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| Date | February 6, 2005 (2005-02-06) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Alltel Stadium,Jacksonville, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Deion Branch,wide receiver | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Patriots by 7[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Terry McAulay | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 78,125[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | The combined choirs of theU.S. Military Academy, theU.S. Naval Academy, theU.S. Air Force Academy, and theU.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Army Herald Trumpets. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Youth football players from Jacksonville: Tyler Callahan, Tyler Deal, Lawrence McCauley, and Jacob Santana; New Orleans NFL Junior Player Development coach Tomaris Jackson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Paul McCartney | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Joe Buck,Troy Aikman,Cris Collinsworth,Pam Oliver andChris Myers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 41.1 (est. 86 million viewers)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Market share | 62 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $2.3 million | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Westwood One | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Marv Albert,Boomer Esiason,John Dockery andBonnie Bernstein | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl XXXIX was anAmerican football game played between theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championNew England Patriots and theNational Football Conference (NFC) championPhiladelphia Eagles to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the2004 season. The Patriots defeated the Eagles by the score of 24–21.[5] The game was played on February 6, 2005, atAlltel Stadium (now EverBank Stadium) inJacksonville, Florida, currently the only Super Bowl hosted in the city.
The Patriots, who entered the Super Bowl after compiling a 14–2 regular season record, became the then-most recent team to win consecutiveSuper Bowls (until theKansas City Chiefs did in2023).[6] New England also became the second team after theDallas Cowboys[7] to win three Super Bowls in four seasons, cementing their status asthe NFL dynasty of the 2000s.[8][9][10][11] The Eagles were making theirsecond-ever Super Bowl appearance after posting a 13–3 regular season record.[12][13][14][15][16][17]
The game was close throughout, with the teams battling to a 14–14 tie by the end of the third quarter. The Patriots then scored 10 points in the 4th quarter withCorey Dillon's 2-yard touchdown run andAdam Vinatieri's 22-yard field goal. The Eagles then cut their deficit to 24–21, with quarterbackDonovan McNabb's 30-yard touchdown pass to receiverGreg Lewis, with 1:48 remaining in the game but could not sustain the comeback. Overall, New England forced four turnovers, while Patriots wide receiverDeion Branch was namedSuper Bowl MVP for recording 133 receiving yards and tied the Super Bowl record with 11 catches.[18]
To avoid the possibility of an incident similar to theSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show the previous year, the league selectedPaul McCartney as a "safe" choice to perform during Super Bowl XXXIX's halftime. The broadcast of the game onFox was watched by an estimated 86 million viewers.[4]
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXXIX toJacksonville during their November 1, 2000, meeting held inAtlanta. It marked the first and to-date, only Super Bowl held in Jacksonville, and the third metropolitan area in the state ofFlorida to host a Super Bowl, afterMiami andTampa. Three cities submitted bids: Jacksonville (Alltel Stadium),Miami (Pro Player Stadium), andOakland (Oakland Coliseum). Three Super Bowls host sites were selected during the meeting,XXXVIII, XXXIX, andXL. However, XXXIX was the only one of the three that involved a competitive voting process. The city ofJacksonville was awarded the 30th NFL franchise in November 1993. TheexpansionJacksonville Jaguars began play in1995, and would play their home games inJacksonville Municipal Stadium. The facility was essentially a brand new stadium, built on the former site of theGator Bowl. Almost all of the former Gator Bowl was demolished, except for the west upper deck, and ramping. Jacksonville had bid for the Super Bowl several times prior, specifically forXX,XXI,XXII,XXIII,XXIV, but they were rejected for various reasons including the aging condition of the Gator Bowl, and not having an NFL franchise at the time.
