BOSTON -- Tom Brady and Adam Vinatieri had been there before and, much like the previous go-around, the results were strikingly similar this time around.

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For the second time in three seasons, Brady led the New England Patriots down the field and Vinatieri kicked the winning field goal to crown New England king.

This time Vinatieri capped a thrilling contest with a 41-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to play, leading the Patriots to a 32-29 win over the pesky Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

"It was like a roller coaster, and even with four seconds left, we weren't sure the game was won. The NFL wanted us to come down the field, we wouldn't go until we were sure this was in the bag," said Patriots owner Robert Kraft. He said he wasn't concerned about Vinatieri missing two kicks early in the game, because Vinatieri wasn't under any pressure when those plays were made.

"When the pressure's on, he's money. We know that," said Kraft.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick took the win in stride with his characteristic low-key reaction.

"Tom does such a good job managing the team and you can't say enough about the offensive line, the receivers, all of them, stepping up and making big plays . . . so, once again, a lot of contributions from a lot of different people, but, you know, the offensive line blocked supposedly the best defensive line in the league and they kept them out of there all day," Belichick said.

Brady, who finished 32-for-48 for 354 yards with three touchdowns, drove the Patriots 37 yards in six plays to set up the game-winning score.

Brady was voted the game's MVP for the second time in three seasons.

Vinatieri, who had uncharacteristically missed his only two attempts up to this point, continued to build upon his legacy as one of the most clutch kickers of all- time by splitting the uprights with the game on the line.

It was groundhog day all over again. Two seasons ago, Vinatieri turned the improbable into reality when his 48-yard kick as time expired helped the underdog Patriots stun the high-octane St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans.

Demonstrating the team spirit that helped the Patriots to a 15-game winning streak this year, Vinatieri credited his teammates for the big win.

"Fortunately, that last [kick] was right down the middle and the guys did a nice job all game long, fought hard and, what can you say? Tom Brady, again, he just marches it down the field and gives us an opportunity to win at the end and our team's great. They fought hard all game long," Vinatieri said.

Earlier in the game, Vinatieri had missed one field goal and another was blocked.

"That first [kick] I was a little excited. I think I went a little too fast and pushed it right," Vinatieri said. "The next one, Carolina did a nice job . . . they got it blocked. But coming out on the third one, I'm kinda thinkin', 'If I hit this one, the other two don't matter', so I just tried to do what I could," he said.

Patriots tight end Christian Fauria summed up the game's hair-raising ending by saying it was fitting that the team ended the season the way it had played all year, on the edge.

"That's just the way the season's been going all year. I'm telling you, it's just ironic. 'This is going to come down to the wire again.' Every big game that we've had has come down like this," said Fauria.

Even during the final drive down field in the last minute of the game, he said, no one lost their head in the huddle.

"It's never panicked, man. The guys, you know, Tom, never loses his cool. The whole line, always kept their cool . . . it's chilly out there, it was so cold. You know, these guys have been in this position a bunch of times. I don't think it was anything crazy for them," he said.

That was a sentiment Brady echoed.

"We realized we had done it so many times this year," Brady said of the team's come back. "We knew we could come up with the plays."

Brady's legacy also continues to grow, and any doubts that he should be mentioned in the same breath as any of the league's top quarterbacks -- both past and present -- should be discarded.

"Like I said before, he is the best quarterback in the game," Patriots cornerback Ty Law explained of the Patriots' leader. "I'll take him over anyone."

Once again, Brady showed the hidden qualities that allow him to exude greatness. The fourth-year pro was cool, calm and collective late in this contest despite throwing a crucial fourth-quarter interception.

It was the Patriots' vaunted defense, up against Carolina's equally dogged defense, that kept the first two quarters of the Super Bowl scoreless for a record 27 minutes. Despite the slow start, the game ended with a high score and a photo finish.

"It always comes to the end. I think we like close games," said Patriots defensive end Bobby Hamilton.

"That was tough because their offense, they had a lot of success on us," said Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson. "We were in a position that we really hadn't been in in a long time, defensively, and so it looked pretty bleak there. But our offense, they wanted it tonight. Not that our defense didn't, 'cause we certainly did, but they just came up time and time again, and saved our a -- again," said Johnson, adding that there should be a statue of Vinatieri erected in downtown Boston after his game-winning kick.

