For the 2003 NFL season, the title was decided in Super Bowl XXXVIII, which saw the NFC champion Carolina Panthers taking on the AFC champion New England Patriots. The Patriots won 32-29 over the Panthers.
The match took place on February 1, 2004, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. With 144.4 million viewers, 2017 Super Bowl set a new record for viewership. As a result of their 11-5 regular season record, the Panthers were playing in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
They also ensured that the NFC South would have a representative in the Super Bowl for the second year in a row after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII. After finishing with a 14-2 record, the Patriots were led by head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, who were hoping to win their second Super Bowl in three years.
Contents
Super Bowl XXXVIII – 2004
The Super Bowl XXXVIII was held on February 1, 2004, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. In a nail-biting matchup, the New England Patriots emerged victorious, 32-29, over the Carolina Panthers.
Tom Brady, quarterback for the Patriots, threw for 354 yards and three touchdowns, leading to his being awarded the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player. Both teams put up 61 points, the second-highest total in Super Bowl history.
Controversy surrounded the game’s last play, when the Panthers were called for holding and the Patriots were given the chance to score the game-winning field goal. The Patriots’ victory, despite the controversy, gave them their second Super Bowl title in three years and established them as the NFL’s undisputed best team.
In terms of score and action, the Super Bowl in 2004 will go down as one of the most memorable in NFL annals.
The Lead-Up to Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was played in Houston, Texas, in 2000. If built, Reliant Stadium’s retractable roof would make it the world’s first host stadium with such a feature. The first Sunday in February has since been the traditional date for the Super Bowl.
In 1996, an expansion gave rise to the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, under the direction of coach John Fox, have made steady progress throughout the course of their nine years of existence, culminating in their first Conference Championship and a shot at Super Bowl glory.
Their regular season record of 12-4 gave them plenty of confidence. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick brought their club back to the Super Bowl after falling short the year before. The Patriots bounced back from a disappointing 2002 campaign by finishing 14-2 in 2003.
Patriots Won the Super Bowl in 2004
Houston, Texas’s Reliant Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII (38), which took place on February 1, 2004. The AFC Champion New England Patriots took on the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers.
Tom Brady had a chance to disprove the notion that he was only a good player who happened to play on a great defense and benefit from fortunate situations in the championship game. In the Super Bowl, he played against the Panthers.
That was a challenging match, and things got off to a slow start. For the first 15 minutes of the game and over halfway through the second, neither team managed a single point. Yet with 24 points scored before halftime, the game really started to heat up.
As in the second and first halves, no team scored in the third quarter until the fourth quarter’s high-octane back-and-forth. With time running out, the score was knotted at 29, but the Patriots kicked a game-winning field goal with under four minutes left to earn a 32-29 victory.
Conclusion
Super Bowl XXXVIII was played in Houston, Texas on February 1, 2004. Both the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers were making their first appearances in the Super Bowl, with the Pats looking to capture a second straight championship and the Panthers making history.
Even while it was generally agreed that this game was fantastic, there were some contentious moments. One of the most surprising halftime displays in history may end up overshadowing the game itself.
In addition to learning more about this awesome game, you’ll also discover how the term “wardrobe malfunction” came to be widely used.
