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| Date | February 3, 2008 (2008-02-03) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, Arizona[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Eli Manning,quarterback[2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Patriots by 12[3][4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Mike Carey[5] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 71,101[6] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Jordin Sparks | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Ronnie Lott,Jerry Rice,Steve Young, along withBill Walsh's children, Craig and Elizabeth | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Joe Buck,Troy Aikman,Pam Oliver, andChris Myers[7] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 43.1 (est. 97.5 million viewers)[8] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Market share | 65 (national) 81 (Boston) 67 (New York)[8] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $2.7 million[9] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Westwood One | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Marv Albert,Boomer Esiason,John Dockery, andKevin Kiley | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl XLII was anAmerican football game between theNational Football Conference (NFC) championNew York Giants and theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championNew England Patriots to decide theNational Football League (NFL) champion for the2007 season. The game was played on February 3, 2008, at theUniversity of Phoenix Stadium inGlendale, Arizona.[10] This Super Bowl was a rematch of thefinal game of the regular season, in which New England won, 38–35. The Giants defeated the heavily favored Patriots by a score of 17–14, widely considered one of the biggestupsets in the history of professional North American sports.[11][12][13] Giants quarterbackEli Manning, who completed 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, was namedSuper Bowl MVP.
The Patriots entered the game as 12-point favorites after becoming the first team to complete aperfect regular season since the1972 Miami Dolphins, and the only one since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season schedule in 1978. The Giants, who finished the regular season with a 10–6 record, were seeking to become the first NFCwild card team to win aSuper Bowl, and were also looking for their third Super Bowl victory and first since they wonSuper Bowl XXV seventeen years earlier.
The game was tight throughout, with both teams' defense dominating the competition until near the end of the game. The fourth quarter saw a Super Bowl-record three lead changes. After Tyree's 3-yard touchdown reception at the beginning of the quarter, New England wide receiverRandy Moss made a 6-yard touchdown reception, making the score 14-10 with 2:42 left in the game. The Giants started their subsequent drive on their own 17-yard line with 2:39 left.[14][15] On the drive's most memorable play,David Tyree made the "Helmet Catch" on 3rd down, a leaping one-handed catch pinning the football with his right hand to the crown of his helmet for a 32-yard first down conversion.[16][17] After a second first-down conversion bySteve Smith on 3rd and 11, wide receiverPlaxico Burress scored the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard reception. The Patriots then proceeded toturnover on downs on their final drive as the Giants ran out the clock. The game became one of the lowest scoring super bowls sinceSuper Bowl IX 31 years earlier; it would be followed bySuper Bowl LIII in 2019, a game that also involved the Patriots. This game was also the first, and as of the2024 season only, Super Bowl with three fourth-quarter lead changes.
Super Bowl XLII is often considered the greatest super bowl of all time in retrospect by several media outlets.[18][19][20][21][22] The Giants victory is remembered as one of the greatest "Cinderella" stories in professional sports history,[23][24][25] and their game-winning drive was regarded as the greatest of all time.[26] Several outlets and sports publishers have also considered the game to be a moment that definedsports in the 2000s.[27][28][29][30][31][32] Super Bowl XLII was ranked fifth on the NFL's 100 Greatest Games list, the highest ranked Super Bowl game,[33] while Tyree's catch was ranked third on the NFL's 100 Greatest Plays.[34] The game's broadcast onFox broke the then-record for the most watched Super Bowl in history with an average of 97.5 million viewers in the United States.[8]
The Giants and Patriots would once again meet inSuper Bowl XLVI four years later, where the Giants would win again 21–17.
As always, the league considered several potential host cities before choosing thePhoenix area. In this case, the process drew special interest because the league considered holding Super Bowl XLII in New York City or Washington, D.C. as a symbol of the recovery from theSeptember 11 attacks.[35] New York City's bid did not go far. Aside from the obvious climatic concerns, it was also difficult to find a suitable stadium. Proposed renovations to the 1970s-vintageGiants Stadium were still being disputed amongst the various parties. Giants Stadium also lacked a roof, as did both of New York City's baseball stadiums, and the NFL had never played an outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather climate. The city of New York and theNew York Jets failed to secure a deal to build a newWest Side Stadium (which, according to the initial plans, would have been built with a roof).[36] During the years since the Super Bowl XLII bid fell through, Giants Stadium has been demolished. Its replacement,MetLife Stadium, was awardedSuper Bowl XLVIII.
Washington, D.C.'s bid proved to be more viable as the D.C. area had a relatively new (albeit roofless) stadium inFedExField. DC's winter weather, although still potentially problematic, is milder than New York's climate.
In the end, the process boiled down to three finalists: Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Tampa. NFL owners finally choseUniversity of Phoenix Stadium inGlendale, Arizona as the site for Super Bowl XLII during their October 30, 2003, meeting inChicago.[37] In subsequent years,Raymond James Stadium in Tampa was chosen as the site forSuper Bowl XLIII and the proposed (but never built)West Side Stadium was briefly designated as the venue forSuper Bowl XLIV. However, this game was later moved toSun Life Stadium inMiami Gardens, Florida, when it became clear that the new stadium in New York City would not be built in time for the February 2010 game.
Thekickoff for the game took place at 4:32 p.m.MST (23:32UTC). This was the firstSuper Bowl played on a retractable natural-grass field surface; the University of Phoenix Stadium's removable surface is unique among American sports venues.[38]
Super Bowl XLII was also the second Super Bowl played in aretractable-roof stadium (the first was played atReliant Stadium in Houston forSuper Bowl XXXVIII). During the regular season, the home team decides 90 minutes before kickoff whether the roof will be open or closed, and an open roof must remain open unless weather conditions get worse. However, as a neutral site, the NFL controls the option to open or close without any restrictions. The first time this was employed was inSuper Bowl XXXVIII atReliant Stadium; the roof was open for pregame and halftime shows and closed during the game.[39] Because there was rain in the forecast for Super Bowl XLII, the roof was closed for the entire day's activities.