In May 1999, Jacksonville submitted their initial bid for XXXIX.[19] Miami, Atlanta, and Oakland also submitted proposals.[20][21] Atlanta, however, dropped out before the final bids were due on September 8. Rumors of bids byNew Orleans andKansas City never materialized.[22] Oakland's bid in particular, was considered a long shot,[23] and it did not even have the support ofRaiders ownerAl Davis.[24][25] Miami was thought be the favorite to land the game, based on its experience having hosted the Super Bowl eight previous times. Jacksonville was an underdog, but garnered interest and attention as they represented a new market for the game.[26][27] While the stadium had the capacity to host the game, area attractions were plentiful, and weather was acceptable, the greater Jacksonville area lacked the necessary number of premium-level hotel rooms needed to satisfy the NFL's requirements. The host committee's solution, though controversial, was to dock severalcruise ships on theSt. Johns River near downtown to serve as temporary hotels.[28] The plan was expensive, and would require roughly 800 buses to shuttle attendees back-and-forth to the various events and activities throughout the week.[28]
A city would win the vote if they received3⁄4 of the ballots during any of the first three rounds. If no city won during the first three rounds, the fourth round would revert to a simple majority. Only 31 of the 32 team owners took part; expansionHouston did not vote.[29] Oakland was eliminated on the second ballot.[30] Jacksonville won on the fourth ballot.[31][32] Houston was awardedXXXVIII, andDetroit was awarded XL.[33] Officials from the Miami contingent, which includedDon Shula andDan Marino, expressed displeasure over the results.Dolphins presidentEddie Jones said "[Jacksonville] will do a good job, but it's not the best place."[31][32] Miami would ultimately land the next available game (XLI).
New England finished the regular season with a record of 14–2, bested only by thePittsburgh Steelers' 15–1 mark, and ranking seventh in yards gained (5,773) and fourth in points scored (437).[34]
The Patriots' major acquisition prior to the season was veteranrunning backCorey Dillon, who joined the team after playing seven seasons with theCincinnati Bengals.[35] acquired in exchange for a second-round draft pick.[36] Dillon became a significant offensive weapon for the 2004 Patriots, recording a franchise record 1,635 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, and was named to thePro Bowl for the fourth time in his career.[37][38]
Another weapon in the Patriots' offensive backfield was running backKevin Faulk, who rushed for 255 yards, had 248 receiving yards, and scored three total touchdowns.[39]FullbackPatrick Pass also emerged as a big contributor, rushing for 141 yards and catching 28 passes for 215 yards.[40]
Pro BowlquarterbackTom Brady remained at the helm of the Patriots offense, with 3,692 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.[41] Althoughwide receiverDeion Branch, New England's major deep threat, missed most of the season because of injuries, he recorded 454 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiverDavid Givens was the team's leading receiver with 874 receiving yards and three touchdowns.[36] Wide receiverDavid Patten also contributed 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and tight endDaniel Graham had 364 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.[36] On special teams, pro bowl kickerAdam Vinatieri had the best season of his career, leading the NFL in field goals made (31), field goal percentage (93.9) and scoring (141 points)
On defense, the Patriots were plagued by injuries, especially in their secondary. CornerbacksTyrone Poole andTy Law suffered season ending injuries, while safetyEugene Wilson, who led the team with four interceptions, missed several games.[36] With their patchwork secondary, the Patriots ranked 17th in passing yards allowed (3,400),[36] However, they did rank seventh in interceptions (20) and 10th in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (18).[36] Most importantly, New England continued to win despite the injuries. Converted wide receiverTroy Brown turned out to be very effective playing as a defensive back, ranking second on the team with three interceptions. SafetyRodney Harrison was also an impact player, leading the team with 138 tackles while also recording three sacks and two interceptions.[36]
Up front, the Patriots' defensive line was anchored by Pro BowlerRichard Seymour, who recorded five sacks.[36] New England also still had their trio of impact veteran linebackers: Pro BowlerTedy Bruschi (122 tackles, three and a half sacks, three interceptions),Willie McGinest (nine and a half sacks, one interception), andMike Vrabel (71 tackles and five and a half sacks), along withTed Johnson.[36] Vrabel also frequently played at the tight end position during offensive plays near the opponent's goal line, recording two touchdown receptions.[36]
