document_title: Buddhism in Sri Lanka

question_text: who was responsible for spread of buddhism in sri lanka

text: Buddhism in Sri Lanka

text: History[edit]

text: Introduction of Buddhism[edit]

text: According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles such as the Dipavamsa, Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in the third century BCE after the Third Buddhist council by Mahinda Bhikkhu, son of Emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura. During this time, a sapling of the Bodhi Tree was brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries and Buddhist monuments were established. Among these, the Isurumuniya and the Vessagiri remain important centers of worship. He is also credited with the construction of the Pathamaka cetiya, the Jambukola vihāra and the Hatthālhaka vihāra and the refectory. The Pali Canon, having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BCE.

text: Mahavamsa §29[5] records that during the rule of the Greco-Bactrian King Menander I, a Yona head monk named Mahadharmaraksita led 30,000 Buddhist monks from "the Greek city of Alasandra" (v, around 150 kilometres (93 mi) north of modern Kabul, Afghanistan) to Sri Lanka for the dedication of the Ruwanwelisaya in Anuradhapura, indicating that Greco-Buddhism contributed to early Sri Lankan Buddhism. See also the Milinda Panha.

text: Center of Pali literature[edit]

text: As a result of the work of Buddhaghosa and other compilers such as Dhammapala, Sri Lanka developed a strong tradition of written textual transmission of the Pali Canon. The compilation of the Atthakatha (commentaries) along with the Nikāyas and other Pitakas were committed to writing for the first time in the Aluvihare Rock Temple during the first century BCE.[4] Buddhist literature in Sinhalese also thrived and by 410, Sri Lankan monks traveled widely throughout India and Asia introducing their works.

text: Theravāda subdivisions[edit]

text: Over much of the early history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, three subdivisions of Theravāda existed in Sri Lanka, consisting of the monks of the three mahaviharas, Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya, Abhayagiri vihāra and Jetavanaramaya.[6] The Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya was the first tradition to be established while Abhayagiri vihāra and Jetavanaramaya were established by monks who had broken away from the Maha Viharaya tradition.[6] According to A.K. Warder, the Indian Mahīśāsaka established itself in Sri Lanka alongside the Theravadas, into which they were later absorbed.[6] Northern regions of Sri Lanka also seem to have been ceded to sects from India at certain times.[6]

text: In the 7th century, Xuanzang wrote of two major divisions of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka, referring to the Abhayagiri tradition as the "Mahayana Sthaviras," and the Mahāvihāra tradition as the "Hinayana Sthaviras."[7] Abhayagiri appears to have been a center for Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings;[8] Xuanzang writes, "The Mahāvihāravāsins reject the Mahāyāna and practice the Hīnayāna, while the Abhayagirivihāravāsins study both Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna teachings and propagate the Tripiṭaka.[9]

text: In the 8th century, both Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism were being practiced in Sri Lanka, and two Indian monks responsible for propagating Vajrayana Buddhism in China, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra, visited the island during this time.[10]

text: In Pali commentaries, terms used for the Mahayanins of Abhayagiri were Vaitulya, Vaipulya and Vaidalya. According to HR Perera, the Theravada commentaries considered them heretical and their doctrines included:

text: They held the view that the Buddha, having been born in the Tusita heaven, lived there and never came down to earth and it was only a created form that appeared among men. This created form and Ānanda, who learned from it, preached the doctrine. They also held that nothing whatever given to the Order bears fruit, for the Sangha, which in the ultimate sense of the term meant only the path and fruitions, does not accept anything. According to them any human pair may enter upon sexual intercourse by mutual consent.[4]

text: Accounts of Chinese pilgrims[edit]

text: In the 5th century, Faxian visited Sri Lanka and lived there for two years with the monks. Faxian obtained a Sanskrit copy of the Vinaya of the Mahīśāsaka at the Abhayagiri vihāra c. 406. The Mahīśāsaka Vinaya was then translated into Chinese in 434 by Buddhajiva and Zhu Daosheng.[11] This translation of the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya remains extant in the Chinese Buddhist canon as Taishō Tripiṭaka 1421.[12]

text: The 7th century pilgrim Xuanzang first learned for several years at Nalanda and then intended to go to Sri Lanka to seek out further instruction. However, after meeting Sri Lankan monks in the Chola capital who were refugees, he decided not to visit:

text: At the time of Hiuen Tsang's visit the capital was visited by 300 Bhikshus of Ceylon who had left the island in consequence of famine and revolution there. On the pilgrim telling them of his intended visit to Ceylon for instruction, they told him that there were no Brethren there superior to them. Then the pilgrim discussed some Yoga texts with them and found that their explanations could not excel those given to him by Śīlabhadra at Nālandā.[13]

text: Decline and revival[edit]

text: From the 5th century to the eleventh century, the island of Sri Lanka saw continuous warfare between local kings, pretenders and foreign invaders such as the South Indian Chola and Pandyan dynasties. This warfare saw the sacking of viharas and made the situation for difficult for Buddhism.[4] In 1070, Vijayabahu I of Polonnaruwa conquered the island and set about repairing the monasteries. The state of Sri Lankan Buddhism was so bad at this time that he could not find five bhikkhus in the whole island to ordain more monks and restore the monastic tradition; therefore, he sent an embassy to Burma, which sent back several eminent elders with Buddhist texts.[4] The king oversaw the ordination of thousands of monks. The royal reforming of Sri Lankan Buddhism continued under Parakramabahu I (c. 1153), who restored many stupas and monasteries. During this period, Sri Lankan Buddhist literature thrived once again and the three greats writers Mahākassapa Thera of Dimbulagala Raja Maha Vihara, Moggallana Thera and Sāriputta Thera compiled Pali commentaries and sub-commentaries. Parakramabahu II of Dambadeniya (from c. 1236) was a learned king and wrote several Sinhalese Buddhist texts.

text: Abolition of other Theravada traditions[edit]

text: Before the 12th century, more rulers of Sri Lanka gave support and patronage to the Abhayagiris, and travelers such as Faxian saw the Abhayagiris as the main Buddhist tradition in Sri Lanka.[14][15] The trend of Abhayagiri being the dominant sect changed in the 12th century, when the Maha Viharaya gained the political support of Parakramabahu I (1153–1186), who completely abolished the Abhayagiri and Jetavanaya traditions.[16][17] The monks of these two traditions were then defrocked and given the choice of either returning to the laity permanently or attempting reordination under the Maha Viharaya tradition as sāmaṇeras.[17][18] Parakkamabāhu also appointed a saṅgharāja "King of the Sangha," a monk who would preside over the Sangha and its ordinations in Sri Lanka with the assistance of two deputies.[19]

text: Mahayana legacy[edit]

text: Veneration of Avalokiteśvara has continued to the present day in Sri Lanka, where he is called Nātha.[20] In more recent times, some western-educated Theravādins have attempted to identify Nātha with Maitreya. However, traditions and basic iconography, including an image of Amitābha on his crown, identify Nātha as Avalokiteśvara.[21]

text: It is clear from sculptural evidence alone that the Mahāyāna was fairly widespread throughout [Sri Lanka], although the modern account of the history of Buddhism on the island presents an unbroken and pure lineage of Theravāda. (One can only assume that similar trends were transmitted to other parts of Southeast Asia with Sri Lankan ordination lineages.) Relics of an extensive cult of Avalokiteśvara can be seen in the present-day figure of Nātha.[22]

text: Early reports by Europeans from the 18th century describe the Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka as being engaged in the recitation of mantras and using Buddhist prayer beads for counting as practiced in Mahayana Buddhism.[22]

text: Lineage continuity[edit]

text: Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation, with the Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 3rd century BCE. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with Burma and Thailand.

text: Colonialism and Christianity[edit]

text: From the 16th century onward, missionaries and Portuguese, Dutch and British colonizers of Sri Lanka have attempted to convert the local population to Christianity. The wars with the Portuguese and their allies weakened the Sangha. In 1592, Vimaladharmasuriya I of Kandy sought aid from Burma in order to ordain Buddhist monks on the island as there was hardly a single properly ordained monk left.[4] From 1612 to 1658, the Dutch and the Portuguese fought over the island with the Sinhalese caught in the middle, the Dutch won and occupied the maritime sections of the island that had been occupied by the Portuguese until 1796 when they surrendered their territories to the British. The Dutch were less zealous than the Portuguese in their religious proselytizing, though they still discriminated against Buddhists which were not allowed to register with the local authorities therefore many Sinhalese pretended to be Protestant.[4] During this period many religiously inclined Sinhalese rulers of the interior such as Vira Narendra Sinha of Kandy (1706-1739) and Sri Vijaya Rajasinha of Kandy (1739-1747) continued to patronize Buddhism, restoring temples and monasteries.