During a February 6, 2007, ceremony with Arizona GovernorJanet Napolitano, theNFL and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee unveiled the slogan "Who Wants It More?" along with its mascot "Spike the Super Ball" (ananthropomorphized football with sunglasses and sneakers) and a large "Super Bowl XLII Countdown Clock" atPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.[40] The Super Bowl XLII logo was also unveiled. It features the shape of the state ofArizona in red and two horizontal white stripes in the middle to represent the vertical lines on University of Phoenix Stadium. The turquoise Roman numerals represent the Native American culture of Arizona. The red star represents the AFC and the blue star represents the NFC.[40] This was also the last Super Bowl with the league's previous logo painted at midfield; the following season, the league redesigned its primary logo.[41]
The New York Giants began the season with low expectations after star running backTiki Barber retired. The Giants had lost in the NFC Wild Card round in each of the previous two seasons and had not won a playoff game in seven years. QuarterbackEli Manning, the younger brother ofSuper Bowl XLIMVP quarterbackPeyton Manning, had struggled to find consistency. In his three seasons as a starter, he had completed less than 54% of his passes with a career passer rating of 73.4. While generally regarded as a solid quarterback, Manning had been unable to achieve the same level of success as fellow 2004 drafteesPhilip Rivers (for whom he was traded) andBen Roethlisberger, the latter of whom had already won a Super Bowl (Super Bowl XL). By the 2007 season, many sports writers were starting to question if Eli would ever live up to the expectations that accompanied being selected with the first overall pick in a draft.[42]
The criticism of Manning intensified as the Giants lost the first two games of the regular season. The Giants recovered, though, notching six consecutive wins and finishing the year with a 10–6 record. The Giants were able to secure a wild card bid in the playoffs, despite the loss of running backDerrick Ward, defensive endMathias Kiwanuka, and four-time Pro Bowl tight endJeremy Shockey to injury. In the final game of the regular season, the Giants played at home against the undefeated New England Patriots. Although the Giants had already earned a playoff spot and had nothing to gain by winning the game, coach Tom Coughlin decided to play his starters throughout the game. New York, clearly playing to win against the league's best team, narrowly lost 38–35. But the effort seemed to rejuvenate the Giants and prepare them for a difficult playoff run. Manning led his team to three road playoff wins in Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay respectively, without throwing a single interception. The Giants' three playoff wins gave them an NFL record 10 consecutive wins on the road. They finished the season with a franchise-low 77 penalties, after setting a franchise record two years before with 146.
Manning finished the 2007 season with 3,336 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.[43] His primary target,Plaxico Burress, caught 70 passes for 1,050 yards and 12 touchdowns.Amani Toomer, the Giants all-time leading receiver and one of only two players remaining from their last Super Bowl appearance inSuper Bowl XXXV, was also a reliable target with 59 receptions for 760 yards, while Shockey contributed 57 receptions for 619 yards and 3 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury in week 15. The Giants' ground game was led by running backBrandon Jacobs, who at 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) and 264 pounds (120 kg), was one of the largest starting halfbacks in the NFL. He finished the season with 1,009 yards and an average of five yards per carry, while also catching 23 passes despite starting only nine games. Running backReuben Droughns rushed for 276 yards and team-leading 6 touchdowns, while also catching 7 passes for 49 yards and returning 21 kickoffs for 437 yards. Rookie running backAhmad Bradshaw added 38 kickoff returns for 921 yards, while also rushing for 190.
The Giants had a defensive line that was led by defensive endsOsi Umenyiora (the lonePro Bowl representative on the team, the fewest a Super Bowl team has ever had),Michael Strahan, andJustin Tuck. Umenyiora led the defense with 13 sacks and five forced fumbles. Strahan, another veteran from theGiants' last Super Bowl appearance in 2000, had nine sacks, giving him a career total of 141.5 and breaking the franchise record held byLawrence Taylor. Tuck recorded ten sacks and 48 solo tackles. In the secondary, cornerbackSam Madison and safetyGibril Wilson led the team with four interceptions each. CornerbackR. W. McQuarters had no interceptions during the season, but played effectively in the playoffs, with interceptions in each of the Giants first three postseason games. PunterJeff Feagles played in his first Super Bowl after 20 years in the NFL. This was also the last game for Giants athletic trainerJohn Johnson who had been with the team for 60 years.
The Giants became only the fourth team to win the Super Bowl without playing a single home game in the preceding playoffs. They joined the1966 Green Bay Packers (who wonSuper Bowl I against theKansas City Chiefs), the1969 Kansas City Chiefs (who wonSuper Bowl IV against theMinnesota Vikings) and the2005 Pittsburgh Steelers (who wonSuper Bowl XL against theSeattle Seahawks) in accomplishing this feat. However, Green Bay had to win two games (including the Super Bowl), Kansas City three, and Pittsburgh and the Giants four, in order to accomplish this. Since then, two other teams also won three road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl: the2010 Green Bay Packers, who wonSuper Bowl XLV over thePittsburgh Steelers, and the2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winners ofSuper Bowl LV (played in their home stadium with limited attendance because ofCOVID-19) over theKansas City Chiefs.
The Giants were the only NFC team to make multiple Super Bowl appearances in the 2000s decade, at the ends of the 2000 and 2007 seasons. Starting with theRams' appearance in 2001, ten different NFC teams represented the conference from 2001 to 2010:Rams,Buccaneers,Panthers,Eagles,Seahawks,Bears,Giants,Cardinals,Saints, andPackers.
