I'm sure most of you NFL fans heard that the New York Giants received their Super Bowl rings this past week. Being the curious type, I wanted to see how much bling the Giants got for winning the ultimate NFL prize in Super Bowl XLII (that's 42 for those of you from Jersey... lol).
Well once I got a good look at this amazing piece of jewelry (Michael Strahan said he was satisfied and happy that it was a "10 table" ring, meaning in a restaurant this ring can be seen from 10 tables away!), I realized that I have only seen a couple of these famous rings over the forty-two years of Super Bowls and championship rings... Look what I found in my search for more examples of these rings, here are all 42 of them!
NFL Super Bowl Championship Rings
Super Bowl XL 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLI 2006 Indianapolis Colts New York Giants 2007 New York Giants Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XXXVII 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVIII 2003 New England Patriots 2004 New England Patriots Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIV 1999 St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXV 2000 Baltimore Ravens 2001 New England Patriots Super Bowl XXXVI
1996 Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXII 1997 Denver Broncos 1998 Denver Broncos Super Bowl XXXIII 1995 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXVIIII 1993 Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXIX 1994 San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXV 1990 N.Y. Giants
Super Bowl XXVI 1991 Washington Redskins 1992 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXII 1987 Washington Redskins Super Bowl XXIII 1988 San Francisco 49ers 1989 San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XXIV
Super Bowl XIX 1984 San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XX 1985 Chicago Bears 1986 N.Y. Giants Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XVI 1981 San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XVII 1982 Washington Redskins 1983 L.A. Raiders Super Bowl XVIII
Super BowlXIII 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XIV 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XV 1980 Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl X 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XI 1976 Oakland Raiders 1977 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl VIII 1973 Miami Dolphins Super Bowl XI 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl VII 1972 Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl IV 1969 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl V 1970 Baltimore Colts 1971 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl I 1966 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl II 1967 Green Bay Packers 1968 N.Y. Jets Super Bowl III
Seems like the gaudiness of the rings has increased as player salaries have become more and more gaudy over the years...
Addendum for Steve... How much are these rings valued at?
Super Bowls rings are given as awards to all the members of the winning team in the championship game of the league, which is the Super Bowl. They are awarded to them in commemoration of their victory. These valuable rings are usually made with white or yellow studded with diamonds. They would have the Super Bowl number, the team name and the team logo engraved on each ring.
The rings could also have bigger diamonds, as well as diamonds that have been designed to form a trophy. It represents how many Super Bowls the particular franchise has won. For instance, the 2005 Super Bowl ring of Pittsburgh has five trophies, which would represent the five championship games, or Super Bowls, that they have won.
A lot of people may not know that the NFL actually spends almost $5,000 for each ring, and usually gives almost 150 rings for each team. And the policy was if the cost of the rings goes over the limit of $5,000, then the team owner would be the one paying for the difference. A lot of the more recent rings have been appraised to have a value of over $20,000 but most manufacturers do not directly give this information.
The Super Bowl rings are usually made by the chosen company of the winning team. A lot of the Super Bowl rings are manufactured by a company named Josten's located in Denton. Texas.
So the league pays up to $5,000 per ring and it's up to the team owner if he or she wants to splurge... Then you have an accumulated value over the years...
Congratulations are in order to one of the greatest teams of road warriors ever to grace the National Football League.
The 2007-08 New York Football Giants!