text: In the mid 18th century the higher ordination of Buddhist monks known as upasampada, which was defunct at the time, was revived with the help of Thai Buddhist monks on the initiatives taken by Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero during the reign of king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe.[23]

text: In 1813 the American Ceylon Mission (Protestant) was established in Jaffna. In 1815 a British army captured Kandy and deposed the Sinhalese king ending a line of Buddhist kings lasting 2301 years, they retained Sri Lanka until 1948. Like the Dutch, the British refused to register unbaptized infants and to accept non-Christian marriages. They also always preferred Christians in government administration. The British also supported various Christian missionary groups who established schools on the island. Education in these schools (which disparaged Buddhism) were a requirement for government office. Missionaries also wrote tracts in Sinhalese attacking Buddhism and promoting Christianity[4]

text: Buddhist revival[edit]

text: In the 19th century, a national Buddhist movement began as a response to Christian proselytizing, and was empowered by the results of the Panadura debate between Christian priests and Buddhist monks such as Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera and Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera which was widely seen as a victory for the Buddhists.[24] In 1880 Henry Steel Olcott arrived in Sri Lanka with Madame Blavatsky of the Theosophical Society; he had been inspired when he read about the Panadura debate and after learning about Buddhism converted to the religion. Olcott and the Sinhalese Buddhist leaders established the Buddhist Theosophical Society in 1880, with the goal of establishing Buddhist schools (there were only three at the time, by 1940, there were 429 Buddhist schools on the island).[4] The society also had its own publications to promote Buddhism; the Sinhalese newspaper, Sarasavisandarasa, and its English counterpart, The Buddhist. As a result of their efforts, Vesak became a public holiday, Buddhist registrars of marriage were allowed, and interest in Buddhism increased. Another important figure in the revival is Anagarika Dharmapala, initially an interpreter for Olcott, who traveled around the island preaching and writing. After traveling to India, he established the Maha Bodhi Society in 1891 whose goal was to revive Buddhism in India, and restore the ancient Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinara.[25] His efforts saw the restoration of these sites and a renewal of interest in Buddhism among some Indians. The associations of the Buddhist revival also contributed much to the publication of Buddhist texts, and promotion of Buddhist scholarship. Revivalist Buddhist scholars include Sir D. B. Jayatilaka, F. R. Senanayake, Walisinghe Harischandra and W. A. de Silva.[4] Several Buddhist shrines were also rebuilt. Buddhist leaders were also active in the movement for Sri Lankan independence. Since independence, Buddhism has continued to thrive on the island.

text: The Buddhist revival also resulted in Sinhala Buddhists carrying the torch of Buddhism and igniting it on foreign shores. Anagarika Dharmapala and Asoka Weeraratna are two such leading pioneers among many others. They pioneered the establishment of Buddhist Viharas in Europe. Anagarika founded the London Buddhist Vihara in 1926 while Asoka Weeraratna opened a new chapter for the spread of Buddhism in Germany and Europe by establishing the Berlin Buddhist Vihara in Dr. Paul Dahlke’s Das Buddhistische Haus in 1957 with monks from Sri Lanka stationed on a long-term footing to spread the Dhamma. This was the first Theravada Buddhist Vihara in Germany and continental Europe.

text: Since the Buddhist revival Sri Lanka has also been an important center of Western Buddhist scholarship. One of the first western bhikkhus, Nyanatiloka Mahathera studied in Sri Lanka, established the Island Hermitage there and ordained several western monks. Western monks who studied in the island hermitage such as Nanamoli Bhikkhu and Ven. Nyanaponika (who established the Buddhist Publication Society along with Bhikkhu Bodhi) were responsible for many important translations of the Pali Canon and other texts on Buddhism in English and German.

text: Bhikkhuni ordination[edit]

text: A few years after the arrival of Mahinda, Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta, who is also believed to be the daughter of Emperor Ashoka, came to Sri Lanka. She started the first nun's order in Sri Lanka, but this order of nuns died out in Sri Lanka in the 11th century.

text: Many women have been ordained in Sri Lanka since 1996.[26] In 1996 through the efforts of Sakyadhita, an International Buddhist Women Association, Theravada bhikkhuni order was revived, when 11 Sri Lankan women received full ordination in Sarnath, India, in a procedure held by Ven. Dodangoda Revata Mahāthera and the late Ven. Mapalagama Vipulasāra Mahāthera of the Mahābodhi Society in India with assistance from monks and nuns of Korean Chogyo order.[27] [28][29][30] Some bhikkhuni ordinations were carried out with the assistance of nuns from the East Asian tradition;[31] others were carried out by the Theravada monk's Order alone.[32] Since 2005, many ordination ceremonies for women have been organized by the head of the Dambulla chapter of the Siyam Nikaya in Sri Lanka.[32]

text: Buddhist monastic groups[edit]

text: The different sects of the Sri Lankan Buddhist clergy are referred to as Nikayas, and three main Nikayas are:

text:
Siam Nikaya, founded in the 18th century by Ven. Upali Thera, a Siamese monk who was invited by the King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy, and on the initiative of Weliwita Sri Saranankara Thero.
Amarapura Nikaya, founded in 1800 with higher ordination obtained from Myanmar (Burma)
Ramanna Nikaya, founded in 1864 by Ambagahawatte Saranankara.

text: Within these three main divisions there are numerous other divisions, some of which are caste based. There are no doctrinal differences among any of them.

text: Demographics[edit]

text: Buddhism in Sri Lanka is predominantly practised by the Sinhalese, however the 2012 Sri Lanka Census revealed a Buddhist population of 22,254, including eleven monks, amongst the Sri Lankan Tamil population, accounting to roughly 1% of all Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka.[33] In 1988 almost 93% of the Sinhalese speaking population in Sri Lanka were Buddhist.[34]


document_title: Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)

question_text: when does lark rise to candleford take place

root

text: Lark Rise to Candleford (TV series)

text: Premise[edit]

text: The series is set in the small Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town of Candleford towards the end of the 19th century. The series chronicles the daily lives of farm workers, craftsmen, and gentry, observing the characters in loving, boisterous, and competing communities of families, rivals, friends, and neighbours.

tag: p

text: The story is seen through the eyes of a teenage girl, Laura Timmins (Olivia Hallinan), as she leaves Lark Rise to start a new life under the wing of her mother's cousin, the independent and effervescent Dorcas Lane (Julia Sawalha), who is Post Mistress at the local Post Office in Candleford. Through these two characters, viewers experience the force of friendship as Laura and Dorcas see each other through the best and worst of times.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main cast[edit]

text:
Character
Portrayed by
Seasons

Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Series 4

Dorcas Lane
Julia Sawalha
Main

Laura Timmins
Olivia Hallinan
Main

Emma Timmins
Claudie Blakley
Main

Robert Timmins
Brendan Coyle
Main
N/A

Victoria May 'Queenie' Warrener Turrill
Linda Bassett
Main

Thomas 'Twister' Turrill
Karl Johnson
Main

Thomas Brown
Mark Heap
Main

Margaret Ellison Brown
Sandy McDade
Recurring
Main

Caroline Arless
Dawn French
Main
N/A
Main

Alf Arless
John Dagleish
Main

Winifred 'Minnie' Mude
Ruby Bentall
N/A
Main

Zillah
Liz Smith
Main
N/A

Prudence 'Pearl' Pratt
Matilda Ziegler
Main

Ruth 'Ruby' Pratt
Victoria Hamilton
Main

Sir Timothy Midwinter
Ben Miles
Main
N/A

Lady Adelaide Midwinter
Olivia Grant
Main
N/A
Guest
N/A

Phillip White
Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Main
N/A

Mr. Paxton
Gerard Horan
Main
N/A

Matthew Welby
Stephen Marcus
Main
N/A

James Dowland
Jason Merrells
N/A
Main
N/A

Nan Carter
Rebecca Night
N/A
Main
N/A

Daniel Parish
Ben Aldridge
N/A
Main

Gabriel Cochrane
Richard Harrington
N/A
Main

Narrator (Adult Laura Timmins)
Sarah Lancashire
Recurring

Edmund Timmins
Thomas Rhys Jones
Recurring

Frank Timmins
Fergus Drysdale
Recurring

Ethel Timmins
Martha Murdoch
Recurring

Sally Arless
Sophie Miles
Recurring

Lizzie Arless
Hope Yeomans
Recurring

Archie Arless
Harry Miles
Recurring
N/A

Sydney Dowland
Edward Darnell-Hayes (Oscar Lloyd in 1 episode in Series 2)
N/A
Guest
Recurring

Fisher Bloom
Matthew McNulty
N/A
Recurring
N/A

tag: table

text: Casting notes[edit]

text: From Series 1 to 3, the cast were credited alphabetically. Series 4 cast members were billed in the order of prominence within each episode.

text: Dawn French is credited as a main cast member in every episode in which she appears; in series 2 and series 4 she appears in one episode.

text: Although they appear in almost every episode, the actors playing the Timmins (Edmund, Frank and Ethel) and Arless (Lizzie, Archie and Sally) children as well as Sydney Dowland are not credited as main cast members.

text: Guest stars[edit]

text:
Lorraine Ashbourne as Lil Spicer (Series 2, 1 episode)
Samantha Bond as Celestia Brice-Coulson (Series 2, 1 episode)
Rosie Cavaliero as Mrs Mullins (Series 3, 1 episode)
Camille Coduri as Patty (Series 1, 1 episode)
Tom Conti as Mr. Reppington (Series 3, 1 episode)
Ben Daniels as Mr. Rushton (Series 1, 1 episode)
Phil Davis as Arthur Ashlow (Series 1, 1 episode)
Oliver Dimsdale as George Ellison (Series 2, 4 episode)
Michelle Fairley as Elizabeth Patterson (Series 2, 10 episode)
Burn Gorman as Benedict Marley (Series 4, 1 episode)
Nigel Harman as Samuel Braby (Series 1, 1 episode)
Matthew McNulty as Fisher Bloom (Series 2, 3 episodes; Series 3, 2 episodes)
Stephen Campbell Moore as James Delafield (Series 1, 1 episode)
Hattie Morahan as Miss Enid (Series 3, 1 episode)
Ronald Pickup as Old Peg Leg (Series 3, 1 episode)
Robert Pugh as Walter Arless (Series 2, 1 episode; mentioned throughout Series 1)
Paul Ritter as Mr Steerforth (Series 4, 1 episode)
Claire Skinner as Mrs Macey (Series 1, 2 episodes)
Sheridan Smith as Cinderella Doe (Series 2, 1 episode)
Maggie Steed as Mrs Herring (Series 2, 1 episode)
Peter Vaughan as Reverend Ellison (Series 1, 2 episodes)
Danny Webb as Mr Macey (Series 1, 1 episode)

tag: ul

text: Filming[edit]

text: Interior scenes were shot in a warehouse on Beeches Industrial Estate, in Yate, South Gloucestershire. The villages of Lark Rise and Candleford were both created from scratch on farms in Box and Neston Park, near Corsham in Wiltshire.[5] According to the BBC planning application, Hatt Farm in Box was used because of its proximity to existing cornfields and farm buildings, and Park Farm in Neston Park was chosen for its unspoilt character and attractive traditional buildings.[6]

text: The outdoor filming at these locations for the first series took 25 days, spread over a 5-month period.[6] The country scenes, including all the comings and goings of the lord of the manor, were shot at Chavenage House north of Tetbury, Gloucestershire.[7][8]

