out and a great game was had from WR Deion Branch game MVP and he tied the Super Bowl record with 11 receptions. The birds would get one last rally try with little time left only to have QB Donovan McNabb throw his third interception that ended Philly's hope with 17 seconds left. To bad the Eagles tried as hard as they could and flew high just not high enough a tough loss for any Philadelphia Eagles fan.