From the outset of Super Bowl XLII the thought kept reoccurring that these were indeed the NEW and IMPROVED New York Giants that had found their way through Raymond James Stadium, Texas Stadium, and Lambeau Field to meet the New England Patriots in Glendale, Arizona. They scored first with a field goal in the first quarter. New England scored early in the second quarter and there it stood, 7-3. The Giants kept the Patriots from scoring and kept the lead within their grasp through the end of the third quarter. Their defensive coordinator used a strong pass rush accentuated with blitzing linebackers or defensive backs, and held the Patriots' rushers to only a few yards at the same time. What success Tom Brady mustered came from the short passing game with none of his trademark deep passes being completed. Tom spent more time than anything else evading rushers and picking himself off the turf after unceremoniously being knocked down time and time again. Then came the fourth quarter and the Giants finally found the endzone to take a 10-7 lead, but eveyone just knew the Patriots' offense, just as they had in four previous games in the regular season when down late, would reconnect and create late heroics to bring them victory. So to no one's surprise things finally started clicking as Brady completed one short pass after another. Then he connected with Randy Moss to retake the lead 14-10. Had they pulled it off again?
With 2 minutes 50 seconds remaining on the game clock, Eli Manning led the Giants offense back onto the field with all 3 second half timeouts in his pocket. 2 minutes and 15 seconds later he found Plaxico Burress in the left corner of the end zone. The extra point put the Giants up 3 with 35 seconds to play.
Was the dragon mortally wounded? Had young Eli driven his sword into a vital spot? The answer was yes... There simply wasn't enough time as Brady and the most prolific passing offense in the history of the NFL (single season) tried in vain to make a miracle happen. Time ran out and one of the most improbable runs in NFL history came to an end.
Congratulations!
I for one think this game ranks right up there with the New York Jets' upset of the mighty Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III...
In conclusion let me say that I truly believed the Patriots were unstoppable, boy was I wrong! Thank goodness nobody wanted to bet straight up!
The New England Patriots verses The New York Giants
I’m going to compare the two head coaches and their teams that will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII. First I want to take a look at Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin, then I’ll go through the pertinent statistics these teams have posted during the 2007 regular season and on their playoff journeys that led each to their Super Bowl berths. I’ll point out which team I believe holds the edge, if any, in each phase of the game.
The Head Coaches
Bill Belichick
The New England Patriots were stung in the playoffs last year. They were in their normal position of holding a good lead in the AFC Championship Game against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts when disaster struck. The Colts erased an 18 point deficit and won going away 38-34 in the biggest comeback victory ever in an NFL conference championship game. Head Coach Bill Belichick had lost in the playoffs for the second year running after his Patriots had won back to back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004. He and the team’s management went right to work trying to upgrade the team’s receiving corps and they literally struck gold as they were able to trade a fourth round draft pick to the hapless Oakland Raiders for one of the premier receivers in the game, Randy Moss. This was just for starters as they also brought in one of the Miami Dolphins’ top receivers, Wes Welker, by way of a trade and then signed another good wideout in free agent Donte’ Stallworth. The Patriots had finally given their quarterback a group of receivers that knew what to do downfield. The Patriot’s continued feeding their mix of veteran players and youthful draft picks while Belichick molded them into a smooth running machine based upon teamwork. They hit the deck running at the start of the 2007 season despite what became known as “Spygate”. The Patriots were found to be following the illegal practice of filming an opposing team’s sideline coach’s hand signals they use to transmit play calls to their players on the field. The Patriots wanted to know what their opposition’s signals meant, giving them a distinct advantage. The opposing New York Jets’ coach, Eric Mangini, a former Patriots assistant, told NFL officials what was going on and as a result, the Patriots along with their head coach were heavily fined by the new league Commissioner, Roger Goodell. This seemed to draw the already closely knit Patriots team even closer together and it was as if they went on a mission to prove to everyone that they didn’t need to use illegal tactics to win in this league and so they did. The supreme schemer of the modern era NFL, Bill Belicheck maneuvered his team with precision. He left his starters on the field when holding large leads and listened to his opponents and their fans rail at him for using such dirty, unsportsmanlike methods, but when the Patriots found themselves behind late in games during the year, Belichick’s well-honed charges rose to the occasion and beat down any attempts to knock them from their undefeated perch. The final regular season game was one such occasion as the Patriots traveled to the New Jersey Meadowlands to play the New York Giants. The Giants nearly defeated Belichick’s boys, but nearly wasn’t good enough as the Patriots ripped the victory away from the Giants. The home field advantage in the playoffs saw the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars enter Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium and leave with their tails tucked. Next came the injured but game San Diego Chargers who played well but couldn’t overcome the juggernaut. Coach Bill Belichick and his staff did a masterful job leading the Patriots once again to the threshold of the Promised Land, and for his work, Coach Belichick was named NFL Coach of the Year.