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Series 1 (2008)[edit]

text:
#
Episode
Writer
Director
Original air date
Viewing figure[9]

1
"Episode 1"
Bill Gallagher
Charles Palmer
13 January 2008 (2008-01-13)
7.27 million

Young country girl Laura Timmins leaves her friends and family in the hamlet of Lark Rise to start her first job at the post office in the nearby town of Candleford. Postmistress Dorcas Lane gives Laura a warm welcome, but other residents of Candleford aren't so generous. When Lark Rise residents challenge the post office's 'eight-mile rule' that forces them to pay for delivery of telegrams, Laura finds herself torn between communities. By the quiet intervention of Dorcas, a way is found for the hamlet to be included within the limit. The episode ends with the inhabitants celebrating their victory.

2
"Episode 2"
Bill Gallagher
Charles Palmer
20 January 2008 (2008-01-20)
7.01 million

Postwoman Mrs Macey receives news that her husband Dan has escaped from prison. Before long the whole town is abuzz with gossip, and Mrs Macey fears that the damage to her reputation will force her to leave Candleford. Meanwhile, her son Freddy has been secretly meeting a mysterious stranger in the woods. The stranger turns out to be Dan, but he is persuaded to turn himself in to the local squire and magistrate.

3
"Episode 3"
Bill Gallagher
Charles Palmer
27 January 2008 (2008-01-27)
6.66 million

When local widower Old Amos buys lace gloves for his maid Patty, Dorcas and Laura become suspicious that she may be after just his money. Robert refuses to let his children sing a song in praise of the Tories at the local church concert, which results in their being banned from the concert altogether. Robert's stubbornness incurs the wrath of his children, family and even the village.

4
"Episode 4"
Paul Rutman
John Greening
3 February 2008 (2008-02-03)
6.72 million

A strange old man arrives in Candleford looking for his estranged daughters — who turn out to be Ruby and Pearl Pratt. Horrified to see him out in public, playing scams on the local residents, the girls must decide whether they can forgive him for deserting them when they needed him most. Meanwhile, Caroline is being pursued by a bailiff collecting debts for the brewery.

5
"Episode 5"
Bill Gallagher
Charles Palmer
10 February 2008 (2008-02-10)
6.85 million

Dorcas is thrown by the surprise arrival of a new Post Office inspector, Mr Rushton, who starts to unearth anomalies in the way Dorcas runs the Post Office. Robert has been carving a decorative angel on the schoolhouse for which he is not getting paid.

6
"Episode 6"
Bill Gallagher
John Greening
17 February 2008 (2008-02-17)
6.68 million

Robert takes pity on a homeless family and brings them to stay at his house for the night. In the morning the family have departed, leaving their little daughter Polly behind. Lady Adelaide meets the girl and falls in love with her, wanting to adopt her, but Sir Tim thinks that adopting Polly would be inappropriate. Tim takes Polly to the Post Office where everyone struggles to think of a solution to the problem. Twister's delusions grow worse as he sees visions of his dead sister, and Queenie worries about his health.

7
"Episode 7"
Carolyn Bonnyman
Marc Jobst
24 February 2008 (2008-02-24)
6.70 million

The residents rally around Susan Braby when they realise her husband Sam has hit her. Meanwhile, Timothy commissions Matthew to make new gates for the manor, Adelaide becomes frustrated with how much time Tim is spending with Dorcas and decides to cancel the order for the gates, and Laura brings Phillip home for tea.

8
"Episode 8"
Gaby Chiappe
Marc Jobst
2 March 2008 (2008-03-02)
6.48 million

A violent storm hits Lark Rise and Candleford, and the arrival of a new teacher, Mr Delafield, causes divisions in the two communities. Mr Delafield's radical views raise plenty of eyebrows in Candleford, while in Lark Rise he endears himself to the residents. When Dorcas delivers some books to Mr Delafield they initially rub each other up the wrong way, but this tension soon turns to chemistry.

9
"Episode 9"
Bill Gallagher
John Greening
9 March 2008 (2008-03-09)
6.21 million

Queenie finds a beautiful embroidered panel on a grave that has the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford intrigued. Twister starts dreaming of everything he could buy if they sold the panel, while Dorcas and Sir Tim set about getting to the bottom of the mystery of who created it. Alf and Phillip's rivalry continues.

10
"Episode 10"
Bill Gallagher
John Greening
23 March 2008 (2008-03-23)
6.25 million

It is Zillah's birthday and all her friends and locals visit the post office for a party. Tensions mount between Dorcas and Sir Tim as painful truths about the past begin to surface and Dorcas decides to sell the post office. Phillip becomes increasingly possessive of Laura and she expresses doubts about their relationship.

text: Series 2 (2008–2009)[edit]

text:
#
Episode
Writer
Director
Original air date
Viewing figure

11
"Episode 1" (75-minute Christmas special)
Bill Gallagher
Alan Grint
21 December 2008 (2008-12-21)
6.58 million

Lark Rise and Candleford are transformed as the inhabitants prepare for the Christmas festivities. However, loyalties are tested as the arrival of the ghost of a ragged, bare-footed young woman drives residents to speak difficult truths amid the gift giving and carol singing.

12
"Episode 2"
Bill Gallagher
Alan Grint
4 January 2009 (2009-01-04)
6.53 million

James Dowland is the new man in town who takes the woes of the Lark Rise tenants under his wing. He also takes the heart of Dorcas Lane into his keeping, while putting Candleford on the map with the opening of a new hotel. Robert Timmins is suspicious of Dowland's motives, and is less than accepting of his financial help. Emma Timmins and the other Lark Rise tenants are, however, more than happy to see the return of a once Lark Rise boy. Meanwhile, Dorcas has her own heart strings pulled with her new maid, Minnie. Minnie can do no right; she means well, but with her troubled past she struggles to contain her excitement, testing Dorcas and those around her to the end.

13
"Episode 3"
Bill Gallagher
Alan Grint
11 January 2009 (2009-01-11)
6.13 million

Battling with conflicting emotions towards new arrival James Dowland, Dorcas Lane sets out to defeat the dashing property developer in the parish council elections. Meanwhile, the grind of making ends meet in Lark Rise proves too much for Robert and Emma Timmins, and Robert's reluctance to change grows stronger.

14
"Episode 4"
Carolyn Bonnyman
Maurice Phillips
18 January 2009 (2009-01-18)
6.49 million

The death of Miss Ellison's father unites the communities of Lark Rise and Candleford, but amid the sadness Miss Ellison is confronted by her brother George, whom she blames for her father's death. Overwhelmed with grief, Miss Ellison is oblivious to Thomas Brown's affections for her and his desire for her hand in marriage. Eventually Thomas assists in effecting a reconciliation between brother and sister.

15
"Episode 5"
Bill Gallagher
Julian Holmes
25 January 2009 (2009-01-25)
6.31 million

Time rests heavy on the residents of Lark Rise and Candleford, as baby Annie Timmins stirs up emotions of days gone by and loves yet to be found. And with Emma Timmins feeling the strains of family life, Dorcas Lane offers to lend a helping hand, unaware of the consequences that her generosity will bring. Meanwhile, newcomer Fisher Bloom arrives to build the candleford clock on Mr Dowland's orders, and stirs up mixed feelings in Laura.

16
"Episode 6"
Gaby Chiappe
Moira Armstrong
1 February 2009 (2009-02-01)
6.54 million

Lark Rise and Candleford rally round to show support for Laura's new role in the post office when Dorcas Lane is taken ill, but Laura feels pressure mounting when anonymous letters begin to arrive. Minnie sees the delivery of one of the letters, and fears that her past is catching up with her. Dorcas and Laura help Minnie to escape the threat presented by her brutal father.

17
"Episode 7"
Gaby Chiappe
Sue Tully
8 February 2009 (2009-02-08)
6.14 million

Lark Rise and Candleford anticipate with the inauguration of a clock, paid for by James Dowland. But when Robert Timmins loses his stonemason's tools, his means to work is lost, and there is a possibility that Fisher Bloom may leave Candleford unless Laura can find a way to stop him.

18
"Episode 8"
Kate Gartside
Alan Grint
15 February 2009 (2009-02-15)
6.20 million

The hot summer brings a surprise visitor to Candleford in the form of Celestia Brice Coulson, who stays at the Golden Lion Hotel and becomes acquainted with Dorcas Lane. Dorcas has other things on her mind, however, when she begins 'walking out' with James Dowland. And in Lark Rise, Emma's father, Old Edmund, arrives for his birthday. But problems arise when Emma asks him to live with them permanently.

