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| Date | February 1, 2004 (2004-02) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Reliant Stadium,Houston,Texas | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Tom Brady,quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Patriots by 7[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Ed Hochuli | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 71,525[3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Beyoncé | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Earl Campbell,Ollie Matson,Don Maynard,Y. A. Tittle,Mike Singletary,Gene Upshaw | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Jessica Simpson,Ocean of Soul,Spirit of Houston,Janet Jackson,Justin Timberlake,P. Diddy,Kid Rock, andNelly | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | CBS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Greg Gumbel,Phil Simms,Armen Keteyian andBonnie Bernstein | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 41.4 (est. 89.8 million viewers)[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Market share | 63 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $2.2 million | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Westwood One | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Marv Albert,Boomer Esiason,John Dockery, andJohn Riggins | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl XXXVIII was anAmerican football game between theNational Football Conference (NFC) championCarolina Panthers and theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championNew England Patriots to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the2003 season. The Patriots defeated the Panthers by a score of 32–29.[5] The game was played atReliant Stadium inHouston,Texas, on February 1, 2004. At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 89.8 million viewers.[6]
The Panthers were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11–5 regular season record. They also made it the second straight year that a team from theNFC South division made theSuper Bowl, with theTampa Bay Buccaneers winningSuper Bowl XXXVII. The Patriots,led by head coachBill Belichick and quarterbackTom Brady, were seeking their second Super Bowl title in three years after posting a 14–2 record.
NFL fans and sports writers widely consider this game one of the most well-played and thrilling Super Bowls; following the gameSports Illustrated writerPeter King hailed it as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time."[7] Although neither team could score in the first and third quarters, making it the first Super Bowl with two scoreless quarters, they ended up with a combined total of 868 yards and 61 points. The game was scoreless for a Super Bowl record 26:55 before the two teams combined for 24 points prior to halftime. The clubs then combined for a Super Bowl record 37 points in the fourth quarter. The contest was finally decided when the Patriots kickerAdam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal was made with four seconds left.[8] Patriots quarterbackTom Brady was namedSuper Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.
The game is also known for itscontroversialhalftime show in whichJanet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed byJustin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction".[9] Along with the rest of the halftime show, it led to an immediate crackdown by theFederal Communications Commission (FCC), and widespread debate on perceived indecency in broadcasting.[9]
NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXXVIII toHouston during their November 1, 2000, meeting held inAtlanta. It marked the second Super Bowl held in the Houston area, the first wasVIII played atRice Stadium.[10] 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 vote for XXXVIII was mostly a formality, as Houston had been tentatively preselected for the game, contingent on satisfying a series of basic requirements. No other cities were considered for XXXVIII. Back in 1998, NFL commissionerPaul Tagliabue had singled outSan Diego (Qualcomm Stadium) as the likely host for XXXVIII.[11][12] However, San Diego ultimately gotXXXVII instead after the league took away that game fromSan Francisco.[13][14] After their lone previous effort of hosting the Super Bowl (1974), the city of Houston had bid numerous times, unsuccessfully, to host the game a second time.[15] BothRice Stadium and later theAstrodome had been proposed, but both were rejected by owners for various reasons. Despite being indoors, the Astrodome lacked capacity, which would require temporary seating. The closest the Astrodome came to winning a bid was forXXIX when it finished a close second in the voting.[16][17][18] Houston then lost theOilers after 1996, and were without an NFL franchise for five seasons.
On October 6, 1999, the NFL owners voted to award the city of Houston the 32nd expansion franchise.[19][20] TheHouston Texans would begin play in2002, and would play their home games in a brand new facility,Reliant Stadium. In the weeks leading up to the expansion vote, the negotiations included a promise by the NFL that Houston, if they were to win the expansion vote, would receive a Super Bowl 'as soon as possible' at the new stadium.[21] Since future host sites had already been selected through XXXVII (January 2003), the soonest Houston could host would be XXXVIII (February 2004). That satisfied the NFL's rule that required new stadiums to wait until at least their second year of operation before hosting a Super Bowl, in order to iron out any logistical issues or construction delays. About a year after being awarded the expansion franchise, on November 1, 2000, the Houston task force, led bymayorLee Brown,Texans ownerBob McNair, representatives from theHouston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and other local leaders, delivered their formal presentation.[22] Houston was awarded XXXVIII without opposition.Jacksonville won the vote for XXXIX, andDetroit was awarded XL.[23]
This was the first Super Bowl to be played in aretractable roof stadium. However, it would remain closed during the game. This game marked a six-month stretch for the state of Texas hosting the Super Bowl, theNCAA Final Four (Alamodome) and theMLB All-Star Game (Minute Maid Park). Super Bowl XXXVIII was the first Super Bowl to be scheduled for the first Sunday of February; subsequent Super Bowls throughLV would follow this format.XXXVI had previously been held on the first Sunday of February, but that came as a result of the NFL pushing back the 2001 playoffs by a week as a result of theSeptember 11 attacks.
