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CNN Live At Daybreak

It Hasn't Struck Midnight Yet for NFL's Cinderella Team

Aired January 28, 2002 - 05:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It hasn't struck midnight yet for NFL's Cinderella team. What a great game. The New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl after beating Pittsburgh for the AFC title.

As CNN's Tom Rinaldi reports, they did it with special teams.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM RINALDI, CNN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: It was a play the Patriots practice every Thursday, one they've run literally thousands of times. A blocked field goal scooped off the turf and returned for a touchdown. Rarely, if ever, does it feature a pitch. It did Sunday. A pitch by Troy Brown that followed a punt return for a touchdown by Troy Brown. Two special teams' returns, equaling a New England return to the Super Bowl.

TROY BROWN, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: That kick came back in and we got a good chance to return it. And it was supposed to be a left return, but the guys overplayed it to the outside and then we saw -- I saw a seam (ph) up the middle and just hit it.

ANTWAN HARRIS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: The interior line did a great job coming up the middle to get the block. And me and Troy contained players. Troy was able to pick up the ball and, you know, I was like, "Troy, Troy, throw it back to me." And it was on (ph) from there. I almost (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at first, but I won't stop it. If I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it, I won't stop. But I got to go to the celebration. We'll see you at the Super Bowl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey I'm (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I'm glad, man. I'm going to celebrate, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. Thank you.

BILL BELICHICK, NEW ENGLAND HEAD COACH: You know, I can't tell you how many times that play has happened in practice. And, you know, to see it, you know, work the way it did out on the field today was -- you know, that's where all that hard work pays off.

BILL COWHER, PITTSBURGH HEAD COACH: It's hard to overcome, you know, the two big returns, I think, in a kicking game. And it was a hole we dug for ourselves, and it was a hole we could not get out of. And we fought ourselves back, but we fell short. BROWN: I always feel like if you've got a player that's good on special teams, you've got to have him on the field. You've got to find a way to get him on the field. And that would be a team win (ph) games, you know. And the special team is such a vital part of the game, and people don't understand, you know, why would you have a guy returning kicks and blocking and trying to block kicks or whatever. But it's a vital part of the football game, and no matter how much you want to downplay it, those guys on the special teams play a huge role.

RINALDI: After the game, many of the Patriots went out of their way to proclaim Troy Brown the team MVP. But during the season, Brown and Kevin Faulk (ph), coined a deceptively simple phrase which became, in effect, the team motto: "Do what you do." Sunday, Brown certainly did. And as a result, he'll get to keep doing it at Super Bowl XXXVI.

In Pittsburgh, I'm Tom Rinaldi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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