19
"Episode 9"
Kate Gartside
David Tucker
22 February 2009 (2009-02-22)
6.32 million

A feud between Lark Rise and the neighbouring village of Fordlow has been simmering for three generations, but it takes young love to bring the two communities together and save the day. In Candleford, the path of true love runs less smoothly for Thomas and Miss Ellison; will they ever set the date for the wedding?

20
"Episode 10"
Carolyn Bonnyman
Patrick Lau
1 March 2009 (2009-03-01)
6.34 million

Every autumn, Constable Patterson is used to his wife taking to her bed with a mysterious illness. But this year is different, as she gives him permission to seek a new wife. The constable has no intention of doing any such thing, until a Pratt sister in distress sets his heart soaring; however, the other sister grows jealous and angry, especially when her sister is presented with a very unusual present.

21
"Episode 11"
Gaby Chiappe
Paul Marcus
8 March 2009 (2009-03-08)
6.78 million

A sudden storm reveals a secret romance, but also makes the address on a letter indecipherable. When Dorcas pursues the identity of the letter's recipient, she reveals another secret: a child, kept hidden even from his own father.

22
"Episode 12"
Bill Gallagher
Moira Armstrong
15 March 2009 (2009-03-15)
6.47 million

James Dowland is confined to his hospital bed when his son arrives in Candleford, and Dorcas welcomes the boy into the post office, doing everything she can to make him feel at home. But this causes a great deal of turmoil when James is released from hospital to be reunited with his son.

text: Series 3 (2010)[edit]

text:
#
Episode
Writer
Director
Original air date
Viewing figure

23
"Episode 1"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
10 January 2010 (2010-01-10)
7.49 million

A young journalist, Daniel Parish, arrives in Lark Rise with exciting news for the Timmins family: Emma is set to inherit a fortune, enough to move the family to a big house in Candleford. Daniel plans to write their rags to riches story for his newspaper, but Dorcas is suspicious of his motives, and when the article is published, it sends shockwaves through the community.

24
"Episode 2"
Bill Gallagher
David Tucker
17 January 2010 (2010-01-17)
7.07 million

The Bishop is coming to consecrate the church font and Thomas cannot contain his excitement. But when a Lark Rise tree starts to 'bleed', the hamlet becomes rife with talk of witchcraft, and Thomas is horrified. Dorcas loses her composure and makes a blunder with terrible consequences for Pearl and Ruby. Also, Laura is thrown off balance when Daniel returns to try to win back her affections — but first he has to get around an angry Robert and Emma.

25
"Episode 3"
Gaby Chiappe
Patrick Lau
24 January 2010 (2010-01-24)
6.94 million

Alf throws a party to celebrate moving into a cottage of his own. He entertains his guests with a new song, and its haunting words have a profound effect on all of them. Edmund rebels against his parents; Thomas and Margaret have their first marital tiff; and Dorcas's plans to prepare Minnie for marriage and motherhood backfire terribly.

26
"Episode 4"
Gaby Chiappe
Patrick Lau
31 January 2010 (2010-01-31)
6.82 million

It's harvest time — the most important time of the year in Lark Rise, when everyone helps to bring in the wheat that will feed them through winter. So when an epidemic hits, it couldn't come at a worse time — with so many sick, how will they gather the wheat and prevent a winter of starvation? For Lark Rise, help comes from an unlikely source. But just when it looks as though their problems are solved, they discover the worst is yet to come.

27
"Episode 5"
Bill Gallagher
Moira Armstrong
7 February 2010 (2010-02-07)
6.98 million

There's a mystery in town as Mr Reppington takes residence in the Golden Lion but remains firmly isolated from the world, and Dorcas Lane is determined to find out why. Emma Timmins fears that the romance has gone out of her marriage and worries over a possible secret admirer, whilst Daniel Parish believes there may be more to Mr Reppington than meets the eye, not least a story that could make his career. Meanwhile, Ruby Pratt agonises over whether she should at last leave Candleford to meet her suitor in Pontefract, but cannot face telling her sister Pearl.

28
"Episode 6"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
14 February 2010 (2010-02-14)
7.02 million

Daniel has opened a newspaper in Candleford and is on the look out for a big story. So when old Peg Leg, a Crimean War veteran, arrives for his annual visit to the Timmins', and Daniel learns he has received no war pension, he starts a newspaper campaign against this injustice. But just as Peg Leg's plight looks set to become a national cause celebre, Emma learns that he is not all he seems, a discovery that threatens to break hearts and destroy Daniel's new venture.

29
"Episode 7"
Bill Gallagher
Paul Seed
21 February 2010 (2010-02-21)
6.83 million

The locals are rehearsing for their annual production of St George and the Dragon when they hear rumours that Sir Timothy has returned. They are thrilled at the prospect of performing it for the squire himself, but with the play fast approaching and no sign of Sir Timothy, Dorcas decides to pay him a visit. She finds only Lady Adelaide. As the two women come face to face they are forced to confront their shared history, learning more about each other than they could have imagined.

30
"Episode 8"
Rachel Bennette
David Innes Edwards
28 February 2010 (2010-02-28)
6.88 million

Pearl is in a state of panic. She has received a dressmaking commission which could save her ailing business, but without Ruby, there is no way she can do the work in time. So when Enid, a talented seamstress, arrives in Candleford looking for a job, it seems Pearl's prayers have been answered. Pearl and Enid form an instant bond, based on mutual admiration and respect. But when Pearl discovers the seamstress is not who she says she is, she is forced to choose between their friendship and her deepest prejudices.

31
"Episode 9"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
7 March 2010 (2010-03-07)
6.61 million

When the Lark Rise school loses its teacher, Emma steps in and discovers a talent she never knew she had. But Margaret also covets the role of schoolteacher, and the two women become rivals for the job. Over in Candleford, Thomas and Dorcas are at odds. The postman is agitating for better working conditions, and Dorcas isn't taking it well.

32
"Episode 10"
Bill Gallagher
Patrick Lau
14 March 2010 (2010-03-14)
6.33 million

When the local Lark Rise gossip Mrs Mullins discovers her daughter Emily is pregnant, she leaps to the conclusion that Daniel is the father. Everyone, including Laura, rallies round to defend him. But when Daniel's behaviour starts to arouse suspicion, and people begin to doubt him, Dorcas is determined to uncover the truth.

33
"Episode 11"
Bill Gallagher
Patrick Lau
21 March 2010 (2010-03-21)
6.39 million

Mischief Night is approaching and the folks of Lark Rise and Candleford are excitedly planning tricks to play on their neighbours. But Laura is in no mood for silly pranks — Fisher Bloom has returned, intent on winning her back, and it has thrown her feelings for Daniel into turmoil.

34
"Episode 12"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
28 March 2010 (2010-03-28)
6.51 million

When the postmaster at Inglestone, with an old score to settle, tries to force Dorcas into selling up, she is faced with the heartbreaking prospect of losing her home and denying Sydney his dream of running the post office one day.

text: Series 4 (2011)[edit]

text:
#
Episode
Writer
Director
Original air date
Viewing figure

35
"Episode 1"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
9 January 2011 (2011-01-09)
7.68 million

Gabriel Cochrane, the once-wealthy owner of a large iron foundry arrives in Candleford. The bank has repossessed his home and business, his young wife has died, and Gabriel finds himself looking for a new start. The people of Candleford take him to their hearts, and Dorcas offers him a job and a home. But will their kindness be enough to save him, or will he let his vendetta against the bank, and his grief over his dead wife, prevent him rebuilding his fortunes and finding happiness again?

36
"Episode 2"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
16 January 2011 (2011-01-16)
7.31 million

When Daniel announces that his newspaper is launching a poetry competition, it sends the inhabitants of Candleford into a frenzy of creative excitement. Laura has high hopes of taking home the trophy and begins writing feverishly; Pearl indulges in plagiarism after her own efforts are found wanting; and even Margaret embarks upon an epic poem based on her husband’s postal rounds.

37
"Episode 3"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
23 January 2011 (2011-01-23)
7.02 million

Thomas is euphoric when he lands the job of organising the church bazaar. But his joy soon evaporates when the vicar falls ill, and the controversial and free-thinking curate Reverend Marley takes charge. Thomas is convinced that Marley is evil incarnate, and when he comes across a snake on his postal rounds, he sees it as a sign that the devil is indeed amongst them.

38
"Episode 4"
Rachel Bennette
Patrick Lau
30 January 2011 (2011-01-30)
6.90 million

The Fair has come to town, and the locals are celebrating - Alf has been crowned King of the Fair, while Queenie has won a whole Berkshire pig! The Lark Risers start fattening up the pig in preparation for a sumptuous pig feast, but Twister cannot resist the temptation of selling off-cuts of the animal to the people of Candleford. At the post office, Gabriel is proving to be a less than perfect house guest; can Dorcas adapt to having a man under her roof? And will Twister survive the wrath of Queenie when she discovers he has sold her pig from under her?

39
"Episode 5"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
6 February 2011 (2011-02-06)
6.96 million

Daniel is planning a cricket match against a neighbouring village team, who he is convinced cheated in their last match. He is determined to restore Candleford's honour, but most of Daniel's regular players are away, and the men of Lark Rise are cricketing novices. A humiliating defeat looks certain, until Daniel discovers that the finest batsman in the county is right under his nose. The only problem is, his batsman is a batswoman, and the rules state women cannot play.