The Eagles earned the NFC Super Bowl berth after three consecutive defeats in the NFC Championship Game.[42] The Eagles hiredAndy Reid as their head coach in1999 following two straight losing seasons.[43] That same year, they used their first-round pick in theNFL draft (the second overall) to select quarterbackDonovan McNabb.[44] Prior to the 2004 season, the Eagles traded for wide receiverTerrell Owens to be the impact player to help get them to the Super Bowl.[36]
Owens joined the team after eight seasons with theSan Francisco 49ers.[36] Owens became the Eagles' deep-ball threat, finishing the season with 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.[36] McNabb had the best season of his career in 2004, passing for 3,875 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, making him the first quarterback to ever throw for more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season.[45][46] He also rushed for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns.[47] Wide receiverTodd Pinkston was also a reliable target, recording 36 catches for 676 yards.[48]
Philadelphia's running game was not as strong as their passing attack, ranking 24th in the league in rushing yards (1,639).[36] Running backBrian Westbrook led the team with 812 rushing yards and three touchdowns, however he also led all NFL running backs in receiving with 706 receiving yards and six touchdowns.[49] Veteran running backDorsey Levens added 410 rushing yards. The Eagles' offensive line was led by Pro Bowl tacklesTra Thomas andJon Runyan and centerHank Fraley.[36]
Three of their four starters in the defensive secondary were named to the Pro Bowl: CornerbackLito Sheppard (one sack, five interceptions, and two touchdowns), safetyMichael Lewis (88 tackles, one sack, and one interception) and safetyBrian Dawkins (three sacks and 4 interceptions), while their fourth starter, cornerbackSheldon Brown, also enjoyed a solid year (89 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions).[36] Their defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackleCorey Simon (five and a half sacks) and defensive endsJevon Kearse (seven and a half sacks) andDerrick Burgess. Pro Bowl middle linebackerJeremiah Trotter, who only started nine games, recorded 69 tackles and a sack.[36]
The Eagles started the 2004 regular season with seven straight wins before suffering a loss to the 15-1 Steelers. After that, they finished the season with a 13–3 record. Their only other two losses were in their final two games of the season, when they decided to rest all of their starters because they had already clinched the NFC #1 seed.[50] However, during a December 19 win over theDallas Cowboys, Owens was seriously injured on a "horse-collar tackle" by Cowboys defensive backRoy Williams and missed the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.[51]
Despite the loss of Owens, the Eagles beat theMinnesota Vikings, 27–14, and theAtlanta Falcons, 27–10, in the playoffs with relative ease. McNabb recorded 21 out of 33 completions for 286 yards and two touchdowns, while receiverFreddie Mitchell scored two touchdowns in the victory over the Vikings. Although Minnesota quarterbackDaunte Culpepper threw for 316 yards, the Eagles defense recorded two interceptions and two sacks.[52] McNabb then completed 17 out of 26 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Falcons.The Eagles defense held dual-threat quarterbackMichael Vick to only 136 passing yards, 26 rushing yards, and no touchdowns, while also recording an interception and four sacks. McNabb had an average passer rating of 111.3 in the two games, with 466 passing yards, 35 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and no turnovers. Safety Brian Dawkins was also an important player, recording a sack and a forced fumble against the Vikings, followed by an interception and a forced fumble against the Falcons in theNFC Championship Game.[53]
Meanwhile, the Patriots defeated theIndianapolis Colts, 20–3, holding the league's highest scoring team with 522 total points to just one field goal. Colts quarterbackPeyton Manning was limited to 238 passing yards with an interception and no touchdowns.[36] The Patriots also held possession of the ball for 37:43, including 21:26 in the second half, and recorded three long scoring drives that each took over seven minutes off the clock. One reason New England was able to hold the ball so long was because of Dillon's rushing. He finished the game with 23 carries for 144 yards and 5 receptions for 17 yards.[36]
The Patriots then defeated the first seededPittsburgh Steelers in theAFC Championship Game, 41–27.[54] Although Pittsburgh finished the season with the best record in the NFL at 15–1 and had beaten New England during the regular season and led the league in fewest total yards allowed, they could not stop the Patriots. Brady threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns; Dillon rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown; and Branch, who was coming off of his injuries, recorded 4 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown, along with 37 rushing yards and another touchdown on 2 carries.[36] Steelers quarterbackBen Roethlisberger was intercepted three times, including an 87-yard interception returned for a touchdown byRodney Harrison, and running backJerome Bettis, Pittsburgh's leading rusher, was held to just 64 yards.[55]