"The defenses just got worn down, so I guess it was offense's turn to show what they could do," Johnson said. "We've got a great offense. Not a lot of people talk about that sometimes, but we've got a very, very good offense, especially in clutch times. It's pretty well-documented what Tom can do," he said.

Linebacker Tedi Bruschi also credited the team's victory to team work and good coaching.

"Faith in each other, faith in our coaches. We've been a team where, we know we've got good players, but when you combine superior coaching, veteran leadership with preparation, and then you put talent in there, because we've got a lot of good football players in our locker room, then that equals a team that can be dominant in the NFL," said Bruschi.

Bruschi compared the 2002 Patriots Super Bowl victory with a "coming out" party, saying with this year's win, the team has proved it is "one of the dominant teams around" with a 15-game winning streak.

With New England clinging to a 21-16 lead Brady threw a pick near the goal line. Carolina then scored to take its first lead of the contest at 22-21, but that is when Brady took over.

The Michigan product immediately drove the Patriots down the field to put his team back ahead. After the 2-point conversion allowed the Pats to take a 7-point advantage, the resilient Panthers and their own impressive gunslinger, Jake Delhomme, answered again, tying the contest and setting the stage for Brady and Vinatieri.

An errant kickoff put New England on its own 40-yard line with the game tied at 29-29 and 1:08 remaining. More than enough time for Brady to spew greatness.

His first pass fell incomplete on the Patriots' final drive. However, that would be his last pass to hit the ground. A pair of 13-yard completions to Troy Brown put New England on the move. Then, after Brady picked up only four yards on a completion to Daniel Graham, he made perhaps the play of the game when he found Deion Branch near the right sidelines for 17 yards.

Branch's reception put the ball down at the 23, setting up a kick for Vinatieri, who wasn't about to waste the exceptional effort from his superstar quarterback.

With a brilliant coaching staff expected to remain in place, a stud starting quarterback and a boatload of draft picks in this year's draft, there is no reason to believe the Patriots can not carry over their success into the future. No one on the roster will complain if next year produces a similar result.

"They never get old. They never, ever get old," a jubilant Vinatieri proclaimed.

Deion Branch and David Givens each had a reception for a touchdown for the Patriots, who ended the season with a remarkable 15 straight wins. Branch finished with 10 catches for 143 yards.

Jake Delhomme rebounded from a slow start to complete 16-of-33 passes for 323 yards with three touchdowns for the Panthers, who reached their first Super Bowl since joining the league in 1995.

Muhsin Muhammad caught four passes for 140 yards with a touchdown and Steve Smith and Ricky Proehl each added a reception for a score in the loss.

After Carolina tied the game at 29-29 with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter, John Kasay booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds and New England took over at its own 40 with 1:08 to go.

After an incompletion, Brady hit Troy Brown for a 13-yard gain. Another completion to Brown for 20 yards was called back for offensive pass interference, but Brady completed three straight passes, including a 17-yard reception by Branch to the 23 with 9 seconds on the clock.

The Panthers overcame a 21-10 deficit to take the lead, but Brady engineered an 11-play, 68-yard drive to put New England back in front. Brady completed 6- of-8 passes for 57 yards on the drive and found Vrabel, usually a linebacker, alone for a 1-yard score.

The snap on the 2-point conversion attempt went directly to Kevin Faulk, who burst through the middle and into the end zone to give New England a 29-22 lead with 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Carolina responded with a seven-play, 80-yard drive to tie the contest with just 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. Delhomme completed three passes, including one to Muhammad for 19 yards to the Patriots' 45. Proehl had a reception for 31 yards to the 14 on the next play and on third-and-8 from the 12, Proehl beat cornerback Ty Law and hauled in a pass in the end zone to tie the game.

The Patriots led by four points to begin the second half, and after a scoreless third quarter, opened a 21-10 lead on a touchdown run by Antowain Smith. The drive began at the Patriots' 29-yard line with 3:57 left in the third quarter. Brady completed a pass to Branch for a 16-yard gain on the first play of the march. Smith then ran for 10 yards on two carries and another completion to Branch moved the ball to the Carolina 32. A holding penalty moved the ball back to the 42, but Daniel Graham caught a short pass and rumbled 16 yards to the Panthers' 9-yard line.

A penalty against Carolina moved the ball to the two and Smith ran behind the left side of the offensive line and went into the end zone standing with 14:49 left in the fourth quarter.