40
"Episode 6"
Bill Gallagher
Sue Tully
13 February 2011 (2011-02-13)
7.01 million

Gabriel has finally completed the machine which he hopes will restore his fortunes, and farmers are soon clamouring to buy his ingenious invention. Dorcas is delighted for him, until she realises it could mean his departure from Candleford. Meanwhile, Caroline has returned to Lark Rise, and Minnie assumes it's only a matter of time before Alf comes to propose, now that his ma is back to look after her children. But will Caroline settle this time, and allow Alf his freedom? And how will Gabriel react to a surprising admission from Dorcas?

text: Cancellation[edit]

text: It was announced on 22 January 2011 that the show would not be returning for a fifth series.[4] The decision caused viewer complaints, prompting BBC One controller Danny Cohen to say, "Lark Rise to Candleford has been a truly wonderful part of the BBC One schedule and we are incredibly grateful to writer Bill Gallagher and the team. But we feel the time is right to make room for new dramas which we hope will be taken to the nation's hearts in the same way."[10]

text: Following that announcement, many viewers took to setting up and signing online campaigns to see the show recommissioned.[11] In response, Ben Stephenson of the BBC finally announced the decision was based on the departure of writer and executive producer Bill Gallagher, whose "creative energy" was considered essential to the series.[12]

text: DVD and Blu-ray releases[edit]

text:
DVD release
Release date
Blu-ray release
Release date
No of discs
No of episodes

The Complete First Series
7 April 2008
The Complete First Series
20 April 2009
4
10

The Complete Second Series
20 April 2009
The Complete Second Series
26 April 2010
4
12

The Complete Series 1–2
11 January 2010
N/A
N/A
1
22

The Complete Third Series
26 April 2010
The Complete Third Series
26 April 2010
4
12

The Complete Series 1–3
26 April 2010
N/A
N/A
1
34

The Complete Fourth Series
7 March 2011
The Complete Fourth Series
TBA
1
6

The Complete Series 1–4
7 March 2011
The Complete Series 1–4
TBA
14
40


document_title: Third quarterback rule

question_text: how many players suit up for an nfl game

text: Third quarterback rule

text: The third quarterback rule was a rule in the National Football League that governed the use of a third quarterback in addition to the starter and the backup. The rule was abolished for the 2011 season, when the NFL increased the roster size to allow 46 players to dress for a game.[1]

text: The third quarterback did not count towards the team's 45-man active roster. If the third quarterback entered the game at any position during any of the first three quarters, the starter and backup became ineligible to play for the rest of the game;[2] the third quarterback could have entered the game in the fourth quarter while preserving the eligibility of the starter and backup.

text: The full text of the rule was:

text: Teams will be permitted an Active List of 45 players and an Inactive List of eight players for each regular-season and postseason game. Provided, that if a club has two quarterbacks on its 45-player Active List, a third quarterback from its Inactive List is permitted to dress for the game, but if he enters the game during the first three quarters, the other two quarterbacks are thereafter prohibited from playing.[3]

text: Although it is not specifically indicated, the NFL had interpreted its rule to mean that in order to designate a third quarterback, the two on the active roster must both be "bona fide" quarterbacks, not other position players merely designated as quarterbacks.

text: History[edit]

text: The third quarterback rule was instituted for the 1991 NFL season in reaction to a 1990 game between the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. In that game—sometimes called "The Body Bag Game"—Redskins lost both starting quarterback Jeff Rutledge and backup Stan Humphries to injuries. Without a third quarterback on their active roster, Washington had to either use a different player for that position or forfeit the game. Brian Mitchell, a running back who played quarterback in college, completed the game in the quarterback position. The Redskins lost to the Eagles, 28-14.[4]

text: The rule was abolished for the 2011 season. There is now no third quarterback exception and the active roster has been increased from 45 to 46.[1]

text: In the 2010 NFC Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, the rule was triggered with 57 seconds left in the third quarter. The Bears' starting quarterback, Jay Cutler, suffered from an MCL sprain just after halftime. His replacement, Todd Collins, was pulled after throwing four poor passes including two near interceptions. When Caleb Hanie, the Bears' designated third quarterback entered the game before the fourth quarter, it meant that the Bears could not return either Cutler or Collins to the field the rest of the game. The Packers won the game, 21-14. [5]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Michael David (July 22, 2011). "NFL drops third quarterback rule, 46 active players on game day". Profootballtalk.com. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016.
Jump up ^ "New NFL rules for 2008". NFL.com. Associated Press. August 12, 2008. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016.
Jump up ^ Skolnick, Ethan J. (April 26, 2009). "Miami Dolphins: Pat White presents interesting game-day dilemma". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
Jump up ^ Bretherton, George (September 26, 2009). "Vick and the 'Third Quarterback' Rule". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015.
Jump up ^ Tadych, Frank (January 23, 2011). "Collins replaces injured Cutler for Bears". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.

tag: ol

text: American football terminology


document_title: Super Bowl XXXIX

question_text: last time patriots and eagles were in the super bowl

question_tokens: last time patriots and eagles were in the super bowl

text: Super Bowl XXXIX

text: Background[edit]

text: NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XXXIX to Jacksonville during their November 1, 2000 meeting held in Atlanta.[9]

text: Patriots seek to become a dynasty[edit]

text: New England finished the regular season with a record of 14–2, bested only by the Steelers' 15–1 mark, and ranking 7th in yards gained (5,773) and fourth in points scored (437).

text: The Patriots' major acquisition prior to the season was veteran running back Corey Dillon, who joined the team after playing 7 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.[10] In his first 6 seasons in the league, Dillon averaged over 1,250 rushing yards per year, including setting a single-game rushing record (278 yards, but has since been broken) against the Denver Broncos on October 22, 2000. In 2003, however, injuries, conflicts with the Bengals' management and coaching staff, and other off-field problems limited him to just 541 yards during the season. By the end of the 2003 season, Dillon had lost his starting job to running back Rudi Johnson, and thus demanded to be traded. [11] Although many observers questioned how effective the 30-year-old Dillon would be after recovering from his injuries as well as his ability to function in a team environment, the Patriots decided to sign the running back in exchange for a second-round draft pick.[11]

text: Dillon became a significant offensive weapon for the 2004 Patriots, recording 1,635 rushing yards (franchise record) and 12 touchdowns, both career highs, and was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career.[11] He also caught 15 passes for 103 yards and another touchdown.[11] His contributions helped lead the team to break the NFL record for the most consecutive regular season victories (18), the record for the most consecutive overall victories (21) and earned the second best regular season record during the year at 14–2.[11] The team's only losses during the year were to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who ended up with the league's best regular season record at 15–1, and a 29–28 loss to the Miami Dolphins on ABC's Monday Night Football.[11]

text: Another weapon in the Patriots' offensive backfield was running back Kevin Faulk, who rushed for 255 yards, recorded 26 receptions for 248 yards, returned 20 punts for 113 yards, returned 4 kickoffs for 73 yards, and scored 3 total touchdowns.[11] Fullback Patrick Pass also emerged as a big contributor, rushing for 141 yards, catching 28 passes for 215 yards, and gaining another 115 yards on kickoff returns.[11]

text: Pro Bowl quarterback Tom Brady remained at the helm of the Patriots offense, completing 288 out of 474 (60.8 percent) of his passes for 3,692 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.[11] Although wide receiver Deion Branch, New England's major deep threat, missed most of the season because of injuries, he did record 35 receptions for 454 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver David Givens ended up being the team's leading receiver with 56 catches for 874 yards and 3 touchdowns.[11] Wide receiver David Patten also contributed with 44 receptions for 800 yards and 7 touchdowns, and tight end Daniel Graham had 30 receptions for 364 yards and 7 touchdowns.[11] On special teams, pro bowl kicker Adam Vinatieri had the best season of his career, leading the NFL in field goals made (31), field goal percentage (93.9) and scoring (141 points)

text: On defense, the Patriots were plagued by injuries, especially in their secondary. Defensive backs Tyrone Poole and Ty Law suffered season-ending injuries, while safety Eugene Wilson, who led the team with 4 interceptions, missed several games.[11] In order to compensate for the losses, the following players were promoted to starters:

text:
Rookie cornerback Randall Gay, who did not play at all in the first 3 games of the season, and did not start until the 6th week.[11]
Cornerback Asante Samuel, who normally only played in dime formations.[11]
Safety Earthwind Moreland, who came off of the team's practice squad and had only played in three games in his entire 5-year NFL career.[11]
Veteran wide receiver Troy Brown.[11] Head Coach Bill Belichick used Brown in the secondary during training camp, gave him playing time there during the preseason and saw Brown did very well.

