By Barry Wilner
PHOENIX, Arizona, Feb 3 AP - The New York Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect New England Patriots: a big, bad defence and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning.
In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England’s unbeaten season 17-14 tonight as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining.
It's the greatest feeling in professional sports,'' Burress said before bursting into tears. It was the Giants' 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year. It was the most bitter of losses, too, because 12-point favorite New England (18-1) was just one play away from joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only undefeated NFL champions in the Super Bowl era. The Patriots led 14-10 into the final minute, but their defence couldn't stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard New York drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, another clutch reception from rookie Steve Smith and then Burress' game-winning TD catch. That’s a position you want to be in,’’ said Manning, who followed older brother Peyton’s Super Bowl MVP performance for Indianapolis last year with one of his own, throwing for 255 yards on 19-of-34 passes with two TDs.
You can't write a better script. There were so many big plays on that drive.'' The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league MVP and winner of his first three Super Bowl, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws in New England's lowest scoring game of the season. They played well,’’ Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.
They made some plays. We made some plays. They just made a few more. We played as hard as we could. We just couldn't make enough plays.'' Peyton Manning was seen in a luxury box jumping up and pumping both fists when Burress, who didn't practice all week because of injuries, caught the winning score. We just hung in there on offence, kept executing,’’ said Burress, who wasn’t far off on the 23-17 prediction he made a few days ago.
``It came down to one play and we made it.’’
The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl. Four AFC teams have done it.
They also are the second wild-card champions in three years, following the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2005 season.
Until the frantic fourth quarter, the only scoring came on the game’s first two drives.
The Giants marched 63 yards on 16 plays from the opening kick-off before settling for a 32-yard field goal. The 9:59 drive was the longest in Super Bowl history.
That 3-0 lead lasted until the first play of the second quarter when Patriots running back Laurence Maroney scored from the one yard line to cap a 12-play drive which began with Maroney’s 43-yard kickoff runback.
New York’s first series of the second quarter looked dangerous, but ended when Manning threw his first interception of the postseason to Ellis Hobbs.
The Patriots, though, failed to take advantage as the Giants’ celebrated defensive line controlled much of the half, holding the most prolific offence in NFL history to a measly 81 yards and seven points.
The Giants regained the lead 10-7 in the fourth quarter when a maturing Manning found Tyree for a five-yard touchdown pass to cap an 80-yard drive.
Pressed unlike they are accustomed to, the Patriots responded with their own 80-yard march.
Star wide receiver Randy Moss, who caught a record 23 of Brady’s record 50 TD throws this year, took a six-yard pass when cornerback Corey Webster fell to score, and with a mere 2:42 remaining the Patriots were ahead 14-10.
The first 19-0 season was there for the taking.
But Eli and the Giants snatched it away.