This year, a battle of cerebral coaches

In fact, Belichick had snagged a spot in North Carolina State's graduate business program with a part-time job on Lou Holtz's coaching staff. But complications arose, and Belichick landed instead at the coaching table of the Colts' Ted Marchibroda. Halfway through the season, the young man was breaking down film of opposing teams - just as he had at age 10 for his father, Steve, longtime coach at the US Naval Academy.

"There really isn't a job I haven't done," he would say much later. "I made the airport runs and picked up the towels.... I know what 'entry level' means."

After stints with the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos, he began to shine in New York, where the Giants named him defensive coordinator in 1985. Belichick's unit became ranked as one of the best in the league and helped propel the Giants to two Super Bowl victories. In 1991, the Cleveland Browns made him the youngest head coach in the NFL.

It proved a stormy tenure. Demanding and detached, he was more at home analyzing film behind closed doors than reaching out to the media In 1993, he did the unforgivable in the eyes of fans - cutting quarterback Bernie Kosar.

Although the Browns made it to the second round of the playoffs the next year, Belichick's reputation didn't recover, and he was cut after the 1995 season as the team left Cleveland. Belichick went to New England, where he rejoined Bill Parcells, his old boss at the Giants, as defensive coordinator. He helped propel the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance, then followed Mr. Parcells to the New York Jets. When Parcells retired in January 2000, Belichick was handed the head coaching job.

Astoundingly, he declined it in a rambling press conference and accepted instead the head-coaching post at New England. It offered a chance for redemption after the bitter experience at Cleveland.

Just as Belichick struggled with communication at Cleveland, Martz as new head coach of the Rams faced a communication breakdown with his defense. Star players groused about contract problems. The unit sagged. Even though the Rams sparkled offensively, the defense became truly awful, and the 1999 champions quickly exited the playoffs in 2000.

In the off-season, Martz showed the same ruthless resolve as Belichick. He cut disgruntled stars and coaches, brought in eight new defensive players and a new coordinator, Lovie Smith. Amazingly, in a single season, the defense became one of the best in the league. The Rams began marching toward this Super Bowl with a sense of inevitability - or, as opposing coaches began to say openly, arrogance.

Martz ran up scores on opponents, they complained, used trick plays when games were already won, left in starters long after they had clinched the outcome, and publicly criticized opposing players by name. Even reporters who follow him remain baffled by Martz's Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde swings. "I have only one theory," wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz this week. "Six days a week, Martz is a nice guy. On Sunday, his competitiveness and creativity conspire against his judgment and he loses control at times."

But the new Rams coach has toned down his aggressive on-field attack at times. Meanwhile, Belichick has been seen high-fiving players and even cracking a smile at times.

Even critics give the second-chance coach his due. "Somehow, Belichick willed himself to outgrow his very serious limitations," Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston wrote recently. "The man who couldn't reach out here has touched all New England. It's called self-improvement, and I can't knock it."

So keep an eye on the sidelines this Sunday. The tight-lipped guru and the mad-cap wizard are sure to do something unpredictable.

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