Super Bowl XLII:
One of the Greatest NFL Games of All Time
Giants 17-14 Victory Over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII
[ Check Out: Super Bowl XLVI - Giants vs Patriots ]
David Tyree's Unbelievable Helmet Catch
He ought to know. He's a player in the NFL who knows its history. He's another Manning maybe you've heard of -- Peyton -- and that was his summary of Super Bowl XLII last Sunday night in Glendale, Arizona:
"One of the greatest games of all time."
In the game, his brother, New York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING, engineered one of the most memorable late-game-winning drives in Super Bowl history for a 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots.
That drive included what many are calling the greatest play in Super Bowl history.
The game seemed to have it all -- the stars everyone in America recognizes . . . the role players who became stars . . . surprising plays . . . game-swings . . . drama . . . and a boffo ending.
The memorable story lines abounded:
Giants Steps
A team has never done what the Giants did.
Although Super Bowl is a neutral site, Sunday was New York's 11th win in a row this season away from home. The Giants set the NFL season record with 10 consecutive road wins (including in London, England in October). The streak included playoff victories in Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay before landing in Arizona.
That kind of mettle served them well in the fourth quarter Sunday.
Trailing 14-10 with 2:39 left and on their 17-yard line, Manning constructed a drive that convinced brother Peyton to categorize the game as "one of the greatest."
At third-and-five at the Giants' 44, Manning eluded a swarm of Patriots that had its hands all over him and fired a 32-yard pass to DAVID TYREE, who somehow clutched the ball with both hands on top of his helmet as RODNEY HARRISON fought to take it away.
First down on New England's 24-yard line.
Two plays later, with 39 seconds left in the game, Manning lofted a 13-yard pass to PLAXICO BURRESS fading to the left of the end zone for the winning score and the Giants' first Super Bowl title since the 1990 season.
That was the third -- and final -- lead change of the quarter, the most in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl history.
The Giants became only the second team (San Francisco, XXIII) to win a Super Bowl after trailing in the final minute of the game. And Eli Manning joined JOE MONTANA (SB XXIII) as the only quarterbacks in Super Bowl history to throw two fourth-quarter TD passes in a winning effort.
After giving up 80 points in their first two games, both losses, the Giants had become only the third team to win a Super Bowl after starting 0-2, and only the fifth Wild Card team to win the game.
Giants 12-year veteran AMANI TOOMER summed it up this way: "We are a tough team in a tough city," he said after the game. "That's what we represent."
Oh, Brother!
The Mannings made history. While becoming the 19th set of brothers to reach the Super Bowl, they became the first siblings to quarterback teams in consecutive Super Bowls, win the game, and be awarded its most valuable player trophy. Eli followed Peyton, who led Indianapolis to the Super Bowl XLI title and won the MVP.
"I never thought about them even playing college ball, much less pro football, much less winning Super Bowls or MVPs," says their father, ARCHIE MANNING, who himself played 13 years in the NFL and is the New Orleans Saints' career passing yardage leader. "It wasn't in the plan. We tried to raise kids just like other parents raised their kids. I can't explain it."
[ Check Out: Super Bowl XLVI - Giants 21 Patriots 17]
Super Bowl Celebration
Ticker Tape Parade in Canyon of Heroes
In New York City, it's called the "Canyon of Heroes," the section of lower Broadway and the Financial District that is the epicenter of the city's ticker-tape parades that have saluted everyone from CHARLES LINDBERGH to JOHN GLENN. On Tuesday, it kicked off a New York-New Jersey Super Bowl salute to the Giants.
Approximately one million New Yorkers lined the route as a snowstorm of shredded paper estimated at 60 tons rained down from Manhattan's skyscrapers onto the champs as they motored on red, white and blue floats up Broadway to City Hall to receive the keys to New York City from Mayor MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG. New York Governor ELIOT SPITZER and U.S. Senator CHUCK SCHUMER also attended.
"I've been to Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve in Times Square and Carnivale in Rio, and this beats them all," said Giants fan LORI PLETENIK.
