Three is Key
by Dave Gardner
Dave Gardner wonders where the Giants Super Bowl XLII victory figures with the all time greats.
The gravity of the Giants’ upset has already been well documented, but where does it rank in terms of Super Bowl upsets? Where does it rank in terms of Super Bowls? Dave Gardner takes a look at the number three…
Before the game, it was pre-determined that the Patriots’ season in 2007-08 would be remembered as one of the greatest seasons in the history of the league. They would be added to the conversation as one of the greatest dynasties of all-time, having just won their fourth Super Bowl in just seven seasons. Tom Brady would to be added to that short list of quarterbacks with four Super Bowl rings, and the Giants would get handed a Super Bowl beating akin to the one the Niners gave the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV. This Patriots team was on a quest for history.
Showing up in Arizona dressed in black, the Giants team was on a quest of its own. They weren’t there for the Super Bowl; they were there for a funeral. Maybe only a few believed in them outside of the organization, but that didn’t matter. They believed in their coaches and in themselves; they believed that the Patriots had everything to lose. After all, if the Giants had lost, no one would have blinked. That was how history had already been written. The Giants, however, brought their own version of the textbook, and along the way, created one of the most compelling Super Bowls ever. So what changed the game, and whom did the game change? Where will history place this game and these teams?
Three reasons
- Three Downs: On the final drive, the Giants converted on three plays that changed the course of the game. On fourth down, Brandon Jacobs’ second effort pushed him one yard past the first-down marker. On 3rd and 11 from the New England 25 with 45 seconds left, Eli Manning threw a quick out to Steve Smith, who was about two yards short of the chains, but was wise beyond his years in knowing where they were, and lunged forward for the first down. Finally, on the very next play, the Patriots ran a sell-out blitz, with both safeties coming up toward the line of scrimmage. That means that Ellis Hobbs (5-foot-9) was man-to-man on Plaxico Burress (6-foot-5) who faked an in route, and had a five-yard cushion when he broke to the outside. Touchdown.
- Three Points. The Patriots’ three previous Super Bowl victories under Belichick/Brady have come by three points. And now, in their fourth try, their loss was by three points. A close game in the Super Bowl should be expected because it is a competition between the supposed two best teams in the league. The difference between the previous three and this one could have to do with luck, but it could also have to do with the fact that the other teams were just that. This version of the Patriots seemed very un-Patriot-like, overly concerned about individual greatness and less focused as a team.
- Three Rings. It may seem silly to criticize a guy for “only” winning three championships as a quarterback (especially when he has about eight years left), but there was a lot of hype surrounding Brady and his unflappable nature before this game. He was rattled against the Giants. Even when he wasn’t pressured, he badly overthrew or underthrew several receivers. His amount of championships, and his play in the games, had him compared to Joe Montana. No one has ever dominated Super Bowls like Montana. In his four Super Bowls, he averaged a ridiculous 127.8 passer rating. It’s unlikely anyone ever will.
History is the Present
- The Third Greatest Play (In SB History): In what this column will refer to as “The Great Escape,” Eli Manning and David Tyree (their fourth receiver) hooked up for a 32-yard completion. Manning lined up in the shotgun, and while trying to step up in the pocket, came into the belly of the beast — all three Pats defensive linemen. However, he somehow managed to escape, rolled to his right, and — the most impressive part of the play — looked downfield in less than one second to find Tyree. Tyree managed to out-leap Rodney Harrison (who made the mistake of attempting the pick), to secure the ball against his head, to hold the ball from touching the ground, to keep the drive alive, and to secure a place in Super Bowl folklore forever. The two better plays? The Catch (Super Bowl XXIII), from Joe Montana to John Taylor that capped a 92-yard game-winning drive, and the end of Super Bowl XXXIV which left Titans receiver Kevin Dyson one yard shy of the game-tying touchdown.
- The Third Greatest Post-Merger Super Bowl. Only M*A*S*H, which seems to constantly one-up the NFL, had more viewers than Super Bowl XLII. An estimated 97.5 million people in the United States tuned in, and the Super Bowl is typically underestimated in viewers because of the amount of people at parties and bars for the game. Since the merger, only the Bills versus the Giants (XXV) and the Rams versus the Titans (XXXIV) were more unpredictable and exciting than this game. What made this story possibly even more terrific was that the Giants conquered a team that would have been considered the best ever. They truly were Giant killers.
- No Three Here: The Greatest Super Bowl Upset. It’s a bold statement, no doubt, when considering (winners written first) Pats/Rams (XXXVI), Giants/Bills (XXV), Chiefs/Vikings (IV), and of course, Jets/Colts (III). The only one most people will have a problem with is Super Bowl III, but the Jets were not a team that was supposed to be one-and-done in the playoffs like the Giants. In the middle of the season, the media wasn’t calling for head coach Weeb Ewbank’s head, and despite a subpar performance in the regular season from him (49.2 completion percentage, 15 TDs, 17 INTs), they weren’t calling for Namath’s either. Also, the game wasn’t even very compelling; the Jets fooled the Colts by disguising wide receiver Don Maynard’s injury and taking advantage of the Colts’ zone coverage. Injured throughout the season, Johnny Unitas didn’t play until the fourth quarter, leading the Colts to their only score. The Giants simply dominated the Patriots from the lines outward.
Next Week: After not watching the Pro Bowl, Dave Gardner will take a look at the new head coaches around the league and grade the hires.