2007 New England Patriots-New York Giants game
Encyclopedia
The 2007
Patriots
–Giants
game was an American football
game held on December 29, 2007 at Giants Stadium
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
. The game became a preview of Super Bowl XLII
. Held on the final week of the regular season
, the game was a close comeback win for the Patriots, giving them the first undefeated regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins
and the only undefeated regular season since the league expanded to 16 games.
The game, notable for the events related to its television broadcast, was the second of three meetings between the teams in the 2007 season: they met in the last week of the preseason, and again in Super Bowl XLII
, in which the Giants upset the Patriots 17-14.
had exclusive rights to broadcast the Patriots-Giants game, and in the weeks before the game, the network increasingly promoted the game via television commercials on other stations. It was clear the game was one of the most anticipated of the season, and could therefore serve as an important promotion for the NFL Network, which had tried unsuccessfully over the previous year to expand its viewership by becoming included as an "extended basic service" on the major American cable TV providers such as Comcast
and Time Warner
.
Political pressure from the Northeast to make the game more widely viewable preceded the decision to simulcast the game on CBS
and NBC
. (NBC was the primary broadcast network for primetime games, while CBS normally holds the rights to air games in which the road team belongs to the AFC
.) Arlen Specter
, the Pennsylvania senator who was the ranking minority member on the Senate Judiciary Committee
, and Patrick Leahy
of Vermont, the Committee's head, wrote the league a letter threatening to reconsider the antitrust
exemption currently enjoyed by the NFL under United States law. Senator John Kerry
of Massachusetts had pressured the league and cable companies to settle their dispute so "no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history."
In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on local stations in New York, Boston, and Manchester, New Hampshire. The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards
and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years.
Moreover, the NFL Network, which had devoted over 30 hours of programming in the week prior to the Patriots-Colts game in Week 9, devoted over 60 hours of programming to the game, consisting primarily of re-broadcasts of nine Patriots games from the 2007 season; they also had a special countdown clock for the game which appeared over 1,000 times in the week leading up to the game, and live coverage of Patriots press conferences that week. Moreover, NFLN aired a six-hour pregame show devoted to the game; no NFL game, including Super Bowls, had received more coverage.
In Canada
, the established sports channel TSN
held the rights to the game, as it did for all NFL Network regular-season games. After the NBC / CBS simulcast was announced, TSN's parent broadcast network CTV
announced it too would carry the game, allowing CTV simultaneous substitution
rights over U.S. stations broadcasting the game. This meant that, in areas of eastern Canada receiving their "big three" network affiliates from Boston, the CTV signal was seen on four different basic-cable channels, in addition to TSN's broadcast (which only differed from CTV in terms of network identification and some commercials).
This controversy did not lead to the NFL offering the Thursday Night Football package to other networks, and so the games remain on NFL Network as of 2011.
In their final regular season game, the 15-0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL Network
, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I
. The New York and Boston television markets both had a fourth channel, a local TV station in each respective market covering the game. In the week leading up to the game, the NFL Network aired a record 65.5 hours of game-specific coverage, including a six-hour pregame special which matched the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.
On the second play of the game, the 10-5 Giants moved into the Patriots' red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning
to Plaxico Burress
. Three plays later, the Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs
. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Randy Moss
and Wes Welker
; Welker's catch, his 102nd of the season, set a Patriots franchise record. The Patriots then converted a fourth down, and on their next fourth down, Stephen Gostkowski
made a 37-yard field goal. The Patriots would regain the ball at midfield following a Giants three-and-out. Completions to Donté Stallworth and Welker put the Patriots in the Giants' red zone, where Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, taking a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. The play broke one record and tied two others: the Patriots' 560th point of the season surpassed the 1998 Minnesota Vikings’s
record of 556 points; the touchdown pass was Brady’s 49th, tying Peyton Manning’s 2004
record; and Moss recorded his 22nd touchdown catch of the season, tying Jerry Rice
's 1987
record.