Then it was on to a stage at the 50-yard line at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey where roughly 35,000 fans, including former New Jersey Governor RICHARD J. CODEY, saluted the Giants in their home stadium. Summarizing the salute to his team in Manhattan and the Meadowlands, Giants head coach TOM COUGHLIN described the day perfectly: "This is the greatest pep rally I've ever attended."
Most-Watched Program Ever: America watched!
Super Bowl XLII unofficially had the largest recorded total audience in the history of television -- 148.3 million viewers.
The reason for the "unofficial" status is that the Nielsen rating service did not measure total audiences -- those who watch part or all of a show -- until the 1990s. The growth of the population since 1983, the group viewing of the Super Bowl, and the difference in the way people watch sports versus dramatic series make it unlikely that the "M*A*S*H" finale that year -- considered to be the most-watched show in television history -- had more viewers than Super Bowl XLII on FOX.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote on Tuesday that RUPERT MURDOCH, chairman and CEO of FOX-parent News Corporation, said during the company's quarterly earnings call that Sunday was "the biggest day in our company's history."
And the world watched! Viewership figures increased across the globe. In the United Kingdom, there was a 51 percent viewership increase with the BBC showing the Super Bowl. In France, there was a 63 percent jump in market share on France 2 … in Canada, a 24 percent surge on the NFL's new carrier, CTV … and in Mexico, a combined nine percent ratings increase on Televisa and TV Azteca.
Chester's A Hit!
Advertising Age reports that the NFL's "Super Ad" TV spot that was produced out of 240 ideas submitted by NFL players was the "Most Liked" of all the TV ads created for the game. IAG Research -- which measures the effectiveness of every ad on TV every night -- determined that "of all the spots (shown during the game), the NFL's own ad celebrating football was the most liked by viewers."
The spot (called "Mr. Oboe") tells the story of now-Houston Texans teammates EPHRAIM SALAAM (left) and CHESTER PITTS (right). In college, Salaam saw the 6-4, 322-pound Pitts working in a supermarket, asked him what he played, and Pitts said "the oboe." Salaam told him he should play football. The rest is history. "He didn't even have a dream until I told him the dream," kids Salaam.
Shirts, Hats? They're Going Fast!
The Giants' victory and the resulting sales of team Super Bowl merchandise could top the NFL record of $125 million set in 1997 when Green Bay defeated New England in Super Bowl XXXI.
New York's Daily News reported that Giants merchandise was flying off the shelves so fast that Modell's delivery trucks were having trouble keeping pace.
"It seems as if we can't keep stock," said store manager DANIEL YALLEY. "We're getting trucks in every two hours."
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17 Patriots 14 Road Warrior Giants Bring It Home
Super Bowl XLII
With 2:49 left in Super Bowl XLII it seemed to be yet another perfectly scripted comeback victory for the New England Patriots as Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss for a 7-yard TD completion.
However, the Giants went off script as Eli Manning drove the Giants 83 yards for the game winning touchdown. Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning ended the 12 play 83 yard winning drive when he found Plaxico Burress (17) in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds to play.
