COACHING IS PATS' STRENGTH.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

Coaching: The Patriots did not start out the season particularly well, opening 3-3, but their strong finish is a testament to Bill Parcells' ability to squeeze the most out of a roster that is not exactly flush with talent. Al Groh and former Cleveland coach Bill Belichick have done a commendable job with the defense, which gave up only three field goals to two playoff opponents - Pittsburgh and explosive Jacksonville. Parcells seems to do some of his best preparation work for games of this magnitude. Buffalo's offense appeared unstoppable in the 1990 season, scoring 51 points against the L.A. Raiders in the title game, before Parcells' New York Giants reduced it to a fizzle in the Super Bowl.

Quarterback: Drew Bledsoe has become the NFL quarterback with the proverbial curl in the middle of his forehead: You never know what you're going to get from this player of admittedly abundant physical gifts. Bledsoe's interception total exceeded or equalled his touchdown total in half of his games this season, although he has played better since getting picked three times in a loss at Dallas in mid-December. He'll need to be firmly on his game for the Patriots to have a chance. Like Green Bay's Brett Favre, Bledsoe has been durable; his backup, Scott Zolak, attempted only three passes all year.

Running backs: After an excellent regular season (1,152 yards rushing, 14 TDs), Curtis Martin has been dazzling in the playoffs, gaining 166 yards with three TDs against Pittsburgh. (He quieted down to 59 yards, but added another TD, against Jacksonville.) There's little question Martin is important to the New England attack, but the October acquisition Keith Byars might be more so. He's listed as a fullback on the depth chart, but he often is used as, essentially, a tight end - the Patriots like to flank him out or send him in motion and then take advantage of his considerable pass-catching skill. It's provided a key element of versatility to the attack. Dave Meggett, with his darting running style, nicely complements Martin's wham-wham-wham.

Receivers: Ohio State's Terry Glenn was available at the seventh pick of last year's first round. What a catch. Glenn had a phenomenal rookie season, with 90 catches, 1,132 yards and six touchdowns. The presence of Glenn and the equally speedy Shawn Jefferson has been a key factor in reducing the strain on tight end Ben Coates, who remains a deadly threat inside the opponent's 20-yard line (nine touchdowns).

Offensive line: So much for the prevailing wisdom that star-studded offensive lines offer the surest route to the Super Bowl. Beyond Bruce Armstrong - one of the best left tackles in the game - New England's line, like Green Bay's, is strictly pedestrian. Guards William Roberts and Todd Rucci, center Dave Wohlabaugh and tackle Max Lane are performing at the outer limits of their limited ability levels. Somehow, the Patriots got here in spite of it. In an important indicator of offensive-line prowess, New England ranked 26th (fifth from last) in rushing offense, and averaged only 3.4 per carry.

Defensive line: Former USC linebacker Willie McGinest, who plays right defensive end in this system, has emerged as a pivotal figure in the New England defense. McGinest, who led the team with 9-1/2 sacks, lines up with tackles Mark Wheeler and Pio Sagapolutele and former Raiders thug Ferric Collons at the other end. But the Patriots get pretty tricky with their defensive front, particularly in passing situations, by bringing rookie Tedy Bruschi onto the field. Sometimes he'll stand over a guard as a linebacker, sometimes he'll put his hand in the dirt and become a lineman. He'll alternately rush or drop into coverage, as the Patriots keep opponents guessing as to whether they're in a three-man or four-man line.

Linebackers: Second-year man Ted Johnson has wreaked havoc on running attacks from his middle linebacker spot, collecting 87 unassisted tackles (115 overall), with 13 more tackles in the playoffs. At 240 pounds, he's not easily pushed around. There is plenty of pass-rushing help, too, notably in weak-side linebacker Chris Slade (nine sacks, including the playoffs) and Bruschi off the bench. On the strong side, Todd Collins is an average player who has been performing pretty well lately.

Secondary: It's beginning to appear as if Willie Clay was implanted with a football-seeking device before this season. The Patriots free safety was second to Johnson in tackles while also intercepting four passes and batting down 13 others. In the playoffs, he has picked off a pass in each of New England's games, including a game-saver against Jacksonville in the title game. Rookie Lawyer Milloy had provided a nice complement at strong safety, knocking the whey out of everyone who comes near. At corner, Ty Law is a physical defender who does some fine work, but journeyman Otis Smith has proven an easy mark. ``The problem they have is with Otis Smith covering anybody,'' said an NFL scout. ``Smith on (Andre) Rison? If you're looking for a mismatch, there it is.''

Special teams: David Meggett might not be as slippery in the return game as he was in his New York Giants days, but he's still pretty effective on punts and kicks. New England's kicking game, meanwhile, is more rough-edged. Rookie Adam Vinatieri rebounded from a rocky start to hit his last 11 kicks of the regular season, but he hooked a 46-yarder against Jacksonville, and in fact is only 8 of 15 from 40 yards or further. Tom Tupa is one of those punters with a strong leg but fleeting accuracy. He's also started 13 games at quarterback in this league - something to think about when Tupa is in punt formation or holding for placements.

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Photo: Patriots coach Bill Parcells has won two Super Bowl titles.

Associated Press

Box: Patriots Roster