Tom Coughlin
The New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin is in his 12th season as an NFL head coach. In 7 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars his teams won the AFC South Division twice and placed second twice. Not bad for a first time head coach with a new expansion team. They were the surprise of the league. The Jags played in two AFC title games but lost both while posting a 4 win and 4 loss overall playoff record. Coughlin’s stay in northeast Florida ended after the 2002 season. Tom, who was known for his tough, boot camp approach to coaching, next surfaced in 2004 with the team he coaches today. He was given a mandate to bring discipline to a Giants team that seemingly enjoyed playing to the New York media and sniping among themselves. With Tom Coughlin being a disciple of former Giants head coach and two-time Lombardi Trophy winner Bill Parcells, a task master in his own right, it became obvious that the Parcells tough love approach to coaching was what the Giants’ management craved. The team’s players let it be known they didn’t like this style almost immediately, but Coughlin was able to hold the line while engineering a path that lead the Giants to the NFC East title in 2005 only to lose in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006, the Giants went backwards, but still made the playoffs as an 8-8 wild card team. Once again they lost in the first round. Now there were cries from players and fans alike to bring in a new, player friendly coach. The New York media was whipping up a rebellion as the Giants’ star running back left the team and moved to a bully pulpit where he tore down the Giants and their young quarterback. Through all this, and to their credit, the Giant’s management stood by their coach. During the off season after 2006, Tom Coughlin must have been going through a lot of soul searching because it was a different, more mellow coach that the Giants’ players found when training camp began last summer. There were still a couple of characters on this talented team that apparently would rather freelance than be a true teammate, but by and large the players began to accept the new and improved Coughlin. He guided the team through an up and down season that finally resulted in enough ups to once again land a wild card berth in the playoffs while fighting it out in the tough NFC East. Their last regular season game was played against a team coached by an old friend of Coughlin’s and another Parcells disciple, Bill Belichick and his undefeated New England Patriots. It didn’t matter whether the Giants won or lost that game as their place in the playoffs was secure, but with the knowledge that a nationwide television audience would be tuning in to see if the Patriots could actually run the table and win every game in the regular season for the first time in 34 years, Tom Coughlin started his first team players and stuck with them throughout the game. These ne’er do well Giants hung right with the mighty Patriots and actually held a two touchdown lead in the third quarter before the wheels started rolling on the Patriot offense. The Pats ran off 22 unanswered points to take a 10 point lead, but the Giants weren’t done as they closed the gap only to fall just short. What had happened? It appears that the Giants, to a man, finally bought in to this new/old coach of theirs. Things actually started to click for the G-men and they took the momentum gained from that home loss to the Patriots on the road with them where they ran off three straight playoff victories against the season’s best NFC teams to reach the Super Bowl! Tom Coughlin has led this team on one of the greatest playoff runs in the history of the NFL, there’s no denying it. What do these Giants get for their efforts? They get a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, win the ring that tells the world they are world champions as they drink from the sport’s Holy Grail. All they have to do is defeat that same undefeated New England Patriots team that sent them off on this improbable journey in the first place… Tom Coughlin and these Giants wouldn’t have it any other way!
2008 Postseason – 599 yards on 62.4% completions for 4 TD’s and 0 interceptions – QB Rating – 99.1 – In 3 games.
Experience wins out here despite Eli Manning’s postseason statistics.
Large Quarterback Edge – New England Patriots.
