On This Date in Sports: February 5, 2012: Deja Blue
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The New York Giants foil the New England Patriots again, winning Super Bowl XLVI 21-17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Four years after the Giants spoiled the Patriots' quest for perfection, the Giants again came into the game as an underdog win the Lombardi Trophy. At 9-7, the Giants had the worst record for any team that has won the Super Bowl, getting hot at the right time. Eli Manning again wins the Super Bowl MVP, passing for 296 yards with one touchdown.
The New England Patriots came into Super Bowl XLII unbeaten, seeking a perfect season. However, the New York Giants, coached by Tom Coughlin, pulled off one of the greatest Super Bowl upsets, winning 17-14 with Plaxico Burress catching a touchdown pass with 36 seconds left. After their upset, the Giants had a great 2008 season but faltered in the playoffs. The Giants failed to make the playoffs in the following two seasons, posting records of 8-8 and 10-6. On Christmas Eve, the Giants held a record of 7-7 as they faced the New York Jets. With Victor Cruz setting a record of 99-yard reception, the Giants defeated the Jets 29-14 to set up a Sunday night showdown with the Cowboys for the NFC East. The Giants won the game 31-14 and slipped into the playoffs at 9-7. In the Wild Card round, the Giants upended the Atlanta Falcons 24-2. In the Divisional Round, they upset the reigning champion Green Bay Packers 37-20. New York needed overtime in the NFC Championship to beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17.
After their loss in Super Bowl XLII, the New England Patriots missed the playoffs in 2008 as Tom Brady was injured in Week 1. The Patriots did manage to go 11-5 and made the playoffs in the next two seasons but faltered as they failed to win in the postseason. They posted a record of 13-3 for Bill Belichick in 2011. They obliterated the Denver Broncos 45-10 in the Divisional Round and beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 to return to the Super Bowl.
The Giants got the ball first in Super Bowl XLVI and had a good drive, but Eli Manning was sacked twice after getting the ball to the New England 33, leading to a punt. Steve Weatherford pinned the Patriots deep. On his first snap, Tom Brady, under heavy pressure, threw the ball away and was called for grounding in the end zone, giving the Giants' defense a safety. The Giants went 78 yards in ten plays on the ensuing possession, with Victor Cruz catching a two-yard touchdown pass to give New York a 9-0 lead.
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In the second quarter, the Patriots found their groove as Stephen Gostkowski got them on the scoreboard with a 29-yard field goal. New England took a 10-9 lead into halftime as Danny Woodhead caught a four-yard pass from Tom Brady with 15 seconds left. The Patriots carried the momentum past Madona's halftime show, scoring on the first series of the second half as Aaron Hernandez made it 17-9 with a 12-yard touchdown catch. The Giants would stay in the game, getting a pair of field goals from Lawrence Tynes.
The Patriots held a 17-15 lead as the fourth quarter and looked to pull away. However, Chase Blackburn intercepted Tom Brady in the end zone to keep it a one-score game. After each team had a long drive that ended with a punt, the Giants got the ball on the 12-yard line with 3:46 left. The Giants' drive got a jumpstart when Mario Manningham caught a 38-yard pass from Eli Manning. With Manningham and Hakeem Nicks making several crucial catches, the Giants drove to the Patriots' goal line with one minute remaining in the game. The Patriots decided to save time, and allow Ahmad Bradshaw to score on a six-yard run. The Giants' two-point try failed, as the Giants held a 21-17 lead. The Patriots' strategy failed, as their drive stalled at midfield when time ran out.