When the New England Patriots arrived at Super Bowl XLII, they were already billed as the greatest team in NFL history. In fact, the Patriots were the #1 team for every week of 2007, starting with the preseason all the way to the Super Bowl. The Patriots were not only competing for a fourth Super Bowl title since the 2001 season; they were aiming to become the first team in NFL history to achieve a 19–0 record. Their perfect 16–0 record in the regular season was the first since the league moved to a 16-game regular season in1978. It was also only the fourth undefeated and untied regular season in NFL history. New England set NFL records with 589 points scored (an average of 36.8 points per game) (since broken by the2013 Broncos), 75 total touchdowns, and a net differential of +315 points (they gave up 274 points, fourth best in the league). Some experts have suggested that the Patriots' 16–0 record is the culmination of a larger trend towards better records for top NFL teams since theleague realignment in 2002.[44]
The team was led by then eighth-year quarterbackTom Brady who proceeded to have the best season of his entire career and won his firstNFL MVP andNFL Offensive MVP awards, throwing for a then-career-high 4,806 yards and a then NFL record 50 touchdowns (22 more than his previous best season; since broken by Peyton Manning in2013), and just eight interceptions. His passer rating of 117.2 was the second-highest season rating in NFL history. One often-cited reason for Brady's improved numbers was the acquisition of receiversRandy Moss andWes Welker.[45] The Patriots acquired Moss, a nine-year veteran, from theOakland Raiders for a fourth-round pick in the2007 NFL draft after Moss had, statistically, the worst year of his career (with 42 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns). With the Patriots, though, Moss caught 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and an NFL record 23 touchdowns, and was selected a first-team All Pro. The Patriots also gave theMiami Dolphins second- and seventh-round picks for Welker. Welker tied for the league lead with 112 receptions for 1,175 yards and 8 touchdowns, while also returning 25 punts for 249 yards and 7 kickoffs for 176, earning himself second-team All Pro selection. Welker and Moss both earned votes forOffensive Player of the Year. Other major contributors to the Patriots' passing game includedDonté Stallworth, who added 697 yards and three touchdowns, and tight endBenjamin Watson, whose 36 receptions totaled 389 yards and six touchdowns.
Running backLaurence Maroney was the Patriots' top rusher with 835 yards and six touchdowns, whileSammy Morris added 385 yards and three touchdowns (Morris ended up on injured reserve midway through the season, and thus could not play in the Super Bowl). Longtime PatriotKevin Faulk had 265 yards and was also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, catching 47 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots offensive line featured three players selected to the Pro Bowl, guardLogan Mankins, tackleMatt Light, and centerDan Koppen.
The Patriots defensive line was led by nose tackleVince Wilfork, who was selected to his firstPro Bowl; he was also fined four times during the season for unnecessary roughness.[46] The Patriots had a set of veteran linebackers who had a combined 16 Pro Bowl selections. Outside linebackerMike Vrabel had, statistically, the best season of his career. He led the team in sacks with a career-high 12.5, while also forcing five fumbles and earning his first Pro Bowl selection.Adalius Thomas, an off-season signing from theRavens, recorded six sacks.Junior Seau, who had been selected to the Pro Bowl 12 times during his career but had never won a Super Bowl, returned for his 18th season and got 74 tackles with 3.5 sacks.Tedy Bruschi recorded 92 tackles and two sacks. The Patriots secondary featured another player selected to the Pro Bowl, cornerbackAsante Samuel, who led the team with six interceptions. Defensive backEllis Hobbs returned 35 kickoffs for 911 yards and a touchdown, ranking him 7th in the NFL with a 26.0 yards per return average.
The Giants became the first NFC team (third overall) to advance to the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road. After beating the fourth-seededTampa Bay Buccaneers 24–14, the Giants upset the top-seededDallas Cowboys 21–17, when R. W. McQuarters intercepted a pass from Cowboys quarterbackTony Romo in the end zone as time expired. The Giants advanced to the Super Bowl with a 23–20 overtime win over the second-seededGreen Bay Packers in theNFC Championship Game, which was the third coldest game in NFL history (−1 °F at kickoff, −24 °F wind chill) with an interception byCorey Webster that set upLawrence Tynes's game-winning 47-yard field goal. The field goal was the longest by a visiting kicker inLambeau Field postseason history. This turned out to be the final gameBrett Favre played for the Packers.
Meanwhile, the Patriots continued to set NFL records on their road to the Super Bowl. First, Brady set the NFL record for completion percentage in a single game (92.9%) with 26 of 28 completions for 268 yards and three touchdowns in their 31–20 win over theJacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round, while safetyRodney Harrison tied an NFL record by recording an interception in his fourth consecutive postseason game. One week later, the Patriots defeated theSan Diego Chargers 21–12 in theAFC Championship Game. Although Brady threw three interceptions in the game, the Patriots defense forced two turnovers and limited the Chargers to four field goals, while Maroney rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for the second game in a row.
