Patriot Linebacker Becomes a Big Catch

New England’s Mike Vrabel has become one of the most prolific receivers in Super Bowl history.

Not bad for a linebacker.

Vrabel caught his second touchdown pass in the Super Bowl in two years, helping the Patriots defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21, on Sunday night to repeat as NFL champions.

“I’m still trying to believe this happened again,” Vrabel said. “I didn’t expect it last year and I didn’t expect to do it again.”

Vrabel’s two-yard catch early in the third quarter gave the Patriots a 14-7 lead and tied him with Michael Irvin, John Taylor and 12 others for sixth on the Super Bowl career touchdown list. Jerry Rice tops the list with eight career touchdowns.

So Vrabel is in pretty good company, especially for a linebacker.

“That’s a good list to be on,” tight end Jed Weaver said. “That’s the epitome of this team. We put guys into position to do great things.”

Vrabel played the game of his life on sports’ biggest stage in last year’s Super Bowl against the Carolina Panthers. He caught a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter that helped the Patriots win. He also had six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

He had two tackles and a sack Sunday, but his catch got more attention.

Vrabel had defensive end Jevon Kearse pulling his jersey when he tipped the pass from Tom Brady to cap the opening drive of the second half. Then, as he was falling, Vrabel maintained concentration and grabbed the ball.

Vrabel had two touchdown catches during the regular season. Now, he has five career catches -- all for touchdowns.

Vrabel said he doesn’t get to practice the play very often.

“Coach [Bill] Belichick gets mad at me in practice,” Vrabel said, explaining that the coach’s anger stems from the trash talking Vrabel does as a member of the scout team, which simulates the opposing team’s style of play. “So he won’t throw to me in practice. But in the game, he has no choice.”

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It might have been the most important play of his career.

And the easiest.

New England tight end Christian Fauria made a huge play in the Patriots’ win, recovering an onside kick by Philadelphia with 1:47 to play.

As the blockers in front of him sealed him in a cozy pocket, Fauria snared the ball cleanly, taking a step and sliding to the turf before any Eagles got close.

“It wasn’t a very good kick,” said Fauria, a former football and basketball standout at Crespi High in Encino. “It bounced right to me. I had so much space that it was just easy.”

It isn’t always that way.

“The first thing I tell the guys in front of me is, ‘Make sure you block somebody,’ ” he said. “Because if they let somebody through, I can get my head taken off. ... The only thing I’m thinking about is getting my hands on the ball and getting my butt on the ground. I don’t care if I get knocked out, I just want to get my hands on the ball and hold on.”

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All week long, Patriot defensive back Rodney Harrison kept saying he didn’t care what Eagle receiver Freddie Mitchell had been saying, didn’t care that Mitchell claimed he knew only the numbers, but not the names of the other Patriot defensive backs, didn’t care that Mitchell said he had something for Harrison once they got on the field.

OK, so Harrison lied. He did care.

“Of course, of course,” said Harrison when he asked if he was determined to shut down Mitchell.

“I told my teammates [in the defensive backfield],” Harrison said, “that the way to make people know who you are is show them who you are and this is a wonderful stage to do it on.”

They certainly showed Mitchell who caught one pass for 11 yards.

Mitchell said he not only didn’t have anything for Harrison, but added that the two didn’t speak on the field.

As for his failure to catch more than one pass, Mitchell said, “I was doing what the team wanted me to do. If I had gotten more opportunities, I would have made more noise on the field.”

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Eagle wide receiver Todd Pinkston, criticized for a tendency to short-arm passes in traffic, did quite a bit to change his reputation, for as long as he could stay in the game.

He went over the middle for a 17-yard catch in the second quarter, and two plays later, he leaped between the hashes for a 40-yard reception, both times in traffic.

Pinkston had four catches for 82 yards in the first half.

His third quarter was not as productive. He jumped too early on a deep pass down the middle and later left because of hamstring cramps, going to the locker room for intravenous fluids. He tried to return but could not.

Times staff writers Steve Springer and Sam Farmer contributed to this report.