As a result of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown (Moss was flagged for dancing with Ben Watson
in the endzone), the Patriots kicked off from the 15-yard line. Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon
received it from the Giants' 26-yard line and proceeded to run for a 74-yard touchdown return, retaking the lead for the Giants. Starting from their own 33-yard line, the Patriots moved into Giants territory on a 13-yard Maroney rush and 8-yard Faulk reception. Brady's 8 passing yards on the play gave him 4,557 for the season, breaking Drew Bledsoe
's 1994
franchise record of 4,555 yards. After the drive stalled, Gostkowski recorded his second field goal for the game, reducing the Giants' lead to 14-13. Following a Giants punt, the Patriots mounted a drive that resulted in Gostkowski’s third field goal of the night, from 37 yards, after a 3rd down end zone pass to Moss ricocheted off of linebacker Gerris Wilkinson’s
helmet. With 1:54 remaining the half and the Giants trailing 16-14, Manning completed five of his first seven passes to move from the Giants' 15-yard line to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On second down with 18 seconds remaining, Manning threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Boss, to take a 21-16 lead at the half.
After the Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out, the Giants increased their lead to 12 points on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Burress from Manning. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Patriots drove to the Giants' 16-yard line with several Brady completions. A pass interference call against the Giants’ Wilkinson gave the Patriots the ball at the Giants' 1-yard line. Brady's end zone pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel
was no good, and an illegal formation penalty moved the Patriots back 5 yards. Laurence Maroney
then scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to cut the Giants' lead to 28-23. Three consecutive drives resulted in punts, and the Patriots gained possession of the ball with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game.
On the second play of the drive, Brady attempted a deep pass to Moss, which was underthrown and dropped. On the next play, Brady attempted another deep pass to Moss, who caught this one for 65 yards, setting two more NFL records: Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a season (23) and Brady set one for touchdown passes (50). The touchdown, Brady’s last of the game, also brought Brady's touchdown-to-interception margin to +42; Peyton Manning held the previous record, +39 during the 2004-05 season. The Patriots converted the subsequent two-point attempt, their only two-point attempt of the season, on a Maroney rush to take a 31-28 lead with 11:15 remaining. On the Giants' ensuing drive, Hobbs intercepted a Manning pass intended for Burress at the Patriots' 48-yard line. After driving to the red zone, a 5-yard catch by Moss marked his 1,493rd reception yard for the season, breaking Stanley Morgan
's 1986
franchise record of 1,491 yards. On the subsequent play, Maroney scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run; Gostkowski converted his last PAT of the season to give the Patriots a 38-28 lead. Gostkowski finished the season a perfect 74-for-74 on PATs, eclipsing St. Louis Rams
kicker Jeff Wilkins
' 1999
record of 64-for-64.
With 4:36 left in the game, the Giants drove the ball to the Patriots' 4-yard line, and two plays later, Manning completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Burress, Manning’s fourth for the game. But when the Giants tried an onside kick
, Vrabel recovered the ball, allowing the Patriots to kneel three times to end the game, 38-35.
The Patriots' joined the 14-0 1972 Miami Dolphins
, 11-0 1942 Chicago Bears
, and 13-0 1934 Chicago Bears
as the fourth team to record an undefeated season, also setting a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003-2004 season. Finally, the Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292.
in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
The game's impact was summarized by Scott Graham
on NFL Films
' subsequent hour-long replay of the contest ("Perfect Ending", an episode of NFL Films Game Of The Week): "Never had a meaningless game carried more meaning."
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
–Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
game was an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game held on December 29, 2007 at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
. The game became a preview of Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. Held on the final week of the regular season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, the game was a close comeback win for the Patriots, giving them the first undefeated regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
and the only undefeated regular season since the league expanded to 16 games.
The game, notable for the events related to its television broadcast, was the second of three meetings between the teams in the 2007 season: they met in the last week of the preseason, and again in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
, in which the Giants upset the Patriots 17-14.
Network television coverage
The NFL NetworkNFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
had exclusive rights to broadcast the Patriots-Giants game, and in the weeks before the game, the network increasingly promoted the game via television commercials on other stations. It was clear the game was one of the most anticipated of the season, and could therefore serve as an important promotion for the NFL Network, which had tried unsuccessfully over the previous year to expand its viewership by becoming included as an "extended basic service" on the major American cable TV providers such as Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
.