Running Game –
New England Patriots –
Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Heath Evans, and Tom Brady accounted for 1,997 yards rushing in 463 attempts for an average per carry of 4.31 yards. The Patriots scored 16 rushing TD’s. All running statistics are from both the regular and postseason.
New York Giants –
Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Reuben Droughns, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Eli Manning accounted for 2,469 yards rushing in 556 attempts for an average per carry of 4.44 yards. The Giants scored 19 rushing TD’s. All running statistics are from both the regular and postseason.
Yards per carry average keeps this close.
Slight Running Game Edge – New York Giants
Receiving Game –
New England Patriots –
Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte’ Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, Benjamin Watson, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney and Kyle Brady accounted for the majority of 5,330 yards receiving in 451 attempts for 11.82 yards per reception and 55 touchdowns or 1 TD for every 8 attempts.
New York Giants –
Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, Sinorice Moss, Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss and Steve Smith accounted for the majority of 3,975 yards receiving in 355 attempts for 11.20 yards per reception and 27 touchdowns or 1 TD for every 13 attempts.
Quality receivers on both sides but the man throwing the ball and the offensive line play tips the scale toward New England.
Receiving Game Edge – New England Patriots
Kicking Game –
New England Patriots –
Stephen Gostkowski – 22 FG’s in 26 attempts with a long of 45 yards (84.62%) & 81 of 81 extra points for 147 points.
New York Giants –
Lawrence Tynes – 27 FG’s in 33 attempts with a long of 48 yards (81.82%) & 48 of 50 extra points for 129 points.
Kicking Game Edge – Even
Return Game –
New England Patriots –
Kickoffs – 23.7 yard average on 66 attempts (2 TD’s).
Punt Returns – 9.5 yard average on 34 attempts (0 TD’s).
New York Giants –
Kickoffs – 23.8 yard average on 78 attempts (1 TD).
Punt Returns – 7.7 yard average on 50 attempts (0 TD’s).
The punt return game favors the Patriots while kick returns are virtually even.
Slight Return Game Edge – New England Patriots
DEFENSE
New England Patriots –
Tackles - Total – 1,006, Solo – 760, Ast – 246, Sack – 47, Tackle for loss – 38.
Yards allowed – 4,880, 1,563 rushing & 3,317 passing (7th in NFL). Points per game allowed – 21.9 (17th in NFL)
Fairly close here. Without the turnover difference and points allowed per game, I’d call this even, but turnovers make the world go around and there’s over a field goal difference in average points allowed.
Defense Edge – New England Patriots
Punting Game –
New England Patriots –
Chris Hanson – 2,011 yards on 49 punts for a 41 yard average with 91 return yards for a net average of 39.2 yards. 14 punts were dead inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
New York Giants –
Jeff Feagles – 3,476 yards on 86 punts for a 40 yard average with 187 return yards for a net average of 38.2 yards. 28 punts were dead inside the opponent’s 20 yard line.
Based upon the net averages and inside the 20 numbers, the punting is what it is…
Punting Game Edge – Even
* * *
On paper, the play on the field isn’t really that far apart between these two teams. The quarterback difference is indisputable during the regular season, while I’m sure the Giants’ fans will all point to Manning’s postseason numbers as evidence that their leader has arrived. I guess the question is can Eli maintain that rhythm in the biggest game of his life? There have been other young quarterbacks in the same bright glare of the Super Bowl. Some have performed adequately, some poorly, and a very few have risen to the occasion and led their teams to an improbable victory. In fact, the man playing this position for the Patriots is one of them. Tom Brady has started and won three of these championships, all before the age of 28. In two of them he was named the Most Valuable Player. Will Brady remain as cool and collected as we’ve seen him in the past?
To Summarize:
Coaching - Edge – New England Patriots
Quarterbacks – Large Edge – New England Patriots
Running Game – Slight Edge – New York Giants
Receiving Game – Edge – New England Patriots
Return Game – Slight Edge – New England Patriots
Defense – Edge – New England Patriots
Punting Game – Even
Kicking Game – Even
In a year when, for the first time in decades, an undefeated team enters the Super Bowl, will the obvious take place and a coronation occur after this game? Can the Patriots bring the 2007-08 NFL season to a resounding crescendo and win it all?
