Giants Pull Off Super Upset Over Patriots

(CBS/AP)  One perfect spiral and it was over for the New England Patriots. Forever, fans would remember who lost this Super Bowl, as much as who won.

Eli Manning looked every bit like his older brother, throwing that beautiful fade route. Plaxico Burress backed up his brazen prediction, catching the 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left.

And with that thunderbolt, the New York Giants became NFL champions Sunday night. With the crowd standing and roaring for the entire fourth quarter, they startled the heavily favored Patriots - and themselves, a bit - with a 17-14 victory.

"Even when my parents were telling me, 'You're going to win,' I don't know if I believed them," said defensive end Michael Strahan, who postponed retirement in late August to try for this trophy.

The previously unbeaten Pats? They finally felt the pressure. Not from their gaudy record, but from the kind applied by the Giants' relentless pass rush.

"Tonight doesn't take away from anything we have done over the course of the season," New England quarterback Tom Brady said. "We had a great year. It's just unfortunate that tonight turned out the way it did."

The 1972 Miami Dolphins didn't seem to mind too much. They're protective of their 17-0 mark that season and don't want anyone to match their unblemished record.

"The Patriots had a great season, but it shows just how difficult it is to go undefeated," said then-coach Don Shula, who was in attendance. "Our players and our fans feel that much more proud of our accomplishment."

Gone was the Patriots' chance to be the first team to finish 19-0. Also lost was their chance to win their fourth title in seven seasons. Instead, they found another way to be marked.

While many Super Bowl losers simply are forgotten, a few are destined to be a part of NFL lore. Almost 40 years ago, the mighty Baltimore Colts fell victim to that other New York team and its poolside prognosticator, the Jets and Joe Namath.

"We had an opportunity to be special, and we let it slip away," Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour. "We came so close to being special. Now, we're second class."

Burress saw the Giants' third Super Bowl title coming.

Last week, he predicted New York would win 23-17. That guess drew Brady's attention.

"We're only going to score 17 points?" he said then. "OK. Is Plax playing defense? I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for scoring more points."

Manning and the wild-card Giants (14-6) knocked off the Brady bunch, pulling off a frenzied, 12-play drive that covered 83 yards in the last 2½ minutes. Included was Brandon Jacobs' plunge on fourth-and-1, plus a circus catch by David Tyree.

Tyree, who began the game with more special teams tackles than catches this season, outjumped Rodney Harrison for a 32-yard grab on third-and-5 to the Patriots' 24 with 59 seconds left. Harrison tried to pull the ball free and one point had it pinned to Tyree's helmet.

"I don't know that there's ever been a bigger play in the Super Bowl than that play," praised Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Early in the fourth quarter, Tyree caught a 5-yard strike from Manning for his first TD of the season and a 10-7 lead.

"I am a man that really has to capitalize on his few opportunities," Tyree said. "Some things just don't make sense and I guess you can just put that catch there with them."

Amazing, for more than one reason.

"Unbelievable," Giants receiver Amani Toomer said. "In Friday's practice, he was dropping everything."

When this game ended, the Giants had their 11th straight road win and Manning was the MVP, the same award brother Peyton earned last year by leading Indianapolis over Chicago.

"That's a position you want to be in," Eli said. "You want to have the ball in your hands ... down, where you've got to score a touchdown."

Maybe easier to do than watch.

Peyton was in a private box and punctuated each key play by his kid brother with a clap, shout or a wave of his arms.

"You are pulling so hard for Eli," he said. "I guarantee you I am more involved in the game he is playing than any other NFL game. I was pumped, and I got a lot of messages telling me to calm down because I was excited."

Brady, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and several others on the New England side were gone by the very end. Brady's last pass fell incomplete with 1 second left, and Belichick ran across the field to congratulate Coughlin.

The officials determined there was one more play left. With many Patriots off to the locker room, Manning took a final kneeldown in New England territory.

Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, never quite got into a rhythm. With girlfriend Gisele Bundchen tucked away in a suite, Brady went 29-for-48 and 266 yards. He was under pressure all game, as Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck kept pounding him.

"There is a way to get to anybody," Strahan said. "And for us today, the way to win this game was to get to Tom Brady. Stop the run and get to Brady.

"As Mike Tyson would say, 'Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.' And today, we wanted to punch them in the face."

