Synopsis
The first 30 days of October in 2004 were pure bliss for sports fans in New England. The Patriots were the darlings of the NFL, boasting two Super Bowl victories over the past three years, and an NFL-record 21-game winning streak. But Halloween proved to be a nightmare for New England. In Pittsburgh, the Patriots fell to Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers, and also lost their All-Pro cornerback, Ty Law, to a season-ending injury. In the weeks that followed, other key defensive backs missed time as well, leaving a once-dominant defense vulnerable to the pass. Such losses would be too great to overcome for most teams. But the Patriots bounced back better than anyone imagined possible. Utilizing a patchwork secondary, which included 33-year-old wide receiver Troy Brown as a nickel back, New England defeated Peyton Manning's Colts in a divisional playoff, and then won the rematch against Big Ben in Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship. All that stood between the Patriots and a third world title in four seasons was the most fearsome receiver in the game, Philadelphia's Terrell Owens, in Super Bowl XXXIX. So join NFL Films as they tell the story of the '04 Patriots, a team as resilient and creative as any in NFL history. America's Game uses exclusive interviews from Bill Belichick, Brown and Tedy Bruschi to recount New England's bid to become a dynasty.