Super Bowl XXXIX

"2005 Super Bowl" redirects here. For the Super Bowl that was played at the completion of the 2005 season, see Super Bowl XL.

Super Bowl XXXIX
DateFebruary 6, 2005 (2005-02-06)
StadiumAlltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
MVPDeion Branch, wide receiver
FavoritePatriots by 7[1][2]
RefereeTerry McAulay
Attendance78,125[3]
Ceremonies
National anthemThe combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S. Army Herald Trumpets.
Coin tossYouth football players from Jacksonville: Tyler Callahan, Tyler Deal, Lawrence McCauley, and Jacob Santana; New Orleans NFL Junior Player Development coach Tomaris Jackson
Halftime showPaul McCartney
TV in the United States
NetworkFox
AnnouncersJoe Buck, Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Pam Oliver and Chris Myers
Nielsen ratings41.1
(est. 86 million viewers)[4]
Market share62
Cost of 30-second commercial$2.3 million
Radio in the United States
NetworkWestwood One
AnnouncersMarv Albert, Boomer Esiason, John Dockery and Bonnie Bernstein

Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2004 season. The Patriots defeated the Eagles by the score of 24–21.[5] The game was played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium (now EverBank Stadium) in Jacksonville, Florida, the first (and as of 2024 only) time the Super Bowl was played in that city.

The Patriots, who entered the Super Bowl after compiling a 14–2 regular season record, became the then-most recent team to win consecutive Super Bowls (until the Kansas City Chiefs did in 2023).[6] New England also became the second team after the Dallas Cowboys[7] to win three Super Bowls in four seasons, cementing their status as the NFL dynasty of the 2000s.[8][9][10][11] The Eagles were making their second Super Bowl appearance since 1981 after posting a 13–3 regular season record.[12] Thirteen years later, the two teams would meet again in Super Bowl LII with the Eagles defeating the favored Patriots.[13][14][15][16][17]

The game was close throughout, with the teams battling to a 14–14 tie by the end of the third quarter. The Patriots then scored 10 points in the 4th quarter with Corey Dillon's 2-yard touchdown run and Adam Vinatieri's 22-yard field goal. The Eagles then cut their deficit to 24–21, with quarterback Donovan McNabb's 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Greg Lewis, with 1:48 remaining in the game but could not sustain the comeback. Overall, New England forced four turnovers, while Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch was named Super Bowl MVP for recording 133 receiving yards and tied the Super Bowl record with 11 catches.[18]

To avoid the possibility of an incident similar to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show the previous year, the league selected Paul McCartney as a "safe" choice to perform during Super Bowl XXXIX's halftime. The broadcast of the game on Fox was watched by an estimated 86 million viewers.[4]

  1. ^ DiNitto, Marcus (January 25, 2015). "Super Bowl Betting History – Underdogs on Recent Roll". Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  2. ^ Rogers, Kevin. "Super Bowl History". Vegas Insider. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "Super Bowl XXXIX Box Score: New England 24, Philadelphia 21". NFL.com. National Football League. February 7, 2005. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Historical Super Bowl Nielsen TV Ratings, 1967–2009 – Ratings". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  5. ^ Rapoport, Ron (February 5, 2005). "Eagles, Patriots Brace for Super Bowl". NPR.org. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Hack, Damon (February 7, 2005). "The Dynasty Is Official". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
  7. ^ "Super Bowl History". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  8. ^ Hack, Damon (January 24, 2005). "Patriots Surge Back to the Super Bowl". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Hack, Damon (February 7, 2005). "The Dynasty Is Official". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  10. ^ Shaughnessy, Dan (February 7, 2005). "DYNASTY". Boston.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  11. ^ Silver, Michael (February 14, 2005). "Patriots win third Super Bowl, set up modern dynasty". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  12. ^ Anderson, Dave (February 6, 2005). "The Living Link to the Super Bowl Franchises". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Rapaport, Daniel (January 21, 2018). "Super Bowl XXXIX Rematch: What Happened When the Eagles and Patriots Played in 2005". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Dwyer, Colin (February 4, 2018). "Underdog Eagles Pull Out A Shocker, Beating Patriots In Super Bowl LII". NPR. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  15. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles defeat New England Patriots to win Super Bowl". CNBC. February 5, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  16. ^ "Philadelphia Eagles knock off Patriots, win Super Bowl". NFL.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  17. ^ Hoffman, Benjamin; Drape, Joe (February 4, 2018). "How the Eagles Won Their First Super Bowl Title, Drive by Drive". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  18. ^ Player Bio, Patriots. "Deion Branch". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2008.