Brady was sacked five times and the highest-scoring team in league history was held to its lowest point total of the season. He did not show any ill effects from a sprained ankle that recently put him in a protective boot.

Manning's 5-yard pass to Tyree - it was his first TD catch of the season - put the Giants ahead 10-7 earlier in the fourth quarter. Brady later hit Randy Moss for a 6-yard touchdown with 2:42 to go that gave the Pats a 14-10 edge.

Four plays after Tyree's acrobatics, Manning found Burress alone in the left side of the end zone.

"It's the greatest feeling in professional sports," Burress said before bursting into tears.

As for how difficult the loss was, Belichick said: "I don't rank them. It's disappointing."

But how to argue with the magnitude of this upset?

All year, the Patriots were unbeatable, even when these same Giants gave them their toughest test of all in the last game of the regular season, a 38-35 final that gave New York the confidence it needed.

Looking for something to pick on, New England's critics went to "Spygate," the Week 1 plot devised by coach Bill Belichick to videotape Jets defensive coaches as they signaled to players on the field. The NFL fined the coach $500,000 and the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick, and the pundits said the Patriots might be forever remembered as cheaters.

The subject came up frequently this week, including Sunday, when Sen. Arlen Specter reiterated he's considering Senate hearings to get to the bottom of the matter.

Will he care now that it's the Giants, not the Patriots, holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

[tibu987]

Now, Let''s see Obama have an upset over the Clinton twins.

[tbweb]

I agree with you about the arrogance part, but not with that play. I think the Pats would have been looking at a 48-50 yard FG. That''''s not a gimmee and if the Pats miss, then the Giants get the ball in great field position. I would have gone for it too.

Posted by rafterman1 at 02:26 PM : Feb 04, 2008,,,

Ok, I considered the field position the Giants would have received had New England missed, but still a field goal trying to pin the Giants close to the 1 yard line still would have been better than going for it on 4th and 12. I didn''t like that call probably because of that poorly executed play NE called while going for it, it wasn''t even close, it looked bad too, a short sideline aiming punt would have still been better. Who goes for it on 4th and 12 with that much time on the clock, NE is good but give me a break 4th and 12? NE is not that good! The Giants Defense played their hearts out and I always like the underdog no matter what, nothing against NE.

[lakanino]

this game proves that cheaters dont win!!! and resilient teams do!!!

[nyckate]

tbweb - yeah -- the Giants just wanted it more - have to give it to Manning and team - they played their hearts out there.

Have to say though that touchdown with Brady - man - they made it look so so easy!!!

[tbweb]

The Patriots looked tired too! As if they were beat from the night before.

Posted by cmp271 at 12:28 PM : Feb 04, 2008,,,

You''re right, all those New York party girls the Giants sent to the Patriots rooms paid off!! LOL

[cmp271]

It was a great game. I wonder how much the atmosphere in the dome affected the players. It was too humid. The roof should have been off the stadium for fresh air. Makes one wonder why it wasn''t open-any type of threats involved???

The Patriots looked tired too! As if they were beat from the night before. They didn''t seem to want it as much as the Giants did. Their record is a good one. They only won against the Giants during the season by luck, and that game should have given them a big hint to be prepared for this one.

Congratulations Giants!!

[sgtrds]

Who cares? I watched The Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. It was more fun and none of them were overpaid whining millionaire babies or on steroids.

[harp1963]

I just love that Plax, a former Steeler, caught the game winning catch.

[tbweb]

poste by SamTheTVCat, closethippy1

If you are referring to the end of the game, with only 35 seconds left, the Patriots needed about 45 yards to get in FG range. Even with three timeouts, they didn''''t have time to dink-donk down the field with short plays. The Patriots needed at least one big play and they didn''''t get it.

Posted by Rafterman1 at 06:18 AM : Feb 04, 2008,,,

The Patriots lost that game on sheer arrogance, one play that comes to mind was passing up that field goal attempt with 4th and 12 when they went for it, that may have been the deciding factor and out of character for the Patriots, few Coaches would have made that call even if their team didn''t make the Playoffs, that was a stupid call to me. There was no wind factor, he could have kicked that field goal.

[smiley676]

1st half was pretty dull, 2nd half was amazing. Especially the 4th.

And the ads were terrible.

Way to go Giants!!