One man’s voice

Super Bowl Sunday - SB XLII

Posted on February 3rd, 2008 in Football

Let’s go back a few weeks, to the Conference Championship Weekend. After not really being on I made the following prediction:

Super Bowl XLII Prediction

New York Giants: 17
New England Patriots: 21

New England needs one more win to make history all over again this year. They beat the Giants a month ago and they will beat them again. The Giants, coming off a huge win at Green Bay, know they did not play a great game against a great team. They played an OK game against a garbage team. New England, at its worst, is better than anyone else at their best.

Look for New England to be just a tad conservative early but to put this one out of reach early. New York will make a charge toward the end, but the Patriot defense will do what it always does: win this game and break history.

I think I was only a little off on my prediction. The Giants played one of the best defensive games they have played on season long. The Patriots had no answer for the Giants defense and, though they did put two touchdowns on the board, they were never really able to put this game out of reach like they have all season long.

Couple that with Tom Brady peeling himself off the turf every other play and it was no wonder the Giants made a game of this. Of course, the Patriot defense did what they did all year long. Except on one play late in the fourth quarter that could very well define this superbowl. The Patriots defensive front could not put the final nail in the coffin of what could have been the game ending sack. Instead Giants quarterback Eli Manning was able to get out of the grasp of defender Richard Seymour, spin free, step up and heave a pass down the field in the general direction of wide receiver David Tyree.

The result of this play, quite possibly the most awesome catch ever, in football history ever, was that the Giants offensive drive stayed alive, the Patriot defensive front lost all confidence and Champion swagger and the Giants were allowed to place themselves into position for the game winning catch by Plaxico Burress.

I wasn’t quite sure I had seen the play correctly. The Patriots were supposed to win by at least two touchdowns and, if this play stood, they would be losing by a field goal with only about 30 seconds to play. Were there any flags? Nope. This one stood. And the Giants were a few plays away from being NFL champions.

I cannot quite say what I felt about this play. I really do not like the Patriots. I really could not care less about the Giants. I kind of wanted to see the Patriots make history while at the same time I wanted to see the Giants spoil the Patriots’ chances. It was a bittersweet ending to quite possibly the best superbowl ever (behind superbowl XXXIV when Kurt Warner led the Rams to victory over the Titans).

But really what hurts the most, without a doubt, is that I now owe my brother a steak dinner because he called this game about a month ago. Way to go Mike. Claimjumper anyone?