Super Bowl History, 1st Add

At Miami_74,059

Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return with 3:12 remaining capped a fourth-quarter comeback and lifted the Saints to their first Super Bowl title.

Trailing 10-6, New Orleans opened the second half by recovering an onside kick, which led to a 16-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Pierre Thomas and the Saints’ first lead.

Indianapolis came back with a 76-yard scoring drive capped by Joseph Addai’s 4-yard touchdown run. Garrett Hartley’s 47-yard field goal pulled the Saints within 17-16 after three quarters.

In the fourth period, Indy’s Matt Stover missed a 51-yard field goal attempt. Brees completed all seven pass attempts on the ensuing drive, capped by Jeremy Shockey’s 2-yard scoring catch with 5:42 remaining. The Saints got the 2-point conversion to take a 24-17 lead.

The Colts quickly drove to the Saints 31, but on third-and-5, Peyton Manning’s short pass to the left side intended for Reggie Wayne was intercepted by Porter.

At Tampa, Fla._70,774

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers ended a game of incredible swings with a final-minute touchdown for a victory over the Cardinals.

MVP Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining, lifting the Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win.

The late scoring overshadowed Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison’s record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to end the first half.

Pittsburgh’s 79-yard, 16-play drive ended with Jeff Reed’s 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead after three quarters. Kurt Warner and the Cardinals then staged a remarkable rally in the fourth quarter to go in front 23-20 with 2:37 remaining.

Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards of an 87-yard drive capped by a leaping 1-yard TD catch by Larry Fitzgerald over Ike Taylor. After an exchange of possessions, the Cardinals got a safety when Pittsburgh’s Justin Hartwig was called for a holding penalty in the end zone.

Two plays later, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown and the lead.

With 2:30 left, Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive. Roethlisberger connected with Holmes on passes of 14, 13 and 40 yards before hitting him in the right corner.

At Glendale, Ariz._71,101

Perfect no more.

Eli Manning and the New York Giants shattered New England’s unbeaten season when he threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left.

The win was the Giants’ 11th straight on the road, and the first time the Patriots lost in more than a year. New England (18-1) was one play from winning, but its defense couldn’t stop a 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who scored New York’s first touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

After an exchange of punts and trailing 10-7, the Patriots took possession on their 20-yard line with 7:54 to play. Tom Brady completed 8 of 11 passes on the drive, which ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss with 2:42 to play.

With 1:15 left, Manning faced a third-and-5 at the Giants 44. The Patriots brought pressure, and Manning somehow shook loose from the grasps of Jarvis Green and Richard Seymour. Scrambling to his right, he made a desperate toss deep down the middle.

Tyree, the Giants’ fourth receiver, jumped up, and with safety Rodney Harrison on his back, managed to get both hands on the ball. Harrison fought him the whole way, slapping at the ball and momentarily pinning it to Tyree’s helmet. That gave Tyree a chance to get a better grip and as he fell backward, he had the presence to hold the ball aloft to show it was his.

Soon after, the Lombardi Trophy was the Giants’.

At Miami_74,512

Peyton Manning of the Colts added a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements. He was 25 of 38 for 247 yards and a touchdown pass as he rallied the Colts to a 29-17 victory in the South Florida rain. It was the first Super Bowl played in wet weather.

Another first: Tony Dungy became the first African-American coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured the first two African-American coaches in the Super Bowl.

Chicago’s Devin Hester opened the game with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first time a Super Bowl began with a touchdown. Two possessions later, Manning connected on a 53-yard pass to Reggie Wayne. Hunter Smith mishandled the snap on the extra point, allowing the Bears to hold a 7-6 lead. The Bears took a 14-6 lead later in the quarter on Muhsin Muhammad’s 4-yard touchdown reception.

The Colts scored 10 points in the second quarter, capped by Dominic Rhodes’ 1-yard run, for a 16-14 halftime lead.

Indianapolis kicked field goals on its first two possessions of the third quarter and put the game away on Kelvin Hayden’s 56-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

At Detroit_68,206

In what almost amounted to a home game for the Steelers — and was a homecoming for their star running back, Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh finally got its “one for the thumb” ring.

A record-setting run, game-turning interception and trick play gave the Steelers their record-tying fifth Super Bowl title in Bettis’s final NFL game. In his hometown of Detroit, before nearly as many Terrible Towels as are waved in Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker broke free for a Super Bowl-record 75 yards on the second play of the second half to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead.

They had a chance to close out the Seahawks later in the third quarter, but on third-and-6 from the Seahawks 7-yard line, Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception that Kelly Herndon returned a Super Bowl-record 76 yards. That set up the Seahawks’ only touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens.

Early in the fourth quarter, Seattle drove to the Steelers 19. Hasselbeck’s worst pass of the game was intercepted by Ike Taylor, ending Seattle’s drive.

The clincher for the Steelers was Antwaan Randle El’s 43-yard pass to Hines Ward, the first Super Bowl touchdown throw by a receiver and one of the most decisive trick plays in championship game history. Randle El had been a quarterback in college.

That catch wrapped up the MVP trophy for Ward, who had five catches for 123 yards. It wrapped up Bettis’ only championship; he announced his retirement after the game.

At Jacksonville, Fla._78,125

The New England Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years, matching the Cowboys’ feat from the 1990s. It was their ninth straight postseason victory, equaling Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. It was coach Bill Belichick’s 10th playoff victory in 11 games, one better than Lombardi.