The Panthers made their first trip to the Super Bowl after posting aone-win regular season just two years earlier. The franchise was in its ninth year of existence, joining the league as anexpansion team in1995.[24]
In2001, the Panthers suffered a franchise-worst 1–15 record.[25] After that year, head coachGeorge Seifert was relieved of his duties and replaced byJohn Fox. With Fox at the helm and the team taking advantage of thefree agent market and thesalary cap rules, the Panthers improved in2002, finishing with a 7–9 record.[26] Then in 2003, they recorded an 11–5 record to win theNFC South.[27]
One of the free agents that Carolina signed before the 2003 season was quarterbackJake Delhomme. The Panthers signed him to be the backup to starting quarterbackRodney Peete. However, after the Panthers fell to a 17–0 third quarter deficit in their first game of the season against theJacksonville Jaguars, gaining only one first down and 36 offensive yards, Fox immediately replaced Peete with Delhomme. Delhomme led Carolina to a 24–23 comeback victory over the Jaguars.[28]
Delhomme became the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, throwing for 3,219 yards and 19 touchdowns, with 16 interceptions.[29] The team's main receiving threat was third-year wide receiverSteve Smith, who also specialized as a kickoff and punt returner. Smith had 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns, rushed for 42 yards, gained 439 yards and another touchdown returning punts. Wide receiverMuhsin Muhammad was also a constant breakaway threat, recording 837 yards and three touchdowns.
However, the Panthers' strength on offense was their running game, led by running backsStephen Davis andDeShaun Foster. Davis was the team's leading rusher with a franchise record 1,444 yards and eight touchdowns, while Foster rushed for 429 yards and had 207 receiving yards.
On defense, Carolina's main strength was its defensive line, anchored by defensive endsJulius Peppers (7 sacks and three forced fumbles) andMike Rucker (12 sacks and an interception), andPro Bowl defensive tackleKris Jenkins (5 sacks and a fumble recovery). The secondary was led byReggie Howard (two interceptions),Mike Minter (three interceptions and two touchdowns),Deon Grant (three interceptions), andRicky Manning Jr. (three interceptions and a touchdown).
Despite their victory inSuper Bowl XXXVI after the2001 season, the Patriots stumbled early in2002, recorded a 9–7 record, and failed to make the playoffs.[30][31]
Then, New England seemed to implode before the 2003 season ever started. Five days before their opening game against theBuffalo Bills, Pro Bowl safetyLawyer Milloy, one of the Patriots' defensive leaders, was unexpectedly cut by the team after refusing to restructure his contract.[32] The move devastated many of the New England players, while Milloy immediately signed with the Bills two days later.[33] With the Patriots seemingly in emotional disarray, Buffalo defeated New England, 31–0, with Milloy forcing an interception and recording one sack and five tackles.[34]
However, after a 2–2 start, the Patriots ended up winning their last 12 games to earn a league-best 14–2 record.[35][36]
Tom Brady, the Super Bowl XXXVIMVP, had become the team's permanent starter in 2002 after quarterbackDrew Bledsoe left the team. Brady had a solid season in 2003, completing 317 out of 527 (60.2 percent) of his passes for 3,620 yards and 23 touchdowns, with only 12 interceptions.[37] His primary weapon was second year wide receiverDeion Branch, who had for 803 receiving yards. Another key contributor was wide receiverDavid Givens, who filled in for the injured starterDavid Patten. Givens recorded 510 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Other weapons in the passing game included veteran wide receiverTroy Brown, who had 472 receiving yards, four touchdowns, and 293 yards returning punts, and tight endDaniel Graham with 409 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Rookie receiverBethel Johnson returned ranked second in the NFL with a 28.2 yards per return average on kickoffs, with a return touchdown, while also having for 209 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
In the backfield, the team's rushing game was led by running backsAntowain Smith andKevin Faulk, who carried the ball equally. Smith was the team's leading rusher with 642 yards and touchdowns, while Faulk rushed for 638 yards and had 440 receiving yards.
