Changing on the fly

HOUSTON -- There was a time when Willie McGinest was criticized by the same fans who now realize he's a vital part of the Patriots' front seven. There was a time when McGinest was considered an edge pass rusher; before injuries, he was as good as there was. There was a time when then-coach Pete Carroll thought McGinest could be his "elephant" man, roaming the field to make plays. Amazing to think that now, at 32, McGinest might be New England's best run stopper.

Want proof? Ask the Colts. Ask the Texans. Ask the Bills. Ask anyone, really. See all of the plays he's stuffed for negative yards. See the big plays he's made.

Remember the Nov. 23 game in Houston, when on first and 10 from the Patriots' 35 in overtime, the Texans ran Domanick Davis off right tackle? McGinest stuffed him for no gain.

On second and 10, the Texans tried Davis around the left end. McGinest stopped him for a 5-yard loss, taking the Texans out of field goal range.

Earlier in overtime, McGinest had tackled Davis for a 2-yard loss. The Patriots won the game on an Adam Vinatieri field goal.

A week later against Indianapolis, in the stunning goal-line stand at game's end, he dropped Edgerrin James for a 1-yard loss on fourth down. McGinest was on James all game, including pass coverage.

The Patriots might line up McGinest as a pass rusher, daring teams to run outside against him. And when teams do, they find that McGinest isn't just a pass rusher. His role now is geared to stopping the run.

"They use Willie McGinest very effectively in the run game," said Texans coach Dom Capers. "He's very quick. He's a veteran. He knows where to be and what to do. He's definitely a force on the field that you have to account for. And he can certainly rush the passer."

Which is why in his third Super Bowl appearance, McGinest has found his second wind. He will go to his second Pro Bowl in Hawaii next week. He was voted a first alternate at linebacker, a sign that peers still view him as one of the best.

"It's a great honor, but the biggest honor is winning a Super Bowl," said McGinest. "I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. For me, it's all about being healthy, using my experience and my physical ability. As you get older, you begin to understand what the coaches want you to do. It changes week to week, but I see it as a challenge."

In Super Bowl XXXVI, McGinest mugged Rams running back Marshall Faulk. His assignment: Do everything he could to knock Faulk off his game. Mission accomplished.

This time around, will his assignment be to cut off Panthers running back Stephen Davis's running lanes? Will it be to intimidate quarterback Jake Delhomme? All we can do is wait and see what defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel has in store for McGinest. Whatever it is, it will involve a degree of physicality. McGinest, a four-year letterman at Southern Cal, came to the NFL as one of those speed, finesse pass rushers, and now there might not be a guy who plays more physically.

"It will be a physical game," McGinest said. "Definitely."

He added, "[Carolina is] a big-play offense. But first and foremost, their running game stands out the most about them. They run the ball really well. When Stephen Davis or DeShaun Foster have their way, the team will be successful. It makes it easier for them. It lets their quarterback open it up and go downfield and do a lot of different things. They run the ball so well out of a lot of different formations, with a lot of different plays coming out of those formations. They give you a lot of different looks, trying to confuse you. But the No. 1 thing is their run game."

It sounds as if McGinest is already licking his chops. It sounds as if he has his orders already.

"Davis is more of a downhill guy, more north and south," he said. "I think Foster can run the ball downhill but has the ability and the quickness to bounce outside and take the edge a little bit more. Both of them are hard guys to bring down. They both break a lot of tackles. They both are doing a great job."

McGinest has certainly learned the party line, saying nice things about opponents, then beating their brains in on game day. He has that down pat.

The other thing McGinest was able to do this week was shut out the hype. He deflected every question about the Patriots' place in history and about his future with the team. His salary cap number rises from $1.98 million to $5.67 million next season. "Let's win the game before we start talking about that stuff," he said. "One thing I've learned is there's a time and a place for everything. The great thing about our team is that we never think beyond the goal at hand."

McGinest has certainly undergone a lot of changes in his 10-year career. The plan this season was basically for him to be an extra part, a fill-in for Rosevelt Colvin or Mike Vrabel. He emerged -- after Colvin's season-ending hip injury and Vrabel's broken arm -- with a complete football makeover, from pass rusher to run stopper and sometimes a little of both. It's a Willie McGinest we never expected to see.