Brady the super hero in more Patriot gains

Head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and kicker Adam Vinatieri joined forces again to give the New England Patriots their third Super Bowl win in four years in Jacksonville, Florida.

Their combined skills edged it for the Patriots, 24-21 over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX at the Alltel Stadium and again it was three points from a Vinatieri field goal which proved enough as in 2002 and 2004 for Belichick's team.

Passer Brady was the game's Most Valuable Player in those years but this year's honour went to Patriots player Deion Branch, tying a Super Bowl record for receptions with 11.

With Brady efficiently running the offense and Rodney Harrison sparking a smothering defense, the Patriots won their ninth successive post-season game, equalling the record of Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers of the 1960s.

Vinatieri's field goal, a 22-yarder with just under nine minutes left in the game, proved the crucial score, but this time it wasn't the pressure kick of the dying seconds of the game, as in 2002 and 2004. Playing in front of a crowd of 78,125, in a tight game the Patriots ensured that the Eagles' run of 45 years without the NFL crown continued.

The Eagles reached the Super Bowl for the first time in 24 seasons and felt it was their year after three consecutive semifinal defeats, only to fall at the final hurdle.