Three years after the Eagles fell to the Patriots, the Giants had their chance against the then 18-0, perfect season on the line Patriots. You all know what happened. Here's my recap.
It's been almost two days since Super Bowl XLII (that's 42, for you non-Romans out there), and while now there is a parade headed through Manhattan, I figure now is as good of a time as any to break down what I remember from the game.
First off, if some descriptions are off, it is because I decided to drink...heavily during the game, and while I know what happened, I sometimes don't remember the specifics. I relied on ESPN to fill me in the next day.
This is, in all honesty, the first Super Bowl I was not looking foward to at all. Let me explain myself, for those of you who can't be happy with that. No matter what, I was going to watch the game, but I didn't want either team to win. First of all, the New England Patriots might be the most hated team in sports right now. Their fans are spoiled little brats, the entire sports area up there wins way too much right now and ESPN is located up there, which means they get constant hype. Is 18-0 impressive? Yes, but I didn't need a "Pursuit of Perfection" ticker on the bottom of the screen that started in Week 7!! Throw in the whole cheating thing, and the new stuff that just came out about them cheating possibly before Super Bowl XXXVI, and that's enough for me to buy Shop Rite brand Easy Mac forever now (the guy who owns Kraft also owns the Patriots, FYI).
On the other hand, the New York Giants are my hated rival. I've hated them since about age 5, when my dad told me they played in New Jersey, but had New York in their name because "the smart people in New Jersey didn't want the state name to be associated with them." Plus, not only would I have to deal with Giants fans coming into the store and gloating for the next seven months, they would also have been the team to beat the Patriots, and win the Super Bowl at the same time...a double whammy if there ever was one. As I said many times before this game, for Philadelphia fans, this was like rooting between Nazis and terrorists...no matter who wins, you're not going to be happy.
With all that in mind, I settled in for what I at least was hoping would be a good game.
That first Giant drive was impressive, especially right off the bat. It was clear what New York wanted to do against New England's defense, and by using both Jacobs and Bradshaw, as well as shorter passes, they were able to impose their will and keep Tom Brady off the field. Sure, it sounds simple, but how many other teams had been able to do it all year? That's what I thought. Of course, they only got a field goal out of it, and New England showed why they went 18-0 by scoring on their first drive, but after that, honestly, it was all Giants.
I was amazed at how well New York played in the first half, even though they only managed three points. They had that one interception down in the red zone, and one other close drive, I believe. Not only that, but that defense of theirs smoked New England's offensive line. It wasn't even funny how much Brady got hit during the whole game. I couldn't believe it, and you could tell where the momentum was, especially when I thought New York should have been up 17-7 at the half, at least.
The same defensive output that I saw from the Giants carried over into the second half, though I do have to question one thing about the Patriots. Why in the bluest of blue hells would you go for it on 4th and 13 when you have a good kicker sitting right there on the sidelines? It was a 49 yard kick, indoors, for crying out loud! I know that New England had this whole stigma with them this year about going for it on fourth down, but that one was dumb. Seriously dumb. Like one of the biggest mistakes in Super Bowl history dumb. Everyone gives Bill Belichick all the credit in the world, and he deserves most of it, but this was the first Super Bowl he made it to after he lost both coordinators following Super Bowl XXXIX (even though that game never happened). You have to think that Charlie Weis would have been able to talk him out of that, but that one moment of pride and hubris may have cost them the game.
Now, I've been one of the biggest Eli Manning detractors that you can find, but what he did in the fourth quarter is something out of Super Bowl lore. The first touchdown pass to David Tyree was simply treading the needle, and then to escape three Patriots with less than a minute to go and find Tyree again on what might be the most amazing Super Bowl play ever was incredible. Not only that, but to out perform Tom Brady in the last two minutes of the Super Bowl is something no one else can say they've done. When Plaxico Burress caught that touchdown, even with just 35 seconds to go, you had to know the game was over. Brady got dismantled again, and 18-0 became 18-1.
There are a few things I want to talk about. First of all, this is not the greatest Super Bowl upset of all time. Don't buy into that for a second. Super Bowl III, between the Jets and Colts was by far the biggest upset ever. Not only were the Jets 18 and a half point underdogs, but by winning that game, they basically forced the merger of the AFL and NFL. Remember, there were two seperate leagues back then, and after the Packers beat down the first two Super Bowl teams from the AFL, a lot of people were thinking they would just go away. Without Super Bowl III, they might have, and things might not be the same today. The Jets were thought to be an inferior team from a league that wasn't on the same level as the NFL. The Giants, while an underdog, had already established themselves during the playoffs this year. The Jets could have beaten every other team in the AFL on the way to Super Bowl III, and no one would have given them a chance. AFL teams didn't play NFL teams during the regular season like AFC and NFC teams play now. The Giants and Patriots played a close game in the regular season, which is why the line on this game should have been closer. Is it an upset? Yes, but not the biggest or even most historically significant in Super Bowl history.
Of course, with all that being said, the New England Patriots are now the biggest punchline in Super Bowl history. Sure, they won their first 18 games of the season, but they lost the last game. Only one team gets to hold the trophy at the end of the season, doesn't matter if you're 9-7 or 16-0 during the regular season. They might be one of the best teams in NFL history, I'll give them that, but without the Super Bowl win, they won't be remembered like the 1985 Bears or the 1972 Dolphins. They are in the same group as the 1984 Dolphins or the 2004 Eagles. You don't win, you're not the best. It's that simple.
I never thought I'd say this either, but I actually think Eli Manning is a great quarterback now. Three other times, New England won Super Bowls by three points, and each one of those quarterbacks had a chance to win their game. The fourth time, the same thing happened, only Eli was able to pull it off. It makes me sick thinking that this happened, but like I said before, I wasn't going to like the winner either way, and if anything, it shuts up the spoiled Boston fans for a couple of months. Do I see the Giants repeating? No, but I don't see them going away either. Of course, I didn't see the Giants even getting to the Super Bowl even four weeks ago, so who knows what's going to happen.
One thing is certain though: Tiki Barber can not be happy right now. Of course, he deserves this, especially after everything he said.
There, I've swallowed my hatred and said nice things about the Giants. It sucks, because I saw the Eagles play the Patriots in the Super Bowl just three years ago, and come oh so close. Enjoy the moment, just like I'll enioy saying 18-1. After the parade, we're all 0-0 again...now I just need next season to get here!
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