Super Bowl XXXIX

Guide Note:

The New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. The victory allowed the Patriots to become the seventh NFL franchise to win consecutive Super Bowl championships. They also joined the Dallas Cowboys as the only team to win three Super Bowls in a four year span. The victory gave head coach Bill Belichick three career wins in the game, tying him for second all-time with Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh, trailing only Chuck Noll's 4 wins. The game was the first ever held in the city of Jacksonville, the third such city in state of Florida to host a Super Bowl, joining Miami and Tampa. New England wide receiver Deion Branch tied Jerry Rice's Super Bowl record with 11 receptions, and he also gained 133 receiving yards. Branch was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.

Fast Facts

1. February 6, 2005
2. Site: ALLTEL Stadium
3. Location: Jacksonville, FL
4. Attendance: 78,125
5. MVP: Deion Branch
6. Television: FOX

Philadelphia Story

After a 24-year absence, the Eagles returned to the Super Bowl. The addition of all-pro wide receiver Terrell Owens helped the Eagles start the season red-hot. However, his ankle injury threatened to derail Philadelphia, which had lost the previous 3 NFC Championship Games at home. But the Eagles, led by quarterback Donovan McNabb, defeated both Minnesota and Atlanta to reach the Super Bowl. Owens returned for the big game, and he led the team with 9 catches for 122 yards in the loss.

Hey Paul, don't wardrobe malfunction

The other focal point for the game revolved around the halftime show. Because of the wardrobe malfunction by Janet Jackson during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, the NFL tried to assure themselves of a much less controversial show in this game by having Beatles legend Paul McCartney perform.