Super Bowl XLII
The Giants toppled the first perfect season since 1972 with a fourth-quarter miracle drive.
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game played on February 3, 2008, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It pitted the NFC champion New York Giants against the AFC champion New England Patriots to decide the NFL champion for the 2007 season. The Giants defeated the heavily favored Patriots by a score of 17–14, widely considered one of the biggest upsets in professional North American sports history. This matchup was a rematch of the regular-season finale where the Patriots had won 38–35.
- Date
- February 3, 2008
- Location
- University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Winner
- New York Giants
- Score
- 17–14
- MVP
- Eli Manning
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The New York Giants entered the game seeking their fourth Super Bowl title and seventh overall NFL championship, and first since Super Bowl XXV, seventeen years prior. They aimed to become the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl after finishing the regular season with a 10–6 record. In contrast, the Patriots arrived as 12-point favorites, having completed a perfect regular season—the first since the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the only one since the league expanded to 16 games in 1978. The game featured four total lead changes, with New York taking the lead three times and New England once. The fourth quarter alone saw a Super Bowl-record three lead changes. Giants quarterback Eli Manning was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
In Their Own Story
The game remained tight throughout, with both defenses dominating until the final minutes. After David Tyree scored on a 3-yard reception to make it 14–10, Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss answered with a 6-yard touchdown, leaving just 2:42 remaining. Starting from their own 17-yard line, the Giants began a drive that would define the game. On third down, Tyree made the legendary "Helmet Catch," leaping to pin the ball against his helmet for a 32-yard first down. Following another conversion by Steve Smith on 3rd and 11, wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard pass for the game-winning touchdown. The Patriots subsequently turned the ball over on downs as the Giants ran out the clock. This result made it one of the lowest-scoring Super Bowls since Super Bowl IX and the only Super Bowl in history to feature three fourth-quarter lead changes.
Reader's Guide
Super Bowl XLII is often ranked fifth on the NFL's 100 Greatest Games list, holding the title of the highest-ranked Super Bowl on that list. Tyree's catch was separately ranked third on the NFL's 100 Greatest Plays. The broadcast on Fox set a then-record for viewership with an average of 97.5 million viewers in the United States. Media outlets frequently cite this game as a defining moment of sports in the 2000s, remembering the Giants' victory as one of the greatest "Cinderella" stories in history. The two teams would meet again four years later in Super Bowl XLVI, where the Giants won once more with a score of 21–17.
Did You Know?
- This was the first Super Bowl played on a retractable natural-grass field surface.
- The game featured a Super Bowl-record three lead changes in the fourth quarter, a feat that remains unique as of the 2024 season.
- The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl.
- Super Bowl XLII was the last Super Bowl with the league's previous logo painted at midfield before it was redesigned for the following season.
- The game was played in a closed-roof stadium due to rain forecasts, making it only the second Super Bowl ever held in a retractable-roof stadium.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where did Super Bowl XLII take place?
The game occurred on February 3, 2008, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It served as the championship finale for the 2007 NFL season.
Who won Super Bowl XLII and what was the final score?
The New York Giants defeated the heavily favored New England Patriots with a final score of 17–14. This victory is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in professional sports history.
Why is this game considered so historically significant?
This matchup ended the Patriots' attempt at an unbeaten season, which was the first such effort since 1972. The Giants achieved this by executing a dramatic fourth-quarter drive to secure the win.
Who was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLII?
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning earned MVP honors for his leadership during the game. His performance included the crucial final drive that sealed the championship victory.
How did this game relate to the teams' earlier meeting in 2007?
Super Bowl XLII served as a rematch of the regular-season finale where the Patriots had previously won by a score of 38–35. The Giants avenged that loss decisively to claim their fifth Super Bowl title.
More in Iconic Games & Moments
Related in New York Giants
Links follow this subject's own source article.
Elsewhere in the New York Giants universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record