New Orleans ? The New England Patriots made this a Super Bowl to remember for all the right reasons.

Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired, capping a thrilling final two minutes and giving the Patriots a 20-17 victory over the favored St. Louis Rams on a red, white and blue Sunday.

New England kicker Adam Vinatieri celebrates his game-winning, 48-yard field goal. Vinatieri's kick in the final seconds gave the Patriots a 20-17 over St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI on Sunday at New Orleans. At left is teammate Ken Walters.

“We shocked the world,” New England safety Lawyer Milloy said.

The Patriots won on a day filled with patriotic themes inside the Superdome and high security outside. Fans were urged to show up five hours before kickoff to get through a perimeter that looked more like a military compound than a football stadium, with soldiers on the ground and sharpshooters on the roof.

The winning kick came after the Patriots had lost a 17-3 lead in the final 10 minutes. The game appeared headed for the first Super Bowl overtime after St. Louis tied it on a 26-yard pass from Kurt Warner to Ricky Proehl with 1:30 left.

But MVP Tom Brady, whose status as the starter was in doubt until midweek, drove the Patriots 53 yards with no timeouts to set up the deciding kick.

“No one gave us a chance to win this game,” said running back Antowain Smith, who gained 92 yards in 18 carries.

After bypassing individual pregame introductions in favor of running on to the field as a team, the Patriots went out and won with contributions from up and down their unsung roster.

They did it with Vinatieri’s kicking, Brady’s leadership and a defense that scored one touchdown, set up two other scores and shut down the most high-powered offense in the NFL.

Brady was just 16-for-27 for 145 yards, compared to 28-of-46 for Warner.

New England's Tom Brady (12) throws as St. Louis' Jeff Zgonina (90) and Adam Archuleta (31) defend. The Patriots defeated the Rams, 20-17, on Sunday in New Orleans.

But Brady, a fourth-string rookie last year, was mistake-proof while Warner, a two-time league MVP, threw two interceptions and the Rams also lost a fumble that set up a score.

The key play in the final drive was a 23-yard pass from Brady to Troy Brown to the St. Louis 36.

Three plays later came the kick by Vinatieri, who had made two field goals in the snow to give New England a playoff win over Oakland. But the game was won by the defense, which held the NFL’s best offense without a touchdown until less than 10 minutes was left in the game.

“They say it’s the best track team in the National Football League, but I never saw anybody win a 100-yard dash with someone standing in front of them,” said New England cornerback Ty Law, whose 47-yard interception return gave New England its first touchdown.

Defense was the answer all year for the Patriots, who were 5-11 last year, started 0-2 and lost quarterback Drew Bledsoe to a chest injury.

Brady took over and led them to the AFC East title with an 11-5 record. But few expected them to beat the Rams, who at 14-2 had the league’s best record and best offense and were trying to win their second Super Bowl in three years.

The Patriots had twice lost in the Super Bowl, both times in New Orleans. And it was the first championship as a head coach for Bill Belichick, who as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, 11 years ago won a ring when Buffalo’s Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard attempt in the final seconds.

There was plenty of drama, too, especially at the end.

Warner’s 2-yard sneak with 9:31 left his first rushing TD this season pulled St. Louis within 17-10. After holding the Patriots, the Rams got the ball back at their own 45 and needed only 21 seconds to tie it.

The Rams were billed as the “Greatest Show on Turf.” But if they expected to breeze, they discovered early that the Patriots wouldn’t let them. Warner was sacked three times and was pounded on almost every play.

New England stiffened on St. Louis’ second possession, limiting the Rams to Jeff Wilkins’ 50-yard field goal.

The Patriots let the Rams reach their 34 early in the second quarter, but this time Wilkins’ 52-yard attempt was short.

The Patriots’ varying defenses as many as seven defensive backs on some plays made Warner and the Rams work for each yard.

With 8:49 left in the half, New England got the break it was playing for.

On a first-and-10 from the St. Louis 39, New England linebacker Mike Vrabel broke clear on a blitz. As he was about to hit Warner, the St. Louis quarterback unloaded right to Law, who raced untouched 47 yards down the sideline to give New England a 7-3 lead.

The second TD came after the Rams got the ball on their own 15 with 1:52 left in the half.

On the third play, Warner found Proehl over the middle. He was hit by Antwan Harris, who knocked the ball loose and Terrell Buckley picked it up and returned it 15 yards to the St. Louis 40.

Five plays later, it was 14-3 as Brady found David Patten in the corner of the end zone for an 8-yard score.

New England continued to stalemate the Rams through the third quarter. The Rams turned to the run to try to get New England out of its nickel and dime defenses as Marshall Faulk ran four times for 30 yards. But on third down came what seemed to be the inevitable turnover Warner missed Torry Holt and Otis Smith picked it off, returning it 30 yards to the St. Louis 32.

Three plays later, Vinatieiri’s 37-yard field goal made it 17-3.

The Rams then put together their first sustained drive, getting inside the New England 32 for the first time. On a fourth-and-goal from the 3, Warner fumbled and Tebucky Jones took it all the way back for what appeared to be the clinching touchdown.

But Willie McGinest was called for holding Faulk, and the Rams got the ball back at the 1. On the second play, Warner went in for the touchdown to cut it to 17-10 with 9:31 left to cap a 73-yard, 12-play drive.

Then came the tying TD and the winning drive.

“We beat all the odds,” Milloy said. “No one can ever take that away from us.”