It is impossible to avoid getting lost in the pageantry when thinking of the Super Bowl. This is where the greatest of the best are showcased. That is precisely what we got.
Super Bowl 38 will be remembered as the pinnacle of offensive vs. defense. That ought to rank among the all-time great football games, in my opinion, so why is it not discussed more? Everything a fan could ask for was included in the game.
A thrilling defensive football match, two explosive offensive performances, and Tom Brady were all present. A thrilling finish decided the result of a game involving five players who would go on to become Hall of Famers. We had Sam Mills, Ty Law, Julius Peppers, Richard Seymour, and, of course, Tom Brady, who is deserving of the title of bonafide Hall of Famer even though he is not yet one.
The two remarkable decades of TB12 in NFL history have only just begun, after all.Â
We will discuss Tom Brady for generations to come, as will our grandchildren. I mean, he was that amazing for the game, but we are not here to talk about Tom Brady.
We are not even here to talk about Super Bowl 38. We will go into great detail about the game, but that will only serve to further develop the narrative that will culminate in one of the greatest passes in Super Bowl history.
Yes, I am referring to the longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl history. So, who has the record? The typical football fan would be shocked to learn it was not Tom Brady, if they were to ask. Given the circumstances, it seems reasonable to assume that the record was among Brady’s collection of records.
But if we look at the other sideline, we will see the keeper of this important and twenty-year-old record when the Carolina Panthers’ undrafted quarterback, Jake Delhomme, takes the field in Super Bowl 38.
As the tension in the game was almost at its highest, Jake Delhomme would execute a play that is still recorded in history as the longest pass in Super Bowl history, a stunning 85-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad.
Before we move on to that amazing play, let us go back in time and introduce ourselves to our surprising record holder.
Jake Delhomme's Backstory
Originally from the University of Southwest Louisiana, Jake was a practice squad quarterback who was signed by the New Orleans Saints in 1997.
He would find himself in charge of the Carolina Panthers offense six years later, following a back-and-forth with the Saints that included a brief stint in NFL Europe. The Panthers would use a potent run game to get them to the promised land and a rare opportunity to win the Lombardi Trophy.
Now that we got a bit of an introduction to the “Ragin’ Cajun,” let’s get to the game itself. At Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, it is February 1st, 2004.
Road To Super Bowl 38
The Panthers were making their first trip to the big game behind the first-year starting quarterback, and the 2003 season, which saw Jake join the team, would go down in team history.
Once the Panthers secured the third seed in the NFC South after winning three straight games, they would have to defeat three other teams to advance to Super Bowl 38. Carolina’s dominating performance would see them defeat the Dallas Cowboys 29-10 at home before visiting the number two seed, St. Louis Rams in an instant classic that would send them to their second NFC championship appearance, courtesy of a thrilling touchdown pass in double coverage to Steve Smith from Jake Delhomme that covered 69 yards.
What no one anticipated to be a hotly contested game pits the Carolina Panthers against the New England Patriots following an outstanding defensive stand in Philadelphia against the NFC top seed to win the NFC championship.
The "Other Quarterback"
On the other side, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were business as usual. After a rough 2-2 start to the season, the Patriots would miraculously and often that season, narrowly pull off a 12-game win streak to bring their regular season record to 14-2, clinching the number one seed in the AFC.
Through a thrilling Division Round victory over the Tennessee Titans, New England narrowly avoided elimination in one of the coldest games in NFL history following the bye week. They would then manage to hold off Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship to make it to their second Super Bowl in three years.
Stage Was Set
The opening kick was off and the gladiator battle of defense was off to a hot start. The game appeared to be decided by whichever defense made a mistake first after a quarter of punts and a missed field goal by Adam Vinatieri.
It was clear that this would not be an easy game for either team, not even for the budding superstar Tom Brady. I remember Phil Simms on commentary stating that this game could be 10-3 by the end of the game. Fortunately, this would not be the case at all for the fans.
Late in the second quarter, after a strip sack by Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, Brady connected with Deion Branch for the game’s first touchdown, marking the first points on the scoreboard. After New England broke the ice, it was red hot for the offense for the remainder of the half. the answer to Brady and Branch?
An unprecedented 95-yard touchdown drive would occur in a Super Bowl game full of firsts. The longest touchdown drive in a Super Bowl at the time was capped off by a 39-yard pass to Steve Smith in the end zone. Brady would respond with a 78-yard drive and finish his reply with a touchdown to David Givens to bring the score 14-7.
The first half ended with a 50-yard field goal by Panthers kicker John Kasay, and the final three minutes of play saw the scoreboard go from zero points to a total of 24 points. It was quite the show.
