Part four of the Ten Greatest Super Bowls of All-time

3. Super Bowl XLII
Date: February 3rd, 2008
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.

"18-1"
The New York Giants upset the New England Patriots, 17-14.

Super Bowl XLII was supposed to be a coronation for the New England Patriots who simply dominated the 2007 regular season, outscoring their opponents by nearly 20 points a game. New England set records on offense with 589 points and 75 touchdowns. Quarterback Tom Brady set a record with 50 touchdown passes and wide receiver Randy Moss, acquired in the offseason for a 4th round draft pick, also set an NFL mark with 23 touchdown receptions. The Patriots came into the game 18-0 and were looking to become the first team to have a perfect season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17-0. The New York Giants took a different path to SBXLII struggling early in the year before recovering to make the playoffs as a wildcard with a 10-6 record. Led by Eli Manning, an effective running attack and a dominating defensive line, the Giants became just the third team to win three-straight road games to reach the Super Bowl. The two teams actually played eachother in the last regular season game which the Patriots won, 38-35, to cap their undefeated regular season. Ironically enough, the Giants were Miami's last regular season opponent in '72. Despite the offensive weapons on both teams, the game was a defensive struggle. New York sacked Tom Brady five times during the game and the Giants offense could only muster 5 first downs in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Giants managed to take a 10-7 lead late in the contest before Brady led the Patriots to the go-ahead score, hitting Randy Moss with a six-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 left in the game. New York wouldn't be denied, marching towards their destiny with an 83 yard drive for the ages. Key plays were Brandon Jacob's two yard run on 4th and 1 and an Eli Manning to David Tyree reception that will go down in history as one of the greatest plays of all time. On 3rd and 5, Manning escaped the grasps of a Patriots' defender and stayed alive long enough to unleash a pass 32 yards downfield. Tyree out-jumped Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison for the ball and cradled it against his helmet as he fell to the ground. Later in the drive, from the 13 yardline, Manning hit receiver Plaxico Burress for the game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining. The Giants captured their 3rd Super Bowl trophy in franchise history while the Patriots had to settle for a "disappointing" 18-1 record. As the 2007 season unfolded, the Patriots were so dominant that a victory in this game would surely have stamped them with the label of "Greatest Team in History." Not only that, they would have matched the Steelers of the 70's with four titles in a six year span. The 2007 postseason was a coming-out party for Eli Manning, who finally lived up to being the number one over all selection in the 2004 draft and got out from under his older brother's shadow. Eli matched Peyton Manning's Super Bowl triumph of a year earlier making the Mannings the first siblings to win Super Bowls back-to-back. The Giants were the first wildcard team from the NFC to win a Super Bowl.