Carolina responded on the ensuing possession with a six-play drive to pull within five. Starting at their own 19, Delhomme completed a pass to Muhammad for 13 yards and hooked up with Smith for two completions to move the ball to the New England 33. After an incompletion, DeShaun Foster got a block from guard Kevin Donnalley and got loose for a run down the left sideline that cut the Patriots' lead to 21-16 after Delhomme's 2-point pass attempt fell incomplete.

New England threatened to increase its lead on the next possession, as Brady marched the offense down field. On third-and-9 from the Panthers' 9-yard line, cornerback Reggie Howard picked off a Brady pass intended for tight end Christian Fauria in the end zone.

The Panthers began at their own 10-yard line after Howard brought the ball out of the end zone. A penalty on the first play moved the ball to the 15 and after an incompletion, Muhammad was all alone behind the Patriots' defense. He caught the ball at the New England 35 and beat a chasing Eugene Wilson to the end zone for an 85-yard touchdown reception that gave Carolina a 22-21 lead with 6:53 to play in the fourth quarter. Delhomme's 2-point attempt was incomplete to a well-covered Kevin Dyson.

After a scoreless first quarter, the teams combined for 24 points in the final minutes before halftime.

Brady threw touchdown passes to Branch and Givens and the Panthers answered with a Delhomme completion to Smith for a score and a field goal by Kasay.

After failing to score on two possessions that began in Carolina territory in the opening quarter, the Patriots took advantage of a turnover to take the lead. The New England defense set up the score late in the second quarter when Vrabel hit Delhomme from behind and knocked the ball loose. Defensive tackle Richard Seymour recovered to give the Patriots possession at the Carolina 20- yard line. Then, on third-and-7 from the 17, Brady dropped back to pass before taking off up the middle for a 12-yard gain. He found Branch alone in the back of the end zone on the next play to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead with 3:05 left before halftime.

Carolina responded with a long drive on the ensuing possession. Rod Smart was thrown down at the 11-yard line on the kickoff and the drive began at the 5 after a penalty. On third-and-5 from their own 10, Delhomme completed a pass to Proehl for a 13-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Proehl caught another pass for 15 more yards on the next play to move the ball to the Patriots' 39. After a pair of incompletions, Smith beat cornerback Tyrone Poole down the left sideline on third-and-10 and Delhomme delivered a perfect looping pass to cap the 95-yard drive, the second longest in Super Bowl history, evening the score at 7-7 with 1:07 remaining in the second quarter.

The Patriots came right back and scored again on their next possession. Brady needed just six plays and 49 seconds to move 78 yards for the score, which was capped with a 5-yard toss to Givens in the end zone with just 18 seconds left in the second quarter. Brady's 52-yard completion to Branch on the third play of the march moved the ball to the Carolina 14. Another completion to Givens moved the ball to the 5-yard line to set up the score.

Instead of kicking the ball deep, Vinatieri booted a low liner off the turf and the Panthers took over near midfield with 12 seconds left. Stephen Davis rushed for 21 yards on the first play of the drive and Kasay followed with a 50-yard field goal as time expired to cut the Carolina deficit to 14-10 at the break.

The Patriots had an opportunity to open the scoring early in the second quarter, but Vinatieri's 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Shane Burton. The drive began at the New England 25 after the Panthers punted for the fifth time in five possessions.

New England began two drives inside Panthers' territory in the opening quarter, but failed to take advantage as Vinatieri missed a short field goal attempt. Carolina later used a big defensive stop in its own territory to force a punt.

Carolina was forced to punt after just three plays on each of its three possessions to start the game. Todd Sauerbrun's third punt, from the Carolina end zone, allowed the Patriots to begin a drive at the Panthers' 49-yard line.

Then, on third-and-3 from the 31, Will Witherspoon dropped Brown for a 10- yard loss on a reverse, forcing yet another Carolina punt.

The New England defense also forced the Panthers to go three-and-out on the game's opening possession and Brown returned the punt 28 yards to give the Patriots excellent field position. Beginning at the Panthers' 47-yard line, Brady quickly completed passes to Branch and Brown to move the ball to the 14, but the drive stalled and Vinatieri pushed a 31-yard field goal attempt wide right with 10:29 left in the opening quarter.

Game Notes:

Brady, who has never lost a postseason game, picked up his second Super Bowl MVP award. He was also the MVP of the 20-17 victory over St. Louis on Feb. 3, 2002 . . . The 85-yard touchdown by Carolina is the longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history . . . The retractable roof of Reliant Stadium was closed as a precaution with rain in the forecast.