Deion Branch, from nearby Albany, Georgia, fretted that he couldn’t get enough tickets for everyone who wanted to make the drive from his hometown to Jacksonville.

Those who didn’t attend missed quite a show: Branch had 11 receptions for 133 yards to win MVP honors and the Patriots’ defense forced four turnovers to become the eighth team to win consecutive Super Bowls.

The Patriots took a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Corey Dillon. New England forced a three-and-out and Branch’s 19-yard reception set up Adam Vinatieri’s 22-yard field goal with 8:40 to play.

The Eagles pulled within three on Donovan McNabb’s 30-yard pass to Greg Lewis with 1:48 to play.

Philadelphia’s final drive started on its 4 with 46 seconds left. Rodney Harrison ended the Eagles’ hopes three plays later with his second interception of the game.

At Houston_71,525

The Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three seasons after Adam Vinatieri kicked another field goal in the final seconds to lift his team to victory in game often remembered for the controversial halftime show.

New England and Carolina went a record 26:55 without any points before Tom Brady hit Deion Branch for a 7-0 lead. The teams then combined for 24 points in the final 3:05 of the half. After a scoreless third quarter, they scored a total of 37 points over the final quarter.

Jake Delhomme and Muhsin Muhammad connected for the longest pass in Super Bowl history, an 85-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers a brief 22-21 lead with 6:53 left.

Mike Vrabel, a linebacker who often played on offense near the goal line, caught a touchdown pass to put New England back ahead 29-22. Delhomme’s 12-yard pass to Ricky Proehl capped an 80-yard drive to tie the game with 1:08 remaining.

John Kasay’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Patriots the ball on their 40-yard line. Brady, who earned his second MVP award, moved New England to the Carolina 23 in five plays, leaving the outcome up to one of the game’s best clutch kickers.

At halftime, Janet Jackson had a “wardrobe malfunction” during her performance, revealing her breast to the national TV audience as well as the fans in attendance.

Tampa Bay’s defense dominated the Raiders in the first Super Bowl matchup of the NFL’s best offense against the best defense.

MVP Dexter Jackson had two interceptions. Also with two was Dwight Smith, who returned both of his picks for touchdowns, including a 50-yarder to finish off the scoring with 2 seconds left. Derrick Brooks also returned an interception for a touchdown against league MVP Rich Gannon.

Simeon Rice had two of the Bucs’ five sacks as Tampa romped to a 20-3 halftime lead, then scored two quick third-quarter touchdowns.

The Raiders had a touchdown on a blocked punt and a 48-yard TD pass from Gannon to Jerry Rice. But Gannon threw five interceptions.

Tampa Bay’s offense did its part, too, led by Michael Pittman, who ran for 124 yards on 29 carries.

Oakland had been rocked the morning of the game by the absence of starting center Barrett Robbins, who was in a San Diego hospital after disappearing from the team’s hotel the night before. He had gone on a drinking and drug binge in Tijuana, Mexico.

A Super Bowl remembered as much for its halftime show as for the game.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the NFL moved the Super Bowl back a week, having it bump up against Mardi Gras in New Orleans. A tribute by U2 to the victims of the attacks, whose names were scrolled along the Superdome roof, is still talked about.

So is the game.

Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal as time expired gave Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots their first Super Bowl title over the two-touchdown favorite Rams.

Using a brutally rugged pass defense, the Patriots forced three turnovers to build a 17-3 lead. In the middle of the second quarter, Ty Law returned an interception of Kurt Warner 47 yards for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead.

With 1:33 left in the first half, New England’s Antwan Harris forced Ricky Proehl to fumble and Terrell Buckley returned the ball to the St. Louis 40. Four plays later, Brady hit David Patten with an 8-yard pass for a 14-3 halftime lead.

New England added another field goal late in the third quarter after Otis Smith’s 30-yard interception return to the St. Louis 33.

Then the Rams, known as the Greatest Show on Turf, woke up.

Kurt Warner’s 2-yard TD run with 9:31 left pulled St. Louis within 17-10. The Rams got the ball back at their 45 and needed only 21 seconds to tie it on a 26-yard pass from Warner to Proehl with 1:30 left.

Overtime ahead? Nope.

New England started the ensuing drive on its 17. Brady, in just his second pro season, led a 53-yard, nine-play drive to set up Vinatieri’s field goal.

The Ravens, led by Ray Lewis and one of the great defenses in NFL history, intercepted Kerry Collins four times and held New York to 152 yards. Baltimore’s defense was so dominant that New York’s offense never got inside the Ravens 29.

Ron Dixon’s 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown kept the Ravens from the first shutout in a Super Bowl.

Trent Dilfer’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley and Matt Stover’s 47-yard field goal game the Ravens a 10-0 halftime lead.

Duane Starks returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown, the first of three TDs on three plays late in the third quarter — none on offense. The other two were back-to-back kickoff returns by Dixon and Jermaine Lewis of Baltimore, the first time that’s happened in a Super Bowl.

Jamal Lewis, who had 29 carries for 102 yards, added a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter and Stover finished the scoring with a 38-yard field goal.

The Ravens became the third wild-card team to win the Super Bowl. The victory gave 75-year-old Art Modell his first Super Bowl victory in 40 years as an owner.

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