Giants Stomp Out Patriots' Historical Run
by Nicholas Philippou

The New England Patriots were supposed to steamroll the New York Giants in the Super bowl. Instead, Michael Strahan and the Giants, “stomped them out,” and the perfect season ended with a Giant surprise as New York won its first championship since 1990 in a game that will be remembered with historic hyperbole.

Super bowl XLII might have been the greatest Super bowl ever played. It might have had the most drama of any NFL game before it. David Tyree and Eli Manning probably combined on the most impossible play in Superbowl history. There is no debate that more people watched this Super bowl (97.5 million homes) than any game ever played.

This Super bowl was destined for historical significance as soon as the Patriots went 18-0 and landed in Tempe, Arizona. After eighteen wins in row, the Patriots trademarked the rights to the phrase “19-0” and “19-0, The Perfect Season.” All they had to do was win one more game.

The first quarter set the tone for the Giants. After winning the coin-toss, the Giants received the ball. They controlled the ball for 9:59 of the first quarter and capped off the drive with a field goal to put them up 3-0. The Patriots defense would bend early on but, they did not break. The record-breaking Patriot offense had yet to take the field.

New England's first possession, Tom Brady led the Patriots down the field as he had done all season long. They sprinkled the ball around, mixing their potent short passing game with a power running attack. NFL leader in receptions Wes Welker, and speedster Donte Stallworth caught Brady's early passes and their power-running game was anchored by an energized Lawrence Maroney. Record-breaking wide out Randy Moss was held in check until the fourth quarter, before becoming a factor.

As the first quarter ended the Patriots caught their first break. Giant linebacker Antonio Pierce interfered with tight end Ben Watson in the end zone. The Pats didn't take long and on 1st and goal at the one, Maroney would punch it in, making the game 7-3 in favor of the Pats. The Patriots record breaking offense seemed to be right on track.

When these two teams played 5 weeks earlier in the final game of the regular season, they combined for 75 points in a 38-35 Pats victory. The Giants matched the Patriots firepower but, came up short. Giant defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo knew any hopes of winning would fall on keeping the offense out of their comfort zone. The Giants defense would have to bring some noise if they were to have any chance at toppling the titanic Patriots. The blitz was on.

The Giants defensive line, led by future Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan, and their lone Pro-Bowl representative Osi Umenyiora seemed to wear the red badge of courage. Along with defensive tackle, Justin Tuck, who had 2 sacks and a forced fumble, the defensive pressure would be relentless. They beat the Pats dynamic offensive line, with three pro-bowlers all night long, and rattled Tom Brady with relentless resolve.

The Giants dynamic playoff run began when they battled the Patriots in the final week of the regular season. The Giants defense seemed to just miss Brady that day. New England won the game, 38-35, but the Giants won a great confidence going into the playoffs. The Patriots won the battle, in that last game, the Giants won the war in Super bowl XLII. The Giants second season started that game.

  From the second quarter on, the Giants defense assaulted Tom Brady. The defensive line dominated, knocking Brady down 23 times during the game. Tom Brady looked rattled and frustrated. He seemed to lose his accuracy. Some passes were long, some short and some were thrown to early. Brady's timing was off because of the pressure and the Giants secondary held Randy Moss is check all night. Brady never had enough time to hurt the Giants on a deep play.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants finally broke the stalemate. Eli Manning hooked up with Davis Tyree after a long drive to put the Giants up 10-7. Tyree caught only 4 balls all season 2007 but, had one miraculous catch to come in this game. A catch that would make him and Eli Manning New York sports legends.

After taking a beating for most of the game, Brady finally got the Patriots rolling. Like so many times in the Patriots last three title runs, Brady orchestrated a methodical 4th quarter drive that ended with a Randy Moss touchdown with only 2:38 left in the game. The perfect season almost had a perfect ending.

The much maligned Eli Manning had to take the Giants 83 yards to win the game. There was drama all along the way. The Giants would have to convert a 4th and 1, with Brandon Jacobs. Asante Samuel, the Pats Pro-Bowl cornerback would have to miss an interception right through his fingers. Then there was that play that every witness would never forget.  

It was 3rd down and 5 to go at the Giant 45 yard line, and the play that everyone would remember, was only seconds away. Eli Manning was knocked by every New York paper and by most Giant fans, even some former teammates, but redemption was about to be caught off of the side of David Tyree's helmet.

The Patriots burst through the line of scrimmage and Eli Manning seemed to have the entire defensive line on top of him when, it happened. Like a David Blaine street show, Manning disappeared under blue Patriot jerseys and miraculously reappeared.

Eli Manning pulled off an impossible escape, set his feet and threw up a prayer to David Tyree who defied gravity to catch the ball on the side of his helmet. While Tyree pinned the ball to his helmet, he fought off Rodney Harrison who despite nearly breaking Tyree in half couldn't knock the ball loose. Now the Giants were in Patriot territory and the game was theirs to lose.

The Giants converted one more first down and then Eli Manning got what he was waiting for all game, Plaxico Burress, one-on-one with a cornerback. Once they blitzed, Manning knew he had his favorite target in the end-zone.   After the game, Manning said, “finally they came with the blitz, so I put it up high for Plaxico and we came up with the win.”

New York Giant co-owner, John Mara, called the win, “the greatest win in franchise history,” as he accepted the Vince Lombardi Trophy from Commissioner Roger Goodell. Eli Manning won the Super bowl's Most Valuable Player award and went from much maligned, to magnificent in a New York minute.

The Giants rode a wave of improbable victories, an NFL record 11 wins in a row on the road. They included wins in the playoffs over favored Division winners, the Buccaneers (NFC South), Cowboys (NFC East), and finally the Packers (NFC North) in a frigid playoff classic that ended on 48 yard field goal in overtime. The undefeated Patriots were the cherry on top of an improbable Championship.

The Giants started their season 0-2, their coach Tom Coughlin was supposed to be the wrong guy to lead them. Eli Manning was not supposed to be a winning Quarterback. The Patriots were supposed to be the greatest team of all time. There wasn't supposed to be a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes this year in New York City. Nothing about this season went as it was supposed to, most of all, the ending.