We all know that anything can happen in this game. The football has a way of taking funny bounces sometimes. Will one of the greatest storylines in NFL history play out with yet another astounding New York Giants victory?
It has been very interesting watching the maturation of Eli Manning over the last few games. There were a lot of questions concerning Eli's football, let alone his leadership skills prior to the beginning of this season, and they remained as the New York Giants were on again against teams with losing records and off again against the teams with winning records. This process continued right up to the final regular season game of the year in the Giant's Meadowlands Stadium home. They entertained the undefeated New England Patriots in a game of little meaning to them as their position in the upcoming playoffs had already been determined. Yet, much to their credit, the Giant's management left their starting players on the field while other playoff teams rested their stars in anticipation of the playoffs. Something had happened in that game through this process. Suddenly young Eli was making good decisions. After coughing up 19 interceptions during the previous 15 games, Eli kept the Giants close in a game where they found themselves decided underdogs. The Giants actually were in position to slay the juggernaut Patriots late in the game when Manning finally forced a pass up the left sideline that was intercepted. The Patriots won that game on the scoreboard, 38-35, but the New York Giants had proven something to themselves and the confidence they had garnered, as it turned out yesterday, would carry them through three consecutive road wins against playoff competiton and put them into the Super Bowl where they will once again face an undefeated New England Patriots team. During this run, Eli Manning had not thrown an interception while playing the third and second ranked pass defenses in the league, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys respectively, and while playing in miserably frigid sub-zero conditions in Green Bay Wisconsin against the fourth ranked team in the NFL in Total Defense. Eli had completed 62% of his passes without throwing a single interception for a quaterback rating of 99.2 in these playoff games against that quality of competition, all while playing under hostile conditons in Tampa, Dallas, and Green Bay. His play was amazing! The confidence gained in the final regular season game must have been contagious as the offensive line maintained passing protection and opened rushing lanes against the best defenses in the league. The rushers and receivers rose to the occasion, the special teams units were able to put the ball into good field postion for their offensive and defensive units all while the Giants defense kept the team in every game. It was definitely a team effort that would not have been possible without their young quarterback's improved play.
We all know Eli Manning's story, son of an NFL quarterback and brother to a Super Bowl winning quarterback.
What we have just witnessed is a quiet young man who has led his team to the pinnacle of professional football while playing in the New York sports media crucible. Is this the stuff of legends? One more huge obstacle stands between Eli Manning and what will surely be a canonization process if he can slay the dragon. Let the hype begin...
This Sunday at 1:00 PM Eastern, on Fox Sports Television, there will be a very interesting match-up at Raymond James Stadium between the Wild Card New York Giants and the NFC South Division winner, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here is a snapshot of the game and a prediction.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quick Notes:
Tampa Bay rested many key starters… Players wanted to play… Coach’s decision… Frustrating to watch… Question about rust… Gruden wanted rested, healthy players… Timing, execution??? Gruden didn’t have a choice… Against 49ers Garcia took big hits, that did it… Garcia is Bucs MVP, the team relies on him big time… The offensive line starters played throughout the last two games. The Buccaneers don’t have much depth on defense… Gruden protected his top line defensive players late in the season and was able to analyze the backups… Some of the veterans (Barber) questioned being sat down… Offense is based on timing and sitting the starters may hurt this… If you win you did the right thing resting your players, if you lose you screwed up…
Injuries: OG Aaron Sears was hurt against Carolina (ankle)… Gruden thinks he’ll play… Bad Timing against Giant D line…Other injuries? Askew is expected back… Hilliard is okay… Receiver Maurice Stovall has been put on IR… All in all, the Bucs are pretty healthy for this time of year…
Quote: "Momentum is important," said Gruden on Sunday. "Momentum is making the playoffs. When you run out of the tunnel and there are 80,000 fans going crazy, you’re going to have momentum, you’re going to be excited to play. Momentum is having a quarterback that is your starter, healthy and walking around feeling good. That has a lot to do with momentum. And seeing Joey Galloway running as fast as he can run, that’s what I see as momentum."
