Best Super Bowl Countdown - #3

The countdown of the best Super Bowls ever continues and today, we are down to the final 3. Again, we are looking at Super Bowls before 1993, since anything before that I don't really remember that well, if at all. So far, 2 of the Super Bowls have involved the New England Patriots. Well today, the trend continues.

3. Super Bowl XLII
NY Giants 17, New England 14
February 3, 2008
Glendale, AZ

It was looked at as a huge mismatch. The perfect Patriots, who steamrolled through all their competition, versus the Giants, the fifth seed in the NFC who just seemed to be playing good enough ball to make it this far. Oddsmakers had their mind set on who would win the game, crowning the Pats as 12-point favorites. But despite the fact that the Pats were the overwhelming favorite, the game still had to be played.

In order to win, the Giants knew they needed to keep the potent Pats offense off the field, they needed long drives. That's exactly what they did to start the game, taking nearly 10 minutes to drive 63 yards in 16 plays to score a field goal and take a 3-0 lead. In fact, the 9:59 drive is the longest in Super Bowl history.

But once the Patriots offense got the ball, they did what they did best all season: score. Tom Brady led the team to the 1-yd line when the first quarter ended. The two possessions were a Super Bowl record for fewest in the opening quarter. In the second quarter, the Pats punched it in for 6 when Laurence Maroney ran it into the endzone to give New England a 7-3 lead. The rest of the 2nd quarter would be dominated by defense. The Patriots defense picked off Eli Manning while the Giants stayed tough, and held the Pats scoreless, leaving the league's best offense with just 81 yds in the first half.

After a less than impressive halftime show from Tom Petty, the third quarter began with lots of buzz. Unfortunately, the game action didn't pick up. Neither team scored in what was a lackluster third quarter for both teams. But when the 4th quarter began, the best action began.

To start it off, the Giants drove 80 yards on just 6 plays, capped off by a Manning to David Tyree TD pass that gave the G-Men a 10-7 lead. Could the Giants stop the Patriots from staying perfect? In the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast".

Brady and the Patriots had an answer, as they had in Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII. After both teams swapped possessions, the Patriots went on a 12 play, 80 yard drive in 5:12 that ended with Brady finding his favorite target, Randy Moss for a touchdown. So with a mere 2:42 remaining, the NFL's best team in the regular season had a 14-10 lead. Just 2;42 away from finishing 19-0 and being forever called the best team in NFL history.

But Manning and the Giants refused to give in. In the biggest game of his career, Manning drove the Giants with poise down the field, moving them closer and closer to the endzone. But nothing was better than what happened on 3rd and 5 with 1:15 left. Manning, in what seemed like slow motion, escaped a sure sack to find David Tyree, who made what may be called the best catch in Super Bowl history. The little-known receiver caught the ball with the use of his helmet to gain 32 yards and secure a first down for the Giants.

After a sack on 1st down, the Giants used their final timeout with :51 seconds left, truly putting the game in Manning's young hands. But Manning looked more like his older brother. After a 12-yd gain to Steve Smith on 2nd down to gain another set of downs, Manning made the throw of his life. Manning threw a perfect fade pass to Plaxico Burress in the left corner of the endzone. Burress reeled it in and with 35 seconds remaining, the Giants had 1 17-14 lead.

But fans knew better than to think this one was over. Brady took the field, hoping to stage one more big game comeback. But this time, it was not to be as the Giants defense stood tall. After a 4th-down incomplete pass and with one second on the clock, Bill Belichick ran across the field to shake the hand of Tom Coughlin. After a final kneeldown, it was officially over. The Patriots had lost for the first time all season and the Giants were Super Bowl Champs.

Eli Manning earned MVP honors and deservedly so for his performance on the final drive and pretty much all game. 2-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady played well too, going 29/48 for 266 yds and a TD but alas, it was not to be. The Giants had pulled off what may be forever called the biggest upset in Super Bowl history.

Alright, we're down to the final two games. Odds are, you know what they are but in what order are they? You'll have to come back to find out.