Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2003 season. The Patriots defeated the Panthers by the score of 32–29, winning their second Super Bowl in three years. The game was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on February 1, 2004. At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 144.4 million viewers.
The Panthers were making their first ever Super Bowl appearance after posting an 11-5 regular season record. The Patriots were seeking their second Super Bowl title in three years after posting a 14-2 record.
NFL fans and sports writers widely consider this game one of the most well-played and exciting Super Bowls; Sports Illustrated writer Peter King hailed it as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time." Although neither team could score in the first and third quarters, they both ended up with a combined total of 868 yards and 61 points. The game was scoreless for a Super Bowl record 26:55 before the two teams combined for 24 points prior to halftime. The clubs then combined for a Super Bowl record 37 points in the fourth quarter. The contest was finally decided on New England kicker Adam Vinatieri's 41-yard field goal with four seconds left. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in three years. He set a Super Bowl record for the most pass completions (32), competing 66.7 percent of his passes and accumulating 354 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 12 rushing yards.
The game is also known for its controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction". Along with the rest of the halftime show, it led to an immediate crackdown by the Federal Communications Commission, and widespread debate on perceived indecency in broadcasting.
Read more about Super Bowl XXXVIII: Background, Broadcasting and Entertainment, Game Summary, Starting Lineups, Gambling, Officials
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