3. Patriots 32, Panthers 29 (Super Bowl XXXVIII)
The New England Patriots were Super Bowl champions in 2001. A year later, they started 3-0 but lost seven of their final 13 games to finish 9-7 and out of the playoffs. Bill Belichick’s team looked like a one-hit wonder, but looks were obviously deceiving.
Things didn’t get any better in Week 1 of 2023 when the club went to Buffalo and was spanked, 31-0. Three weeks later there was a loss at Washington. Was 2001 just a magical year?
Starting with a Week 5 victory at Tennessee, the 2023 Patriots would not lose another game. They closed the year with 12 straight regular-season wins, including an ironic 31-0 victory over the Bills. Their defense came up big in the playoffs with home wins over the Titans and Colts. Belichick’s squad took a 14-game winning streak into Super Bowl XXXVIII and a date with the upstart Carolina Panthers at Houston.
It was a game that saw all of its points scored in the second and fourth quarters. New England owned a 14-10 lead at the half.
The clubs combined for 37 fourth-quarter points. Down 21-10, Carolina would take a 22-21 lead. With 1:08 to play, the teams were tied at 29-all. Panthers’ kicker John Kasay booted a kickoff out of bounds and set the Patriots up for a short drive. Adam Vinatieri booted a 41-yard with four seconds to play. Tom Brady was the game’s MVP, but linebacker Mike Vrabel came up big on both sides of the ball.