2nd Half of Super Bowl 38
After a contentious halftime performance, both teams’ defenses appeared to have regained their composure. The third quarter, much like the first, would end scoreless. There would never have been two scoreless quarters in a Super Bowl before.
The third quarter would come to an end with Brady and company down in the red zone, setting up a two-yard touchdown run by Antowain Smith to bring the score 21-10. There was little time left, and this game might easily slip away from Jake Delhomme and the Panthers. However, that last score would spark a scoring explosion in the 4th quarter.
The total number of points scored, 37, would set a record for the most points ever scored in a Super Bowl quarter. The next Panthers drive would include a 29-yard pass to Steve Smith followed by an iconic 33-yard touchdown run as Deshaun Foster dives into the end zone to bring the Panthers back within one score.
The Panthers tried to cut the deficit to just a field goal by going for two, but they were unable to complete the conversion.Â
The next drive for New England was a typical Tom Brady march down the field but this time, a pass in the end zone would be intercepted by Reggie Howard and taken back to the 10-yard line. Why Reggie didn’t just take the fall in the end zone and take a touchback to have the ball on the 20-yard line, I’ll never know, but without that decision, what happens next, may not have happened at all.
It’s 3rd down and 5 on the Panthers 15 yard line. Jake fakes a handoff and Muhsin Muhammad runs a deep route down the left field sideline. With the protection beginning to collapse, and the Patriots’ defense in hot pursuit, Delhomme launches a deep bomb through the air sailing over 50 yards before coming down in the hands of Muhsin Muhammed, who would complete his half of the touchdown by beating rookie safety, Eugene Wilson in a foot race to the end zone.
The fans nearly shook the roof off of Reliant Stadium. What a spectacular set of back-and-forth blows by both teams! This would go as an 85-yard touchdown completion. The longest touchdown pass in Super Bowl History.
After another failed two-point conversation, the score was 22-21 Panthers but this game was far from over.
The final minutes would see two more touchdown drives. One from New England, a touchdown pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel after the Patriots declared the defensive threat an eligible receiver. A successful 2-point conversion would bring the Patriots a 7-point lead 29-21. On the next possession, Carolina would march downfield for a touchdown reception by Ricky Proehl and an extra point to tie this game 29-29.
This is where things take a turn for the worse. On the kickoff following the game-tying touchdown, John Kasay kicked the ball out of bounds resulting in a penalty and giving Tom Brady the ball on the 40-yard line.
This was child’s play for Brady. Just as so, Brady would complete two passes and march the Patriots down to the 28-yard line to set up a 41-yard game-winning attempt for Adam Vinatieri. The kick was good and the final score would be Patriots 32 panthers 29.
***Below is a podcast episode from Lombardi Memories recounting the entirety of Super Bowl 38.***
Why Isn't Record Talked About More?
I truly believe had things gone different, had Carolina won, we would never stop talking about that touchdown to Muhammad. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost and ultimately what could have been the play of the game, was buried by the biggest and also worst play of the game, the out-of-bounds kickoff.
In my perspective, this is comparable to the Red Sox World Series game, in which Bill Buckner allowed the ball to roll between his legs on a routine ground ball to first, a play that could have ended the supposed Red Sox curse.
Funny we bring that up because that same year, Boston would actually break their curse. What a year for Boston sports. A Red Sox and a Patriots championship. Well congrats on the championship and the many more titles that would come to Boston, including 4 more Super Bowl championships, all under Brady but again, this isn’t about Brady.
So why is that long touchdown record so significant? Well to put it in perspective, it’s been 20 years since that game and Delhomme still holds the record. Consider all of the quarterbacks who would go on to become Hall of Famers who played in the Super Bowl in the last 20 years.
We had Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, both Eli and Peyton Manning, eight more appearances from Brady, and four from Patrick Mahomes, the current three-time Super Bowl MVP.
Not one of these quarterbacks broke the record. Let’s also consider the receivers they had. After all, it takes two to complete a pass. We had Big Ben with Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward, Brady and Randy Moss, Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison.
I mean, go back and look. It is unbelievable that the undrafted Louisiana Cajun would go on to hold one of the greatest records in Super Bowl history given the incredible talent we have had in the NFL.
So, that is the story and I hope you enjoyed the journey I took us on in this article and maybe have a greater appreciation for forgotten moments of the NFL. I absolutely love this game.
It is the greatest game on the planet and I hope to share more stories and memories of this great sport in hopes that you the readers or listeners would be inspired to share these same legendary moments or to even dig deep and find some stories of your own.
You never know what Cinderella stories you may uncover and this was exactly one of those stories. Congratulations Jake and your 20-year-long record. Special thanks to Reggie Howard for the interception and of course Muhsin Muhammad for the reception. Here’s to hoping it holds on for another two decades!
Thank you for reading this article and as always,
Keep Pounding .Â
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