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January 31, 2004
Ready at the Right Time
Morgan, an oft-injured linebacker, is healthy for the Super Bowl
By John Delong | JOURNAL REPORTER
HOUSTON
Dan Morgan has been hurt almost as often as he's been healthy during his three seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
He has missed 18 games altogether, and has been able to finish only 25 of a possible 51 regular-season and playoff games in that span.
A broken leg sidelined him in his rookie season. A sports hernia felled him last year. And this year, he missed one stretch with a strained hamstring and another because of a concussion. In another stretch, he played with a broken hand.
But timing is everything, and Morgan has picked the perfect time to regain his health.
He enters Sunday night's Super Bowl XXXVIII between the Panthers and New England Patriots feeling better than he's felt since the season started.
"I am 100 percent right now," Morgan said as the countdown to Sunday's 6:25 p.m. kickoff continued. "I started out the season with problems, but the past six weeks, I've really felt like myself. I'm ready to go."
Morgan has been outstanding from his middle linebacker position throughout the Panthers' march to the Super Bowl.
He has been the team's leading tackler in two of the three playoff wins, with 13 in the Panthers' 14-3 win at Philadelphia in the NFC championship game, and 12 in the Panthers' 29-10 over Dallas in the first round. He also had a clutch interception in the red zone in the win at Philadelphia.
He had eight tackles in the 29-23 overtime win at St. Louis in the second round.
Chalk it up to feeling good.
"It's tough to play when you're not really right," he said. "After the concussion I really didn't know how to deal with it for a while. You think you're OK, but you're really not. Your brain is messed up and you're thinking all wrong and feeling different. The couple weeks I sat out, I think that was the smartest thing I could have done. Ever since I've come back, I've felt right again."
He knows that his play will go a long way in determining the Panthers' success defensively on Sunday night. The Patriots' short passing game, and the quick release of quarterback Tom Brady, mean he'll have to react quickly all night and use his speed to cover sideline to sideline.
"They like throwing the ball underneath a lot, so I'll get a lot of opportunities to make plays in the passing game," Morgan said. "And when they run the ball, I should be able to make plays, too."
The Panthers' goal on defense, he said, is to come out aggressive and set the tone for the game early.
"I think we need to establish the fact that we're going to come and hit you for 60 minutes," he said. "We'll have 11 guys running to the football on every play, and just making big plays. It's going to be important to be physical. If you're being physical, guys aren't running through the hole as fast because they're thinking about being hit. Receivers aren't going up as high for balls because they're worried about getting hit. We need to hit them every opportunity we get."
He scoffs at the suggestion that this could wind up being a dull Super Bowl.
"I don't think it's going to be a boring game," he said. "I think it's going to be a great game. As far as people saying that, it really doesn't matter what people say. One of us is going to go home with a Super Bowl ring, and hopefully it's us. If I walk out of here with a Super Bowl ring, I really won't care what anybody says."
• John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com