THE Green Bay Packers will meet the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans in a fortnight following respective wins over the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFC and AFC championship finals yesterday.
This will be the Packers first Super Bowl since 1968. It will be only the Patriots' second visit to the decider in their 37 year existence.
"Our defence carried the dax and won the ball game for us, Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe said. "We put their backs to the wall and they came through for us. Now we have a shot at a championship."
The Patriots made their other appearance in 1986, when they were routed 46-10 by Chicago in the second most lopsided game in Super Bowl history.
"We know we're the underdog. Everybody expects us to lose again," New England's Willie McGinest said. "But we're going to go out there and show them "what we can do."
The Packers scored 10 points in the last 48 seconds of the second quarter to grab a 17-10 half time edge, then overpowered the Panthers after the break to reach the January 26th title game.
The Packers, who had an NFL best record of 13-3 in the regular season, won five titles in seven years in the 1960s but have not been to the Super Bowl in 29 years. They were beaten in last season's semi finals by Dallas.
The Packers won their 18th consecutive game at Lambeau Field, the 27th Green Bay triumph in their past 28 games at the NFL's most hallowed stadium. The Packers have also won all 11 play off games contested there.
Skin numbing wind chill temperatures of minus 14 centigrade did not slow Green Bay quarter back Brett Favre.
Favre, named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, completed 19 of 29 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns to ignite the Packers' attack to a team play off yardage record.
The Panthers, an underdog club of cast offs and young players that began play 16 months ago, saw an eight game winning streak ended.
The Panthers took advantage of a turnover to score first. Favre was intercepted by 37 year old Carolina linebacker Sam Mills, who ran the ball back eight yards to the Packer two yard line.
After nearly losing a fumble on first down, the Panthers found the end zone when quarterback Kerry Collins flipped his third touchdown pass of the season to running back Howard Griffith, a three yard throw 9:50 into the game.
The Packers evened the score at 7-7 on the first play of the second quarter. Dorsey Levens outleaped Carolina defender Eric Davis, a former San Francisco 49er, along the right sideline in the end zone to grab a 29 yard pass from Favre.
Levens timed his jump perfectly, then landed carefully to make certain his feet were in bounds and the touchdown good.
Carolina linebacker Lamar Lathon had taunted Favre after the interception that set up Carolina's touchdown, then pressured the Packer passer to help force a second quarter fumble that led to a score.
Carolina's Les Miller recovered to set up a 22 yard John Kasay field goal 8:40 before half time that put the Panthers ahead 10-7.
