New England arrived at Super Bowl XLII with an 18-0 record and one game between it and a perfect season. The Patriots had gone 16-0 in the regular season, then won two playoff games. On February 3, 2008, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the New York Giants stood in their way after a postseason run as a wild-card team.
The game was close throughout. New England led 7-3 at halftime, and the Giants took a 10-7 advantage in the fourth quarter. With just over two minutes left, Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass to Randy Moss, giving the Patriots a 14-10 lead. Eli Manning answered with a drive that included his famous escape from pressure and completion to David Tyree, who pinned the ball against his helmet while securing the catch. Four plays later, Manning found Plaxico Burress for a 13-yard touchdown. The Giants won 17-14.
The result denied New England a 19-0 finish and left the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only NFL team to complete a perfect season culminating in a Super Bowl victory. For New York, the championship capped a four-game playoff run on the road and delivered the franchise’s third Super Bowl title. The upset remains a defining example of how a disciplined pass rush and a late, composed drive can overturn expectations on the sport’s biggest stage.
Super Bowl XLII also established a lasting postseason rivalry between the teams. They met again in Super Bowl XLVI four years later, with the Giants winning another close game. The 2008 finish still stands on its own: an unbeaten favorite fell in the final minutes, and one remarkable catch helped keep the championship within reach.