What Patriots must do to win

NEW ORLEANS -- The assignment is simple: Figure out what the St. Louis Rams must do to win Sunday's Super Bowl XXXVI against the New England Patriots.

Here's a hint: Show up.

That's what most would think, anyway. The Rams are 14-point favorites -- the third-biggest spread in Super Bowl history -- and many believe they'll be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three years Sunday night.

The Rams must remember to run the ball with Marshall Faulk to open their passing game. (AP)

This much is guaranteed: It will be much harder than the experts think.

The Rams have won 16 games this season, losing only two. That says domination, as does a top-ranked offense and a top 10 defense.

It's a team loaded with stars, especially offensively. No matter what kind of plan Patriots coach Bill Belichick concocts to slow down Kurt Warner and that fast-break offense, the Rams will get their points.

On defense, the overall speed makes this a hard team to attack. Lovie Smith's simple yet effective scheme puts players in a position to make plays and prevent big gains.

Add it all up, and the only team that can defeat the Rams is the Rams. In the two losses, St. Louis turned it over a total of 14 times. They aren't lying when they say they beat themselves.

So what exactly do the Rams have to do to win Sunday? More than just show up. Here are five keys:

Protect Kurt Warner

The Patriots are very good at disguising their blitzes. Belichick is the master at fooling quarterbacks into making false reads with his elaborate defensive schemes, which can lead to quarterbacks holding the ball.

That's where mistakes are made. But if the Rams line can keep the Patriots off Warner, the St. Louis receivers are tough to defend -- even for a good secondary like New England's.

The Patriots don't have a great outside pass rusher, which means rookie defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who has really come on in the past two months, could be the key guy for St. Louis to block. Any pressure from him up the middle would throw off the timing of the Rams' passing game, which is vital to its success.

That means center Andy McCollum and guards Adam Timmerman and Tom Nutten have to have good games in pass protection.

If Warner stays upright, he will make the big plays.

Contain Troy Brown

The Pittsburgh Steelers showed last Sunday what can happen when you lose the special-teams battle.

New England got two special-teams scores in its AFC Championship Game victory, which got them to the Super Bowl. Troy Brown was involved in both.

He returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown, then picked up a blocked field goal and pitched it to Antwan Harris, who returned it for another score. The Rams have not been great on special teams, so they must find a way to contain Brown on punts.

Here's some advice: Kick it away from him.

Brown is also the favorite receiver of Tom Brady, so he has to be accounted for on all passing downs. He is especially good in the middle of the field.

Shut down Antowain Smith

The Patriots want a ball-control offense, especially against a high-scoring team like the Rams. That means the running game has to work to keep Warner off the field.

Shorten the game, much like the Giants did against the Bills in Super Bowl XXV. The Patriots have to be able to slow down the tempo.

But the Rams can ruin that two ways. One is to get ahead early; the other is to shut down the running game. Smith has had a big year for the Patriots, so the Rams must be stop him inside the tackles.

He runs a bit upright, so St. Louis needs to get early shots to take away some of his steam. If the Rams can limit Smith and turn the Patriots into a one-dimensional offense, they could make life miserable for Tom Brady.

Don't forget Marshall Faulk

Even though the Rams are a pass-first team, the Patriots can't forget that Faulk rushed for 159 yards Sunday in the victory over the Eagles.

Faulk is the guy who keys this offense. He has to get involved to help open things up for the pass down the field. Or if the pass is working, the Rams still have to find a way to get Faulk the ball, perhaps even as a receiver flanked out wide.

If they do get a lead, St. Louis has to feed Faulk the way it did against Philadelphia. He isn't the power back in a power offense, but he has proved he can handle a lot of carries.

Rams coach Mike Martz has abandoned the run in the past, but that can't happen against a great scheming strategist like Belichick.

Don't get overconfident

As 14-point favorites, all the pressure is on the Rams. They have to avoid thinking that by just stepping onto the field, they will get their second Super Bowl trophy in three years.

Martz must keep his team at an even keel as it takes the field. Treat it as if it were another regular-season game, and don't discount the Patriots.

The players insisted this week that won't happen, but the reality is they are heavy, heavy favorites.

"It doesn't even cross my mind that we're the favorites," Warner said. "The idea is it's just one game. And whether somebody says we should win by 14 or win by one, who cares?"

Still, being big favorites has to be in their heads. That's human nature. The key is finding a way to push it deep into the back of their minds so it doesn't have any bearing on what happens on Sunday.

That's a challenge.