Counting Down the 10 Greatest Plays in New York Giants Super Bowl History
Super Bowl LV will take place this Sunday between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tampa was the site for two of the New York Giants’ five Super Bowl appearances. One of those games was quite memorable, while the other is best left unsaid.
So in honor of Super Bowl LV and the Giants' five Super Bowl appearances, here is our countdown of the ten greatest plays in Giants Super Bowl history.
10. Ron Dixon 97-yard kickoff return, Super Bowl XXXV
This was the game that Giants fans love to forget. Their only points came on an electric play late in the third quarter. Rookie Ron Dixon fielded Matt Stover's kickoff at the 3-yard line. Dixon was home free after getting two key blocks, racing 97 yards, and giving Giants fans their only positive memory of an otherwise forgettable night.
9. Chase Blackburn's interception, Super Bowl XLVI
Early in the fourth quarter, the Giants trailed the Patriots, 17-15. Tom Brady narrowly avoided two sacks and threw a 50-yard pass downfield intended for one of his favorite targets, Rob Gronkowski.
Middle linebacker Chase Blackburn stayed on Gronk as if he were a defensive back and picked Brady off at the eight-yard line. The Giants didn’t score on the following drive, but Blackburn’s interception kept the game from getting out of hand.
8. O.J. Anderson's one-yard TD run, Super Bowl XXV
This was the culmination of a 14-play drive that lasted almost nine minutes to start the second half. At intermission, the Bills led, 12-10, but the Giants wore down Buffalo’s defense throughout the third quarter. O.J. Anderson ran for 37 of his 102 yards on this drive alone and scored on a one-yard run to give the Giants a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
7. George Martin sacks John Elway, Super Bowl XXI
Late in the second quarter of their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, the Giants trailed the Broncos, 10-7. Denver started their drive at their 15-yard line, hoping to tack on more points before halftime.
Instead, John Elway was sacked on first down, threw an incomplete pass on second down, and on 3rd-and-12, he was chased into his end zone by George Martin, who pinned Elway down for a safety. Instead of 17-7, the halftime score was 10-9, and the Giants were in business.
6. QB Phil Simms to WR Phil McConkey, Super Bowl XXI
After a rocky first half, the Giants scored 30 points in the second half of this game, but their most memorable play didn’t result in a score.
Late in the third quarter, Phil Simms threw a 44-yard bomb to Phil McConkey, who was upended at Denver’s one-yard line. O.J. Anderson’s subsequent touchdown effectively put the game out of reach and gave the Giants their first Lombardi Trophy.
5. QB Eli Manning to TE Kevin Boss, Super Bowl XLII
The first of many plays from this game. Early in the fourth quarter, with the Patriots leading, 7-3, Eli Manning threw a 45-yard pass to Kevin Boss in what was the first substantive play on offense for the Giants, and there were plenty more where that came from.
4. DL Jay Alford sacks QB Tom Brady, Super Bowl XLII
After the Giants had taken the lead (more on that later), undefeated New England had one final shot at either tying or winning the game.
Instead, on second down at their own 25, Tom Brady was crushed by rookie Jay Alford, putting an exclamation point on one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.
3. QB Eli Manning to WR Mario Manningham, Super Bowl XLVI
Needing a big play late in the fourth quarter and trailing by two points, Mario Manningham hauled in a 38-yard pass from Eli Manning while keeping both feet in bounds. Several plays later, Ahmad Bradshaw’s touchdown put the Giants ahead to stay.
2. QB Eli Manning to WR Plaxico Burress, Super Bowl XLII
With the Giants knocking on the door, Eli Manning lofted a 13-yard pass to the end zone for Plaxico Burress, who beat New England safety Ellis Hobbs to catch the game-winning touchdown. It couldn’t have happened, however, without this next all-time great Giants Super Bowl play.
1. QB Eli Manning to WR David Tyree, Super Bowl XLII
It often takes a miracle to defeat an unbeaten opponent. It takes a quarterback scramble, a 32-yard desperation heave, and an improbable catch with the assistance of a receiver’s helmet.
In this case, it also took a David (Tyree) to defeat a Goliath.
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