This was the sixth meeting between teams fromBoston andNew York City for amajor professional sports championship. This previously occurred in twoStanley Cup Finals (1929,1972) and threeWorld Series (1912,1916,1986).[47]
New England was heavily favored to win the game and become the first NFL team to go through a 16-game regular season and postseason undefeated. Had the Patriots won, they would also have joined the1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams ever to win the NFL league championship with an undefeated and untied record. However, others predicted that the Giants could accomplish a win. New York's record of 10 consecutive road wins included five teams favored to beat them. The Giants achieved playoff victories against theCowboys (who had defeated New York twice in the regular season) andPackers (who had beaten the Giants in week 2).[48]
The Patriots and Giants had played against each other in the last week of the regular season. Technically, the game had little significance, since both teams had already clinched their respective spots in the playoffs. But due to the Patriots' quest for an undefeated season, this game was one of the most heavily watched games in league history.NFL Network was originally scheduled to air the game as part of theirSaturday Night Football coverage, withWCVB andWWOR carrying the game locally in Boston and New York. Shortly before the game was scheduled to air,CBS andNBC bought broadcast rights to the game and NFL Network's broadcast was carried by both networks, marking the first time in NFL history that an NFL game was carried on three broadcast networks at the same time. The game was also the first NFL game to be simulcast on a national level sinceSuper Bowl I. As they were favored to do, the Patriots won the game to finish the regular season undefeated. Still, the game was close and competitive, with both teams playing their starters for all 60 minutes. New England won, 38–35, by overcoming a 12-point deficit in the third quarter, the largest deficit the Patriots had faced all season. "There is nothing but positives", Giants coachTom Coughlin said after the game. "I told the players in playing this game everything would be positives, there would be no negatives and that is how I feel. I don't know any better way to be prepared for the playoffs than to go against a team that was 15–0."[49]
This would be the third time in the Giants' four Super Bowl appearances in which the team played its eventual AFC opponent during that year's regular season. Both of the prior occasions saw the Giants beat those opponents in the Super Bowl (defeatingDenver inSuper Bowl XXI andBuffalo inSuper Bowl XXV).
For the third consecutive year, the arrival dates for the teams were staggered, with the Patriots arriving on Sunday, January 27 (corresponding to the traditional day that teams arrive for the game with the two-week break) and the Giants waiting to arrive until Monday, January 28. A report filed byESPN'sRachel Nichols suggested that the Giants stayed to practice more of their game plan in their home facility before arriving at the Super Bowl. By electing to stay back at home the Giants chose to follow a tactic that the previous two Super Bowl champions, theIndianapolis Colts (beforeSuper Bowl XLI) and thePittsburgh Steelers (beforeSuper Bowl XL), had employed.
The Patriots practiced atSun Devil Stadium on the campus ofArizona State University, while the Giants practiced at theArizona Cardinals' practice facility, both of which are located inTempe.
As thedesignated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Patriots elected to wear their home navy uniforms with silver pants, while the Giants wore their road white uniforms with grey pants.
Fox broadcast Super Bowl XLII as part of an annual cycle between the three main broadcast television partners of the NFL.Joe Buck andTroy Aikman called the game, whilePam Oliver andChris Myers were the sideline reporters.[7] Fox aired nine hours of pre-game programming, which began with a special episode ofFox News Sunday, as well as a two-hour special (Fox Super Sunday) hosted byFox News Channel anchorShepard Smith, which previewed theSuper Tuesdayprimaries for the2008 presidential election.[50] TheFox NFL Sunday panel hosted the main pre-game show, led byCurt Menefee, joined byTerry Bradshaw,Howie Long, andJimmy Johnson.Jillian Reynolds served as Weather and entertainment reporter,Frank Caliendo appeared in various comedic skits (including one where he portrayedJohn Madden and correctly predicted that the Giants would win) andAmerican Idol hostRyan Seacrest provided coverage of celebrity arrivals to the game site. A Spanish language broadcast was aired on the second audio program with John Laguna as play-by-play announcer and Pepe Mantilla as color analyst.[51]
The telecast was the most watched Super Bowl in history with an average of 97.5 million viewers in the United States. These numbers were later surpassed by several subsequent games, including 2015'sSuper Bowl XLIX (which was also hosted by Glendale), which now holds the record with an average of 114 million viewers.[52] The Super Bowl XLII broadcast achieved the highestNielsen ratings (43.3) for the game sinceSuper Bowl XXXIV. At the time, it was also the secondmost watched TV program of all time in the United States.[53]
Fox took in at least $250 million in revenue fromcommercial time sold for the game.[54]One of 63 thirty-second spots among thirty-seven different advertisers cost an estimated $2.7 million (excluding production costs),[9] up from $2.6 million in 2007. However, advertisers are usually offered discounted rates below the official one.[55]
As Super Bowl XLII fell only two days before Super Tuesday, critics and politicians foresaw the possibility that presidential candidates could attempt to buy time during the Super Bowl. However, Fox stated that it would not accept such ads, citing bothequal time regulations (theFCC has additionally ruled that, despite requirements for all broadcasters to provide "reasonable" access to commercial inventory for candidates before an election or primary, candidates cannot reasonably expect to receive ad time during high-profile programs of this nature), and the fact that all of the spots had already been sold out by January 2008.[56] However, the campaign of Democratic candidateBarack Obama did purchase local ad time in some markets.[57]
The rock bandEels announced an intent to broadcast a one-second spot during the game (consisting solely of lead singerMark Oliver Everett saying the letter "U") to promote its compilation album "Useless Trinkets", but later announced that it had backtracked after having learned it could only purchase commercial time in 30-second blocks (and a proposal to recruit 29 other advertisers to air their own one-second ads alongside them could be harmful to viewers withphotosensitive epilepsy).[58]
Outside North America, Super Bowl XLII was distributed by the NFL and NFL International. Overall, the game was available to an estimated potential audience of one billion viewers within 223 countries and territories.[59] However, viewing figures outside North America rose only marginally on previous years with an estimated 10 million people tuning in from outside the United States, Canada and Mexico for an overall global audience in the region of 114 million.[60]Dick Stockton andSterling Sharpe were the announcers for the International broadcast.[61]
TheBBC acquired the rights in the United Kingdom. The game aired live onBBC Two, carrying the NFL International feed,[62] endingITV Sport's coverage, which began in 2005. The game was also subsequently available on the BBC'son demand service,iPlayer.Sky Sports broadcast the game in both standard and high definition using Fox's feed and announcers.