New England's defense was retooled before the 2003 season when the team signed veteran safetyRodney Harrison as a free agent and traded for nose tackleTed Washington. With these additions, the Patriots led the league in fewest passing yards allowed per attempt (5.64), fewest passing touchdowns allowed (11), and most interceptions (29). They also ranked fourth in fewest rushing yards allowed (1,434) and seventh in fewest total yards (4,919).[38]
Washington helped anchor New England's defensive line, recording 32 tackles and 2 sacks. Pro Bowl defensive endRichard Seymour also contributed with 8 sacks. Behind them, the Patriots had three outstanding linebackers: Pro Bowl linebackerWillie McGinest (5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception),Mike Vrabel (9.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, four forced fumbles, and two interceptions), andTedy Bruschi (131 tackles, 2 sacks, one fumble recovery, three interceptions, and two touchdowns).
Harrison became the veteran leader in the secondary, recording 92 tackles, three interceptions, and 3 sacks. Meanwhile, Pro Bowl cornerbackTy Law recorded six interceptions, cornerback (and ex-Panthers player)Tyrone Poole had six interceptions and a touchdown, while also forcing three fumbles. Rookie safetyEugene Wilson recorded four interceptions. Overall, the secondary combined for 19 interceptions.
Since the Panthers finished with the third best regular season record in the NFC, they had to win three playoff games to reach the Super Bowl. TheSt. Louis Rams and thePhiladelphia Eagles had better regular season records at 12–4, and thus under the playoff format, each would have to win two playoff games to reach the league championship game. Against Carolina's first opponent, theDallas Cowboys, Delhomme threw for 273 yards and a touchdown, Davis recorded 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, and kickerJohn Kasay made 5 field goals, en route to a thorough 29–10 victory.[39]
The Panthers then eliminated the Rams on the road, 29–23 in double overtime. St. Louis built a 6–0 lead early in the second quarter, but Carolina took the lead after Muhammad's fumble recovery in the end zone. Both teams spent the rest of the second and the third quarter exchanging field goals before Brad Hoover's 7-yard rushing touchdown gave the Panthers a 23–12 fourth quarter lead. However, the Rams rallied back with a touchdown, a successfultwo-point conversion, and a field goal to send the game into overtime. Both teams missed field goals in the first overtime period, but Delhomme threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Smith on the first play of the second overtime period to win the game.[40]
The Panthers then went on the road again to eliminate the Eagles in theNFC Championship Game, 14–3. Philadelphia was coming off of a 20–17 overtime win over theGreen Bay Packers, that included quarterbackDonovan McNabb's 28-yard pass toFreddie Mitchell on a famous play known as "4th and 26". This was the third consecutive NFC Championship Game appearance for Philadelphia, and thus they were heavily favored to win. But Carolina's defense only allowed a field goal and held McNabb to just 10 of 22 completions for 100 yards. Ricky Manning also intercepted McNabb 3 times. Although Carolina's offense only scored 14 points, it was more than enough for the team to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl with a 14–3 win.[41]
The Panthers became the first No. 3 seed to advance to the Super Bowl since the league expanded to a 12-team playoff format in 1990. In doing so, they were also the first division winner to advance to the league championship after playingthree playoff games. All other instances up to this point where teams advanced to the Super Bowl after playing all three rounds of the playoffs werewild card teams in Super BowlsXV,XX,XXVII,XXXII,XXXIV, andXXXV. Prior toSuper Bowl XVII, theMiami Dolphins andWashington Redskins both won three playoff games to reach the Super Bowl, but that came during thestrike-shortened1982 season when the regular season was reduced to nine games and the playoffs were expanded to 16 teams, with no teams receiving first-round byes. Since then, there have been seven instances of teams advancing to the Super Bowl after playing three playoff games: thePittsburgh Steelers inSuper Bowl XL as the No. 6 seeded team, theIndianapolis Colts inSuper Bowl XLI as the No. 3 seed, theNew York Giants inSuper Bowl XLII as the No. 5 seed, theArizona Cardinals inSuper Bowl XLIII as the No. 4 seed, theGreen Bay Packers inSuper Bowl XLV as the No. 6 seed, again theNew York Giants inSuper Bowl XLVI as the No. 4 seed, and theTampa Bay Buccaneers inSuper Bowl LV as the No. 5 seed. The Colts, Cardinals, and the Giants in 2011, like the Panthers, were division winners in those years (Although in the Colts case, they played the No. 4 seededNew England Patriots in the AFC Championship that year, ensuring at least the second division winner to play three rounds to make it to the Super Bowl.), and all but the Cardinals went on to win it all. The Super Bowl would mark the third game (out of four) of the playoffs in which Carolina scored 29 points.