Political pressure from the Northeast to make the game more widely viewable preceded the decision to simulcast the game on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. (NBC was the primary broadcast network for primetime games, while CBS normally holds the rights to air games in which the road team belongs to the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
.) Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
, the Pennsylvania senator who was the ranking minority member on the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
, and Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
of Vermont, the Committee's head, wrote the league a letter threatening to reconsider the antitrust
Competition law
Competition law, known in the United States as antitrust law, is law that promotes or maintains market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies....
exemption currently enjoyed by the NFL under United States law. Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
of Massachusetts had pressured the league and cable companies to settle their dispute so "no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history."
In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on local stations in New York, Boston, and Manchester, New Hampshire. The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years.
Moreover, the NFL Network, which had devoted over 30 hours of programming in the week prior to the Patriots-Colts game in Week 9, devoted over 60 hours of programming to the game, consisting primarily of re-broadcasts of nine Patriots games from the 2007 season; they also had a special countdown clock for the game which appeared over 1,000 times in the week leading up to the game, and live coverage of Patriots press conferences that week. Moreover, NFLN aired a six-hour pregame show devoted to the game; no NFL game, including Super Bowls, had received more coverage.
In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the established sports channel TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
held the rights to the game, as it did for all NFL Network regular-season games. After the NBC / CBS simulcast was announced, TSN's parent broadcast network CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
announced it too would carry the game, allowing CTV simultaneous substitution
Simultaneous substitution
Simultaneous substitution is a practice mandated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requiring Canadian cable, direct broadcast satellite and multichannel multipoint distribution service television distribution companies to substitute the signal of a foreign or...
rights over U.S. stations broadcasting the game. This meant that, in areas of eastern Canada receiving their "big three" network affiliates from Boston, the CTV signal was seen on four different basic-cable channels, in addition to TSN's broadcast (which only differed from CTV in terms of network identification and some commercials).
This controversy did not lead to the NFL offering the Thursday Night Football package to other networks, and so the games remain on NFL Network as of 2011.
Game summary
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (6.7 °C), clear
- TV announcers (NFLNRun to the PlayoffsThursday Night Football is the brand name used by NFL Network for its schedule of live regular season telecasts of National Football League games on Thursday nights. Also included in the package are some Saturday specials....
): Bryant GumbelBryant GumbelBryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
(play-by-play), Cris CollinsworthCris CollinsworthAnthony Cris Collinsworth is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for eight seasons in the 1980s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played his entire professional career for...
(color commentator), and Adam Schefter (sideline reporter) - Radio announcers: Marv AlbertMarv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
(play-by-play), Boomer EsiasonBoomer EsiasonNorman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
(color analyst), and John DockeryJohn DockeryJohn Dockery is an American sportscaster and former American football defensive back who played for the New York Jets and later the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1968 to 1973. He was drafted by the Jets out of Harvard...
(sideline reporter) (Westwood OneWestwood OneWestwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
radio) - Gil SantosGil SantosGil Santos is the longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the New England Patriots of the National Football League, and morning sports reporter for WBZ radio in Boston. He retired from WBZ on January 30, 2009. Santos was inducted into the WBZ Radio Hall of Fame on July 9, 2009...
and Gino CappellettiGino CappellettiGino Cappelletti is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played at the University of Minnesota, and was a star in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots...
(Patriots radio, WBCN-FM flagship) - Bob PapaBob PapaBob Papa is an American sportscaster. Papa is employed by NFL Network, HBO, and the New York Giants.-Biography:Papa grew up in Dumont, New Jersey and graduated from Bergen Catholic High School in nearby Oradell...
and Carl BanksCarl BanksCarl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...
(NY Giants radio, WFANWFANWFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
flagship) - Referee: Mike Carey
- Game attendance: 79,110
In their final regular season game, the 15-0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
. The New York and Boston television markets both had a fourth channel, a local TV station in each respective market covering the game. In the week leading up to the game, the NFL Network aired a record 65.5 hours of game-specific coverage, including a six-hour pregame special which matched the longest NFL pregame show, including for a Super Bowl, on a single network.
