Hardly anyone gave the New York Giants a chance in Sunday’s Super Bowl. And after a 12-play, 80-yard drive engineered by Tom Brady ended on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss with 2 minutes, 42 seconds left to play, it appeared that the New England Patriots would make history with a perfect season.
But the Giants, trailing 14-10, had one drive and two big plays left.
Facing third-and-5 from the Giants’ 44, Eli Manning eluded the grasp of Jarvis Green and spun out of a crowd to throw a pass to David Tyree.
“People were asking me how I got out of that jam I was in, and I really don’t know,” Manning said. “They were pulling me down. I saw David in the middle of the field. I gave him a shot to make the catch.”
Tyree reached up and caught the ball as Rodney Harrison tried to knock it away. He held the ball against his helmet while falling to the ground for a gain of 32 yards to the Patriots’ 24.
“That might go down as one of the great plays in Super Bowl history,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.
Manning saw a replay later on TV.
“I kind of saw a little bit on the field, but didn’t really get to appreciate what a great catch it was,” Manning said.
Four plays later, Manning hit Plaxico Burress in the end zone for an easy 13-yard TD, giving the Giants a 17-14 lead with :35 left to play. Burress, at 6 feet, 5-inches, went against the 5-9 Ellis Hobbs.
“(New England) had been playing zone, keeping two safeties back through that whole drive,” Manning said. “Finally, they came out with a blitz and had one-on-one (with Burress). That’s a match-up we’re going to take every time.”
After a last-ditch Patriots drive failed, Manning took a knee to finish one of the Super Bowl’s greatest upsets.
New York won for the fourth straight time in the postseason after losing 38-35 to New England in the regular-season finale.
Manning, who went 19 of 34 for 255 yards, two TDs and an interception, was voted the game’s most valuable player. Brady, who was hounded all game by a relentless Giants pass rush, finished 29 of 48 for 266 yards and one TD.
The Giants, who led the NFL with 53 sacks this season, sacked Brady five times. They held the Patriots to a season-low 14 points.