Ranking Giants vs. Patriots Amongst Most Anticipated Super Bowls in NFL History

A rematch of Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLVI is going to be one hyped game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

Tom Brady versus Eli Manning once again, it's a matchup that's exciting even for non-Giants and non-Patriots fans.

And in honor of the Super Bowl, here's how this one compares to other highly anticipated games since the Super Bowl began in the 1966-67 NFL season.

7. Super Bowl XXIV: Broncos vs. 49ers

Heading into Super Bowl XXIV, the game was slated to be a great quarterback matchup between John Elway of the Denver Broncos and Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers.

Elway had led the Broncos to two previous Super Bowls but failed in both; however, he was rolling into this Super Bowl after a dominating performance over Cleveland in the AFC title game.

Montana, on the other hand, had already won three Super Bowls and the 49ers were looking for a fourth to tie Pittsburgh with the most all-time.

So there was a lot at stake for each team and unfortunately for Denver, it turned out to be the most lopsided Super Bowl in NFL history, 55-10 in favor of San Francisco.

Although highly anticipated before kickoff, the game was over by halftime.

6. Super Bowl XXVIII: Bills vs. Cowboys

Anytime there's a direct rematch such as Super Bowl XXVIII, it's certainly a hyped-up game.

After the 1992 NFL season the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys met in Super Bowl XXVII. Long story short, Big D dominated 52-17 and was heading into the 1993 season with much confidence.

The Bills, at first, were having none of it.

Coming out of halftime, Dallas found itself down 13-6. For Buffalo, it was a straight nosedive thereafter and before the third quarter had ended, the Cowboys regained the lead 20-13.

Adding 10 more in the final quarter, Dallas closed out on a 24-0 run to win 30-13 and a second consecutive Super Bowl over Buffalo.

5. Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots vs. Giants

This is where Super Bowl XLVI lands because Super Bowl XLII was more hyped.

That being said, it's a rematch from only four years ago with many of the same big names on each side.

Obviously with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Matt Light, Vince Wilfork and Wes Welker for the Pats, New York still has Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, David Diehl, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

Although neither team is undefeated, New England is making their fifth Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons and the Giants their third since the 2000 season.

Not to mention most are unaware of Belichick and Coughlin coaching together under Bill Parcells in New York from 1988-1990.

4. Super Bowl XIII: Steelers vs. Cowboys

A rematch of Super Bowl X where the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21-17, many of the players from that game were also present three years later in Super Bowl XIII.

Dallas was coming off a dominating victory 27-10 over Denver in Super Bowl XII,  where the Cowboys picked off four passes. The Steelers had not been in the big game since the 1975 season, so they were eager to knock off the defending champions.

With numerous eventual Hall of Famers from each side competing, it's only right that this Super Bowl finished with a final score of 35-31, unfortunately for Dallas, in favor of Pittsburgh a second time.

3. Super Bowl VII: Dolphins vs. Redskins

Although the Miami Dolphins were 16-0 heading into Super Bowl VII they were still 1.5-point underdogs to the Washington Redskins.

Then again, it was a reasonable point-spread considering that Washington finished the regular season 11-3 and had outscored its' opponents 42-6 in two playoff games.

So, favoring the Redskins over a Dolphins team that barely won both of their postseason contests was not surprising.

Fortunately for the defending AFC Champions, Miami came out on top 14-7 and still remain as the only perfect team in NFL history.

2. Super Bowl XLII: Patriots vs. Giants

With the Dolphins having been perfect and the New England Patriots chasing perfection, Super Bowl XLII was extremely hyped and anticipated.

For one, the popularity of the NFL is vehemently greater now than back in the early 1970s, so with Tom Brady and company on the fringe of completing what was to be considered the single greatest football season ever, only the New York Giants stood in their way.

What's also interesting about this game is that New England and New York had met in Week 17. There, the Pats won 35-31 but the Giants would win the one that counted.

A 17-14 nail-biter, Michael Strahan and Amani Toomer got the Super Bowl that had eluded them in 2000 in one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl and NFL history.

The next game, though, is what made each of these previous Super Bowls possible.

1. Super Bowl III: Jets vs. Colts

The game that changed the landscape of pro football forever, the AFL champion New York Jets were 18-point underdogs to the NFL champion Baltimore Colts.

Looking back, to this day it's the second biggest point-spread in Super Bowl history. In Super Bowl XXIX the biggest spread was the San Francisco 49ers (-18.5) against the San Diego Chargers.

The difference is that the Jets actually won the game, 16-7, and pulled off what's considered the single greatest upset in the history of pro football. Although the AFL and NFL would not merge until after the 1969 season, it was Joe Namath's guarantee coming true that put the AFL on the map.

John Rozum on Twitter