SUPER BOWL XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII - Steelers vs. Cardinals
Steelers Defeat Cardinals 27-23, Holmes MVP
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers 27 Cardinals 23
Santonio Holmes extended his arms, kept his feet on the ground and held on to Ben Roethlisberger's perfectly placed pass deep in the right corner of the end zone. The amazing touchdown catch -- against three Cardinal defenders -- capped an 8-play 78 yard drive with 35 seconds remaining. Thus, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
- Super Bowl XLIII: Better Than Super
- Super Bowl XLIII on NBC, Largest TV Audience in History
- A Look at the Sixburgh Steeler's 6 Historic Super Bowl Victories
- Super Bowl XLIII: Quotes & Commentary
- Super Bowl XLIII: Box Score, Scoring Summary & Statistics
- Super Bowl XLIII: Play by Play
- Arizona Cardinals Relaxed Atmosphere in Final Prep
- Steelers Set for Super Bowl Showdown
- Loose & Relaxed Steelers Ready to Play
- Cards QB Kurt Warner Looks Sharp in Final Major Practice
- Cardinals Anquan Boldin Looking Good
- Steelers Hines Ward Not 100% But Ready to Go
- Cards Focus on Steelers' Big 3-D
- Big Ben's Health Often Subject of Inaccurate Reports
- Larry Fitzgerald, Simply Amazing
- Kurt Warner, Renaissance Man
- Steelers Game-By-Game Playoff Statistics
- Cardinals Game-By-Game Playoff Statistics
- Super Bowl XLIII in the Cards for Arizona
- Steelers Defeat Ravens 23-14
Super Bowl Games & Super Bowl MVP History
- Steelers Defeat Cardinals 27-23, Holmes MVP
- Super Bowl XLII: One of the Greatest
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Super Bowl I
Green Bay Packers 35 Kansas City Chiefs 10 -
Super Bowl II
Green Bay Packers 33 Oakland Raiders 14 -
Super Bowl III
New York Jets 16 Baltimore Colts 7 -
Super Bowl IV
Kansas City Chiefs 23 Minnesota Vikings 7 -
Super Bowl V
Baltimore Colts 16 Dallas Cowboys 13 -
Super Bowl VI
Dallas Cowboys 24 Miami Dolphins 3 -
Super Bowl VII
Miami Dolphins 14 Washington Redskins 7 -
Super Bowl VIII
Miami Dolphins 24 Minnesota Vikings 7 -
Super Bowl IX
Pittsburgh Steelers 16 Minnesota Vikings 6 -
Super Bowl X
Steelers 21 Dallas Cowboys 17 -
Super Bowl XI
Oakland Raiders 32 Minnesota Vikings 14 -
Super Bowl XII
Cowboys 27 Denver Broncos 10 -
Super Bowl XIII
Pittsburgh Steelers 35 Dallas Cowboys 31 -
Super Bowl XIV
Pittsburgh Steelers 31 Los Angeles Rams 19 -
Super Bowl XV
Oakland Raiders 27 Philadelphia Eagles 10 -
Super Bowl XVI
San Francisco 49ers 26 Cincinnati Bengals 21 -
Super Bowl XVII
Washington Redskins 27 Miami Dolphins 17 -
Super Bowl XVIII
Los Angeles Raiders 38 Washington Redskins 9 -
Super Bowl XIX
San Francisco 49ers 38 Miami Dolphins 16 -
Super Bowl XX
Chicago Bears 46 New England Patriots 10 -
Super Bowl XXI
New York Giants 39 Denver Broncos 20 -
Super Bowl XXII
Washington Redskins 42 Denver Broncos 10 -
Super Bowl XXIII
San Francisco 49ers 20 Cincinnati Bengals 16 -
Super Bowl XXIV
San Francisco 49ers 55 Denver Broncos 10 -
Super Bowl XXV
New York Giants 20 Buffalo Bills 19 -
Super Bowl XXVI
Washington Redskins 37 Buffalo Bills 24 -
Super Bowl XXVII
Dallas Cowboys 52 Buffalo Bills 17 -
Super Bowl XXVIII
Dallas Cowboys 30 Buffalo Bills 13 -
Super Bowl XXIX
San Francisco 49ers 49 San Diego Chargers 26 -
Super Bowl XXX
Dallas Cowboys 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 17 -
Super Bowl XXXI
Green Bay Packers 35 New England Patriots 21 -
Super Bowl XXXII
Denver Broncos 31 Green Bay Packers 24 -
Super Bowl XXXIII
Denver Broncos 34 Atlanta Falcons 19 -
Super Bowl XXXIV
Saint Louis Rams 23 Tennessee Titans 16 -
Super Bowl XXXV
Baltimore Ravens 34 New York Giants 7 -
Super Bowl XXXVI
New England Patriots 20 Saint Louis Rams 17 -
Super Bowl XXXVII
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48 Oakland Raiders 21 -
Super Bowl XXXVIII
New England Patriots 32 Carolina Panthers 29 -
Super Bowl XXXIX
New England Patriots 24 Philadelphia Eagles 21 -
Super Bowl XL
Steelers 21 Seahawks 10 -
Super Bowl XLI
Colts 29 Bears 17 -
Super Bowl XLII
New York Giants 17 New England Patriots 14
NFL Super Bowl History, Scores, Summaries & Super Bowl MVP Articles