text: With their patchwork secondary, the Patriots ranked just 17th in passing yards allowed (3,400) and 22nd in completions allowed (315).[11] However, they did rank 7th in interceptions (20) and 10th in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (18).[11] Most importantly, New England continued to win despite the injuries. Brown actually turned out to be very effective playing as a defensive back, ranking second on the team with 3 interceptions. Safety Rodney Harrison was also an impact player, leading the team with 138 tackles while also recording 3 sacks and 2 interceptions.[11]

text: Up front, the Patriots' defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowler Richard Seymour, who recorded 5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.[11] New England also still had their trio of impact veteran linebackers: Pro Bowler Tedy Bruschi (122 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 70 return yards), Willie McGinest (9.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception), and Mike Vrabel (71 tackles and 5.5 sacks), along with Ted Johnson.[11] Vrabel also frequently played at the tight end position during offensive plays near the opponent's goal line, recording 2 touchdown receptions. [11]

text: Eagles return to the Super Bowl[edit]

text: The Eagles gained the 2004 NFC Super Bowl berth after 3 consecutive defeats in the NFC Championship Game to the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (who won Super Bowl XXXVII that year), and Carolina Panthers, respectively. The Eagles hired Andy Reid as their head coach in 1999 following two straight losing seasons.[11] That same year, they used their first-round pick in the NFL draft (the second overall) to select quarterback Donovan McNabb.[11] Although they finished the 1999 regular season with a 5–11 record, they became a playoff team in 2000, with McNabb throwing for 3,365 yards and 21 touchdowns while also rushing for 629 yards and another 6 touchdowns.[11]

text: The Eagles achieved the best regular season record in the conference during the combined 2001, 2002, and 2003 seasons with a total of 35 wins out of 48 games, but lost the NFC Championship Game in each of those 3 years. Prior to the 2004 season, the Eagles traded for wide receiver Terrell Owens to be the impact player to help get them to the Super Bowl.[11]

text: Owens joined the team after 8 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. [11] He was considered one of the top receivers in the league, but he was also widely considered a troublemaker because of controversial touchdown celebrations and his tendency to berate his teammates during media interviews. Nevertheless, Owens became the Eagles' deep-ball threat, finishing the season with 77 receptions for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.[11]

text: McNabb had the best season of his career in 2004, completing 300 out of 469 (64 percent) passes for 3,875 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, making him the first quarterback to ever throw for more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season.[12] He also rushed for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Todd Pinkston was also a reliable target, recording 36 catches for 676 yards.[13]

text: Philadelphia's running game was not as strong as their passing attack, ranking just 24th in the league in rushing yards (1,639).[11] Running back Brian Westbrook led the team with 812 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, however he also led all NFL running backs in receiving with 73 receptions for 706 yards and 6 touchdowns.[11] Veteran running back Dorsey Levens was also a big contributor with 410 rushing yards. The Eagles' offensive line was led by Pro Bowl tackles Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan and center Hank Fraley.[11]

text: Three of their four starters in the defensive secondary were named to the Pro Bowl: Cornerback Lito Sheppard (1 sack, 5 interceptions, 172 return yards and 2 touchdowns), safety Michael Lewis (88 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack, and 1 interception) and safety Brian Dawkins (3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 4 interceptions for 40 return yards), while their fourth starter, cornerback Sheldon Brown, also enjoyed a solid year (89 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions).[11] Their defensive line was anchored by Pro Bowl defensive tackle Corey Simon (5.5 sacks) and defensive ends Jevon Kearse (7.5 sacks, Pro Bowl) and Derrick Burgess. Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, who only started 9 games, recorded 69 tackles and 1 sack.[11]

text: The Eagles started the 2004 regular season with seven straight wins before suffering a loss to the 15-1 Steelers. After that, they finished the season with a 13–3 record.[11] Their only other 2 losses were in their last 2 games of the season, when they decided to rest all of their starters because they had already clinched the NFC #1 seed, and thus home-field advantage in the playoffs. However, during a December 19, 12–7 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Owens was seriously injured on a "horse-collar tackle" by Cowboys defensive back Roy Williams and had to miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.[11]

text: Playoffs[edit]

text: Despite the loss of Owens, the Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings, 27–14, and the Atlanta Falcons, 27–10, in the playoffs with relative ease. McNabb recorded 21 out of 33 completions for 286 yards and two touchdowns, while receiver Freddie Mitchell scored two touchdowns in the victory over the Vikings. Although Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper threw for 316 yards, the Eagles defense recorded 2 interceptions, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. McNabb then completed 17 out of 26 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Falcons.[11] The Eagles defense held dual-threat quarterback Michael Vick to only 136 passing yards, 26 rushing yards, and no touchdowns, while also recording an interception, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble on Vick. McNabb had an average passer rating of 111.3 in the two games, with 466 passing yards, 35 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, and no turnovers. Safety Brian Dawkins was also an important player, recording a sack and a forced fumble against the Vikings, followed by an interception and a forced fumble against the Falcons.

text: Meanwhile, the Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 20–3, holding the league's highest scoring team with 522 total points to just one field goal, Indianapolis' lowest point total since their opening game of the 2003 season. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw for 4,557 yards during the regular season, and set NFL records for most touchdown passes in a regular season (49) and highest quarterback rating (121.4). [11] Running back Edgerrin James gained 2,031 combined rushing and receiving yards and scored 9 touchdowns. Wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley each recorded over 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. However, the Patriots limited Manning to 238 passing yards with 1 interception and no touchdowns, and James to just 39 rushing yards. [11] The Patriots also held possession of the ball for 37:43, including 21:26 in the second half, and recorded three long scoring drives that each took over 7 minutes off the clock. One reason New England was able to hold the ball so long was because of Dillon's rushing. He finished the game with 23 carries for 144 yards and 5 receptions for 17 yards. [11]

text: The Patriots then defeated the first seeded Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, 41–27. Although Pittsburgh had beaten New England, 34–20, during the regular season and led the league in fewest total yards allowed, they could not stop the Patriots. Brady threw for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns; Dillon rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown; and Branch, who was coming off of his injuries, recorded 4 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown, along with 37 rushing yards and another touchdown on 2 carries. [11] Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (who had struggled the previous week against the New York Jets) was intercepted 3 times, and running back Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh's leading rusher, was held to just 64 yards. [11]

text: Super Bowl pregame news[edit]

text: Owens was cleared to play in Super Bowl XXXIX, defying doctors orders by playing on his injured ankle containing 2 screws and a metal plate.[11]

text: The other major story was the Patriots' potential loss of both their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator at the end of the season, and how it might affect the team in 2005. On December 12, 2004, about a month and a half before the game, New England offensive coordinator Charlie Weis signed a contract to become the head coach of Notre Dame starting in the 2005 season. [11] Rumors were also circulating that defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel would also leave the team to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns (which ended up being true as Crennel and the Browns agreed to a contract a couple of weeks after the Super Bowl).[11]

text: Due to injuries at the tight end spot, the Eagles were forced to sign Jeff Thomason, a former tight end who was working construction at the time, to a one-game contract for the Super Bowl. Thomason saw time during several plays, although never had a ball thrown his way. This was his third Super Bowl, playing in two with the Green Bay Packers during Andy Reid's days as a Packer assistant.[11]

text: With this appearance the Patriots became the 8th team to make it to the Super Bowl for the 5th time.[11] They joined the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders.[11] They would be joined by the Green Bay Packers in 2011 and the New York Giants in 2012.

text: The Eagles were trying to win their first NFL title since 1960 and the first championship for the city of Philadelphia since Moses Malone's "fo', fi', fo'" during the 76ers run to the 1983 NBA Championship.[14][15] With President George W. Bush being inaugurated for a second time in January, the Eagles were also trying to end a losing streak—teams in the city of Philadelphia had lost six straight championships during presidential inauguration years, beginning with the 76ers loss in 1977.[15] The streak included the Eagles in Super Bowl XV in 1981.[15] 1989 was not included in that streak, but 1977, 1981, 1985 (Flyers), 1993 (Phillies), 1997 (Flyers), and 2001 (76ers) were.

text: Television and entertainment[edit]

text: The game was televised in the United States by Fox, with play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and color commentators Cris Collinsworth and Troy Aikman. Pam Oliver (Patriots sideline) and Chris Myers (Eagles sideline) served as sideline reporters. This marked the first time since Super Bowl I that none of the network commentators had ever called a Super Bowl game before (although Collinsworth had worked three prior Super Bowl telecasts as a pregame analyst). This was the last game that Cris Collinsworth broadcast as a member of the Fox NFL team, as he chose to sign with NBC in the following off-season.

text: James Brown hosted all the events with help from his fellow Fox NFL Sunday cast members Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson. Jillian Barberie served as weather and entertainment reporter.

text: Following the game, Fox aired a special episode of The Simpsons ("Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass") and the series premiere of American Dad! ("Pilot"), except in Philadelphia and Boston, where local newscasts delayed the premieres by an hour.

text: Pregame ceremonies[edit]

text: Before the game, performances came from the Black Eyed Peas, Earth Wind & Fire, Charlie Daniels, John Fogerty, and Gretchen Wilson. Shortly before kickoff, Alicia Keys sang "America the Beautiful," paying tribute to Ray Charles, who died in June 2004. The 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 (including members of The Idlers) sang the national anthem accompanied by the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets. This was the first time in more than 30 years that all four service academies sang together—the last time was at the second inauguration of President Richard Nixon in 1973.[11][16][17]

text: The traditional military missing man formation flyby was this year performed by a pair of F/A-18 Super Hornets from VFA-106 at NAS Oceana and a pair of the Air Force's newest fighters, the F-22 Raptor, flying from Tyndall AFB, the training base for the Raptor. The earlier military flyby during the veterans' salute was conducted by 2 T-6 Texan trainers and a B-25 Mitchell bomber.

text: The coin toss ceremony featured youth football players from Jacksonville: Tyler Callahan, Tyler Deal, Lawrence McCauley, and Jacob Santana; and New Orleans NFL Junior Player Development coach Tamaris Jackson.[11] They were billed as the first non-celebrities to participate in the coin toss.

text: For the third straight year, each team took the field en masse, following a tradition the Patriots had started in Super Bowl XXXVI. In prerecorded video segments, Andover, Massachusetts native Michael Chiklis introduced the Patriots, and Philadelphia-born Will Smith introduced the Eagles.

