The players were given yesterday, today and tomorrow off before starting their preparations for the NFC-champion Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 6.

01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, January 25, 2005

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots arrived home early yesterday morning exhausted, worn out, completely spent. More importantly, they returned to Gillette Stadium as winners.

The AFC champions dismantled the Steelers, 41-27, on Sunday in Pittsburgh to advance to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years, and will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla., for football's Holy Grail.

But before the Patriots even think about the NFC champions, rest and recuperation will come first.

New England arrived at Gillette Stadium around 3:45 a.m. and, after a team meeting in the wee hours, coach Bill Belichick sent the team home for its much-needed R&R.

"We're kind of running on fumes here," Belichick said. "We got back late and we're trying to make arrangements for this week. Certainly, this is an exciting place to be. Once again, it was a terrific effort by our players [on Sunday]; they really stepped up and played a good football game against a good football

team in a tough environment.

"We're looking forward to getting started on our preparations for Philadelphia. We haven't done anything at all with them because we put all of our energy into the Steelers. We'll start working on the Eagles on Thursday."

The players were given yesterday, today and tomorrow off, but Belichick and his coaching staff were eager to begin preparations yesterday afternoon for Super Bowl XXXIX.

"Right now, I don't think we're ready to do anything," Belichick said. "We've got two weeks before the game, and we're going to need all that time to study the Eagles and familiarize ourselves with them, and to be able to execute a game plan against an outstanding football team. The Eagles have led the NFC from wire to wire, and we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

While most of the coaching staff did put all of its effort into the AFC Championship Game, other personnel on the staff already have broken down game tapes of the Eagles. Now, the rest of the team is ready to figure out the scouting reports and what they need to do in order to be successful.

"We have a lot of things we need to do this week," Belichick added. "And there will be more things to do next week, so we have to stay on schedule."

The Patriots will have 13 days to rest and prepare for the Eagles. The Pats return to Gillette on Thursday and will conduct meetings and practices at home before departing for Florida on Sunday.

"I don't know if it's beneficial," Belichick said of the time off. "It's a level playing field because the other team is working on the same schedule you are. In the Rams' Super Bowl, it was a short week, and it was a struggle just to get everything moved down (to New Orleans) and get relocated. The schedule (in Houston) last year was a little different than that, too. It is what it is, and it's the same for both teams."

There will be no rest for the weary when the Patriots awake from their slumber and celebration and prepare for their date with destiny. In the words of quarterback Tom Brady, "Their next ring will be the best ring," and the countdown to greatness is on.

"We know Philadelphia is a great football team," Belichick said. "They are well coached and have a lot of continuity and stability. We know we have to be at our best, and right now that's where our focus is. . . . We're thrilled to be here and we also understand how difficult it's going to be against the Eagles. There's nothing to celebrate yet. We're going to meet our biggest challenge."

No matter how tired, banged up or bruised they are.