ST. LOUIS – Super Bowl XXXVI will be a rematch of the St. Louis Rams’ 24-17 win over New England on Nov. 18 at Foxboro Stadium.
The championship game will begin at 5:18 p.m. CST Sunday in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
“We won’t get much sleep this week,” Rams head coach Mike Martz said after their 29-24 win over Philadelphia in the NFC Championship game at the Edward Jones Dome. “They (the Patriots) are as well-rounded and well-coached in all three phases of the game as any team in this league.
“He (Bill Belichick) just does a terrific job coaching that team.”
Rams quarterback Kurt Warner completed 30 of 42 passes for 401 yards and three touchdowns in the November win over the Patriots. Marshall Faulk ran 20 times for 83 years and caught seven passes for 70 yards against the Pats, who are 8-0 since the loss to St. Louis.
“What a run they’ve been on since we played them,” said Martz, whose team is 8-1 since the win in New England. The Rams are 16-2 overall; the Pats 13-5 after their 24-17 win over Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game Sunday.
Fox’ top broadcasting team of Pat Summerall and John Madden will call the Super Bowl, with sideline reports by Ron Pitts. The network’s studio team-James Brown, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Cris Colllinsworth-will handle the pregame show and halftime highlights.
Pop music star Mariah Carey will sing the national anthem, and Paul McCartney will be part of the pregame show as he sings a song dedicated to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The games marks the second Super Bowl in three years for the Rams, and fourth overall. They beat Tennessee 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV on Jan. 30, 2000, in Atlanta, and lost 31-19 to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XIV on Jan. 20, 1980, in Pasadena, Calif.
The Patriots are 0-2 in their Super Bowl appearances. They lost 35-21 to Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXI on Jan. 26, 1997, and lost 46-10 to the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX on Jan. 26, 1986.
Both games were in New Orleans.