Just where does the New York Giants' dramatic victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII rank?
After all, the Giants were a 14-point underdog, and they were taking on the first team to reach the Super Bowl with a perfect 18-0 record.
In pure football terms, this was not the biggest upset in Super Bowl history.Not even close.
Even though New York was the fifth seed in the NFC, having won three road games in the playoffs to reach the Super Bowl, this Giants team was hardly a lightweight.
They were led by a solid quarterback who was picked first overall in 2004. They had a stout defense that already gave New England all it could handle in the regular-season finale. They were coached by a veteran staff led by Tom Coughlin that's hardly intimidated by the spotlight.
On the flip side, despite the Patriots arrived with an 18-0 record, there were serious signs of trouble. They had to eke out several close games down the stretch in the regular season.
They had trouble putting away flawed teams in Jacksonville and San Diego in the playoffs. They had an old defense that was wearing down. And Randy Moss was virtually silent in the postseason.
The fact that the Patriots were primed for an upset manifested itself in Las Vegas' worst day ever at the sportsbooks—Vegas books lost a record $2.6 million on the Super Bowl.
Mind you, Vegas does not fall victim to its own lines often—the last net loss for the books was in 1995 when San Francisco blew out San Diego. But bettors chose the Giants overwhelmingly, not only on the point spread, but also on the money line. Yes, lots of people thought—correctly—that the Giants would win outright.
Ironically, the Patriots' win over the Rams in 2001 Super Bowl that inaugurated their dynasty was perhaps the greatest upset in pure football terms. That edition of the Rams, led by league MVP Kurt Warner and offensive player of the year Marshall Faulk, should have won that game going away. But for head coach Mike Martz's stubborn refusal to let loose the running game, the Patriots stayed close enough to steal the contest at the end.
There are other football upsets that made better arguments than the Giants' win: The Jets' historic win over the Colts in Super Bowl III, Denver over Green Bay in 1997, heck, even the Giants' own close shave against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV might have been a bigger upset.
But where the Giants' upset rates high is in terms of historic significance. Denying a team its place in the NFL pantheon is no small feat. No team with an undefeated record had ever been beaten in the Super Bowl. For that, the Giants' upset is the second greatest ever.
Behind, of course, the one by that other New York team.
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