Meanwhile, the Patriots first defeated theTennessee Titans, 17–14, in one of the coldest games in NFL history, with temperatures reaching 4 °F (−15 °C). New England jumped to 14–7 lead in the first half with a touchdown pass by Brady and a touchdown run from Smith. However, Tennessee quarterback (and Co-NFL MVP; shared with Indianapolis quarterbackPeyton Manning)Steve McNair's 11-yard touchdown pass to receiverDerrick Mason tied the game in the third period. With 4:06 remaining in the game, Patriots kickerAdam Vinatieri made a 46-yard field goal to take the lead. New England's defense later clinched a victory as they stopped the Titans from scoring on fourth down on their last drive of the game.[42]
New England then eliminated theIndianapolis Colts, 24–14, in theAFC Championship Game. The Colts entered the game leading the NFL in passing yards and ranked third in total offensive yards. With quarterbackPeyton Manning, wide receiverMarvin Harrison, and running backEdgerrin James, the Colts had scored 79 points in their 2 playoff victories against theDenver Broncos and theKansas City Chiefs, including a 38–31 victory over the Chiefs in the firstpunt-less game in NFL playoff history. However, New England's defense dominated the Colts, only allowing 14 points, intercepting 4 passes from Co-league MVP Manning (3 of them byTy Law), and forcing a safety. Although New England's offense only scored one touchdown, Vinatieri scored 5 field goals to make up the difference.[43]
The game was broadcast on television in theUnited States byCBS, withGreg Gumbel handling theplay-by-play duties andcolor commentatorPhil Simms in the broadcast booth.Armen Keteyian andBonnie Bernstein roamed the sidelines.Jim Nantz hosted all the events with help from his fellow cast members fromThe NFL Today:Dan Marino,Deion Sanders, andBoomer Esiason. This would be the final Super Bowl game Greg Gumbel would call; as before the2004 season began, he and Nantz would switch roles; though by the time CBS next aired aSuper Bowl;James Brown was brought in as host ofThe NFL Today while Gumbel had moved to a secondary play-by-play role.
For itsSuper Bowl lead-out program, CBS aired the season premiere forSurvivor: All-Stars.[44]
Westwood One carried the game nationwide over terrestrial radio withMarv Albert on play-by-play and Boomer Esiason on color commentary, withJim Gray hosting the pregame and halftime shows. Locally,Gil Santos andGino Cappelletti called the game for the Patriots andBill Rosinski andEugene Robinson served that position for the Panthers. The game scored a 40.7 rating and over 43.4 million of household, making it the highest rated Super Bowl telecast since 1999 and making it watched Super Bow at the time with 89.8 million of average viewers. Also, Game experienced the highest traffic online at the time. Nielsen/NetRatings reported that over a million of user loging up by 266% over the prior day and 1.4 million of users visited ESPN.com.[45]
The game also aired inUnited Kingdom andIreland onChannel 5 (British TV channel) andSky Sports,Australia on public channelSBS,[46]Japan onNHK BS1,[47]China onCCTV-5,[48]Austria onORF 1[49] andSweden onTV3.[50]
InMexico, the game was not carried as usual by either of the major free-to-air national television networks, making it a cable-exclusive event for the first and to date only time ever.[51]
Both teams passed on the opportunity for their starters to be introduced individually before the game, a move perpetuated by the Patriots inSuper Bowl XXXVI. As the game was held in the same city as theJohnson Space Center, the lost crew of theColumbia was honored in a pregame tribute by singerJosh Groban, performing "You Raise Me Up". Also appearing on the field was the crew ofSTS-114, the "Return to Flight"Space Shuttle mission that eventually launchedSpace Shuttle Discovery on July 26, 2005.[52][53] Houston-nativeBeyoncé then sang thenational anthem.Aerosmith performedBaby, Please Don't Go andDream On as part of the pre-show ceremony.[54]
Thecoin toss ceremony featured former NFL players and Texas nativesEarl Campbell,Ollie Matson,Don Maynard,Y. A. Tittle,Mike Singletary,Gene Upshaw.[55] Tittle tossed the coin.
