In a Super Bowl without superstars, the front four of the Carolina Panthers lurks.

In the most defensive Super Bowl since the No-Name defense of the Miami Dolphins beat the Over-the-Hill Gang of the Washington Redskins 14-7 after the 1972 season, the Panthers' front four needs a nickname.

First, the real names. Not many casual football fans can tick off Mike Rucker, Brentson Buckner, Kris Jenkins and Julius Peppers as the best front four in football.

Rucker is the sack leader. Peppers is the athlete called a potential Lawrence Taylor when he was drafted No. 1 last year. Buckner is the big, run-stuffing veteran tackle. Jenkins is the new Warren Sapp, simply the best defensive lineman in the game.

If the Panthers are to upset the New England Patriots, the front four will have to do it. Sapp thinks it's a mismatch the Patriots' offensive line can't handle.

"Sapp doesn't have to play them," Buckner said.

If the Patriots try to spread out the Panthers, the front four must get to Brady before Brady can get to his receivers.

"He gets the ball out so fast that it's hard. We have to try to get our hands up and knock balls down," Rucker said.

"We need to get into his head a little bit," Peppers said.

Brady understands the challenge.

"They are as tough as any D-line we have faced," Brady said. "Kris Jenkins is one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Rucker and Peppers are two of the best ends. They're fierce. They fight all day. I don't think they compare to too many defensive lines we've faced."

But they aren't Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain or Minnesota's Purple People Eaters or the Los Angeles Rams' Fearsome Foursome.

"We don't want nicknames," Buckner said. "Nicknames come from when you do something. We haven't won any championships. That's when the names come."

They rarely substitute with Shane Burton and Al Wallace, so a no-huddle attack could take a toll.

"I think it's going to be a street fight," Jenkins said. "New England has the same philosophy about football as we do. It's not anything like superstars going out and catching fancy passes; it's who will win the battle in the trenches."

Peppers was coach John Fox's reward when he took over from coach George Seifert after a 1-15 season in 2001. Suspended for substance abuse at the end of a terrific rookie season in what he called an unfortunate mistake, Peppers didn't have the sack numbers this year, but certainly got attention.

Peppers will be playing in the stadium that would have been home had the Houston Texans picked him instead of quarterback David Carr in their first draft.

"I was thinking I wanted to be a Texan," Peppers said. "But as the draft got closer I was really thinking the Panthers were a great fit for me. I am from North Carolina. I played college football in North Carolina. They wanted to build this team around the defense. I am happy and look, we are in the Super Bowl."

The Patriots will try to run Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk, but they know it's only to slow down the rush. Neither team expects to "establish the run" in this defensive classic. If either team does, it will decide the outcome.

"Our biggest issue is first we're going to stop the run," Jenkins said. "At the same time we want to get pressure. We don't just go out there to play, we go out there to try and dominate the game."

The hype for the front four is building so fast that New England rookie center Dan Koppen was asked if his team was awed.

"I think we respect them," Koppen said. "You can't go into the game intimidated by them. We overcome that by just working together."

If the Panthers lose, the front four will have to wait at least another year for proper recognition.

"If you win the Super Bowl, everything changes," Jenkins said. "All of a sudden, everyone says, 'The Panthers are so good.' We know that winning this game would put the icing on the cake."

Q: Do you think Terrell Owens will end up in Philadelphia next season? They really need a receiver who can actually catch the ball besides Freddie Mitchell.
--Ryan, Philadelphia

A: Only if the Eagles finally decide they are desperate. Owens is not the kind of presence who fits into most team concepts, but after three straight losses in the NFC title game and scoring only three points at home against Carolina in the latest debacle, coach Andy Reid might come to the conclusion that Todd Pinkston and James Thrash aren't the answer. It is doubtful, however, that the salary-cap conscious Eagles will overspend on one high-maintenance player.

Q: Will the NFC East be wide open next season, seeing the changes that were made in Dallas and the fact the Giants and Redskins have made coaching changes? Are the Eagles still the team to beat in the NFC East ?
--Sean Chipchase, Aurora, Colo.

A: The defending champions are always the team to beat, but this will be the most interesting division in the league next season with Joe Gibbs and Tom Coughlin following Bill Parcells back to coaching. They are all chasing Philadelphia's Andy Reid, and you would have to say Parcells has the best shot at catching him. The Cowboys were a year ahead of the normal progression for a Parcells team. In year two, they usually are playoff-bound. Parcells has promised to fix the problems, and he better do it this year before Gibbs and Coughlin catch him in Washington and New York.

Q: Now that the Cowboys know what they have to work with, who will they go for in the draft? Running back or defensive end maybe?
--Joseph Candler, Burleson, Texas

A: Given a choice between those two positions, it would be defensive end because they are harder to find than running backs. A serviceable running back can be found in free agency and the Cowboys could make a play for Cincinnati's Corey Dillon or Philadelphia's Duce Staley.

Q: Can Green Bay keep the magic going next season? Should Mike Sherman have someone else calling the plays, maybe let Brett Favre call his own?
--Jim Whitt, Cumberland, Wis.

A: Favre wouldn't want to call his own after all these years. He still has enough trouble with his decision-making, as his last wild interception revealed. He's a gunslinger, so play-calling is important in keeping him under wraps. Play-calling wasn't a problem against Philadelphia in the Divisional loss either. It was Sherman's decision-making. He should have kicked a field goal before the half when he was stopped on fourth down at the goal line. At the end, he should have gone for it on fourth down to keep the Eagles from getting the ball and completing that crazy fourth and 26 pass. Firing defensive coordinator Ed Donatell might have been a hasty decision, too. Changing offensive coordinator Tom Rossley's role would be a mistake.

Q: Bringing Dan Marino into the Dolphins management when he has zero management experience is zero management judgment! What do you think of simply looking at the head coach to turn it up a notch as in being a better coach or head for the highway?
--Vinney Turk, Shelby County, Ala.

A: Agreed on both counts. Owner Wayne Huizenga had to look like he was doing something after he gave Dave Wannstedt a two-year extension, so he brought in Marino to oversee the operation. If Wannstedt can't get this team into the playoffs next year, he'll be fired and Huizenga will eat the two years. But it won't be Marino making the decision. Huizenga will make it.

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