On the second play of the game, the 10-5 Giants moved into the Patriots' red zone on a 52-yard completion from Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
to Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
. Three plays later, the Giants took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs
Brandon Jacobs
-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
. The Patriots responded with a pair of 14-yard completions to Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
and Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
; Welker's catch, his 102nd of the season, set a Patriots franchise record. The Patriots then converted a fourth down, and on their next fourth down, Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
made a 37-yard field goal. The Patriots would regain the ball at midfield following a Giants three-and-out. Completions to Donté Stallworth and Welker put the Patriots in the Giants' red zone, where Brady completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moss, taking a 10-7 lead on the first play of the second quarter. The play broke one record and tied two others: the Patriots' 560th point of the season surpassed the 1998 Minnesota Vikings’s
1998 Minnesota Vikings season
1998 was the 38th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The 1998 Minnesota Vikings became only the third team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. That year, the Vikings high powered offense scored 556 points...
record of 556 points; the touchdown pass was Brady’s 49th, tying Peyton Manning’s 2004
2004 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs...
record; and Moss recorded his 22nd touchdown catch of the season, tying Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
's 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
record.
As a result of a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown (Moss was flagged for dancing with Ben Watson
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South...
in the endzone), the Patriots kicked off from the 15-yard line. Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
received it from the Giants' 26-yard line and proceeded to run for a 74-yard touchdown return, retaking the lead for the Giants. Starting from their own 33-yard line, the Patriots moved into Giants territory on a 13-yard Maroney rush and 8-yard Faulk reception. Brady's 8 passing yards on the play gave him 4,557 for the season, breaking Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
's 1994
1994 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1994 season with a record of ten wins and six losses, and finished tied for first in the AFC East division....
franchise record of 4,555 yards. After the drive stalled, Gostkowski recorded his second field goal for the game, reducing the Giants' lead to 14-13. Following a Giants punt, the Patriots mounted a drive that resulted in Gostkowski’s third field goal of the night, from 37 yards, after a 3rd down end zone pass to Moss ricocheted off of linebacker Gerris Wilkinson’s
Gerris Wilkinson
Gerris Vernard Bowers Wilkinson is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
helmet. With 1:54 remaining the half and the Giants trailing 16-14, Manning completed five of his first seven passes to move from the Giants' 15-yard line to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On second down with 18 seconds remaining, Manning threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Boss, to take a 21-16 lead at the half.
After the Patriots began the second half with a three-and-out, the Giants increased their lead to 12 points on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Burress from Manning. Facing their largest deficit of the season, the Patriots drove to the Giants' 16-yard line with several Brady completions. A pass interference call against the Giants’ Wilkinson gave the Patriots the ball at the Giants' 1-yard line. Brady's end zone pass to linebacker Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs...
was no good, and an illegal formation penalty moved the Patriots back 5 yards. Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
then scored on a 6-yard touchdown run to cut the Giants' lead to 28-23. Three consecutive drives resulted in punts, and the Patriots gained possession of the ball with less than 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Stanley Morgan
Stanley Douglas Morgan is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots. Morgan was selected out of the University of Tennessee in the first round of the 1977 NFL Draft . He also played one season for the Indianapolis Colts in 1990...
's 1986
1986 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1986 season with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished first in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:...
franchise record of 1,491 yards. On the subsequent play, Maroney scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run; Gostkowski converted his last PAT of the season to give the Patriots a 38-28 lead. Gostkowski finished the season a perfect 74-for-74 on PATs, eclipsing St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
kicker Jeff Wilkins
Jeff Wilkins
For the American basketball player, see Jeff Wilkins .Jeffrey Allen Wilkins nicknamed "Money" is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St Louis Rams. He played college football at Youngstown State University...
' 1999
1999 St. Louis Rams season
The 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13-3, and the NFC West Championship. The Rams were undefeated at home for the first time since 1973. On the...
record of 64-for-64.
With 4:36 left in the game, the Giants drove the ball to the Patriots' 4-yard line, and two plays later, Manning completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Burress, Manning’s fourth for the game. But when the Giants tried an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
, Vrabel recovered the ball, allowing the Patriots to kneel three times to end the game, 38-35.
The Patriots' joined the 14-0 1972 Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
, 11-0 1942 Chicago Bears
1942 Chicago Bears season
The 1942 Chicago Bears season was their 23rd regular season and 7th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 11-0 record under head coach George Halas and temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos...