The NFL logo was painted at midfield for the first time sinceSuper Bowl XXX, and the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo was placed on the 25-yard lines. From Super BowlsXXXI throughXXXVII, the Super Bowl logo was painted at midfield, and the helmets of the teams painted at the 30-yard lines. FromSuper Bowl VI throughSuper Bowl XXX, the NFL logo was painted on the 50-yard line, except for Super BowlsXXV andXXIX. The Super Bowl XXV logo was painted at midfield and the NFL logo was painted at each 35-yard line. InSuper Bowl XXIX, the NFL 75th Anniversary logo was painted at midfield with the Super Bowl logo at each 30-yard line.
As thedesignated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Patriots elected to wear their home navy uniforms with silver pants, while the Panthers wore their road white uniforms with white pants.
The most controversial and widely discussed moment of Super Bowl XXXVIII came during halftime. The show was produced byViacom'sMTV andCBS Sports, and was sponsored byAmerica Online's TopSpeed software for dial-up Internet service. The show was themed supposedly around MTV'sChoose or Lose vote campaign;[56] however, beyond some flag imagery,Jessica Simpson's declaration that Houston should "Choose to Party!" and a vague call to action for younger persons to vote (in a celebrity montage the first minute of the program and an audio outro about choices), the theme was not called out for the remainder of the show.[57]
After a brief appearance by Simpson, the show began with a joint performance by marching bands theSpirit of Houston, from theUniversity of Houston, and the "Ocean of Soul" ofTexas Southern University. Next,Janet Jackson made her first appearance, singing "All for You". Then,P. Diddy,Nelly, andKid Rock appeared respectively, and performed a mixture of their hits.
After Jackson's performance of her song "Rhythm Nation",Justin Timberlake appeared, and he and Jackson sang a duet of Timberlake's song "Rock Your Body". The performance featured many suggestive dance moves by both Timberlake and Jackson. As the song reached the final line, "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song," Timberlake pulled off a part of Jackson's costume, revealing her outer rightbreast (adorned with a large, sun-shaped nipple shield, a piece ofjewelry worn to accentuate the appearance of anipple piercing). CBS quickly cut to an aerial view of the stadium; however, the action was too late to be effective. Many people considered thisindecent exposure, and numerous viewers contacted the network to complain, saying it was inappropriate in the context of afootball game. This was the most rewatched moment inTiVo history.[58]
Just before the start of the second half, a Britishstreaker,Mark Roberts, ran onto the field disguised as a referee, undressed, and performed a dance wearing only athong. He was tackled to the ground by Patriots linebackerMatt Chatham and arrested. It is customary for American television to avoid broadcasting such events, but it was later shown onLate Show with David Letterman. Roberts received a $1,000 fine for trespassing.[59]
This game is noted for its unusual scoring pattern between the teams. Nearly 90 percent of the first half and all of the third quarter were scoreless. Twenty-four points were scored in the last three minutes of the first half, and a record 37 points were scored in the fourth quarter.
Most of the first half was an offensive struggle, with neither team able to score until late in the second quarter, despite several early scoring opportunities. After Carolina was forced to punt on their opening drive, Patriots wide receiverTroy Brown gave his team great field position with a 28-yard return to the Carolina 47-yard line. The Patriots subsequently marched to the 13-yard line, aided by quarterbackTom Brady's completions to wide receiverDeion Branch and Brown for 16 and 12 yards, respectively, but the Panthers' defense tightened up in the red zone. After Brady threw two incompletions and was flagged for a false start, kickerAdam Vinatieri attempted a 31-yard field goal, but he missed it wide right. After the next three possessions resulted in punts, New England again got the ball with great field position, receivingTodd Sauerbrun's 40-yard punt at the Panthers' 49-yard line. The Patriots then drove to the 31-yard line, but on third down, linebackerWill Witherspoon tackled Brown for a 10-yard loss on an end-around play, pushing the Patriots out of field goal range and forcing them to punt again.