Owens was cleared to play in Super Bowl XXXIX, defying doctors' orders by playing on his injured ankle containing two screws and a metal plate.[56]
The other major story was the Patriots' potential loss of both theiroffensive coordinator anddefensive coordinator at the end of the season, and how it might affect the team in 2005. On December 12, 2004, about a month and a half before the game, New England offensive coordinatorCharlie Weis signed a contract to become the head coach ofNotre Dame starting in the 2005 season.[36] Rumors were also circulating that defensive coordinatorRomeo Crennel would also leave the team to become the head coach of theCleveland Browns (which ended up being true as Crennel and theBrowns agreed to a contract a couple of weeks after the Super Bowl).[36]
Due to injuries at the tight end spot, the Eagles were forced to signJeff Thomason, a former tight end who was working construction at the time, to a one-game contract for the Super Bowl. Thomason saw time during several plays, although never had a ball thrown his way. This was his third Super Bowl, playing in two with theGreen Bay Packers during Andy Reid's days as a Packer assistant.[36]
With this appearance the Patriots became the eighth team to play in five Super Bowls[36] They joined theDallas Cowboys,Denver Broncos,Pittsburgh Steelers,San Francisco 49ers,Miami Dolphins,Washington Redskins, andOakland/Los Angeles Raiders.[36] They would later be joined by theGreen Bay Packers in2011 theNew York Giants in2012 and theKansas City Chiefs in2023
The Eagles were trying to win their first NFL title since1960 and the first championship for the city of Philadelphia sinceMoses Malone's "fo', fi', fo'" during the76ers run to the1983 NBA Championship.[57][58] With PresidentGeorge W. Bush being inaugurated for a second time in January, the Eagles were also trying to end a losing streak—teams in the city of Philadelphia had lost six straight championships duringpresidential inauguration years, beginning with the 76ers loss in1977.[58] The streak included the Eagles inSuper Bowl XV in 1981.[58] 1989 was not included in that streak, but 1977, 1981, 1985 (Flyers), 1993 (Phillies), 1997 (Flyers), and 2001 (76ers) were.
As thedesignated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Eagles elected to wear their home midnight green uniforms with white pants, while the Patriots wore their away white uniforms with navy pants.
The game was televised in theUnited States byFox, withplay-by-play announcerJoe Buck andcolor commentatorsTroy Aikman andCris Collinsworth. At age 35, Buck was the youngest announcer to call the play-by-play of a Super Bowl telecast. This also marked the first time sinceSuper Bowl I that none of the network commentators had ever called a Super Bowl game before (although Collinsworth had worked three prior Super Bowl telecasts as a pregame analyst). This was the last game that Collinsworth broadcast as a member of Fox, as he chose to return toNBC in the following off-season.
Pam Oliver (Patriots sideline) andChris Myers (Eagles sideline) served as sideline reporters.James Brown hosted all the events with help from his fellowFox NFL Sunday cast membersTerry Bradshaw,Howie Long, andJimmy Johnson.Jillian Barberie served as weather and entertainment reporter. This was the final Super Bowl that Brown hosted for Fox, as he would return toCBS following the 2005 season.
For itsSuper Bowl lead-out program, Fox aired a special episode ofThe Simpsons ("Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass") and the series premiere ofAmerican Dad! ("Pilot"). Local stationsWTXF in Philadelphia andWFXT inBoston instead immediately aired their own local postgame shows/newscasts, delayed Fox's programming in those markets by an hour.
Westwood One broadcast the game on radio, withMarv Albert calling the play-by-play,Boomer Esiason providing color commentary, andJohn Dockery andBonnie Bernstein reporting from the sidelines.Jim Gray hosted the broadcast along withDave Sims.
Before the game, performances came fromthe Black Eyed Peas,Earth Wind & Fire,Charlie Daniels,John Fogerty,Kelly Clarkson, andGretchen Wilson. Shortly before kickoff,Will Smith introducedAlicia Keys who sang "America the Beautiful," paying tribute toRay Charles, who died in June 2004. The combined choirs of theU.S. Military Academy, theU.S. Naval Academy, theU.S. Air Force Academy, and theU.S. Coast Guard Academy (including members ofThe Idlers) sang the national anthem accompanied by the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets. This was the first time in more than 30 years that all four service academies sang together—the last time was at thesecond inauguration of President Richard Nixon in 1973 and the only time since 1985 that the national anthem was not sung by a notable recording artist.[36][59][60]
The traditional militarymissing man formationflyby was this year performed by a pair ofF/A-18 Super Hornets from VFA-106 atNAS Oceana and a pair of theAir Force's newest fighters, theF-22 Raptor, flying fromTyndall AFB, the training base for the Raptor. The earlier military flyby during the veterans' salute was conducted by 2T-6 Texan trainers and aB-25 Mitchell bomber.
