Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion following the 2003 regular season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots (17-2) defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers (14-6), 32-29, as Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left.
New England quarterback Tom Brady was named Most Valuable Player for the second time in three years. He set a Super Bowl record for the most pass completions (32). Brady also recorded a 66.7 completion percentage (48 pass attempts), 354 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and 12 rushing yards.
Although not part of the game itself, one of the most widely discussed moments came during halftime. The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy generated intense media coverage and led to the popularity of the euphemism "wardrobe malfunction".
At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 144.4 million viewers. NFL fans and sports writers widely consider it one of the most well-played and exciting Super Bowls. After the game, Sports Illustrated writer Peter King hailed it as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time."
This was the first time the Patriots played in a Super Bowl that was not in New Orleans, Louisiana.
