The Giants' road to the Super Bowl

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

February 9, 2008

NFC Wild Card
Jan. 6, 2008
Giants 24, Bucaneers 14

The veterans of the previous Giants Super Bowl team emerged for the playoffs as Amani Toomer caught seven passes for 74 yards and the game-sealing touchdown and Michael Strahan had nine tackles and a sack, applying constant pressure to Jeff Garcia. Turnovers were the difference as the Giants forced three -- a fumble on the second-half kickoff recovered by Corey Webster plus interceptions by Webster and R.W. McQuarters -- and didn't give any away. Eli Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 185 yards and two TDs for his first career postseason win. The Giants were held to minus-2 yards in the first quarter.

Video

Related links

Giants blog
Giants fan forum
Eli Manning's 2008-09 season

What do you expect out of Eli Manning this season?
A lot. He's got a ring now and I have higher expectations for him. Maybe not another Super Bowl, but I expect him to continue to improve. About the same, but I'm afraid he may not top last year's performance. Not a lot. I still think last year was a fluke.
- View current results
Giants minicamp Photos
Giants draft picks Photos
Giants schedule

• Week 1: Thu., Sep. 4 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.
• Week 2: Sun., Sep. 14 at St. Louis, 1 p.m.
• Week 3: Sun., Sep. 21 vs. Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
• Week 4: Bye week
• Week 5: Sun., Oct. 5 vs. Seattle, 1 p.m.
• Week 6: Mon., Oct. 13 at Cleveland, 8:30 p.m.
• Week 7: Sun., Oct. 19 vs. San Francisco, 1 p.m.
• Week 8: Sun., Oct. 26 at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 9: Sun., Nov. 2 vs. Dallas, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 10: Sun., Nov. 9 at Philadelphia, 8:15 p.m.
• Week 11: Sun., Nov. 16 vs. Baltimore, 1 p.m.
• Week 12: Sun., Nov. 23 at Arizona, 4:15 p.m.
• Week 13: Sun., Nov. 30 at Washington, 1 p.m.
• Week 14: Sun., Dec. 7 vs. Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
• Week 15: Sun., Dec. 14 at Dallas, 8:15 p.m.
• Week 16: Sun., Dec. 21 vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.
• Week 17: Sun., Dec. 28 at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Last six games: Times subject to change due to flex schedule.
Best of the Super Bowl champion Giants Video
PHOTOS: GIANTS WIN SUPER BOWL

Giants 17, Pats 14
• Victory parade
• Super Bowl XLII photos
• Giants celebrate title
• Road to Super Bowl
Complete Giants Super Bowl coverage
2007-08 Giants trivia quiz Quiz
Buy Giants frontpage reprints

NFC Divisional
Jan. 13, 2008
Giants 21, Cowboys 17

After allowing a combined 76 points in their two regular-season games, the Giants finally found a way to slow the Cowboys and R.W. McQuarters' interception in the end zone with nine seconds left sealed the win. Eli Manning threw two TD passes, including a 52-yarder on the opening drive in which Amani Toomer broke two tackles, and Brandon Jacobs scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run with 13:29 remaining. The first playoff game between the two franchises was surrounded by bizarre sideshows that included published photos of Tony Romo and girlfriend Jessica Simpson vacationing in Mexico during the Cowboys' bye week and Terrell Owens' tearful postgame defense of the quarterback.

NFC Championship
Jan. 20, 2008
Giants 23, Packers 20 OT

In subzero temperatures at Lambeau Field, kicker Lawrence Tynes went from a head-hanging goat to a high-jumping hero. Tynes missed two late field-goal attempts that would have given the Giants the lead, including a badly yanked 36-yarder at the end of regulation. But he ran onto the field 2:35 into overtime and sailed a 47-yarder through the uprights to send the Giants to Super Bowl XLII.

The overtime attempt came courtesy of Corey Webster's interception off Brett Favre. The Packers quarterback threw two touchdowns, including a 90-yarder to Donald Driver, but also had two passes picked off.

The Giants went ahead 20-17 when Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter, but the Packers tied it on a 37-yard field goal early in the fourth that was helped along by R.W. McQuarters' fumble while returning an interception.

"Heck, they could win two weeks from now," a prescient Favre said, alluding to the Giants' slim Super Bowl chances against the unbeaten Patriots. "I wouldn't put it past them."

Plaxico Burress had a career-high 11 catches for 154 yards and Eli Manning completed 21 of 40 passes for 254 yards. He didn't throw any touchdown passes, but for the third game in a row didn't throw any interceptions, either.

Super Bowl
Feb. 3, 2008
Giants 17, Patriots 14

The Giants pulled off one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets with one of the most dramatic Super Bowl comebacks. Trailing 14-10 after Tom Brady engineered yet another fourth-quarter drive, the Giants seemed poised to put on their "played 'em close" hats against the unstoppable Patriots for the second time in a little more than a month.

But Eli Manning stepped up. More accurately, he stepped out, eschewing a sure sack on third-and-5 on the final drive and heaving a 32-yard desperation pass to David Tyree for one of the most incredible catches in Super Bowl history. Tyree managed to pin the ball against his helmet with one hand and withstand the blast of a hit from Rodney Harrison before securing it with both hands and falling to the ground, bent backward over Harrison's knee.

Cinematic as the catch was, it would have been worthless without the ensuing touchdown, a 13-yard pass in the corner to Plaxico Burress in the face of an all-out Patriots blitz with 35 seconds left.

Manning completed 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards and was named MVP, but the real key to success was the pressure of the defensive line and its ability to slow down the record-setting Patriots offense. Justin Tuck had two of the Giants' five sacks of Brady.