IndependentPhoenixtelevision stationKTVK broadcast a live video stream from aWebcam located outside of theUniversity of Phoenix Stadium. The camera provided millions ofInternet users from around the world a chance to peer in on pre- and post-game activities, watching thousands of spectators file into and out of the stadium on Sunday, February 3. The Stadium Cam broadcast from Friday, February 1 to Monday, February 4, 2008, on the station's website.
NFL.com carried its own coverage of Super Bowl events leading up to and after the game, mostly simulcastingNFL Network.
On radio,Westwood One had the national broadcast rights to the game in the United States and Canada;Marv Albert andBoomer Esiason served as the announcing team for that network. The game was carried onBBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom withArlo White commentating.
Sirius Satellite Radio carried twelve feeds in eight languages in the United States. The following language feeds were offered:
FieldPass, the subscription Internet radio service provided by the league atNFL.com, carried most of these feeds, with select international feeds for free.
Locally,Gil Santos andGino Cappelletti called the game for the Patriots onWBCN radio, andBob Papa,Dick Lynch, andCarl Banks called the Giants' radio broadcast onWFAN-AM. By NFL rules, only WBCN, WFAN, Sirius and FieldPass carried the teams' local broadcasts, and affiliate stations instead carried the Westwood One feed. WBCN, WFAN, and Westwood One are all owned byCBS Radio.
The official DVD of the Super Bowl was released on February 26, 2008. The DVD covered the entire2007 New York Giants season, as well as special features including theNFL Network post game commentary, thehalftime show in its entirety, the Media Day highlights, theNFC Divisional Game andNFC Championship Game highlights, profiles onMathias Kiwanuka andTom Coughlin, and features onEli Manning andMichael Strahan.The New York Giants: Road to Super Bowl XLII was released on June 3, 2008. It was a 5 disc set that featured the full broadcasts of the last game of the regular season and all four playoff games. On August 26, 2009New York Giants 10 Greatest Games was released, in which Super Bowl XLII was included as well.
Willie Nelson performed at an NFL-sponsored pre-game tailgate party, singing a duet withSara Evans of his song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" as part of Fox's pre-game show.[63]
This year's Super Bowl entertainment had many connections to Fox's seriesAmerican Idol. On August 16, both the NFL and Fox confirmed thatIdol host Seacrest would serve as emcee for the pre-game show, withAlicia Keys as the primary performer; as she sang a medley of her songs, including "Go Ahead", "Fallin'", "If I Ain't Got You", "Teenage Love Affair", and "No One" as the final performance.Idol Season Six winnerJordin Sparks, herself a native of Glendale and daughter of former New York Giants cornerbackPhillippi Sparks, performed theNational Anthem,[64] whilePhoenix College professor and theatrical interpreter A Dreamer interpreted it intoAmerican Sign Language.[65] The anthem was followed by a flyover from theU.S. Navy precision flying team, theBlue Angels.[66] In addition, judgePaula Abdul premiered her first music video in over a decade, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", which she made with fellow judgeRandy Jackson as part of Fox's pregame coverage to kick off her official comeback.[67]
Thecoin toss ceremony posthumously honoredPro Football Hall of Fame head coachBill Walsh, who died on July 30, 2007. His former playersRonnie Lott,Jerry Rice andSteve Young joined Walsh's children, Craig and Elizabeth, at the ceremony.[68]
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As is always the case, several big names were mentioned as possible performers for the halftime show before a final choice (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) was announced. The halftime entertainer selection process in late 2007 was not unusual: however, since the site selection process four years earlier was of special interest, it is necessary to also mention some of the acts who might have performed, but did not do so.
According to the entertainment publicationVariety, a wish list of potentialhalftime performers was developed by the NFL. Among those on the wish list wereBruce Springsteen (who performed during halftime atSuper Bowl XLIII the following year),Norah Jones and theEagles.[69] In addition, interest in the slot was expressed byBon Jovi, who had planned to open the U.S. leg of theirLost Highway Tour with a performance during the halftime show.[70]
According toRolling Stone, the engagement was actually offered to the Eagles by the NFL, but the offer was turned down.[71]
Then, on December 2, 2007, it was officially announced that thehalftime entertainment would be provided byTom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The songs "American Girl", "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin'", and "Runnin' Down a Dream" were performed by the band to kick off their 2008 world tour. Bridgestone served as the halftime show sponsor.[72] The halftime show itself, produced byDon Mischer and White Cherry Entertainment in association withNFL Network, was nominated for anEmmy Award in2009.
Former Redskins quarterbackDoug Williams,MVP inSuper Bowl XXII, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of becoming the firstAfrican American quarterback to lead a team to victory in the Super Bowl, took part in theVince Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony after the game.[73]
Eli Manning was awarded thePete Rozelle Trophy for being namedMVP,[2][74] and also received the keys to a 2009Cadillac Escaladehybrid SUV.[75] Though not the only brothers to play in a Super Bowl, Eli Manning andPeyton Manning (Super Bowl XLI) are the first brothers to be named Super Bowl MVPs (doing so in successive years).