Thecoin toss ceremony featured youth football players from Jacksonville: Tyler Callahan, Tyler Deal, Lawrence McCauley, and Jacob Santana; and New Orleans NFL Junior Player Development coach Tomaris Jackson.[36] They were billed as the first non-celebrities to participate in the coin toss.
For the third straight year, each team took the fielden masse, following a tradition the Patriots had started inSuper Bowl XXXVI. In prerecorded video segments,Andover, Massachusetts nativeMichael Chiklis introduced the Patriots, andPhiladelphia-bornWill Smith introduced the Eagles.
Paul McCartney performed during the halftime show; his selection by the NFL, the show's producers,Don Mischer Productions, and the show's sponsor,Ameriquest Mortgage, was considered to be a "safe" choice, as it avoided the possibility for an incident similar to that which sparked theSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy the previous year. McCartney's set consisted of these songs:
Taking the concept a step further, for the first time, a theme was tied to the event:Building Bridges, as symbolized by the theme logo, represented by theMain Street Bridge, one of the seven bridges that crosses over theSt. Johns River in the host city, and according to the League, symbolized the bridging of a nation under the NFL football umbrella. The theme was also used by Jacksonville-area nonprofitFresh Ministries in a major event entitled "Bridges of Peace," featuring city officials asking the people to unite for the Super Bowl and heal the wounds ofsegregation.[36]
Former PresidentsGeorge H. W. Bush andBill Clinton appeared in support of their bipartisan effort to raise money for relief of the December 26, 2004,tsunami in southeast Asia through theUSA Freedom Corps, an action which former President Bush described as "transcending politics."[61]
On the first drive of the game, Eagles quarterbackDonovan McNabb appeared to narrowly avoid a sack by Patriots linebackerTedy Bruschi, but fumble the ball while running into linebackerWillie McGinest, with the Patriots recovering it at the Philadelphia 34-yard line. Eagles coachAndy Reid'sinstant replay challenge overruled the fumble; officials ruled that McNabb's knee hit the ground while he was being hit by Bruschi before he lost the ball. Later in the quarter after each team had punted twice, McNabb completed a 30-yard pass to wide receiverTerrell Owens, with an unnecessary roughness penalty against linebackerRosevelt Colvin adding 9 yards, moving the ball inside the New England 10-yard line. However, linebackerMike Vrabel sacked McNabb for a 16-yard loss on the next play. On the following play, the Eagles once again appeared to turn the ball over; McNabb's pass was intercepted in the end zone by cornerbackAsante Samuel, who returned it to his own 30-yard line, but the play was nullified by an illegal contact penalty against linebackerRoman Phifer, moving the ball back inside the 20 and giving the Eagles a first down. However, Philadelphia turned the ball over for real on the next play when McNabb threw an interception to safetyRodney Harrison. This was McNabb's first red zone interception of the season.
The Eagles' defense then forced the Patriots to athree-and-out on their ensuing possession, and Philadelphia got great field position by receivingJosh Miller's punt at the New England 45-yard line. But three plays later, Harrison held up tight endL. J. Smith, enabling cornerbackRandall Gay to punch the ball loose, with safetyEugene Wilson making the recovery at the 38.
