Facing Pats not Super Bowl XLII to Giants
On a 3rd-and-5 during Super Bowl XLII, from his own 43, Manning was swamped by defenders, but spun out of danger and flung a desperation pass down the middle of the field. As the ball hung in the air, David Tyree outleapt Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, pinning the ball to his helmet as both players fell to the ground. The 32-yard-gain set up Manning's 14-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress that held up as the game-winner.(January 2008) Credit: AP
It's hard to walk 42 feet in any direction in the Timex Performance Center without being reminded of Super Bowl XLII.
Just past the Vince Lombardi trophies in the lobby case is an image of Eli Manning about to unload his iconic pass to David Tyree adhered to the windows of the cafeteria. At the entrance to the team auditorium is an homage to all of the Giants' championship seasons, including the stunning win over the Patriots.
And along the wall outside the locker room -- across from the weight room, where players can squat and stare -- the images of Plaxico Burress' game-winning catch, Tyree's helmet-clinging reception, Manning's pre-Tyree scramble, and a sack of Tom Brady by Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora from that game are displayed in larger-than-life proportions that would shame any Giants fan's Fathead collection.
This Sunday, the Giants play the Patriots in a meaningful game for the first time since that dramatic win in Arizona. And the Giants -- even those whose images are incorporated in the various montages -- will spend the rest of this week preparing for the Patriots without trying to give much thought to any of the displays that surround them.
"That was four years ago," Tuck said. "If we were still living in the shadow of 2007, then that's one of our greatest downfalls. We have to move on. Obviously, they have, and we do, too."
There are only 21 players on the two current rosters who played in Super Bowl XLII, and the Giants have 14 of them. In only four years, the Patriots have retained only seven players from a team that was nearly crowned the greatest of all time after a perfect season.
The players may have changed, but the fans haven't. The Giants have been to Foxboro since, but that usually is for the final preseason game. This will be the New England faithful's first chance to thank them properly for destroying the Patriots' nearly pristine season.
Also worth noting: Neither team has won a playoff game since their meeting in Glendale.
"Obviously, you're going to keep hearing about the comparisons, and that's part of the history and how great of a game it was," said Giants guard David Diehl, who started that game at left tackle. "But we're four years removed from that game. We didn't play them last year; that didn't just happen. This is a whole new year . . . I don't think it plays a bearing in this game.
"It's the Giants vs. the Patriots," Diehl added, "but this isn't the Super Bowl."
It is an important game. Both teams are 5-2. The Giants are coming off a win but turned in a disappointing performance against the Dolphins and now face a daunting stretch of games that begins Sunday. The Patriots are coming off a loss to the Steelers and are tied with the Bills atop the AFC East.
"More than anything, we just know that we have to play better if we want to beat them, better than we have all year," defensive end Dave Tollefson said. "Tom Brady, he's going to pick you apart if you don't line up all your chess pieces right. He's going to find that spot."
"Obviously, 2007 was a great year in all of our careers, but that's not going to help us going there this year," Tuck said.
Still, no matter how significant this game is, there will be a link to the game in February 2008 that keeps cropping up all week long.
"That was a long time ago," Tom Coughlin said. "We will focus on 'the now.' "
Even if they have to do so in the shadows of past glories.
