SUPER BOWL REPORT

Impact Player: Ram quarterback Kurt Warner. He couldn’t put the ball in the end zone but marched his team downfield twice and quickly answered any question of whether he would be nervous. The only drawback to Warner was ABC’s coverage. The network lavished Warner with praise at every opportunity.

Missed Opportunity: Each team missed a field-goal attempt, the Rams because Mike Horan couldn’t set the ball down properly for Jeff Wilkins, the Titans because Al Del Greco hooked his 47-yard attempt to the left.

Did You Notice? Al Michaels can’t count. Time after time, he would announce that a run or pass was for a certain number of yards, and he was almost always wrong. Hey Al, it’s your job to watch the game and give the right information. If you get it wrong, correct yourself.

Highlight Reel: Warner and Marshall Faulk caught the Titans off-guard with a quick count and hooked up for a 52-yard pass play down the right sideline. It was Faulk’s first real action of the game.

Best Number: The $2 million spent by E-Trade on the dancing chimp commercial. I’m not sure if it will make me use their Web site, but it was funny.

Worst Number: The Titans “amassed” eight yards rushing. For some reason, the Titans seemed to be holding Eddie George in reserve. Didn’t they realize there’s no game next week?

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Impact Players: The Ram defense, which harassed and hurried Titan quarterback Steve McNair, who completed only two of seven passes in the quarter. McNair was inept in the first half, overthrowing several receivers and looking nervous throughout.

Missed Opportunity: Three times the Rams had a chance to score a touchdown in the quarter, three times they failed, coming away with only two field goals. The score could easily have been 28-0 at halftime, instead of 9-0.

Did You Notice? The Titans really missed Marcus Robertson, their captain on defense who was sidelined with an injury. Without him, the Tennessee defense seemed confused at times, and didn’t have anyone to take charge when Warner was moving the Rams downfield.

Highlight Reel: The Titan defense stopped the Rams on first and goal with less than a minute to play, giving the Tennessee offense a chance in the second half.

Best Number: Warner passed for 277 yards in the half and attempted 35 passes, a Super Bowl record.

Worst Number: The Rams scored a touchdown 66% of the time they had the ball in the red zone during the regular season. On Sunday, they were 0 for five in the first half. They certainly didn’t look like the same offensive powerhouses they were during the season.

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Impact Player: Ram receiver Torry Holt. He was solid all game, and it was fitting that he scored the game’s first touchdown. His nine-yard catch was his seventh reception, and gave him 109 yards receiving.

Missed Opportunity: Through three quarters, the championship game missed an opportunity to be entertaining. Even the commercials, usually the highlight of any Super Bowl, were generally awful.

Did You Notice? ABC kept showing Warner’s wife throughout the game. That was bad enough, but then they kept showing her when Blaine Bishop of the Titans was injured. Didn’t the Titans have anyone relatives or wives in the stands? Regis Philbin has less of a presence on ABC than Warner did Sunday.

Highlight Reel: Trailing, 16-0, with the ball at the Ram 25, McNair faked a pass and ran up the middle for 23 yards, setting up the Titans’ first touchdown. Where had that play been earlier in the game?

Best Number: 15. That’s how many minutes were left in this lackluster game after the quarter ended. And it ended up being 15 of the best minutes in Super Bowl history.

Worst Number: 37:40. That’s how long it took, in game time, before a touchdown was scored. But after the first touchdown, the scoring started to flow.

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Impact Player: Isaac Bruce. His game-winning reception was as good a play as any receiver has ever made. It took the spotlight away from Eddie George, who took over the game for the Titans and almost single-handedly carried them to the 16-16 tie.

Missed Opportunity: Mike Jones’ tackle on the game’s final play stopped the Titans’ last threat one yard short of the goal line, and denied us the first Super Bowl overtime.

Did You Notice? Once again, ABC decided that the key touchdown, Bruce’s 73-yard reception, was an opportunity to continue “The Kurt Warner Story.” Michaels and Boomer Esiason talked about the great pass Warner made (complete with shots of Warner’s wife), when it was obviously Bruce with the outstanding effort on a pass that was underthrown.

Highlight Reel: Bruce’s game-winning reception, Jones’ game-saving tackle and McNair escaping the grasp of two defenders to complete a pass to Kevin Dyson.

Best Number: After combining for nine in the first half, the teams combined for 30 points in the second half.

Worst Number: Five. That’s the number of seasons since the Rams played in Los Angeles. Then again, after Georgia Frontiere’s postgame “This proves we made the right decision in coming to St. Louis” comment, good riddance to them.