3 of 43

Write now Article Tools

Super Bowl XLII will go down as one of the greatest upsets in football history. With a 12.5 point spread in New England Patriots' favor, there were few believers who gave the New York Giants a chance. One could argue that this worked in the Giants' favor as they had never been given a chance, and used this 'underdog' mentality to go on an unprecedented 10 away game win streak arriving at the big stage and earning their way to the Lombardi trophy.

It's almost poetic how the story of Super Bowl XLII came to be. Eli Manning, always in the shadow of big brother Peyton, had long been criticized by previous teammates and Giants' fans as always missing the 'it' factor. Tom Coughlin too had been critizied by previous players and had fans demanding his resignation earlier in the season. And then you have the New England Patriot dynasty. Somehow this great team became the unstoppable team when they acquired Randy Moss. Together, Tom Brady and Randy Moss broke NFL records in a single season together. Veterans, such as Junior Seau, even at their older age, were playing their best ball in ages. Not only were the New England Patriots unstoppable, but they never relented. Even when victory was certain, they would pile on the points mercilessly. Perhaps it was their ambition and greatness that would also lead to their demise.

As expected, New York Giants' defense did their homework and came prepared. Tom Brady had never seen pressure like this all season and it showed in 4 sacks and several bad passes. On a 4th and 13 when a field goal could have sufficed, the merciless Patriots once again went for it and unlike the rest of the season, did not get that 1st down. I sometimes wonder if Bill Belicik regrets not kicking that field goal because it could have been a much different outcome. New England lost alot of steam following that missed 4th down and the Giants capitalized on it. The media had already begun planning their 19-0 Patriots episodes and some media groups even began comparing Eli's college sweetheart to Tom's supermodel girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen. Naturally, Eli would stand up for his team and his girlfriend and be more to the NFL than Peyton Manning's little brother.

It was very heartwarming to see the Giants win. They proved to the world that football is truly a team sport and that it didn't take a team full of superstars to win a championship. Playing like a team means that players of all calibers step up and play their role when the time comes. 5th string wide receiver David Tyree is a perfect example of what a team is about. It was clear that the Patriots' defense would double team star receivers Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer all afternoon, and when Manning found Tyree open, he threw to him. Tyree did everything he could to catch the 3rd and 5 pass in the 4th quarter, which really was the huge motivator for the Giants to finish that last drive strong. With momentum on their side, the defense knew what to do to finish the game.

Learn more about this author, Julie T..
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Super Bowl XLII Analysis: New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots?
We want to hear your view. Write now!