After the teams exchanged punts twice going into the second quarter, New England drove 57 yards to the Carolina 18-yard line with just over 6 minutes left in the half, but once again they failed to score as Carolina kept them out of the end zone and Vinatieri's 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by defensive tackleShane Burton.
Meanwhile, the Carolina offense was overwhelmed by the New England defense, with quarterbackJake Delhomme completing just one out of his first nine passes, being sacked three times and fumbling after the third sack. The fumble occurred three plays after Vinatieri's second missed field goal; Delhomme lost the ball while being hit by linebackerMike Vrabel, and defensive tackleRichard Seymour recovered the ball at the Carolina 20-yard line. By this point of the game, the Panthers had suffered a net loss of nine yards on 20 offensive snaps.
Two plays later, New England faced 3rd-and-12, but Brady scrambled 12 yards to the 5-yard line for a first down, then completed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Branch on the next play. The play was a play-action fake to running backAntowain Smith. Panthers linebackerDan Morgan bit on the route, causing the touchdown. Branch's touchdown came after 26:55 had elapsed in the game, setting the record for the longest amount of time a Super Bowl remained scoreless. The play also suddenly set off a scoring explosion from both teams in the closing minutes of the first half.
The Panthers stormed down the field on their ensuing possession, driving 95 yards in eight plays, which featured two receptions by wide receiverRicky Proehl for 28 yards and a 23-yard catch by wide receiverMuhsin Muhammad, and ended with a 39-yard touchdown completion from Delhomme to wide receiverSteve Smith with just 1:07 left in the half.
The Patriots immediately countered with a 6-play, 78-yard scoring drive of their own. Starting from their own 22-yard line, Brady completed a 12-yard pass to wide receiverDavid Givens. Then after throwing an incompletion, Brady completed a 52-yard strike to Branch, who caught the ball at the Carolina 24-yard line in stride before being tackled at the 14-yard line by cornerbackRicky Manning. Three plays later, Givens caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to give New England a 14–7 lead with only 18 seconds left in the half. New England decided tosquib kick the ensuing kickoff to prevent a long return, but their plan backfired as Carolina tight endKris Mangum picked up the ball at his own 35-yard line and returned it 12 yards to the 47. The Patriots expected a pass play from the Panthers, but instead running backStephen Davis ran for 21 yards on the next play to set up kickerJohn Kasay's 50-yard field goal as time expired in the half, cutting Carolina's deficit to 14–10.
The third quarter was scoreless as each team exchanged punts twice.[60] However, with 3:57 left in the period, the Patriots put together a 71-yard, 8-play scoring drive, featuring tight endDaniel Graham's 33-yard reception to advance to the Carolina 9-yard line.
Antowain Smith then capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on the second play on the fourth quarter to increase their lead, 21–10. The score changed the story of the game by sparking one of the biggest offensive explosions in Super Bowl history, with both teams scoring a combined 37 points in the last 15 minutes, the most ever in a single quarter of a Super Bowl.
The Patriots looked gassed, and Carolina took advantage of it. Delhomme started out Carolina's ensuing drive with a 13-yard completion to Muhammad. After guardKevin Donnalley committed a false start penalty on the next play, Delhomme completed a pair of passes to Smith for a total gain of 40 yards. Running backDeShaun Foster then scored on a 33-yard touchdown run, cutting the Panthers' deficit to 21–16 after Delhomme's two-point conversion pass to Muhammad fell incomplete. The Patriots responded on their ensuing possession by driving to the Carolina 9-yard line, only to turn the ball over when cornerbackReggie Howard intercepted a pass from Brady in the end zone and returned it to his own 10-yard line. Then on third down from his own 15-yard line, Delhomme threw for the longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history, an 85-yard touchdown completion to Muhammad. Carolina's two-point conversion attempt failed again when Delhomme threw the ball over wide receiverKevin Dyson's head, but they took their first lead of the game, 22–21, with 6:53 remaining. It was the first time in Super Bowl history a team down more than 10 points during the fourth quarter had come back to take the lead. Three other times teams have come back to tie the game; theTennessee Titans against theSt. Louis Rams inSuper Bowl XXXIV, the Rams against the Patriots inSuper Bowl XXXVI, and the Patriots against theAtlanta Falcons inSuper Bowl LI.
