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The score was New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29.
New England quarterback Tom Brady was named Most Valuable Player.
Entering the game, the Patriots were 7-point favorites to win their second Super Bowl championship in three years. [As they had done two years earlier in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots took the field as a team, rather than being introduced individually, a move the Panthers emulated.]
The first and most of the second quarter were a defensive struggle, with neither team able to score until late in the first half. Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri had two chances to give his team an early 3-0 lead, but missed one field goal attempt wide right and had the second blocked. The Carolina offense, led by quarterback Jake Delhomme, was especially stymied, with Delhomme completing one out of his first nine passes, sacked three times, and fumbling once. That fumble, recovered by New England's Richard SeymourRichard Seymour is a defensive lineman that plays for the New England Patriots in the National Football League. He was born on October 6, 1979. He played football for Georgia, and was subsequently drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 2001 NFL, set up the opening score, a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch .
The Panthers quickly tied it up with a 8-play, 90-yard drive late in the second quarter, capped by a 39-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme to Steve SmithSteve Smith (born May 12, 1979) is an American football player for the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. He attended Utah, was drafted by the Panthers in the 2001 season, and has been WR #89 for them ever since. External link Smith, Steve Smith, Steve.. New England countered again with a 78-yard drive that took only 49 seconds, with Brady throwing a 52-yard pass to Branch and, later, a touchdown pass to David Givens . John Kasay kicked a 50-yard field goal on the last play of the half to make the score 14-10 at halftime.
After a lackluster third quarter with all drives by both teams ending in punts, running back Antowain Smith scored a 2-yard touchdown on the second play of the fourth quarter to make the score 21-10. This was the start of one of the biggest offensive explosions in Super Bowl history, with the two teams combining to score 37 points in the last 15 minutes.
Deshaun Foster closed the gap to 21-16 with a 3-yard touchdown on the Panthers' opening drive. The Panthers' 2-point conversion attempt failed. After the Patriots drove to the Carolina 9-yard line, a Brady pass intended for tight end Christian Fauria was intercepted in the end zone by Reggie Howard , who returned it to the Panthers' 10-yard line.On 3rd down from the 15, Delhomme threw for the longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history, an 85-yard touchdown to Muhsin Muhammad . The 2-point conversion failed again, but Carolina had taken a 22-21 lead with 6:53 remaining.
New England took the lead again with 2:51 to go when linebacker Mike Vrabel , who had checked in as an eligible receiver on 2nd and goal from the 1, caught a touchdown pass. Kevin Faulk took the direct snap on the 2-point conversion and scored to make it 29-22.
Carolina quickly moved downfield themselves on the following drive, going 81 yards in the span of 1:43. The game was tied when Ricky Proehl , who also caught a Super Bowl-tying touchdown as a member of the St. Louis RamsLouis Rams are a National Football League team based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded 1937 Formerly known as Cleveland Rams ( 1937- 1945), Los Angeles Rams ( 1946- 1994; in Los Angeles 1946- 1978 and Anaheim 1979- 1994). Home stadium Edward Jones Dome (for two years earlier, caught another one, from 12 yards out. The game was tied 29-29 with 1:08 to play in regulation, and overtime looming. It appeared that for the first time in Super Bowl history that the game would go into overtime.
Kasay's ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, ensuring the Patriots would start from their own 40-yard line. Brady and the Patriots offense calmly moved downfield, with two passes to Troy BrownTroy Brown is a professional American football player, a wide receiver on the New England Patriots team of the National Football League. Despite not making the Pro Bowl that year, he had an enourmos breakout year in 2001 and was a key figure in their shoc, a penalty setting New England back 10 yards, another pass to Daniel Graham , and another to Deion Branch that put the Patriots at the Panthers' 23-yard line with 9 seconds remaining. This set up a 41-yard field goal attempt from Vinatieri, which was pushed straight down the middle. New England led 32-29 with 4 seconds to go. Rod SmartRod Smart is an American football player who played for the Super Bowl XXXVIII runner-up Carolina Panthers as a kick return man/running back. He is most widely known for his XFL debut jersey name "He Hate Me". Smart formerly played for the Philadelphia Ea's kickoff for Carolina was stopped at the Panthers 21, and time had run out. The New England Patriots had won their second championship in three years.