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Byline: Armando Salguero
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. _ This Super Bowl's most important player?
Within an organization that embraces the team concept and rejects the NFL's monolithic star culture, his identity is no secret. Ask coach Bill Belichick or any New England player, and the answer is almost universally the same.
``We have a lot of important players,'' New England receiver David Givens said, ``but Tom Brady is the most important guy because he makes the checks and the reads. Tom's a great quarterback. He's the guy.''
He is undoubtedly New England's most important guy.
The Patriots won a Super Bowl without a running game last season. They won with three of their starting offensive linemen out and didn't allow a sack in the playoffs.
And they won games this season _ including the AFC Championship Game _ without either of their starting cornerbacks, with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour on the bench and two former first-round draft picks on injured reserve.