text: Halftime show[edit]

text: Paul McCartney performed during the halftime show; his selection by the NFL, the show's producers, Don Mischer Productions, and the show's sponsor, Ameriquest Mortgage, was considered to be a "safe" choice, as it avoided the possibility for an incident similar to that which sparked the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy the previous year. McCartney's set consisted of these songs:

text:
"Drive My Car"
"Get Back"
"Live and Let Die" from his career with Wings.[11]
"Hey Jude"

text: Theme[edit]

text: Taking the concept a step further, for the first time, a theme was tied to the event: Building Bridges, as symbolized by the theme logo, represented by the Main Street Bridge, one of the seven bridges that crosses over the St. Johns River in the host city, and according to the League, symbolized the bridging of a nation under the NFL football umbrella. The theme was also used by Jacksonville-area nonprofit Fresh Ministries in a major event entitled "Bridges of Peace," featuring city officials asking the people to unite for the Super Bowl and heal the wounds of segregation.[11]

text: Presidential appearances[edit]

text: Former Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton appeared in support of their bipartisan effort to raise money for relief of the December 26, 2004 tsunami in southeast Asia through the USA Freedom Corps, an action which former President Bush described as "transcending politics."

text: Game summary[edit]

text: First Quarter[edit]

text: On the first drive of the game, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb fumbled while being sacked by New England linebacker Willie McGinest, and the Patriots recovered the ball at Philadelphia's 34-yard line. Fortunately for the Eagles, coach Andy Reid's instant replay challenge overruled the fumble; officials ruled that McNabb had been down by contact before the ball came out of his hands. Later in the quarter after each team had punted twice, McNabb completed a 30-yard pass to Terrell Owens, with a roughing the passer penalty adding 9 yards, moving the ball inside the Patriots 20-yard line. However, linebacker Mike Vrabel sacked McNabb for a 16-yard loss on the next play. On the following play, the Eagles once again appeared to turn the ball over: McNabb's pass was intercepted in the end zone by Patriots defensive back Asante Samuel, but it was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on linebacker Roman Phifer, moving the ball back inside the 20 and giving the Eagles a first down. However, McNabb's second chance was wasted as he threw an interception to safety Rodney Harrison on the next play. This was Donovan McNabb's first red zone interception of the season.

text: The Eagles defense then forced New England to a three-and-out on their ensuing possession, and Philadelphia got great field position by receiving the punt at the Patriots 45-yard line. But once again, they gave up another turnover: tight end L. J. Smith lost a fumble while being tackled by defensive back Randall Gay, and Eugene Wilson recovered the ball at the 38.

text: Second Quarter[edit]

text: The Eagles defense once again forced New England to punt, and got the ball back at their own 19-yard line. Aided by a pair of completions from McNabb to wide receiver Todd Pinkston for gains of 17 and 40 yards, the Eagles drove 81 yards in nine plays and scored on McNabb's six-yard touchdown pass to Tight End LJ Smith, taking a 7–0 lead with 9:55 left in the second quarter. It was the first time New England trailed during the entire postseason. On their ensuing drive, the Patriots moved the ball to the Eagles four-yard line, mainly on plays by running back Corey Dillon, who caught two screen passes for 29 yards and rushed for 25. But quarterback Tom Brady fumbled the ball on a fake handoff Play-action pass and Philadelphia defender Darwin Walker recovered it. However, the Eagles could not take advantage of the turnover and had to punt after 3 plays. Eagles punter Dirk Johnson's punt went just 29 yards, giving the Patriots the ball at Philadelphia's 37-yard line. The Patriots then drove 37 yards to score on Brady's 4-yard pass to receiver David Givens with 1:10 remaining in the period, tying the game 7–7 by halftime. It was only the second halftime tie in Super Bowl history and the first time both of the game's first two quarters ended tied.

text: Third Quarter[edit]

text: On the opening drive of the second half, Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch caught 4 passes for 71 yards on a drive that ended with Brady's 2-yard touchdown pass to Vrabel, who lined up at the tight end spot on the play. The Eagles later tied the game with 3:39 left in the third period with a 74-yard, 10-play drive that was capped by McNabb's 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Westbrook. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was tied going into the fourth quarter.

text: Fourth Quarter[edit]

text: Early in the final period, the Patriots put together a 9-play, 66-yard scoring drive that was keyed by 3 plays from running back Kevin Faulk, who caught 2 passes for 27 combined yards and rushed once for 12. Dillon capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Patriots a 21–14 lead. Then after forcing another Eagles punt, Branch made a spectacular catch, taking the ball out of the hands of cornerback Sheldon Brown. The 19 yard gain, and a roughing-the-passer penalty on Philadelphia defensive lineman Corey Simon on the same play, set up kicker Adam Vinatieri's 22-yard field goal with 8:43 left in the game to increase the score 24–14 in favor of New England. In all three Patriots' Super Bowl wins in the decade, they held a double digit lead in the 4th quarter.

text: The Eagles responded with a long McNabb completion to Owens. However, after reaching the New England 36-yard line, McNabb fired a pass over the head of Dorsey Levens, where Tedy Bruschi was waiting to intercept it at the Patriots 24-yard line. At this point, there was only 7:20 to play in the game, with the Patriots still up by 10 points.

text: The Eagles did force New England to punt, and got the ball back at their own 21-yard line, but with 5:40 left in the game. The Eagles then drove 79 yards in 13 plays, however they used a full huddle for the entire drive. McNabb's 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Greg Lewis cut the deficit to 24-21. Because the Eagles used a full huddle, the drive consumed 3:52 of the clock, and only 1:48 remained in the game by the time Lewis scored. Because of this, many sportswriters later criticized the Eagles for not immediately going to a no-huddle offense at the start of the possession. Anecdotal reports later came out alleging that McNabb was suffering from dry-heaves, and teammates Jon Ritchie[18] and Lito Sheppard[19] have gone on record years later that McNabb was suffering from dry-heaves or vomiting, though no video evidence exists and the stories have not been confirmed. Hank Fraley said in an interview the day after the game that McNabb was "almost puking" due to two large hits from Tedy Bruschi and Jarvis Green on back-to-back plays.[20] McNabb himself denies that he was vomiting or dry-heaving during the final drive, and Brian Westbrook later claimed that McNabb was merely "coughing."[18]

text: The Eagles failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt, with Christian Fauria catching the ball cleanly and sliding down to seal possession for New England. The Patriots then played it safe by running the ball 3 times and forcing Philadelphia to use all of its timeouts. New England punter Josh Miller then pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line with just 46 seconds left in the game. Philadelphia then tried one last desperate drive to win or tie the game. But on first down, McNabb was pressured into making a rushed pass to Westbrook at the line of scrimmage. Instead of dropping the pass to stop the clock, Westbrook made the mistake of catching the ball and was immediately tackled for no gain, keeping the clock running and forcing the Eagles to run back to the line of scrimmage for their next play with no huddle. On second down, McNabb threw an incomplete pass intended for Owens. Finally on third down, McNabb threw a pass that deflected off of the outstretched fingertips of Smith and into the arms of Harrison for an interception with nine seconds left. Tom Brady took a knee to run out the clock, clinching the 3rd Super Bowl title in 4 years for the Patriots, and in the eyes of many establishing themselves as a dynasty.

text:
Adam Vinatieri warms up before the game

An Eagles offensive play

Philadelphia kicks off after scoring a touchdown

Brian Westbrook's touchdown catch (photo 1 of 2)

Brian Westbrook's touchdown catch (photo 2 of 2)

text: Box score[edit]

text:
1
2
3
4
Total

Patriots
0
7
7
10
24

Eagles
0
7
7
7
21

text: at Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

text:
Date: February 6, 2005
Game time: 6:38 p.m. EST
Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), clear

text:
[hide]Scoring summary

Quarter
Time
Drive
Team
Scoring information
Score

Plays
Yards
TOP
NE
PHI

2
9:55
9
81
4:36
PHI
L. J. Smith 6-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb, David Akers kick good
0
7

2
1:10
7
37
3:15
NE
David Givens 4-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady, Adam Vinatieri kick good
7
7

3
11:04
9
69
3:56
NE
Mike Vrabel 2-yard touchdown reception from Brady, Vinatieri kick good
14
7

3
3:35
10
74
4:17
PHI
Brian Westbrook 10-yard touchdown reception from McNabb, Akers kick good
14
14

4
13:44
9
66
4:51
NE
Corey Dillon 2-yard touchdown run, Vinatieri kick good
21
14

4
8:40
8
43
3:49
NE
22-yard field goal by Vinatieri
24
14

4
1:48
13
79
3:52
PHI
Greg Lewis 30-yard touchdown reception from McNabb, Akers kick good
24
21

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
24
21

text: Statistical overview[edit]

text: McNabb completed 30 out of 51 passes for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns, but threw 3 interceptions and was sacked four times. McNabb's 357 yards are tied with Joe Montana for the fifth most in Super Bowl history and third most of any quarterback, as Tom Brady holds the top spot with 505 yards in Super Bowl LII and Kurt Warner holds the following 3 spots. Westbrook was the Eagles leading rusher with 44 yards, while also catching 6 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown and returning 3 punts for 19 yards. Pinkston caught 4 passes for 82 yards, while Owens was the Eagles' top receiver with 9 catches for 122 yards, however neither of them scored a touchdown.

text: Brady completed 23 out of 33 passes for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dillon was the top rusher of the game with 75 yards and a touchdown, and had 3 catches for 31 yards. Branch's Super Bowl record 11 catches tied Cincinnati Bengals' Dan Ross in Super Bowl XVI and San Francisco 49ers' Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIII. Coincidentally, all three would later be traded to the Seattle Seahawks: Ross in 1985, Rice in 2004 and Branch in 2006. Branch's 21 catches in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX are the most in back-to-back Super Bowls. Running back Kevin Faulk contributed 38 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards.

