NEW ORLEANS (REUTERS) — Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal as time ran out to give the New England Patriots a stunning 20-17 victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI on Sunday.
Despite being 14-point underdogs, the Patriots thoroughly outplayed the Rams for three quarters.
But NFL Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner engineered two fourth-quarter scoring drives to tie the game at 17-17 with just 90 seconds left.
That’s when New England’s second-year quarterback Tom Brady took over and did his best Warner impression. He completed four passes in five plays to move his team to the St. Louis 30-yard line with seven seconds left and set up Vinatieri’s game-winning kick.
Brady, 24, became the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl, as the Patriots captured their first championship in three trips to the big game in franchise history.