After the game, New York City erupted in celebration, with the sounds of cheers and honking horns echoing through city streets. Crowds of elated New Yorkers, surprised by their team's unexpected victory, packed Second Avenue inManhattan, stalling traffic around the borough.[76]Times Square was swarmed with celebrating Giants fans well past midnight; similar celebrations arose throughoutBrooklyn,Queens,The Bronx,Staten Island,Long Island,Westchester County,Fairfield County, andNorth Jersey, where the Giants play their home games.[77]
New York MayorMichael Bloomberg, witnessing the first New York sports team championship victory as mayor, praised the hometown team's upset victory, saying; "New York has come back many times in the past, and Big Blue proved tonight that you should never, ever, count us out." Many New Yorkers polled the Giants' win to be among the most satisfying championship victories in New York sports history.[78] There were also a series of firsts with the championship, not just for the Giants, but also for the city of New York and theNew York metropolitan area. Those firsts were:
On the following Tuesday, February 5, New York City hosted for the Giants aticker tape parade upBroadway inLower Manhattan. It was the first along the famed "Canyon of Heroes" since theNew York Yankees won the2000 World Series, and the Giants' first parade in New York. (Because of acrimonious relations at that time between New York City and the state ofNew Jersey, the team chose not to participate in a Manhattan parade for itsSuper Bowl XXI championship in 1987, but instead held a "Victory Rally" atGiants Stadium inThe Meadowlands.[79][80] After theirSuper Bowl XXV championship in 1991, then-ownerWellington Mara chose not to hold any celebrations due to theGulf War.[81]) After six years in office, Bloomberg became the 14th consecutive mayor of New York City to preside over a ticker-tape parade. (In contrast, his predecessor,Rudy Giuliani presided over his first ticker-tape parade just five months after becoming mayor, after the Rangers won the Stanley Cup) Also attending were New York GovernorEliot Spitzer and SenatorChuck Schumer.[82] Spitzer also announced the availability of a New York Giants Super Bowl XLII Champions custom license plate and issued a proclamation declaring the day "New York Giants Super Bowl Champions Day" throughout the state of New York.[82]
Following the parade, the Giants held two victory rallies: one at New York'sCity Hall and another one two hours later atGiants Stadium in theNew Jersey Meadowlands.
| External videos | |
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 Full game broadcast on Fox onYouTube |
After scoring a combined 73 points in their regular season meeting, the teams scored a mere 10 points by the end of the third quarter, with the Patriots leading 7–3. The Patriots' record-setting offense gave up five sacks and one lost fumble, while the Giants' offense managed only five first downs in the second and third quarters. Yet in the fourth quarter,Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes, including the winning drive that culminated with a 13-yard touchdown pass toPlaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining.
The Giants won the coin toss and started the game with the longest drive in Super Bowl history,[83] a 16-play, 63-yard march that consumed 9 minutes, 59 seconds, breaking their own record of 9 minutes, 29 seconds set inSuper Bowl XXV, and featured four third-down conversions, the most ever on a Super Bowl opening drive. But the Patriots halted the drive at their own 14-yard line, forcing the Giants to settle for a 32-yard field goal from kickerLawrence Tynes that gave the Giants a 3–0 lead.
The Patriots responded with their own scoring drive, as running backLaurence Maroney returned the kickoff 43 yards to his own 44-yard line, after which he rushed twice for 14 yards. QuarterbackTom Brady then completed three passes for 23 yards, but after two incomplete passes, the Patriots were faced with 3rd-and-10 on the New York 17-yard line. However, on that play, Giants linebackerAntonio Pierce committed pass interference by striking the helmet of tight endBenjamin Watson in the end zone, setting up 1st-and-goal for the Patriots at the 1-yard line.
Two plays later, on the first play of the second quarter, Maroney scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Patriots their first lead of the game, 7–3. The two teams each only had one drive in the entire opening quarter, a Super Bowl record. It was the first Super Bowl sinceSuper Bowl XXXIII in which both teams scored on their initial possession of the game. On the Giants' first drive of the second quarter, on 3rd-and-7, wide receiverAmani Toomer caught a deep pass from quarterbackEli Manning along the left sideline while dragging his feet in bounds for a 38-yard gain, moving the ball to the Patriots' 19-yard line. But three plays later, Manning threw a pass that bounced out of the arms of wide receiverSteve Smith and into the hands of cornerbackEllis Hobbs for an interception.
The Patriots' ensuing drive resulted in a three-and-out as on 3rd-and-1 safetyJames Butler and defensive endMichael Strahan (who was playing in his final game) tackled Maroney for a 2-yard loss and the Patriots were forced to punt.
Then on the Giants' next drive, running backAhmad Bradshaw fumbled a hand-off from Manning and linebackerPierre Woods appeared to recover the ball at the Giants' 30-yard line. But after the officials picked through the pile, it was determined that Bradshaw had made the recovery. The Giants maintained possession and still had to punt. The Patriots' next drive ended with back-to-back 7-yard sacks, the first by linebackerKawika Mitchell, and the second by defensive endJustin Tuck.
On the Giants' next drive, they moved the ball to the Patriots' 25-yard line, but linebackerAdalius Thomas sacked Manning and forced a fumble. Smith recovered the ball, but Bradshaw was flagged for illegally batting the ball forward before the recovery. The penalty pushed the Giants out of field goal range, and following an incompletion, they were forced to punt again.
After the punt, two 18-yard receptions by wide receiversRandy Moss andDonté Stallworth moved the ball to the Giants' 44-yard line. But with 22 seconds left before halftime, Tuck strip-sacked Brady and defensive endOsi Umenyiora recovered the ball. The game then went to halftime with the Patriots leading 7–3.
