WHO SAID DETROIT IS SUPER?

Byline: BILLY WITZ

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - As the NFL's annual corporate carnival packed up and headed home Monday, what it left in its wake will be best remembered as Subdue-per Bowl XXXIX.

The Patriots took care of the Eagles, subdued them really, in a game without signature players or truly memorable moments, which might explain why TV ratings dropped slightly. The MVP of the game, Deion Branch, actually had a better game last year - one fewer catch but more yards and a touchdown. The halftime show was as uninspiring as usual, but this time everyone kept their clothes on.

And then there is the host city itself, which discovered it may be a fine place to host World's Biggest Outdoor Cocktail Party - the Georgia- Florida football game - but it may lack something for those without a spittoon in the other hand.

So, what to make of this?

Well, we best get used to it. Next year, the NFL returns to Detroit, site in 1982 of what was easily the most ill-conceived and poorly received Super Bowl.

This is what you get - a three-year run in Houston, Jacksonville and Detroit - when you're the NFL and you promise Super Bowls to municipalities for the chance to stick both fists into their pockets to build new stadiums.

As a result, the places the NFL wants to put a Super Bowl - Los Angeles, San Diego and New Orleans - are out of the mix.

This might be called leverage. Or if visitors give the Super Bowl a pass, as I suspect happened this year and surely will next, this is called cutting off the nose to spite the face.

There are two familiar faces that you can expect to see in Detroit - the Patriots and Eagles.

In this age of salary cap-induced deconstruction, it's awfully hard back to get to the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl, after playing in it. Eight of the past 12 Super Bowl teams failed to make the playoffs the past two seasons. The Rams are the only team other than New England to appear in a Super Bowl more than once since 1998.

That said, both teams look extremely well-equipped to make it back.

The Patriots' most significant losses appear to be coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. Perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law, barring a massive restructuring of his contract - he'll count more than $12 million against the salary cap next year - will be gone. But he'll be 31, and they survived without him the past three months, after he was injured.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri is the most notable unrestricted free agent, but the Patriots could slap their franchise tag on him. Receiver David Givens and linemen Stephen Neal, Brandon Gorin and Tom Ashworth are restricted free agents, which means the Patriots could match any offer.

All the key components return: Tom Brady, Corey Dillon, Matt Light, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison, Eugene Wilson and Branch. And expect rookies such as tight end Ben Watson, nose tackle Vince Wilfork and cornerback Randall Gay to get better.

While the Patriots appear in good shape, there figure to be many changes in the AFC once free agency begins March 2 and continuing with the draft in late April.

The Steelers probably will have to take their shot without receiver Plaxico Burress and perhaps without Jerome Bettis, who is contemplating retirement.

The Colts will again try to get past the Patriots, and they plan to upgrade their defense, perhaps by acquiring linebacker Derrick Brooks, whom Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden might be looking to dump.

The Chargers might be best equipped to tackle the Patriots. A return to early-season form by injured receiver Reche Caldwell and upgrades in the secondary (Ty Law?) are their only pressing concerns, and they'll still be about $10 million under the cap after they wrap up Drew Brees.

All three teams will get regular-season cracks at New England - and, yes, the Colts play in Foxboro.

The Patriots' biggest obstacle might be their schedule. They also travel to Denver, Carolina, Atlanta and Kansas City, and they'll see Buffalo and the Jets twice.

The Eagles seem to own a spot in the NFC Championship Game by acclamation, so getting one step further shouldn't be a problem again.

Jeremiah Trotter, Corey Simon, Derrick Burgess, Chad Lewis, Jermane Mayberry and Jon Ritchie are unrestricted free agents, but only Trotter - who helped transform the run defense - would be considered irreplaceable.

Also, Freddie Mitchell (UCLA) may have played his last game with the Eagles, but the only noticeable difference would be that the locker room would be quieter.

Two rookies, nickel back Matt Ware (UCLA) and guard Shawn Andrews, who broke his leg in the season opener, will be expected to play bigger roles.

Philadelphia might have to address its lack of a power running threat, which enabled the Patriots to play their best pass-rushing and pass-defending personnel most of the night, and enroll Andy Reid in a time-management seminar. But they are so far ahead of the pack in the NFC that such matters seem like quibbling.

Carolina, if it improves its offensive line, might be a challenger now that it's healthy. Atlanta also will be a factor, but the Falcons must improve their passing game and pass defense. The Packers are going downhill with or without Brett Favre, and the Vikings aren't going anywhere until they improve on defense.

If there's a wild card, it might be the Saints. They won their last four, including three on the road. Their offense might be as good as the Vikings' if Aaron Brooks ``gets it,'' and, as the Chargers proved, a few pieces can transform a defense that has a future star in defensive end Will Smith.

And the past three teams to play Philadelphia in NFC title game have been from the South Division.

So, if Super Bowl XXXIX didn't leave much worth remembering, not to worry. By all appearances, next year the Eagles and Patriots, if not the city of Detroit, will have another chance to get it right.