Super Bowl Upset! Giants Defeat Patriots 17-14

In what was possibly the greatest Super Bowl ever, and most certainly the greatest upset in the great game's history, the New York Giants, on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining, defeated the undefeated New England Patriots, 17-14.

The Giants drew first blood, grinding out a 16-play, 63-yard, nine-minute fifty-nine second opening drive, only to come up short of the end zone and settling for a field goal. New England answered by driving for five minutes plus, 12 plays and 56 yards for a Laurence Maroney 1-yard touchdown run.

From that point on there would be no scoring until the wild fourth quarter.

And what a fourth quarter it was. The Giants rumbled down the field, Manning connected with rookie tight end Kevin Boss for a 45-yard pass, then wide receiver David Tyree caught his first touchdown pass of the entire season to put the Giants ahead 10-7.

Tom Brady was bidding for his fourth Super Bowl win, and fourth fourth-quarter game-winning drive, and nearly had it when he connected with Randy Moss for what was then the lead-reclaiming score, but they left 2:42 on the clock for Manning, and the once-disrespected younger brother became the cool-handed hero of the evening.

Manning, the game's Most Valuable Player, with poise and accuracy that apparently runs in the family, led the Giants on a drive covering 83 yards in 12 plays, capping it off by hitting a wide-open Burress with a lofted pass to put the Giants ahead for good.

Brady tried his best to connect with his lethal wideout Moss on two desperate long passes to at least get within kicker Steven Gostkowski's outer range to tie the game, but two stellar defensive plays by Corey Webster, the rookie defensive back who was thrown into the fire with the injury to veteran Sam Madison, and was burned by Moss on the previous touchdown drive, squelched any hopes of a miracle comeback.

With one second remaining, Patriots coach Bill Belichick stepped onto the field, congratulated Giants coach Tom Coughlin, and didn't hang around for the final kneel-down after the field was hastily cleared by NFL officials to put the official coda on the game.

For the second straight year, a Manning will hold up the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and win the MVP award, and very few would've thought it would be Eli, but the facts are the facts, and there's celebration in the Big Apple, corks popping on some 1972 Miami Dolphin-owned champagne, and quiet frustration in New England tonight.

Credit:

www.superbowl.com on drive information

www.nfl.com on information about Corey Webster.