On the first drive of the second half, the Patriots had a 4th-and-2 and chose to punt. However, after the kick, Patriots head coachBill Belichick challenged that the Giants' defense had 12 players on the field and replay confirmed that was the case as Giants linebackerChase Blackburn was unable to get to the sidelines as the ball was being snapped. Therefore, refereeMike Carey reversed the play, and the Giants were penalized for having too many players on the field, giving the Patriots a new set of downs. The Patriots then drove to the Giants' 25-yard line, but Strahan sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss on third down (which was Strahan's final career sack), bringing up 4th-and-13 on the Giants' 31-yard line. Belichick decided against a 49-yard field goal attempt by kickerStephen Gostkowski (near Gostkowski's season long of 50 yards) and tried to pick up a first down instead. Brady's pass to wide receiverJabar Gaffney was incomplete as it went out of the back of the end zone and the Giants took over on downs.
After the teams traded punts going into the fourth quarter, Manning completed a 45-yard pass to tight endKevin Boss. Following three runs by Bradshaw for 13 yards and a 17-yard reception by Smith on third down, Manning finished the 6-play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to usually unheralded wide receiverDavid Tyree, giving the Giants a 10–7 lead with 11:05 left in the game.
After the teams exchanged punts again, the Patriots got the ball at their own 20-yard line with 7:54 remaining. Brady then completed a 5-yard pass to wide receiverWes Welker and a 10-yard pass to Moss, followed by a 9-yard run by Maroney to give the Patriots a first down at their own 44-yard line. Brady followed with a 13-yard pass to Welker, a 4-yard completion to running backKevin Faulk, and then a 10-yard pass to Welker for a first down at the Giants' 29-yard line. After that, Brady found Moss for an 11-yard completion and Faulk for a 12-yard completion and New England now had 1st-and-goal from the Giants' 6-yard line. Following two incomplete passes, cornerbackCorey Webster slipped while backing into coverage, leaving Moss wide open in the end zone where Brady found him for a 6-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 14–10 lead with 2:42 left in the game.[84]
On the ensuing kickoff, safetyRaymond Ventrone leveled wide receiverDomenik Hixon after a 14-yard return, giving the Giants the ball on their own 17-yard line with 2:39 left and all three timeouts remaining. Following two receptions by Toomer for 20 yards, running backBrandon Jacobs kept the drive alive with a crucial 2-yard run off guard on 4th-and-1. Manning picked up 5 yards with a scramble on the next play. Then on 2nd-and-5, Manning’s pass was high and behind Tyree, but fell harmlessly out of bounds as Patriots cornerbackAsante Samuel could not corral the pass for the potential game-ending interception. Play-by-play announcerJoe Buck was quick to note Manning’s visible frustration at the apparent miscommunication with Tyree on the play, which stopped the clock with 1:15 remaining. On the next play, 3rd-and-5 from the Giants' 44-yard line, Manning found himself in trouble as the Patriots' pass rush got to him quickly after the snap. He eluded Adalius Thomas, who missed Manning despite having the clearest shot at him, and then broke free from the grasp of defensive endsJarvis Green andRichard Seymour, both of whom had the quarterback by the jersey but failed to hold him in the grasp. In what is considered to be among the greatest Super Bowl plays of all time, Manning then re-oriented himself and launched the ball deep down the middle of the field, where both Tyree and Patriots safety and multiple-time Pro BowlerRodney Harrison were in position to make a play on the ball. Tyree outjumped Harrison to secure the ball, and maintained possession bypinning the ball against his helmet as he fell to the ground, clearly maintaining control for a gain of 32 yards and keeping the drive alive. Three plays later, on 3rd-and-11, Manning found a wide-open Smith for a 12-yard gain to the Patriots' 13-yard line, and Smith stepped out of bounds to stop the clock. On the next play, Hobbs was beaten badly to the outside by the 6'6" wide receiverPlaxico Burress on a "slant-and-go" route, allowing Manning more than enough room to find his big-bodied target for the touchdown. The score capped a 12-play, 83-yard drive to give the Giants a 17–14 lead and prompted a roar from the fans in Glendale, then a mere 35 seconds from potentially witnessing the first 19–0 perfect season.[85]
The Patriots attempted one last desperate drive to either tie or win the game from their own 26-yard line with 29 seconds remaining and all three of their timeouts, but the Giants' defense did not allow a single yard. Following an errant pass attempt by Brady, defensive tackleJay Alford sacked Brady for a 10-yard loss. The following play, a deep pass to Moss, was knocked away by cornerbackCorey Webster, and Brady's 4th-and-20 Hail Mary pass in Moss' direction was batted down by safetyGibril Wilson, sealing the upset victory for the Giants. After the incompletion, it appeared that the officials would run out the clock, as it briefly read zero, before one second was re-added.[86] Coaches, players, reporters, and fans crowded the field as if the game had ended. Belichick hugged Giants head coachTom Coughlin at midfield, then left for the locker room. This early departure was later criticized by some sportswriters, but other reporters defended Belichick by noting that he did not snub Coughlin (which would have been surprising anyway because the two coaches were friends from their days working together forBill Parcells in the 1980s) and that the outcome of the game had been decided.[87][88] The delay lasted 2 minutes and 27 seconds before Manning kneeled out the final second and the Giants were officially crowned champions.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants (NFC) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Patriots (AFC) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
atUniversity of Phoenix Stadium,Glendale, Arizona
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Manning completed 19 of his 34 passes for 255 yards, including a mark of 9-of-14 for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with one interception, to be named the game'sMost Valuable Player.[90] Manning also became the first quarterback to throw two go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a Super Bowl. Toomer was the Giants' leading receiver, with 6 catches for 84 yards, and Bradshaw and Jacobs rushed for 45 and 42 yards, respectively. Burress had only 2 receptions for 27 yards, but one of those was the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds left. The Patriots' offense recorded 274 total yards to the Giants' 338. While he never scored, Welker tied a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions for 109 yards. Moss had five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown, and Maroney rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown. Brady completed 29 of his 48 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown. Brady's 29 completions gave him a career total of 100 in his four Super Bowls, surpassing the previous record for Super Bowl completions that was held by Joe Montana at 83. Justin Tuck and Adalius Thomas were the top defensive performers for the Giants and Patriots, respectively, as each recorded five solo tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
One key fact of the game was the number of possessions that reached the red-zone: the Giants made it four times and their defense limited the Patriots to two. The Patriots had six consecutive possessions that came short of reaching the Giants' 20-yard line. The game was the first Super Bowl in which neither team rushed for as many as 100 yards, with the Patriots held to 45.[91]
The Giants became the first team to win a Super Bowl in 3 different decades (1986, 1990, 2007). The Giants set an NFL record with 11 consecutive road wins in a single season. The Giants' matchup inWeek 8 vs. the Miami Dolphins in London was an official Giants road game because it was originally scheduled to be played atDolphin Stadium. The Giants were also officially classified as the "road" team for Super Bowl XLII based on the annual Super Bowl rotation where the NFC champions serve as the away team in even-numbered years, and as such, this was the Giants first championship game won on the road.[92] Also note that the Week 5 game vs. the New York Jets was considered a "home" game for the Giants.