Concerning the NY Giants… Buccaneer’s top priority is stopping the Giant’s running game. Jacobs is a big, physical back plus Ahmad Bradshaw will be ready to play if needed… It will take team tackling against big load running backs… The Bucs have to force pressure on Eli Manning… They need 2nd &/or 3rd and long situations, to let the pass defense do their job in a known situation… Offensively… The Bucs top priority is to protect Garcia against top sack defense… The Giants have 53 sacks on the season (1st in the NFL)… There is opportunity to make plays down the middle of the field… Key is protect Garcia… Keep tight ends in as well as Askew for protection.
Wild Card: Michael Clayton has been playing back up to his first season capabilities, just when the team needs him. Jeremy Stevens may be another factor as the short passing game may be featured against the hard charging Giants front line.
Coaching Situation: Gruden has solidified his job this year with the Glazers.
New York Giants Quick Notes:
Played their starters against the Patriots… Proved to themselves that they can play with anyone… Team looked very sharp… Rookie TE Kevin Boss is filling in admirably for injured Shockey... Giants’ defensive secondary is very suspect… Giants had only one win all season over a team that made the playoffs and/or finished with a winning record - 24-17 over the Washington Redskins (9-7) in Week 3. Eli Manning has not yet won a playoff game (0-2)… His play against the Pats has given the Giants newfound hope for Eli to become the QB they thought he was when they traded for him almost four years ago… Brother Peyton went 0-3 in the playoffs before winning his first…
Injuries: Giants’ center Shaun O’Hara hurt against Pats is day to day with a knee injury… CB Sam Madison (abdominal strain) is probable, LB Kawika Mitchell (sprained MCL) is doubtful, TE Jeremy Shockey and RB Derrick Ward are out… The Giants are in fair shape on the injury front.
Quote: "When we make up our minds, I think we can beat anybody," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "Our question has never been the talent. Our question has always been from just execution and making up our minds that we are going to win the game. We have done that and we have been successful even if it has taken us a fourth-quarter comeback. We know that we are very capable of winning against anybody. It is just our mind-set."
Concerning the Buccaneers… The Giants’ top priority is to get after Jeff Garcia and disrupt the Buc’s rhythm. They need to knock him down, over and over. Protect their weak secondary. On offense, run to throw the ball. The Buccaneer’s defense is at the top of the league against the pass. Keep them guessing by maintaining a good rushing attack.
Wild Card: Will Eli Manning continue his progression into a top flight NFL quarterback. He put together two of his greatest career games this season, the first game against the Dallas Cowboys and the last game against the New England Patriots. These teams are the top seeds in this year’s playoffs from each conference. Is this a harbinger of things to come?
Coaching Situation: Tom Coughlin may need to win this game to continue on as the Giants head coach…
Statistical Match-ups:
NYG 16th OFF; TB 2nd DEF
NYG 4th RUN; TB 17th VS. RUN
NYG 21st PASS; TB 1st VS. PASS
NYG 14th PTS; TB 3rd PTS ALLOWED
TB 18th OFF; NYG 7th DEF
TB 11th RUN; NYG 8th VS. RUN
TB 16th PASS; NYG 11th VS. PASS
TB 18th PTS; NYG 17th PTS ALLOWED
TB 4th TO/TA; NYG 26th TO/TA
Strength of Schedule: NY Giants .516… Tampa Bay Buccaneers .469….
The Las Vegas Early Line TAMPA BAY -3 vs. N.Y. Giants (39 1/2)
Who will win? New York Giants will win on the road at Tampa Bay.
