Sean Salisbury's Super Bowl breakdown


Focal Point: In the line of fire


Focal Point: Super backs


Focal Point: Reeves vs. Shanahan


Focal Point: Romo vs. Tuggle


Focal Point: Chandler vs. Broncos secondary



  Friday, Jan. 29 3:57pm ET
Focal Point: Andersen vs. Elam

The Matchup:
Falcons K Morten Andersen vs. Broncos K Jason Elam.

The Question:
Who would you rather have take a clutch kick in the Super Bowl?

Morten Andersen   Jason Elam
 
FIELD GOALS: 23-28 | PATs: 51-52

By Anthony Munoz
Special to ESPN.com

Morten Andersen hasn't been in a Super Bowl before, but he's made clutch kicks in big games and has the experience of having played in the league for 17 years.

As a former player, thinking of kickers who've been consistent, right away you think of Andersen. He's 38 years old, but to still have enough strength in that leg to make long kicks speaks volumes about what he does everyday to prepare himself. He's been able to maintain kicking range, and that goes back to the focus and concentration he's had during his career.

Andersen has kicked in a dome for most of his career, but then again Elam has been kicking in thin air most of the time. That's like hitting a home run at Coors Field; the ball carries.

The air will be a little heavier in Miami, but Andersen will have a week to kick in Miami. It's not like he'll have to go the day before and take several kicks during the walk-through practice. He'll be adjusted to the conditions, and I don't think playing outside as opposed to in a dome will be factor for Anderson.

You look at players like Andersen and Jessie Tuggle. They've been excellent players on bad teams. But Andersen was finally able to make the winning kick in a championship game. After all those years, that's what makes it special, seeing a guy like Andersen not only make a momumental kick, but to be in a Super Bowl.

  FIELD GOALS: 23-27 | PATs: 58-58

By Mike Golic
Special to ESPN.com

Jason Elam kicked last year in the Super Bowl, so obviously he has the experience. That won't be a factor. The game was outdoors last year in San Diego, and it's outdoors again this year in Miami. So that's not a factor either.

He has proven to have both a strong and accurate leg. He kicked a record-tying 63-yard field goal, and he's having a year of accuracy close to what Minnesora's Gary Anderson had. Elam has grown into that role of being able to kick field goals of 40-plus yards consistently. Kickers are really judged by how well they kick the 40-plus field goals, because then teams know when the Broncos get to the 35-yard line, they can be comfortable with kicking a field goal.

Elam had three huge field goals against the Jets. That got the Broncos in the game. He kicked the 44-yard field goal after the Broncos got the ball back after recovering a fumbled kickoff. Then he hit a 48-yarder. He knew how to play the wind, and he was accurate.

His performance was about as clutch as it gets because the conditions at Mile High Stadium weren't optimal for kicking. That really builds confidence in a kicker, and we all know a kicker's mentality can be pretty fragile.

Elam has been kicking on grass all season, while Andersen has only kicked on grass three times. There's no doubt a kicker gets used to a surface. Andersen is a fantastic kicker and a Hall of Famer, but when you have more games on grass than turf and the game's on grass, there's an advantage for Elam.

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