Giants vs. Patriots: 3 Reasons This Super Bowl Was Worse Than Last Time

When David Tyree hauled in Eli Manning's pass at the very end of Super Bowl XLII, the whole room gasped.  His catch sucked the air out of a room that just moments ago had been filled with chants, shouts and screams.  The sheer epicness of that moment made the whole room silent and sticks with fans to this day.  Tonight's Super Bowl XLVI was an exceptional game but its intensity level never came close to that of the 2007 original.  

Perhaps it's harsh to nitpick but when presented with two epic Super Bowl performances featuring the game opponents, it's just human nature to figure out which one is better.  

Let's look at three reasons why this Super Bowl was great but not quite as special as Super Bowl XLII. Read on, then leave a comment and let's debate...

There Was No Perfect Season on the Line

In 2007, the New England Patriots came into the Super Bowl 18-0. They were trying to cap off the first 19-0 perfect season in NFL history and the first perfect season of any kind since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The 9-7 New York Giants were enormous underdogs, which created a suspenseful situation from the very first minute of the game: Could the Patriots be perfect?

In 2012, the Patriots were 13-3 and the Giants were 9-7.  But both teams were relatively weak Super Bowl contenders and there was no clear favorite going in to the game.  There was a lot of suspense surrounding the rematch between the two teams but there was no all-time quest for perfection in this second rendition.  

There Was Less Real Action in the Fourth Quarter

I know, I know I am nitpicking.  But this is about comparing this game to 2007.  Both games were epic performances, which makes it tough.  But 2007 clearly had more real action in the fourth quarter.  

In 2007's fourth quarter, fans witnessed a scoring spectacle.  The quarter started 7-3 but then the game exploded.  Eli Manning led the Giants to their first touchdown of the game, which made it 10-7.  Then Tom Brady finally woke up and led the Patriots on a late drive for a touchdown to make it 14-10.

Given Brady's 3-0 history in Super Bowls at the time, everyone except the Giants thought the game was over. But then Manning took the field, Tyree made the most spectacular catch in Super Bowl history, and the Giants pulled off one more unexpected touchdown and the 17-14 upset.  

In 2012, the second-half action was spread out and there was far less fourth-quarter scoring and suspense.  In the third, the Patriots scored a touchdown to make it 17-9 but then let the Giants slowly chipped away at the lead with two field goals.  By the late fourth quarter, it was 17-15 and Bill Belichick had to let the Giants walk into the end zone for the only score of the quarter.  

After that, Brady had two minutes to pull off the iceman routine he was once famous for but he failed, which left the Giants 21-17 victors.  So, Super Bowl XLVI certainly had its late game thrills but they didn't match the breathless moments from four years ago.  

There Was No Miracle Catch on the Giants' Winning Drive

In 2007, the New York Giants were down 14-10 when Eli Manning embarked on his final drive.  Huge underdogs, everyone expected them to lose.  When the Patriots blitzed, Manning danced around for what seemed like an eternity before throwing a Hail Mary ball in the air.  Unheralded receiver David Tyree made a spectacular catch with Patriots safety Ryan Harrison all over him.  

If Tyree had not caught the ball, then the game would have been over.  It was the closest nail-biting plan humanly possible.

In 2012, Manning started his final drive down 17-15.  They drove the ball down the field in spectacular but not quite epic fashion.  The best play was Mario Manningham's sideline catch, which was very impressive but nowhere near close to David Tyree's miracle catch in terms of difficulty or suspense.  

Then, Patriots coach Bill Belichick allowed Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw to walk into the end zone, which was a strategic decision to preserve time on the clock.  But it robbed fans of the edge-of-your-seat suspense that everyone felt at the very same moment in 2007.  

The End Result: Two Spectacular Games but Only One Epic Super Bowl

As NFL fans, we were very lucky to have witnessed an amazing rematch tonight in Super Bowl XLVI.  The game lived up to its billing and was a thrill ride all the way to the Giants' victory.

But it was not an epic match for 2007's Super Bowl XLII.

The 2012 version was great but it lacked the compelling quest for perfection that defined the 2007 season and permeated that year's whole Super Bowl.  There was no flawless franchise and no compelling underdog.  Instead, 2012 was a grunge match between two worthy adversaries, an excellent Super Bowl game but not the mind-blowing experience that was Super Bowl XLII.

That said, there are many opinions out there.  So, which Super Bowl game do you think was better? Leave a comment and LET'S DEBATE!