Super Bowl XXXVI Recap

Betting Odds:
Point Spread: New England +14
Total: 53

Super Bowl 36 Game Recap

It was Tom Brady's coming-out party and the first time a Super Bowl had been won on the final play. Oh yeah, and a big downer for the heavily favored Rams.

Adam Vinatieri booted a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the two-touchdown-underdog Patriots a wild 20-17 victory over the Greatest Show on Turf in Super Bowl XXXVI.

The Rams powerful offense outgained the Pats 427-267, but the Rams turned the ball over three times and the upstart AFC champs made them pay.

Brady hit David Patten late in the first half for a touchdown to give New England a 14-3 halftime cushion. After the break, another Ram mistake - Otis Smith intercepted Kurt Warner to set up a Vinatieri field goal - made it 17-3 lead.

But the Rams weren't done. Warner scored after a fourth-and-goal fumble was negated by a penalty and the Rams were within a touchdown. And then with less than two minutes to go, Warner completed a 26-yard scoring strike to Ricky Proehl with 1:30 left to tie the game.

That's' when Brady, named Super Bowl XXXVI MVP, went to work. Hhe completed five quick sideline passes, without any timeouts or margin of error, and got to the Rams' 30-yard line with seven seconds left.

Vinatieri nailed the kick and the upset was complete. Rams backers had long since given up on covering the 14-point spread or topping the closing total of 53.

Brady, who replaced the injured Drew Bledsoe during the year and then kept the starting job, was 16-for-27 for 145 yards, while his counterpart Warner was 28 of 44 for 365 yards. But he was intercepted twice.

Final Score: 20-17
Winning Side Bet: New England +14
Winning Total Bet: Under 53