Patriots receiverWes Welker tied the record for most catches in a Super Bowl, with 11. Welker was the fourth player to record 11 receptions in a Super Bowl, followingDan Ross of theCincinnati Bengals inSuper Bowl XVI,Jerry Rice of theSan Francisco 49ers inSuper Bowl XXIII, andDeion Branch of the Patriots inSuper Bowl XXXIX.Demaryius Thomas inSuper Bowl XLVIII would set a new record for catches.
With his fourth quarter touchdown pass to Moss, Brady became just the fourth quarterback with a touchdown pass in four different Super Bowls, joiningRoger Staubach,Joe Montana andTerry Bradshaw. He also became the sixth quarterback to start at least four Super Bowls, joining Montana, Bradshaw, Staubach,Jim Kelly andJohn Elway.
The Giants opening drive consumed 9 minutes and 59 seconds, making it the longest drive in Super Bowl history.[93] The drive was 27 seconds longer than the previous record, which the Giants had set in winningSuper Bowl XXV against theBuffalo Bills.
Due to the length of the Giants' opening drive (which itself contained a record 4 third-down conversions), the first quarter featured only two possessions, a record for an opening quarter.[94]
The three lead changes in the fourth quarter were also a Super Bowl record.[95]
Although not a record, the 17 points scored by the Giants was the fewest points for a Super Bowl victor sinceSuper Bowl IX.[96]
This was the seventh consecutive Super Bowl where one team made the first score and the opponent made the second; that is a record.
Sources:NFL.com Super Bowl XLII,Super Bowl XLII Play Finder NYG,Super Bowl XLII Play Finder NE
| New York Giants | New England Patriots | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 22 |
| First downs rushing | 4 | 3 |
| First downs passing | 13 | 17 |
| First downs penalty | 0 | 2 |
| Third down efficiency | 8/16 | 7/14 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 1/1 | 0/2 |
| Net yards rushing | 91 | 45 |
| Rushing attempts | 26 | 16 |
| Yards per rush | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Passing – Completions-attempts | 19/34 | 29/48 |
| Times sacked-total yards | 3–8 | 5–37 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 0 |
| Net yards passing | 247 | 229 |
| Total net yards | 338 | 274 |
| Punt returns-total yards | 3–25 | 1–15 |
| Kickoff returns-total yards | 2–39 | 4–94 |
| Interceptions-total return yards | 0–0 | 1–23 |
| Punts-average yardage | 4–39.0 | 4–43.8 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Penalties-yards | 4–36 | 5–35 |
| Time of possession | 30:27 | 29:33 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Giants passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Eli Manning | 19/34 | 255 | 2 | 1 | 87.3 |
| Giants rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 9 | 45 | 0 | 13 | 5.00 |
| Brandon Jacobs | 14 | 42 | 0 | 7 | 3.00 |
| Eli Manning | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1.33 |
| Giants receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Amani Toomer | 6 | 84 | 0 | 38 | 6 |
| Steve Smith | 5 | 50 | 0 | 17 | 9 |
| David Tyree | 3 | 43 | 1 | 32 | 5 |
| Plaxico Burress | 2 | 27 | 1 | 14 | 9 |
| Kevin Boss | 1 | 45 | 0 | 45 | 2 |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Madison Hedgecock | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Patriots passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Tom Brady | 29/48 | 266 | 1 | 0 | 82.5 |
| Patriots rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Yds/Car | |
| Laurence Maroney | 14 | 36 | 1 | 9 | 2.57 |
| Kevin Faulk | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7.00 |
| Heath Evans | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2.00 |
| Patriots receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | LG3 | Target5 | |
| Wes Welker | 11 | 103 | 0 | 19 | 14 |
| Kevin Faulk | 7 | 52 | 0 | 14 | 9 |
| Randy Moss | 5 | 62 | 1 | 18 | 12 |
| Donté Stallworth | 3 | 34 | 0 | 18 | 5 |
| Laurence Maroney | 2 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| Kyle Brady | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Jabar Gaffney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Ben Watson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts2Carries3Long gain4Receptions5Times targeted
Hall of Fame ‡
Mike Carey was chosen to be thehead referee for this game, marking the first time that an African American has been chosen to be the head official in a Super Bowl.[5] Carey had also officiatedthe most recent prior game between the Giants and Patriots. The full officiating crew was:[98]
A total of 4,119,278 tickets were sold for 65 preseason games for an average of 63,374. Twelve postseason games produced a sale of 792,019, including 71,101 for Super Bowl XLII