However, Carolina's lead did not last, as New England retook the lead on their next drive, advancing 68 yards with the aid of a pair of completions from Brady to Givens for 43 total yards. Once again, the Patriots were faced with third down and goal, but this time they scored with Brady's 1-yard touchdown pass to Vrabel, who had lined up in an eligible tight end position. This marked the second time in Super Bowl history where a defensive player was brought on to score on offense; the first time being whenChicago Bears defensive tackleWilliam "The Refrigerator" Perry scored an offensive touchdown duringSuper Bowl XX. On a two-point conversion attempt, running backKevin Faulk took a direct snap and ran into the end zone to make the score 29–22 in favor of New England. Despite amassing over 1,000 combined yards, Faulk's two-point conversion constituted the only points he scored all season. This was also the Patriots' only two-point conversion attempt all season.
The Panthers countered on their next possession. Foster started the drive with a 9-yard run and a 7-yard reception. After that, Delhomme completed a 19-yard pass to Muhammad, followed by a 31-yard completion to Proehl. Proehl, who caught the fourth quarter game-tying touchdown pass against the Patriots inSuper Bowl XXXVI two years earlier for theSt. Louis Rams, then finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown reception, tying the game, 29–29, with 1:08 to play in regulation and it appeared that the game would be the first Super Bowl ever to go into overtime.
However, Kasay kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving New England the ball on their own 40-yard line.[61] Brady led the Patriots offense down the field with a 13-yard pass to Brown on second down. An offensive pass interference penalty on Brown pushed New England back to their own 43-yard line, but another 13-yard pass to Brown and a 4-yard pass to Graham brought up a critical 3rd-and-3 from the Carolina 40-yard line. The Panthers' defense could not prevent the Patriots from gaining the first down, as Brady completed a 17-yard pass to Branch. On the next play, Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal to give New England the lead, 32–29, with four seconds left in the game.[62] Carolina failed on their last chance, as wide receiverRod Smart was tackled at his own 20-yard line by linebackerMatt Chatham, and the Patriots had won their second Super Bowl in three years. This was (at the time) just the fourth Super Bowl to be decided on a field goal in the final seconds (Super Bowl V was won on a last second kick by the Baltimore Colts'Jim O'Brien to defeat theDallas Cowboys,Super Bowl XXV had the Buffalo Bills'Scott Norwood misshis field goal chance against theNew York Giants, and inSuper Bowl XXXVI Vinatieri made his to defeat theSt. Louis Rams, and later inSuper Bowl LVII,Chiefs kickerHarrison Butker kicked a late field goal to defeat thePhiladelphia Eagles).
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers (NFC) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 29 |
| Patriots (AFC) | 0 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 32 |
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The game set a number of marks for offensive production. The two teams combined for 868 yards of total offense, the second-highest total in Super Bowl history. Both starting quarterbacks threw for at least 300 yards for only the second time in Super Bowl history, withDan Marino andJoe Montana each passing for at least 300 yards inSuper Bowl XIX. This was also only the second Super Bowl to feature one 100-yard receiving performance on each team, with Deion Branch and Muhsin Muhammad each reaching 100 yards.Andre Reed andMichael Irvin first accomplished the feat inSuper Bowl XXVII.
The 37 total points scored in the 4th quarter were the most combined points in a 4th quarter in a Super Bowl and the most in any quarter by two teams. Washington's 35 points inSuper Bowl XXII was the previous high for most combined points in a single quarter in a Super Bowl. The fourth quarter was the second in Super Bowl history to have five touchdowns scored in a single quarter, the first being when the Redskins had five in Super Bowl XXII in the second quarter. It was also the first time in Super Bowl history that both teams would score at least two touchdowns in the same quarter.