, and 13-0 1934 Chicago Bears
1934 Chicago Bears season
The 1934 Chicago Bears season was their 15th regular season and 3rd postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted an unprecedented 13-0 record in the second year of George Halas's second tenure...
as the fourth team to record an undefeated season, also setting a record for most regular season wins in a single season. The victory was the Patriots’ 19th consecutive regular season victory, breaking their own record set during the 2003-2004 season. Finally, the Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292.
Scoring summary
-
- 1st Quarter
- NYG - Brandon JacobsBrandon Jacobs-New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine...
7 yard pass from Eli ManningEli ManningEli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
(Lawrence TynesLawrence TynesLawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
kick), 10:59. Giants 7-0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 4:01. - NE - Stephen GostkowskiStephen GostkowskiStephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
37 yard field goal, 5:19. Giants 7-3. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 5:40.
- NYG - Brandon Jacobs
- 2nd Quarter
- NE - Randy MossRandy MossRandy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
4 yard pass from Tom BradyTom BradyThomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
(Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:55. Patriots 10-7. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:41. - NYG - Domenik HixonDomenik HixonDomenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
74 yard kick return (Lawrence Tynes kick), 14:44. Giants 14-10. - NE - Stephen Gostkowski 45 yard field goal, 9:59. Giants 14-13. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:45.
- NE - Stephen Gostkowski, 37 yard field goal, 1:59. Patriots 16-14. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:41.
- NYG - Kevin BossKevin BossKevin Boss is an American football tight end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League...
3 yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:13. Giants 21-16. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 1:46.
- NE - Randy Moss
- 3rd Quarter
- NYG - Plaxico BurressPlaxico BurressPlaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
19 yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:12. Giants 28-16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:10. - NE - Laurence MaroneyLaurence MaroneyLaurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
6 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:00. Giants 28-23. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 5:12.
- NYG - Plaxico Burress
- 4th Quarter
- NE - Randy Moss 65 yard pass from Tom Brady (Laurence Maroney run), 11:06. Patriots 31-28. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 0:23.
- NE - Laurence Maroney 5 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 4:36. Patriots 38-28. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 5:17.
- NYG - Plaxico Burress 3 yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 1:04. Patriots 38-35. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 3:32.
- 1st Quarter
Starting lineups
| New England | Position | Position | N.Y. Giants |
|---|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | |||
| Jabar Gaffney Jabar Gaffney Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft... |
WR | Plaxico Burress Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft... |
|
| Matt Light Matt Light Matthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio... |
LT | David Diehl David Diehl David Diehl is an American football offensive guard with the New York Giants of the National Football League and is one of only two offensive lineman who entered the NFL in 2003 to start all 80 regular season games through the end of the 2008 season.... |
|
| Logan Mankins Logan Mankins -2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting... |
LG | Rich Seubert Rich Seubert Rich Seubert is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants out of Western Illinois University in 2001. Seubert lives in Wayne, New Jersey.-High school career:... |
|
| Dan Koppen Dan Koppen Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... |
C | Shaun O'Hara Shaun O'Hara Shaun O'Hara is an American football center in the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Rutgers University, and has been in the NFL since 2000, having begun his pro career as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns... |
|
| Russ Hochstein Russ Hochstein Russ Hochstein is an American football guard for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft... |
RG | Chris Snee Chris Snee Christopher Snee is an American football guard for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College.... |
|
| Ryan O'Callaghan Ryan O'Callaghan Ryan O'Callaghan is an American football offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
RT | Kareem McKenzie Kareem McKenzie Kareem Michael McKenzie is a player for the New York Giants of the National Football League.McKenzie played only two years of high school football at Willingboro High School in Willingboro Township, New Jersey.... |
|
| Benjamin Watson Benjamin Watson Benjamin Watson is an American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 32nd overall in the 2004 NFL draft. He played college football at Georgia.-Early years:Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South... |
TE | Kevin Boss Kevin Boss Kevin Boss is an American football tight end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League... |
|
| Randy Moss Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft... |
WR | Amani Toomer Amani Toomer Amani Toomer is a retired American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan, where he was a fan favorite.Toomer has also been a member of the Kansas... |