The Philadelphia defense once again forced New England to punt and got the ball back at their own 19-yard line. Aided by a pair of completions from McNabb to wide receiverTodd Pinkston for 57 yards, the Eagles drove 81 yards in nine plays and scored on McNabb's 6-yard touchdown pass to Smith, taking a 7–0 lead with 9:55 left in the half. It was the first time New England trailed during the entire postseason. On their ensuing drive, the Patriots moved the ball to the Eagles' 4-yard line, mainly on plays by running backCorey Dillon, who caught twoscreen passes for 29 yards and rushed for 25. But quarterbackTom Brady fumbled the ball on a fake hand-offplay-action pass and Eagles defensive tackleDarwin Walker recovered it. However, Philadelphia could not take advantage of the turnover and had to punt after three plays.Dirk Johnson's punt went just 29 yards, giving the Patriots the ball at the Philadelphia 37-yard line. The Patriots then drove 37 yards in seven plays to score on Brady's 4-yard pass to wide receiverDavid Givens with 1:10 remaining in the period, tying the game 7–7 by halftime. It was only the second halftime tie in Super Bowl history (Super Bowl XXIII between the 49ers and the Bengals was the other; the score at the half was 3–3) and the first time both of the game's first two quarters ended tied.
On the opening drive of the second half, Patriots wide receiverDeion Branch caught four passes from Brady for 71 yards on a drive that ended with Brady's 2-yard touchdown pass to Vrabel, who lined up at the tight end spot, mirroring Brady's touchdown pass to Vrabel in theprevious Super Bowl. The score gave the Patriots their first lead of the game, 14–7. After the teams traded punts, the Eagles tied the game with 3:39 left in the third period with a 74-yard, 10-play drive that was capped by McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to running backBrian Westbrook. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was tied going into the fourth quarter.
The Patriots immediately broke the tie again with a nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive that was keyed by three plays from running backKevin Faulk, who caught two passes for 27 combined yards and rushed once for 12. Dillon capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to give New England a 21–14 lead. Then after forcing another Eagles punt, Branch made a spectacular 19-yard catch, taking the ball out of the hands of cornerbackSheldon Brown. A roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive tackleCorey Simon on the same play set up kickerAdam Vinatieri's 22-yard field goal with 8:43 left in the game to increase the Patriots' lead to 24–14. In all three Patriots' Super Bowl wins in the decade, they held a double digit lead in the fourth quarter, but all of their victories were decided by a field goal.
The Eagles responded with a 36-yard completion from McNabb to Owens to reach the New England 36-yard line, but on the next play, McNabb fired a pass over the head of running backDorsey Levens, where Bruschi was waiting to intercept it at his 24-yard line. At this point, there was only 7:20 to play in the game, with the Patriots still up by 10 points.
Philadelphia did force New England to punt, and got the ball back at their own 21-yard line, but with 5:40 left in the game. The Eagles then drove 79 yards in 13 plays, scoring on McNabb's 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiverGreg Lewis (the first touchdown catch of his career) and cutting their deficit to 24–21. However, the drive consumed 3:52 of the clock, and only 1:48 remained in the game by the time Lewis scored. Because of this, many sportswriters later criticized the Eagles for not immediately going to ano-huddle offense at the start of the possession. Anecdotal reports later came out alleging that McNabb was suffering from dry-heaves, and teammatesJon Ritchie[62] andLito Sheppard[63] have gone on record years later that McNabb was suffering from dry-heaves or vomiting, though no video evidence exists and the stories have not been confirmed. CenterHank Fraley said in an interview the day after the game that McNabb was "almost puking" due to two large hits from Bruschi and defensive endJarvis Green on back-to-back plays.[64] McNabb himself denies that he was vomiting or dry-heaving during the final drive, and Brian Westbrook later claimed that McNabb was merely "coughing."[62]
The Eagles failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt, with Patriots tight endChristian Fauria catching the ball cleanly and sliding down to seal possession for New England. The Patriots then played it safe by running the ball three times and forcing the Eagles to use up their remaining timeouts. Miller then pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line with just 46 seconds left in the game. Philadelphia then tried one last desperate drive to win or tie the game. But on first down from his own end zone, McNabb was pressured into making a rushed pass to Westbrook at the line of scrimmage. Instead of dropping the pass to stop the clock, Westbrook made the mistake of catching the ball and was immediately tackled for no gain by Phifer, keeping the clock running and forcing the Eagles to run back to the line of scrimmage for their next play with no huddle. On second down, McNabb threw an incomplete pass intended for Owens. Finally on third down, McNabb threw a pass that deflected off of the outstretched fingertips of Smith and into the arms of Harrison for an interception with nine seconds left. Brady took a knee to run out the clock, clinching the third Super Bowl title in four years for the Patriots, and in the eyes of many establishing themselves as a dynasty.[65]
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots (AFC) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Eagles (NFC) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
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McNabb completed 30 out of 51 passes for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns, but threw 3 interceptions and was sacked four times. McNabb's 357 yards are tied with Joe Montana for the seventh most in Super Bowl history and third most of any quarterback, as Tom Brady holds both the top and number 2 spot, with 505 yards inSuper Bowl LII and 468 yards inSuper Bowl LI.[67] Westbrook was the Eagles leading rusher with 44 yards, while also catching 6 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown and returning 3 punts for 19 yards. Pinkston caught 4 passes for 82 yards, while Owens was the Eagles' top receiver with 9 catches for 122 yards, however neither of them scored a touchdown.