Delhomme finished the game with 16 completions out of 33 attempts for 323 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions for a passer rating of 113.6. He was seen standing on the field during the Patriots' post-game celebration; he later commented: "I wanted to catch up to the moment of what it feels like to be on the other side, to be on this side, the losing side. To let it sink in, to hurt, so when we start practice in the fall, the two-a-days and there are days during the season when I'm tired and I want to go home, but I need to watch that extra film. I want to get back there, but I want to get on the other side of that field. They rope you off, the losing team basically. I just want to get on the other side of that rope. I just wanted to watch and let it sink in and hurt a little bit. When I have a tough day, I'll just think about that feeling and it will make me dig down just a little deeper."[64]
Muhsin Muhammad caught four passes for 140 yards, an average of 35 yards per catch, and a touchdown. Steve Smith caught four passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a punt for two yards, and returned a kickoff for 30 yards, giving him 112 total yards. Proehl caught four passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Proehl joinedJerry Rice as one of only two players to score touchdowns with two teams in Super Bowls.
Tom Brady's 32 completions were the most in Super Bowl history. His 48 attempts were the most for a winning quarterback. His 354 yards passing is now the fifth best total in Super Bowl history. Brady's passer rating for this game was 100.5. Branch was the top receiver of the game with 10 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown. Brown caught 8 passes for 76 yards and returned four punts for 40 yards. Antowain Smith was the top rusher of the game with 83 yards and a touchdown.
Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XXXVIII,Super Bowl XXXVIII Play Finder NE,Super Bowl XXXVIII Play Finder Car,USA Today Super Bowl XXXVIII Play by Play
| Statistic | Carolina Panthers | New England Patriots |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 29 |
| First downs rushing | 3 | 7 |
| First downs passing | 12 | 19 |
| First downs penalty | 2 | 3 |
| Third down efficiency | 4/12 | 8/17 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 1/1 |
| Net yards rushing | 92 | 127 |
| Rushing attempts | 16 | 35 |
| Yards per rush | 5.8 | 3.6 |
| Passing – Completions-attempts | 16/33 | 32/48 |
| Times sacked-total yards | 4–28 | 0–0 |
| Interceptions thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Net yards passing | 295 | 354 |
| Total net yards | 387 | 481 |
| Punt returns-total yards | 1–2 | 5–42 |
| Kickoff returns-total yards | 6–116 | 4–78 |
| Interceptions-total return yards | 1–12 | 0–0 |
| Punts-average yardage | 7–44.3 | 5–34.6 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| Penalties-yards | 12–73 | 8–60 |
| Time of possession | 21:02 | 38:58 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Panthers Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Jake Delhomme | 16/33 | 323 | 3 | 0 | 113.6 |
| Panthers Rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Stephen Davis | 13 | 49 | 0 | 21 | 3.77 |
| DeShaun Foster | 3 | 43 | 1 | 33t | 14.33 |
| Panthers Receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Muhsin Muhammad | 4 | 140 | 1 | 85t | 10 |
| Steve Smith | 4 | 80 | 1 | 39t | 9 |
| Ricky Proehl | 4 | 71 | 1 | 31 | 5 |
| Jermaine Wiggins | 2 | 21 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| DeShaun Foster | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Kris Mangum | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Brad Hoover | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Patriots Passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Tom Brady | 32/48 | 354 | 3 | 1 | 100.5 |
| Patriots Rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Antowain Smith | 26 | 83 | 1 | 9 | 3.19 |
| Kevin Faulk | 6 | 42 | 0 | 23 | 7.00 |
| Tom Brady | 2 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 6.00 |
| Troy Brown | 1 | –10 | 0 | –10 | –10.00 |
| Patriots Receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Deion Branch | 10 | 143 | 1 | 52 | 13 |
| Troy Brown | 8 | 76 | 0 | 13 | 10 |
| David Givens | 5 | 69 | 1 | 25 | 11 |
| Daniel Graham | 4 | 46 | 0 | 33 | 4 |
| Kevin Faulk | 4 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Mike Vrabel | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1t | 1 |
| Larry Centers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Fauria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bethel Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dedric Ward | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts2Carries3Long gain4Receptions5Times targeted
Source:[65]
Hall of Fame‡
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Tom Sifferman became the second official to work consecutive Super Bowls on the field. The first wasJim Tunney, the referee for Super BowlsXI andXII.