|
| Tom Brady Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,... |
QB | Eli Manning Eli Manning Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning... |
|
| Laurence Maroney Laurence Maroney Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St... |
RB | Brandon Jacobs Brandon Jacobs -New York Giants:Going into the 2006 season Jacobs stated that he studied film of famed power running back Eddie George in an effort to refine his running style. George, like Jacobs, was a large, power running back. In the 2006 season, Jacobs carried the ball 96 times for 423 yards and nine... |
|
| Wesley Britt Wesley Britt Wesley Britt is a free agent American football offensive tackle formerly of the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... |
TE | FB | Madison Hedgecock Madison Hedgecock Madison Smith Hedgecock is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina.... |
| DEFENSE | |||
| Ty Warren Ty Warren Ty'ron "Ty" Markeith Warren is an American football defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft... |
LE | Michael Strahan Michael Strahan Michael Anthony Strahan is a former National Football League defensive end who played his entire career for the New York Giants; a career where he set the record for the most sacks in a single season and won a Super Bowl in his final year. He is currently a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, and... |
|
| Vince Wilfork Vince Wilfork -2004–06 seasons:The Patriots drafted Wilfork with the 21st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his rookie 2004 season with the Patriots, he compiled two sacks, 42 tackles, and three deflected passes... |
NT | LDT | Barry Cofield Barry Cofield Barry Joseph Cofield, Jr. is an American football nose tackle for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.-High school years:... |
| Richard Seymour Richard Seymour Richard Vershaun Seymour is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots sixth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft... |
RE | RDT | Fred Robbins Fred Robbins -Minnesota Vikings:Robbins was drafted on the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four-year $5.5 million deal with the Vikings. As a rookie in 2000, played in 8 games as a reserve and had 5 tackles and one sack. In 2001, played in 16 games with 12 starts and had... |
| Mike Vrabel Mike Vrabel Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs... |
LOLB | RE | Osi Umenyiora Osi Umenyiora -2003:Umenyiora was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Troy State University, now Troy University. He was number 72. As a rookie in 2003, he played in 13 games with one start.-2005:... |
| Junior Seau Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted fifth overall by the San Diego Chargers during the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California and was the progenitor of the "NFL-USC linebacker".A ten-time All-Pro and... |
ILB | LOLB | Reggie Torbor Reggie Torbor Reggie Jermaine Torbor is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn.Torbor has also played for the Miami Dolphins... |
| Tedy Bruschi Tedy Bruschi Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft... |
ILB | MLB | Antonio Pierce Antonio Pierce Antonio Durran Pierce is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Arizona.... |
| Adalius Thomas Adalius Thomas Adalius Donquail Thomas is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi.-Early years:... |
ROLB | Kawika Mitchell Kawika Mitchell Kawika Uilani Mitchell is an American football linebacker who currently is a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round in the 2003 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, and New Orleans Saints... |
|
| Asante Samuel Asante Samuel Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft... |
LCB | Aaron Ross | |
| Ellis Hobbs Ellis Hobbs Ellis Hobbs III is a former American football cornerback who played for six seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for Iowa State. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played for them from 2005–2008... |
RCB | Sam Madison Sam Madison Samuel Adolfus Madison, Jr. is an American football cornerback who is retired. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.... |
|
| Rodney Harrison Rodney Harrison Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots... |
SS | James Butler | |
| James Sanders | FS | Gibril Wilson Gibril Wilson Gibril Donald Wilson is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII... |
|
Playoff impact
Despite the intense media coverage the game was given, from the standpoint of the playoffs, the actual outcome of the game was irrelevant. The Patriots, who had already secured the number one seed in the AFC, had nothing to win or lose and had no control over the seeding of the other teams. The Giants, already locked into the number five seed in the NFC, were guaranteed to play Tampa Bay2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 32nd season for the club in the National Football League. On December 16, 2007, they cliched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006....
in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
The game's impact was summarized by Scott Graham
Scott Graham
Scott Graham is an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of the Philadelphia Phillies. He has lived and worked near Philadelphia for most of his life. He was born June 10, 1965 in Belleville, New Jersey, and now lives in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. His sportscasting résumé covers...
on NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
' subsequent hour-long replay of the contest ("Perfect Ending", an episode of NFL Films Game Of The Week): "Never had a meaningless game carried more meaning."