Tom Brady leads Patriots to shock victory over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI (36) was played on February 3, 2002, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The New England Patriots, champions of the AFC, faced off against the heavily favored St. Louis Rams, champions of the NFC.
The odds had the Rams winning the Lombardi in the first ever February Super Bowl, after the season was delayed by a week due to September 11, 2001.
The Patriots, coached by Bill Belichick, had a solid regular season, finishing with a record of 11-5. They won their division and then defeated the Oakland Raiders, the Pittsburgh Steelers to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI.
Quarterback Tom Brady led the team's offense after taking over as starter due to an injury to Drew Bledsoe in Week 2. He completed 264 passes for 2,843 yards and 18 touchdowns, with Troy Brown his favorite target.
When the teams take the field today, they will likely both be introduced and run onto the field as a team.
That's the norm now.
But until Super Bowl XXXVI, no one had ever done it.
Then the @Patriots started a special Super Bowl tradition... (Feb. 3, 2002) https://t.co/oF53DuGGc8
Their excellent defense included Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy and Pro Bowl corner Ty Law. Then there was the excellent linebacker combination of Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, and Teddy Bruschi.
The Rams were coming off of a high-powered offensive season, finishing with a record of 14-2. They won their division and then defeated the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles to advance to the Super Bowl.
Quarterback Kurt Warner led the team's offense, completing 325 passes for a career-best 4,830 yards and 36 touchdowns, winning the MVP award. Running back Marshall Faulk won the Offensive Player of the Year award for the third straight season.
Super Bowl 36: How it went down
The match was a close, hard-fought battle, but the Patriots were able to pull off an upset. New England's defense held the Rams to just three points until the fourth quarter. The Patriots had a 17-3 lead due to Brady, who threw for 145 yards and a touchdown, alongside a strong running game.
The Patriots are World Champions!
Super Bowl XXXVI game highlights. https://t.co/vmEA8SzSQC
The Rams would storm back into the game-tying 17-17 but Adam Vinatieri, the Patriots' kicker, scored a 48-yard field goal as time expired to secure the victory.
Looking back now, it is hard to remember how Brady, Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots were the underdogs, but this was just the first step on the way to becoming a dynasty.