Vinatieri Kicks Patriots to Last-gasp Superbowl Win

First Jonny Wilkinson, now Adam Vinatieri. Eleventh-hour, trophy-winning kicks, it seems, are all the rage, and last night the New England Patriots put the boot into the Carolina Panthers to sneak a thrilling 32-29 win in Super Bowl XXXVII.

With just five seconds left on the clock, Vinatieri, who had earlier missed a 31-yard attempt at goal and later had a 36-yard effort blocked, drove the ball through the uprights from 41 yards out to break Carolina hearts and deliver the title to New England for the second time in three seasons.

Vinatieri has previous when it comes to last-minute rescue acts. Two years ago he slotted home the winning field goal with no time left on the clock as the Patriots defeated the St Louis Rams.

Now, as thousands of flashbulbs went off around a sellout Reliant Stadium, and the fans on the edge of their seats after a wild fourth quarter, the 31-year-old Vinatieri came up with a carbon copy.

"I was fortunate," he said. "I just looked up and it was going down the middle. You just try to block the external things out and kick it.

"I've said it before, most guys never have the opportunity to play in this game and to have two opportunities to win it is amazing.

"I just tried getting those missed kicks out of my head and think about the next kick. With five seconds left all that matters is that kick right there."

If Vinatieri stole the headlines, it was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady who laid the foundations for victory, winning the MVP award - just as he did after the 2002 win over the Rams. Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns against a ferocious Panthers defense.

Having spent the entire two-week build-up to the game being compared to the brilliant Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers, Brady lived up to his billing and is now a perfect 6-0 in post-season games.

It was the 15th straight victory for the Patriots, only two behind the NFL record, set by Miami Dolphins in 1972.

"It's unbelievable to win it that way again," said Brady. "For a 60-minute game that comes down to five seconds tells you about how competitive these two teams are.

"You work so hard to get here and do it... it's just fun."

The first Super Bowl held inside a stadium with a retractable roof was one of wild contrasts.

The opening half featured the punishing hitting and the aggressive defensive play that has become the hallmark of both teams as they combined to set a Super Bowl record for the longest scoreless start to a title game.

But by the fourth quarter the contest had turned into an offensive shootout as the two teams combined to score 37 points and establish several Super Bowl records.

Leading 14-10 entering the final quarter, the Patriots appeared to seize control when Antowain Smith scampered two yards to put New England in front 21-10.

But the plucky Panthers refused to quit, and quarterback Jake Delhomme replied immediately with an 81-yard scoring drive, DeShaun Foster racing the final 33 yards for the touchdown.

Carolina decided to go for a two-point conversion to move within a field goal of the Patriots but failed.

The Panthers, however, did not trail for long, Delhomme finding Mushin Muhammad streaking down the sidelines and hitting him with a spectacular 85-yard touchdown strike. The play was the longest from scrimmage in Super Bowl history.

Again, the Panthers went for the two-point conversion and again failed but they still took the lead for the first time 22-21.

Brady hit back by marching his team 68 yards. He found linebacker Mike Vrabel with a one-yard touchdown pass followed by a successful two-point conversion plunge from running back Kevin Faulk as the Pats went in front 29-22.

The seesaw battle continued with the Panthers scoring again on their next possession, Delhomme and Rickey Proehl hooking up on a touchdown pass to tie the game. Then came the dramatic finale.

For the first time since the September 11 attacks on the US, the Super Bowl was not classified a national special security event but the 70,000-plus fans and 3,200 accredited media arrived at Reliant Stadium to find some of the tightest security ever seen at the game.

Anyone entering the stadium had to undergo a tedious screening process that included bag checks, body searches and 90 state-of-the-art metal detectors spread around the venue.

Police helicopters also thundered overhead and remained the only air-traffic allowed in the area, the Federal Aviation Authority imposing an 11-mile no-fly zone around the stadium during the game.