Great Moments in Giants Stadium History: Pats Perfection

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Apr 2, 2009 7:00 AM EDT in New York Giants News

Ok, so while not many Giant losses can be considered "Great Moments in Giants Stadium History", there are a few on the list. This is one of them. It was simply too historic a night to exclude from the list, and also because this game put the Giants on the road to destiny.

The Giants headed into their last game of the season with a dilemma: They were 10-5, had clinched a playoff spot, and knew that no matter what happened in their season finale against the New England Patriots, their first round opponent would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. But the Pats were coming to East Rutherford at 15-0, and looking to become the first team in NFL history to finish the regular season 16-0. The Giants were torn between resting their players for a game that meant nothing in the standings, or playing their starters and trying to deny the Patriots their shot at history.

As Herm Edwards once took the time to say in between incoherent statements, "You play to win the game!"

The Giants gave the Patriots all they could handle, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead. The Pats got a field goal, then took the lead on a Tom Brady TD pass to Randy Moss, but Moss was flagged for over-celebrating on the TD. Domenik Hixon took the ensuing short kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown and gave the Giants a 14-10 lead.

The Pats got 2 FG's in the 2^nd quarter go ahead 16-14, but the Giants got the ball with 2 minutes remaining in the half, and Eli Manning engineered an 8 play, 85 yard drive that ended with a 3 yard TD pass to Kevin Boss with 13 seconds left in the 2^nd quarter. The Giants led 21-16 at halftime, marking only the second time all year the Pats had trailed after 2 quarters.

Less than 6 minutes into the 3^rd quarter, Eli found Plaxico Burress for a 19 yard TD pass, and the Giants were up 28-16. Giants Stadium was in a frenzy.

Then the Patriots woke up.

Laurence Maroney scored on a 6 yard run in the 3^rd quarter, and then in the final stanza, Moss and Brady hooked up again for 65 yards for the go ahead TD, then Maroney scored again from 5 yards, giving the Pats a 10 point lead. The Giants got another TD pass from Eli to Plax, but the Pats held on for a 38-35 victory, and a perfect REGULAR season.

The Giants gave the Patriots all they could handle, but in the end it just wasn't enough. As the Patriots celebrated their historic win, the Giants walked off the field knowing they could play with anyone in the NFL, and felt they just might get their shot at denying history again.

All it would take to get there was beating Tampa in the heat, going to Dallas and slaying the dragon, and then beating Green Bay in weather Eskimos wouldn't go out in.

Piece of cake.

No video this week, I really didn't think anyone wanted to watch a video of the Pats winning.

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Comments

It was a great game

I even watched it on my Giants 2007 Playoffs DVD set. I felt like the Giants were actually belonging for once in the play-offs, and not there due to a weaker than the AFC conference. Pats got their 16-0, but the G-Men got their swagger that lead them all the way to Super Bowl 42!

A quick note, despite the fact beating the Giants should be worth two wins (since they are so great and all), The Pats only got one victory for beating the G-Men that night, allowing them to go 16-0, not 17-0.

by brisulph on Apr 2, 2009 7:47 AM EDT reply actions

Fixed that....

Saw the mistake, and thought “Oh let me fix that before someone notices”, so I did, and then saw your comment.

Nice pickup at 7:47 in the morning though.

Giants and Rangers fan from the womb to the tomb
www.blueshirtbanter.com
www.bigblueview.com

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Apr 2, 2009 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions

I saw it too

But i’m not a jerk!

Just kidding :P

by Woogie526 on Apr 2, 2009 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions

It was the only

Giants game I’ve gone to in the last 5 years (used to go a lot more often) and it was well worth it. My fiance (a Pats fan btw, my profile pic is us at that game) took me for my bday present, since my bday was on that day. I didn’t quite get the ultimate present I wanted, but we came pretty close. The crowd was absolutely electric. Definitely much different than most regular season games.

That 65 yard TD pass from Brady to Moss, where Butler absolutely blew the coverage and let Moss take off behind him is what initiated by disdain for Butler.

by potroast on Apr 2, 2009 8:21 AM EDT reply actions

i still don't think i've seen the game

It was my wedding, the one day of the year I planned on their being no football, and it was the one stupid Saturday game. I figured we played the saturday game last year, no way we have it again. AND it was the Penn State bowl game, worst timing ever.

by queler on Apr 2, 2009 10:39 AM EDT reply actions

I was at that game

absolutely incredible. I remember being in the bathroom after the game was over, and I said to a few depressed looking fans “hey, we’ll just beat them next in a few weeks in Phoenix” and the guys looked up and were like “hell yea we will.” And next thing you know the whole bathroom was saying “we’ll get them in Phoenix.” Who knew that we actually would beat them in Phoenix. Absolutely magical.

by cjmulrain on Apr 2, 2009 10:58 AM EDT reply actions

hmmm

not often something “magical” happens in the men’s bathroom unless you’re a foot-tapping politician. But I also agree with potroast, that Butler coverage was atrocious, and I hated his nonchalant attitude about it. But I have disliked him for a few years, it started with a mindless late hit personal foul that helped cost us a game losing drive against either the Texans or the Titans. Anyone remember that game?

Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!

by bigbluethruandthru on Apr 2, 2009 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I meant the Super Bowl

was magical.

by cjmulrain on Apr 2, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions

It was a great game..

My cousin got my Tickets around the 40yd line about 14 rows back what a view.. There were way too many Pats fans there though it sucked almost got into a fight with one but he quickly talked his way out of it then i told him dont worry we will get you in the superbowl… The best thing about it was that right after the game i began my Giants road trip flew back to south florida got with my aunt and drove right up to tampa where my brothers firm got my tickets for the first playoff game, i didnt pay for them but i had to build my brother a new front porch on his house up there in tampa, it was the best weekend of my life.. Specially listening to Tampa sports radio hype up the Ronde Barber bs talk he did about Eli… Was great to see Burress stiff arm that punk early in the game!

by gobs56 on Apr 2, 2009 11:35 AM EDT reply actions

best part about it

was the Bill Simmons’ article afterwards.

he talked about how he walked by Pats fans in the tailgate lot watching tape of the 2004 ALCS Game 4 in which Ortiz had the walk-off. He talked about how great it was for Boston teams to have the stranglehold on all of New York…

17-14.
i love it.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Apr 2, 2009 3:45 PM EDT reply actions

post game Simmons gems

“NO CHANCE
…
N.Y. Giants: Eli Manning would have to win THREE games on the road. Did you see the look on his face during the fourth quarter of the Pats game? Come on.”

“When I write the Playoff Manifesto 5.0, you can bet anything that Eli and Coughlin will be featured in a section that includes the words "don’t” or “beware.” Seriously, you’re thinking of backing Coughlin, Eli and (probably) his second-string center in a road playoff game? Are you nuts?"

to be fair, as I’m reading it, it wasn’t Simmons that said the ACLS stuff, it was a mailbag letter

by queler on Apr 2, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions

that's right

but still, pretty sweet. thanks for digging those quotes up.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Apr 2, 2009 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

that's awesome

did you notice that he pretty much hates the Giants now? It’s a quiet, seething kind of hate, not the overt hate like he has for the Yankees, but it’s there. He kept making subtle digs at them last season, even when they were 11-1 and looked like good bets to repeat.

by cjmulrain on Apr 2, 2009 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah

he loves to hate on Eli even when he defends him at times. I like Simmons anyway though. He’s at least usually funny even when he’s constantly ripping my teams.

by potroast on Apr 3, 2009 7:56 AM EDT up reply actions

I had never heard of Simmons till post-Super Bowl

and I read his column on how the Giants won because of the fact he bought a white Pats jersey with Moss on it and that the Giants got so so so lucky on the last drive. He also insists their was the most blatant holding going on during the Eli to Tyree play (there was, but not tackling them from behind like he implies). I am pretty sure he had a meltdown of epic proportions, and I would have loved to see his face when Alford creamed his Golden Boy with that ridiculous one armed clothesline of a sack. He is funny, but the fact he still has not come to terms with that loss is pretty hilarious.

by brisulph on Apr 3, 2009 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions

agreed

I love Simmons, despite his just under the surface hatred of the Giants. His Red Sox-Yankees stuff from 2003 and 2004 was epic

by cjmulrain on Apr 3, 2009 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions

It's fair to say

that this was a defining game for not just the Giants but for the NFL as well. First of all there was the NFL scrambling around and at the last minute allowing the simulcast by both CBS and NBC. If a game that good had been restricted to satellite, the NFL would have had to eat a lot of crow.

The game was also important to the NFC which had been getting no respect. It was also a defining moment for Coughlin who had the guts to do the right thing. But most importantly it gave the players the confidence they needed to make their tremendous playoff run gliving them another chance agalinst the Pats.

I firmly believe that if Coughlin had taken the safe route and rested his players we wouldn’t have achieved what we did. He has earned a place in NFL history for that brave move.

by giant fan since 57 on Apr 2, 2009 7:46 PM EDT reply actions