Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion following the 2001 regular season.
The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots (14-5) defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion St. Louis Rams (16-3), 20 – 17, as kicker Adam Vinatieri made a game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired. The Rams had been 14-point favorites to win the game, making the Patriots' victory one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history.
Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady, who completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown and marched his team down the field for the game winning score, was named Super Bowl MVP.
Due to the September 11, 2001 attacks and the NFL schedule being moved one week later, Super Bowl XXXVI was rescheduled from the original date of January 27 to February 3. On December 16, 2002, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated each subsequent Super Bowl a National Special Security Event (NSSE). By 2004, the league had restored the traditional pre-Super Bowl bye week that had been abolished prior to the 2001 NFL season, to reduce the possibility of the Super Bowl being unexpectedly delayed again.
