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| (photo credit: nfl.com) |
The Patriots were making their third Super Bowl appearance
in four years. In each of the previous two, kicker Adam Vinatieri made field
goals in the last ten seconds of the game to win both of them by three points
each. Super Bowl XXXVI was a 20-17 victory over the heavily-favored St. Louis
Rams. In Super Bowl XXXVIII, they beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29. During the
2004 regular season, the Patriots earned the second seed in the AFC
with a 14-2 record. Their offense finished with the fourth-most points
and seventh-most yards in the league, while their defense gave up the second-fewest
points in the league. In the playoffs, New England beat the Indianapolis Colts
20-3 in the Divisional Round and Pittsburgh Steelers 41-27 in the Conference
Championship game to reach the Super Bowl.
Philadelphia had participated in the Super Bowl only once
previously, a 27-10 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV. During the
2004 regular season, the Eagles ranked in the Top 10 in offensive points per
game and total yards per game, while being tied with New England for
second-fewest points given up defensively. Those accomplishments led them to a
13-3 record and overall number-one seed in the NFC. To get to the Super Bowl
they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 27-14 in the Divisional Round and Atlanta
Falcons 27-10 in the Conference Championship game.
The Super Bowl proved to be just as even as the two teams
were heading into the game. The first eight drives of the game ended with four
punts by the Patriots, and two punts and two turnovers by the Eagles. Philadelphia
scored the first points of the game with just under ten minutes left in the
half when quarterback Donovan McNabb threw a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end
L.J. Smith. New England finally got on the board with a little over a minute
left in the half when quarterback Tom Brady connected on a four-yard pass to receiver
David Givens. The score as both teams went in to halftime was 7-7.
The Patriots started the second half with a nine-play, 69-yard
touchdown drive highlighted by four catches for 71 yards by Deion Branch.
Branch would finish the game with 11 catches for 133 yards, earning Super Bowl
MVP honors. The drive culminated on a two-yard touchdown catch by linebacker
Mike Vrabel, who had lined up offensively at tight end for the play. Vrabel was
one of two notable players for the Patriots who played on both sides of the
ball. Receiver Troy Brown lined up for 21 snaps on defense.
Philadelphia would tie the game at 14-14 after a 10-play,
74-yard touchdown drive late in the quarter. Brian Westbrook had three catches
for 29 yards on the drive, including the 10-yard touchdown reception that tied
the game. After that score, New England’s next two possessions would end in
points, a Corey Dillon rushing touchdown and a Vinatieri field goal.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia punted and threw an interception. Philadelphia gained possession with 5:40 remaining in the game, down 24-14. Needing to score quickly to give themselves another opportunity to get the ball back and score again, they instead sustained a four-minute drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Greg Lewis with 1:48 remaining in the game.
The Eagles defense held New England to a 3-and-out and got the ball back at their own 4-yard line with 48 seconds left in the game. On the third play of the drive, with just 17 seconds left, McNabb’s pass went through the hands of L.J. Smith and into the waiting arms of Patriots’ safety Rodney Harrison. It was Harrison’s second interception of the game. When Tom Brady knelt to run out the clock, the Patriots had officially won their third Super Bowl in a span of four years, the second team ever to do so.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia punted and threw an interception. Philadelphia gained possession with 5:40 remaining in the game, down 24-14. Needing to score quickly to give themselves another opportunity to get the ball back and score again, they instead sustained a four-minute drive that ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Greg Lewis with 1:48 remaining in the game.
The Eagles defense held New England to a 3-and-out and got the ball back at their own 4-yard line with 48 seconds left in the game. On the third play of the drive, with just 17 seconds left, McNabb’s pass went through the hands of L.J. Smith and into the waiting arms of Patriots’ safety Rodney Harrison. It was Harrison’s second interception of the game. When Tom Brady knelt to run out the clock, the Patriots had officially won their third Super Bowl in a span of four years, the second team ever to do so.
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