text: Branch and Terrell Owens each had 100 yards receiving, marking the third time in Super Bowl history, one player from each team had over 100 yards in a Super Bowl. Michael Irvin and Andre Reed were the first in Super Bowl XXVII, and Branch and Muhsin Muhammad the second a year earlier in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Branch also became the fourth player to have at least 100 yards receiving in back-to-back Super Bowls, joining John Stallworth, Jerry Rice and Antonio Freeman. Also, Mike Vrabel and David Givens became just the 14th and 15th players to score a touchdown in consecutive Super Bowls. Vrabel is the most surprising person on this list because he is a linebacker and he scored his on offense. They also became just the 7th and 8th players to catch a touchdown in back-to-back Super Bowls.

text: With the victory, Tom Brady became just the fourth quarterback to win at least three Super Bowls, along with Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Troy Aikman. Brady also became the fourth quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in three different Super Bowls. Other quarterbacks to do it were Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and John Elway, with Kurt Warner later accomplishing the feat during Super Bowl XLIII.

text: The Patriots joined the Dallas Cowboys as the only teams in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a span of four years.

text: Aftermath[edit]

text: The Patriots' Super Bowl win was the third championship for Boston-area sports teams in 12 months, following the Patriots winning Super Bowl XXXVIII the year before and the Red Sox winning the World Series–first in 86 years–three months earlier. This marked the first time since 1989–1990 in the San Francisco Bay Area that the same market has had 2 Super Bowl and World Series winners in 12 months.[14] The Patriots would later appear in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, losing both to Eli Manning's New York Giants, before winning Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks, 28–24, ten years later and Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28, two years later. The latest Super Bowl win for the Patriots makes it ten titles among the four Boston teams (5 by the Patriots, 3 by the Red Sox, and one each by the Celtics and Bruins) since 2002.

text: For the Eagles, with the loss, the city of Philadelphia would not see its first championship since the 76ers swept the 1983 NBA Finals until the next time their city's teams played for a championship, when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series.[15] The Eagles did not return to the Super Bowl until 2017, also with a 13-3 record, and defeating the Falcons and Vikings in the playoffs.

text: The Eagles and the Patriots met again in Super Bowl LII with the Eagles taking their revenge 41 - 33.

text: As of 2018, this is the last time that a team has won back-to-back Super Bowls, with the Patriots losing their second playoff game a year later and then, for the next eight years, every team either losing their first playoff game or missing them altogether. The streak was broken in 2014 when the Seahawks defeated the Panthers and ultimately advanced to the Super Bowl, only to lose to a Patriots goal line stand. The next year, the Patriots, having faltered down the stretch, entered those playoffs as the second seed behind the Broncos, who then defeated New England in the AFC Title Game that year en route to a title of their own in Super Bowl 50. Two years later, the Patriots, defending champions themselves from Super Bowl LI, returned to repeat their title only to lose the aforementioned Super Bowl LII.

text: Final statistics[edit]

text: Sources: NFL.com Super Bowl XXXIX, Super Bowl XXXIX Play Finder NE, Super Bowl XXXIX Play Finder Phi

text: Statistical comparison[edit]

text:
New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles

First downs
21
24

First downs rushing
6
4

First downs passing
14
18

First downs penalty
1
2

Third down efficiency
4/12
9/16

Fourth down efficiency
0/0
0/0

Net yards rushing
112
45

Rushing attempts
28
17

Yards per rush
4.0
2.6

Passing – Completions–attempts
23/33
30/51

Times sacked–total yards
2–17
4–33

Interceptions thrown
0
3

Net yards passing
219
324

Total net yards
331
369

Punt returns–total yards
4–26
3–19

Kickoff returns–total yards
4–63
5–114

Interceptions–total return yards
3–5
0–0

Punts–average yardage
7–45.1
5–42.8

Fumbles–lost
1–1
2–1

Penalties–yards
7–47
3–35

Time of possession
31:37
28:23

Turnovers
1
4

text: Individual leaders[edit]

text:
Patriots Passing

C/ATT1
Yds
TD
INT
Rating

Tom Brady
23/33
236
2
0
110.2

Patriots Rushing

Car2
Yds
TD
LG3
Yds/Car

Corey Dillon
18
75
1
25
4.17

Kevin Faulk
8
38
0
12
4.75

Patrick Pass
1
0
0
0
0.00

Tom Brady
1
−1
0
−1
-1.00

Patriots Receiving

Rec4
Yds
TD
LG3
Target5

Deion Branch
11
133
0
27
12

Corey Dillon
3
31
0
16
4

David Givens
3
19
1
13
7

Kevin Faulk
2
27
0
14
2

Troy Brown
2
17
0
12
2

Daniel Graham
1
7
0
7
1

Mike Vrabel
1
2
1
2t
1

David Patten
0
0
0
0
4

text:
Eagles Passing

C/ATT1
Yds
TD
INT
Rating

Donovan McNabb
30/51
357
3
3
75.4

Eagles Rushing

Car2
Yds
TD
LG3
Yds/Car

Brian Westbrook
15
44
0
22
2.93

Dorsey Levens
1
1
0
1
1.00

Donovan McNabb
1
0
0
0
0.00

Eagles Receiving

Rec4
Yds
TD
LG3
Target5

Terrell Owens
9
122
0
36
14

Brian Westbrook
7
60
1
15
11

Todd Pinkston
4
82
0
40
7

Greg Lewis
4
53
1
30t
5

L. J. Smith
4
27
1
9
8

Freddie Mitchell
1
11
0
11
4

Josh Parry
1
2
0
2
1

Dorsey Levens
0
0
0
0
1

text: 1Completions/attempts 2Carries 3Long gain 4Receptions 5Times targeted

text: Starting lineups[edit]

text: Hall of Fame‡

text:
New England
Position
Position
Philadelphia

Offense

David Givens
WR
Todd Pinkston

Matt Light
LT
Tra Thomas

Joe Andruzzi
LG
Artis Hicks

Dan Koppen
C
Hank Fraley

Stephen Neal
RG
Jermane Mayberry

Brandon Gorin
RT
Jon Runyan

Daniel Graham
TE
L. J. Smith

Deion Branch
WR
Terrell Owens‡

Tom Brady
QB
Donovan McNabb

Corey Dillon
RB
Brian Westbrook

Patrick Pass
FB
Josh Parry

Defense

Rosevelt Colvin
OLB
LDE
Derrick Burgess

Vince Wilfork
NT
LDT
Corey Simon

Jarvis Green
RE
RDT
Darwin Walker

Mike Vrabel
OLB
RDE
Jevon Kearse

Tedy Bruschi
ILB
WLB
Keith Adams

Roman Phifer
ILB
MLB
Jeremiah Trotter

Willie McGinest
OLB
SLB
Dhani Jones

Randall Gay
LCB
Lito Sheppard

Asante Samuel
RCB
Sheldon Brown

Rodney Harrison
SS
Michael Lewis

Eugene Wilson
FS
Brian Dawkins‡

text: Commercials[edit]

text: As usual, the television coverage of this year's Super Bowl was the showcase for the most expensive commercials in television—both to produce and to buy airtime (at the rate of $2.4 million US for 30 seconds).[11]

text: One ad that drew the ire of many—including the NFL—was for the internet domain provider Go Daddy, which tweaked the controversial halftime of the previous year's game with a mock censorship hearing featuring a comely woman, Nikki Cappelli (played by WWE Wrestler Candice Michelle), having a "wardrobe malfunction". Fox pulled the second airing of the ad, scheduled for the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter, along with a five-second plug, and it was replaced with a promo for The Simpsons. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based World Wide Web domain registration company got a refund on the second ad.[11]

text: Another popular ad was made by the NFL. It featured players who were not in the Super Bowl, headlined by Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger being at a beach resort, depressed he did not make it in. Joe Montana comforted Roethlisberger, and soon both Montana and Roethlisberger joined many other players in different locations in an off-key yet rousing edition of "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie. The commercial ended with the tagline: "Tomorrow, we're all undefeated again." Roethlisberger went on to lead the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL the very next season.

text: The top ad, as chosen by the USA Today Super Bowl Ad Meter was for Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light featuring a timid skydiver making his first jump getting enticed with a six-pack of the product.[11] This ad was ranked second on ADBOWL. The highest ranked commercial by ADBOWL was Anheuser-Busch's "Applause."

text: For the first time since the campaign started in Super Bowl XXI, no "I'm going to Disney World!" ad aired following Super Bowl XXXIX.[11]

text: Player bonuses[edit]

text: Each member of the Patriots received a payment of $68,000 for winning the game. The Eagles each received $36,500. When adjusted for inflation, the Patriots salary was actually less than the $15,000 paid to members of the Green Bay Packers for winning Super Bowl I in 1967. That amount of money in 1967 equated to approximately $85,000 in 2005.[22]

text: Officials[edit]

text:
Referee: Terry McAulay #77 first Super Bowl
Umpire: Carl Paganelli #124 first Super Bowl
Head Linesman: Gary Slaughter #30 first Super Bowl
Line Judge: Mark Steinkerchner #84 second Super Bowl (XXXVII)
Field Judge: Tom Sifferman #118 third Super Bowl (XXXVII, XXXVIII)
Side Judge: Rick Patterson #15 second Super Bowl (XXXV)
Back Judge: Tony Steratore #112 first Super Bowl
Alternate Referee: Ed Hochuli #85 (referee for XXXII, XXXVIII)
Alternate Umpire: Garth DeFelice #53
Alternate Field Judge: Larry Rose #128[11]