Patriots Have Enough Power

FOXBORO, Mass. — An electrical failure caused an 11-minute delay in Sunday’s game, dimming the scoreboard and several of Foxboro Stadium’s lights.

A fuse blew in a Massachusetts Electric power transformer at 4:57 p.m., with a little more than 7 1/2 minutes remaining before halftime. The Patriots were about to line up a 29-yard field goal, which Adam Vinatieri successfully kicked 11 minutes later, before full power was restored.

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Patriot owner Bob Kraft announced to the crowd that Bill Parcells was “the greatest coach in the history of the modern game!”

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Defensive end Willie McGinest pointed to a lack of respect for the Patriots, claiming, “We just feed off that stuff.

“When anyone tells you that you can’t do something, or that your defense is too small or not good enough, we hear that stuff. We talk amongst each other and it gets us angry. Then we go out on Sundays and release that anger.”

And against Green Bay, two Sundays from now?

“It’ll be the same old story,” McGinest said.

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Parcells dedicated the game to Sam Gash, a Patriot fullback who had knee surgery Friday.

“Part of this is yours, kid. Now, you better be here Thursday for practice,” the coach joked.

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Rep. Tillie Fowler (R-Fla.) owes Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.) 50 pounds of Fernandina Beach white shrimp, having lost their wager on the game. Meehan risked two dozen lobsters.

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In three NFL conference championship games, Parcells-coached teams have given up one touchdown.

After the 1986 season, the New York Giants defeated Washington, 17-0, for the NFC title on the way to a Super Bowl victory over Denver. And after the 1990 season, the Giants defeated San Francisco, 15-13, then beat Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV.

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Even after the game, New England offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong was walking around Foxboro Stadium with an unhappy look on his face.

“I was still angry at the way our offense played,” he said, “but somebody ran by and said, ‘Get that look off your face. We’re going to the Super Bowl.’

“I guess it’s not always going to be pretty and it’s not always going to be perfect.”

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New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe is 9-1 as a starter in home games after Dec. 1. . . . Running back Curtis Martin’s one-yard touchdown run was the 15th consecutive home game in which he has scored. . . . The game began in 27-degree weather, with a windchill of zero.