Super Bowl XXXVIII — 2003 Season
February 1, 2004 · Houston, TX (Reliant Stadium)
Super Bowl XXXVIII result: NEPNew England Patriots def. CPCarolina Panthers, 32-29, February 1, 2004, at Houston, TX (Reliant Stadium).
Result
| Team | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | NEPNew England Patriots | 32-29 |
| Runner-up | CPCarolina Panthers |
Super Bowl MVP
Tom Brady (QB, New England Patriots)
Starting lineups
Starting offense
| Carolina Panthers | New England Patriots |
|---|---|
| Jake Delhomme (QB) | Tom Brady (QB) |
| Stephen Davis (RB) | Antowain Smith (RB) |
| Brad Hoover (FB) | Larry Centers (FB) |
| Muhsin Muhammad (WR) | Deion Branch (WR) |
| Steve Smith (WR) | Troy Brown (WR) |
| Jermaine Wiggins (TE) | Daniel Graham (TE) |
| Todd Steussie (LT) | Matt Light (LT) |
| Jeno James (LG) | Russ Hochstein (LG) |
| Jeff Mitchell (C) | Dan Koppen (C) |
| Kevin Donnalley (RG) | Joe Andruzzi (RG) |
| Jordan Gross (RT) | Tom Ashworth (RT) |
Starting defense
| Carolina Panthers | New England Patriots |
|---|---|
| Julius Peppers (DE) | Bobby Hamilton (DE) |
| Brentson Buckner (DT) | Ted Washington (NT) |
| Kris Jenkins (DT) | Richard Seymour (DE) |
| Mike Rucker (DE) | Willie McGinest (OLB) |
| Greg Favors (LB) | Tedy Bruschi (ILB) |
| Dan Morgan (LB) | Roman Phifer (ILB) |
| Will Witherspoon (LB) | Mike Vrabel (OLB) |
| Ricky Manning Jr. (CB) | Ty Law (CB) |
| Reggie Howard (CB) | Tyrone Poole (CB) |
| Mike Minter (S) | Rodney Harrison (S) |
| Deon Grant (S) | Eugene Wilson (S) |
Box score
Passing
| Team | Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | Jake Delhomme | 16/33 | 323 | 3 | 0 |
| New England Patriots | Tom Brady | 32/48 | 354 | 3 | 1 |
Rushing
| Team | Player | Car | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | Stephen Davis | 13 | 49 | 0 |
| Carolina Panthers | DeShaun Foster | 3 | 43 | 1 |
| New England Patriots | Antowain Smith | 26 | 83 | 1 |
| New England Patriots | Kevin Faulk | 6 | 42 | 0 |
Receiving
| Team | Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | Steve Smith | 4 | 80 | 1 |
| Carolina Panthers | Muhsin Muhammad | 4 | 140 | 1 |
| Carolina Panthers | Ricky Proehl | 4 | 71 | 1 |
| New England Patriots | Deion Branch | 10 | 143 | 1 |
| New England Patriots | Troy Brown | 8 | 76 | 0 |
| New England Patriots | David Givens | 5 | 69 | 1 |
Game context
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an offensive explosion sandwiched around long defensive stretches, an oddly shaped game that produced one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history as the New England Patriots edged the surprising Carolina Panthers 32-29 on Adam Vinatieri's second career Super Bowl-winning field goal. The two teams combined for zero points across the entire first and third quarters, with a scoreless stretch of 26 minutes and 55 seconds that set a Super Bowl record, before erupting for a combined 37 points in the fourth quarter alone, also a record, as both offenses traded haymakers down the stretch in a game that swung several times in the final minutes. Tom Brady was named MVP for the second time in three seasons, completing a Super Bowl-record 32 passes on 48 attempts for 354 yards and three touchdowns, repeatedly finding receivers against a stout Carolina defense anchored by Julius Peppers and Kris Jenkins. Carolina's Jake Delhomme, playing in his first full season as a starter, was nearly Brady's equal, throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with just over a minute remaining that tied the game 29-29 after New England had appeared to be pulling away. Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad caught a Super Bowl-record 85-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme in the fourth quarter, part of a 140-yard receiving day, as Carolina's offense came alive late after a nearly silent first three quarters. New England answered Carolina's final tying score with a decisive drive of its own, setting up Vinatieri for a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left that won the championship, echoing his game-winning kick two years earlier against St. Louis. Carolina's run to the Super Bowl was itself a remarkable turnaround story, as the Panthers had finished just 1-15 in 2001, only two seasons earlier, before rebuilding under head coach John Fox into a physical, defense-driven team that reached the championship game behind an unheralded roster. New England, meanwhile, overcame a difficult early stretch of the season that included the surprising release of respected safety Lawyer Milloy just days before the regular-season opener, a move that initially appeared to backfire when the Patriots were routed by Milloy's new team, the Buffalo Bills, in Week 1, before New England rattled off a 14-2 finish and a second championship in three seasons. The victory made New England just the second team in the salary-cap era to win multiple Super Bowls, further cementing the Brady-Belichick partnership's growing dynasty status, while the game's back-and-forth, high-scoring finish, following its unusually quiet opening three quarters, is still regarded as one of the most thrilling and unpredictably paced Super Bowls ever played, despite off-field criticism the broadcast drew for an unrelated halftime-show incident.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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