All this season we heard one set of fans after another cry bloody murder after their team was "disrespected" when the New England Patriots left their top line players in the game well into the 4th quarter while enjoying a big lead. I heard that it was unsportsmanlike among other uncomplimentary words. I recall Bill Belichick being called all sorts of unflattering things.
Well, in the game that marked the beginning of the final weekend in the 2007 NFL regular season, the undefeated Patriots found themselves down 28-16 late in the 3rd quarter on the road against the New York Giants, a 10-5 NFC playoff team. The Giants, featuring a strong defense, had found their on again off again offense was on for the night. The Patriots were in real trouble and their perfect season was on the line. How did they respond? Just as they had been prepared to respond throughout a season of playing all four quarters. There was no panic, you couldn’t find anyone with their head down or nervously looking away. There was nothing but trust between the teammates, coaches and players alike. You just knew they were poised to make another comeback for the fifth time this season.
The defense did their part, the offense did their part, and, in the final minute, the special teams unit did their part. They held the resurgent Giant offense, and scored 22 points. A last gasp touchdown for the Giants set the stage for the "hands unit" of the kick-off return special teams to handle an on-side kick, and that they did to seal the game, 38-35.
I have to stress, this team was confident in their ability, honed all season long by keeping the front line performers on the field for four quarters.
Kudos to the New York Giants for playing their front line players throughout the game when they really didn’t have to. Kudos to the NFL for allowing us all to enjoy watching this dramatic game. Finally, kudos to the Patriot’s management, coaches, and players. You have three more games in front of you to truly make NFL history!
I'm a sports fanatic living on the west coast of Florida. I'm a rare bird that moved here from the left coast a couple of years ago. I advocate an even playing field in all of life's endeavors.
best slot
that it was a "10 table" ring, meaning in a restaurant this ring can be seen from 10 tables away!), I realized that I have only seen a couple of these famous rings over the forty-two years of Super Bowls and championship rings... Look what I found in my search for more examples of these rings, here are all 42 of them!
Super Bowl XLII
to the beginning of this season, and they remained as the New York Giants were on again against teams with losing records and off again against the teams with winning records. This process continued right up to the final regular season game of the year in the Giant's Meadowlands Stadium home. They entertained the undefeated New England Patriots in a game of little meaning to them as their position in the upcoming playoffs had already been determined. Yet, much to their credit, the Giant's management left their starting players on the field while other playoff teams rested their stars in anticipation of the playoffs. Something had happened in that game through this process. Suddenly young Eli was making good decisions. After coughing up 19 interceptions during the previous 15 games, Eli kept the Giants close in a game where they found themselves decided underdogs. The Giants actually were in position to slay the juggernaut Patriots late in the game when Manning finally forced a pass up the left sideline that was intercepted. The Patriots won that 
game on the scoreboard, 38-35, but the New York Giants had proven something to themselves and the confidence they had garnered, as it turned out yesterday, would carry them through three consecutive road wins against playoff competiton and put them into the Super Bowl where they will once again face an undefeated New England Patriots team. During this run, Eli Manning had not thrown an interception while playing the third and second ranked pass defenses in the league, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys respectively, and while playing in miserably frigid sub-zero conditions in Green Bay Wisconsin against the fourth ranked team in the NFL in Total Defense. Eli had completed 62% of his passes without throwing a single interception for a quaterback rating of 99.2 in these playoff games against that quality of competition, all while playing under hostile conditons in Tampa, Dallas, and Green Bay. His play was amazing! The confidence gained in the final regular season game must have been contagious as the offensive line maintained passing protection and opened rushing lanes against the best defenses in the league. The rushers and receivers rose to the occasion, the special teams units were able to put the ball into good field postion for their offensive and defensive units all while the Giants defense kept the team in every game. It was definitely a team effort that would not have been possible without their young quarterback's improved play. 
