Super Bowl XLII (2007): New York Giants face New England Patriots at University of Phoenix Stadium. Kickoff time: 6:30pm. Winner takes home the Lombardi Trophy. There is no next week for the loser.
Super Bowl XLII (2007) is the season's final accounting for 2007. New York Giants and New England Patriots arrive at University of Phoenix Stadium carrying every snap they have played since training camp. Championship games strip the rest of the schedule away; what is left is whichever team executes its identity longest under the brightest light. The narrative that wins is the one with the trophy attached. Lose, and the season collapses into a footnote no matter how it was played.
The whole league is watching New York Giants and New England Patriots. Two conferences have produced their finalists; the rest of the 2007 season is already in the books. The Lombardi is decided here. Every other team's offseason calendar starts the morning after this kickoff.
New York Giants versus New England Patriots in the Super Bowl XLII (2007). The teams who reach this round have already proven they survive a long schedule; the stats that matter most now are the ones that compress: scoring differential, red-zone efficiency, turnover margin. At this stage of the year, the simple math is that defenses tighten and the team that protects the ball wins more often than the team that scores the most. Whichever side of New York Giants-New England Patriots cleans up the careless plays first usually walks out with the result. Conservative-game expectations should not surprise the reader; both staffs know exactly what worked all season and will lean hard on what travels. The early answer is the kicking game, where any swing of field position compounds.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 16-0 | W16 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-9 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 4-12 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-15 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 10-6 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-6 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-9 | W2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 5-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 13-3 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 11-5 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 10-6 | W3 |
| Houston Texans | 8-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 11-5 | W6 |
| Denver Broncos | 7-9 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-12 | L9 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4-12 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 10-6 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 8-8 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5-11 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 3-13 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 13-3 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 10-6 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 9-7 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-8 | W3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 13-3 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8-8 | L2 |
| Chicago Bears | 7-9 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9-7 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7-9 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7-9 | L2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4-12 | W1 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3331717 |
| New England Patriots | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0771414 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Lawrence Tynes 32 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Patriots | Laurence Maroney 1 yard rush ( Stephen Gostkowski kick) | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | David Tyree 5 yard pass from Eli Manning ( Lawrence Tynes kick) | 10-7 |
| Patriots | Randy Moss 6 yard pass from Tom Brady ( Stephen Gostkowski kick) | 10-14 |
| Giants | Plaxico Burress 13 yard pass from Eli Manning ( Lawrence Tynes kick) | 17-14 |
| Giants | Patriots | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 17 | 22 |
| Total Yards | 338 | 274 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 19/34 | 29/48 |
| Pass yards | 255 | 266 |
| Pass TD | 2 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 5 |
| Sack yards lost | 8 | 37 |
| Net pass yards | 247 | 229 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 26 | 16 |
| Rush yards | 91 | 45 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 4 | 5 |
| Penalty yards | 36 | 35 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | |||||
| Eli Manning | 19/34 | 255 | 2 | 1 | |
| NWE | |||||
| Tom Brady | 29/48 | 266 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | ||||
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 9 | 45 | 0 | 13 |
| Brandon Jacobs | 14 | 42 | 0 | 7 |
| Eli Manning | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| NWE | ||||
| Laurence Maroney | 14 | 36 | 1 | 9 |
| Kevin Faulk | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Heath Evans | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYG | ||||
| Amani Toomer | 6 | 84 | 0 | 38 |
| Steve Smith | 5 | 50 | 0 | 17 |
| Kevin Boss | 1 | 45 | 0 | 45 |
| David Tyree | 3 | 43 | 1 | 32 |
| Plaxico Burress | 2 | 27 | 1 | 14 |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Madison Hedgecock | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| NWE | ||||
| Wes Welker | 11 | 103 | 0 | 19 |
| Randy Moss | 5 | 62 | 1 | 18 |
| Kevin Faulk | 7 | 52 | 0 | 14 |
| Donte' Stallworth | 3 | 34 | 0 | 18 |
| Laurence Maroney | 2 | 12 | 0 | 8 |
| Kyle Brady | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
New York Giants defeated New England Patriots 17-14 at University of Phoenix Stadium in the Super Bowl XLII (2007). The final scoring play was Giants: Plaxico Burress 13 yard pass from Eli Manning ( Lawrence Tynes kick). The result came down to the final possession; New York Giants won by 3. Top line of the day: Tom Brady: 266 pass yards on 29-of-48, 1 TD, 0 INT. New York Giants take home the Lombardi Trophy.
New York Giants walked out of University of Phoenix Stadium as the team that survived a Super Bowl XLII (2007) New England Patriots will replay in its head for the entire offseason. The scoreboard says 17-14. The game stayed within 3 points throughout, the kind of contest where every drive felt like a referendum and every defensive stop carried twice its usual weight. The final scoring play came from Giants: Plaxico Burress 13 yard pass from Eli Manning ( Lawrence Tynes kick). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier. New York Giants hoist the Lombardi.
New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14. Round: Super Bowl XLII (2007). Attendance: 71101. Q1: 1 scoring play. Q2: 1 scoring play. Q4: 3 scoring plays. Top performers: - Tom Brady: 266 pass yards on 29-of-48, 1 TD, 0 INT - Wes Welker: 11 catches for 103 yards
Super Bowl XLII (2007), played at University of Phoenix Stadium. Final: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14, with New York Giants taking the result by 3. **First quarter**
- Giants: Lawrence Tynes 32 yard field goal
**Second quarter**
- Patriots: Laurence Maroney 1 yard rush ( Stephen Gostkowski kick)
**Fourth quarter**
- Giants: David Tyree 5 yard pass from Eli Manning ( Lawrence Tynes kick) - Patriots: Randy Moss 6 yard pass from Tom Brady ( Stephen Gostkowski kick) - Giants: Plaxico Burress 13 yard pass from Eli Manning ( Lawrence Tynes kick)
**Top performers**
- Tom Brady: 266 pass yards on 29-of-48, 1 TD, 0 INT - Wes Welker: 11 catches for 103 yards
A 3-point margin in Super Bowl XLII (2007) is the kind of result that defines reputations on both sidelines.