NFL History: Where do Patriots Rank in Greatest Moments?
17. David Tyree Makes Helmet Catch
In my eyes, the 2007 New England Patriots were the greatest team in NFL history. Now, they did not finish the job, so I understand that they can never really be considered the best ever, but that team was incredible.
An explosive offense like we had never seen before and a dominating defense, the 2007 Patriots seemed to be perfect. And perfect was exactly what they were until they faced the New York Giants in the Super Bowl that season.
You know the game, and you know the result. It is a shame that the greatest team ever did not win it all, but that’s just how it went. The Giants had a great game plan and stepped up and made plays when they needed it the most. The Patriots may have beaten the Giants nine out of ten times, but on that day, New York was the better team, and that’s all that matters.
Little known wide receiver David Tyree made the signature play of the game with an incredible catch off of his helmet on a pass from Eli Manning who had just escaped intense pressure. Tyree’s catch is a moment that every Patriots’ fan would love to forget, but it was undoubtedly memorable, and comes it at number 17 on this list.
The reasoning:
"The undefeated New England Patriots entered Super Bowl XLII as heavy favorites and with dreams of becoming the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to navigate an entire NFL season without a single tie or loss. The only thing in their way was the New York Giants, the same team that had given New England its only true test of the regular season. The game was a defensive struggle until the fourth quarter, when New York scored their first touchdown of the game and took a 10-7 lead. New England promptly answered on a Tom Brady to Randy Moss touchdown with 2:42 remaining, setting the stage for one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history. With 1:15 on the clock, the Giants faces a 3rd and five from their own 44 yard line. The Patriots nearly took down Eli Manning in the backfield, but the New York QB wiggled away to get a pass off. The play was well defended by Rodney Harrison, but somehow David Tyree managed to pin the football to his helmet in order to secure the completion, even after being dragged to the ground by Harrison. Four plays later, Manning hit Plaxico Burress in the end zone to give New York a 17-14 victory, winning the Super Bowl and upsetting one of the greatest teams in NFL history."
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