Brady completed 23 out of 33 passes for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dillon was the top rusher of the game with 75 yards and a touchdown, and had 3 catches for 31 yards. Running backKevin Faulk contributed 38 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards.[68]
Branch's Super Bowl record 11 catches tiedCincinnati Bengals'Dan Ross inSuper Bowl XVI andSan Francisco 49ers'Jerry Rice inSuper Bowl XXIII. Coincidentally, all three would later be traded to the Seattle Seahawks: Ross in 1985, Rice in 2004 and Branch in 2006. Branch's combined 21 catches in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX are the most in back-to-back Super Bowls. Branch also became the third offensive player ever to winSuper Bowl MVP honors without scoring a touchdown or throwing a touchdown pass. The other two players wereJoe Namath inSuper Bowl III andFred Biletnikoff inSuper Bowl XI.[5]
Branch and Terrell Owens each had 100 yards receiving, marking the third time in Super Bowl history, one player from each team had over 100 yards in a Super Bowl.Michael Irvin andAndre Reed were the first inSuper Bowl XXVII, and Branch andMuhsin Muhammad the second a year earlier inSuper Bowl XXXVIII. Branch also became the fourth player to have at least 100 yards receiving in back-to-back Super Bowls, joiningJohn Stallworth,Jerry Rice andAntonio Freeman. Also, Mike Vrabel and David Givens became just the 14th and 15th players to score a touchdown in consecutive Super Bowls. Vrabel is the most surprising person on this list because he is a linebacker and he scored his on offense. They also became just the 7th and 8th players to catch a touchdown in back-to-back Super Bowls.
With the victory, Tom Brady became just the fourth quarterback to win at least three Super Bowls, along withTerry Bradshaw,Joe Montana andTroy Aikman.[69] Brady also became the fourth quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in three different Super Bowls. Other quarterbacks to do it were Bradshaw, Montana, andJohn Elway, withKurt Warner later accomplishing the feat duringSuper Bowl XLIII andPeyton Manning inSuper Bowl XLVIII.
The Patriots joined theDallas Cowboys as the only teams in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a span of four years.[70]
Eagles halfbackDorsey Levens retired immediately following this game.[71]
The Patriots' Super Bowl win was the third championship for Boston-area sports teams in 12 months, following the Patriots winningSuper Bowl XXXVIII the year before and theRed Sox winning theWorld Series –first in 86 years – three months earlier. This marked the first time since 1989–1990 in theSan Francisco Bay Area that the same market has had 2 Super Bowl and World Series winners in 12 months.[57]
With the Eagles’ loss, the city of Philadelphia's sports championship drought continued (no Philadelphia-based pro sports team since the1983 76ers won a title) until thePhillies won the2008 World Series.[58] The Eagles did not return to the Super Bowl until2017, when they exacted revenge on New England inSuper Bowl LII, defeating them 41–33 and winning their first championship since1960.
Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XXXIX,Super Bowl XXXIX Play Finder NE,Super Bowl XXXIX Play Finder Phi
| New England Patriots | Philadelphia Eagles | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 24 |
| First downs rushing | 6 | 4 |
| First downs passing | 14 | 18 |
| First downs penalty | 1 | 2 |
| Third down efficiency | 4/12 | 9/16 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Net yards rushing | 112 | 45 |
| Rushing attempts | 28 | 17 |
| Yards per rush | 4.0 | 2.6 |
| Passing – Completions–attempts | 23/33 | 30/51 |
| Times sacked–total yards | 2–17 | 4–33 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 3 |
| Net yards passing | 219 | 324 |
| Total net yards | 331 | 369 |
| Punt returns–total yards | 4–26 | 3–19 |
| Kickoff returns–total yards | 4–63 | 5–114 |
| Interceptions–total return yards | 3–5 | 0–0 |
| Punts–average yardage | 7–45.1 | 5–42.8 |
| Fumbles–lost | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Penalties–yards | 7–47 | 3–35 |
| Time of possession | 31:37 | 28:23 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Patriots Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Tom Brady | 23/33 | 236 | 2 | 0 | 110.2 |
| Patriots Rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Corey Dillon | 18 | 75 | 1 | 25 | 4.17 |
| Kevin Faulk | 8 | 38 | 0 | 12 | 4.75 |
| Patrick Pass | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tom Brady | 1 | –1 | 0 | –1 | –1.00 |
| Patriots Receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Deion Branch | 11 | 133 | 0 | 27 | 12 |
| Corey Dillon | 3 | 31 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| David Givens | 3 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 7 |
| Kevin Faulk | 2 | 27 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| Troy Brown | 2 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| Daniel Graham | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Mike Vrabel | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2t | 1 |
| David Patten | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Eagles Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Donovan McNabb | 30/51 | 357 | 3 | 3 | 75.4 |
| Eagles Rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Brian Westbrook | 15 | 44 | 0 | 22 | 2.93 |
| Dorsey Levens | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.00 |
| Donovan McNabb | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Eagles Receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Terrell Owens | 9 | 122 | 0 | 36 | 14 |
| Brian Westbrook | 7 | 60 | 1 | 15 | 11 |
| Todd Pinkston | 4 | 82 | 0 | 40 | 7 |
| Greg Lewis | 4 | 53 | 1 | 30t | 5 |
| L. J. Smith | 4 | 27 | 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Freddie Mitchell | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| Josh Parry | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Dorsey Levens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts2Carries3Long gain4Receptions5Times targeted
Source:[72]
Hall of Fame‡
As usual, the television coverage of this year's Super Bowl was the showcase for the most expensive commercials in television—both to produce and to buy airtime (at the rate of $2.4 million US for 30 seconds).[36]
One ad that drew the ire of many—including the NFL—was for the internet domain providerGo Daddy, which tweaked the controversial halftime of the previous year's game with a mock censorship hearing featuring a comely woman, Nikki Cappelli (played byWWE WrestlerCandice Michelle), having a "wardrobe malfunction". Fox pulled the second airing of the ad, scheduled for the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter, along with a five-second plug, and it was replaced with a promo forThe Simpsons. TheScottsdale, Arizona-basedWorld Wide Web domain registration company got a refund on the second ad.[36]
Another popular ad was made by the NFL. It featured players who were not in the Super Bowl, headlined byPittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterbackBen Roethlisberger being at a beach resort, depressed he did not make it in.Joe Montana comforted Roethlisberger, and soon both Montana and Roethlisberger joined many other players in different locations in an off-key yet rousing edition of "Tomorrow" from the musicalAnnie. The commercial ended with the tagline: "Tomorrow, we're all undefeated again." Roethlisberger went on to lead the Steelers to victory inSuper Bowl XL the very next season.[73]
The top ad, as chosen by theUSA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter was forAnheuser-Busch'sBud Light featuring a timid skydiver making his first jump getting enticed with a six-pack of the product.[36] This ad was ranked second onADBOWL. The highest ranked commercial by ADBOWL was Anheuser-Busch's "Applause."
For the first time since thecampaign started inSuper Bowl XXI, no "I'm going to Disney World!" ad aired following Super Bowl XXXIX.[36]
Each member of the Patriots received a payment of $68,000 for winning the game. The Eagles each received $36,500. Whenadjusted for inflation, the Patriots salary was actually less than the $15,000 paid to members of theGreen Bay Packers for winningSuper Bowl I in 1967. That amount of money in 1967 equated to approximately $85,000 in 2005.[74]
Note: Tom Sifferman became the first, and so far only, official to work three consecutive Super Bowls.
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