THE HELMET CATCH

Before we talk about The Helmet Coach, let’s first set the stage.

Heading into Week 17 of the 2007 season, the New York Giants had already secured a wildcard berth into the NFL Playoffs. However, head coach Tom Coughlin opted to play his starters in a game opposite the undefeated New England Patriots, who were attempting to become the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season. Considered a longshot to make a deep playoff run, most fans and analysts never expected a thrilling 38-35 defeat to the Patriots that day, one that would give them the confidence to eventually upend the Patriots in the Super Bowl five weeks later.

But before they could pack their bags for Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona, they had to first overcome a mountainous trek through the NFL Postseason that would involve three road contests. After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round and the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round, the Giants headed to frigid Green Bay to take on Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and the Packers in the NFC Championship. After the game went undecided in regulation, the two teams headed to overtime, where Green Bay received the kickoff. With their backs against the wall once again, Giants cornerback Corey Webster intercepted Favre on the second play of overtime to set up an eventual game-winning field goal by Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes.

Two weeks later, the Giants were in Arizona with the Patriots chasing history. The back-and-forth defensive battle eventually headed into the fourth quarter with New England on top, 7-3. That advantage would soon shift in favor of the Giants following a seven-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver David Tyree. The touchdown reception by Tyree gave the Giants a 10-7 lead with a little over 11 minutes left in the contest.

After exchanging possessions, the Patriots were able to move down the field for an eventual go-ahead touchdown pass by Tom Brady to Randy Moss, giving New England a 14-10 edge with 2:42 left on the clock.

On the ensuing drive, the Giants converted a short fourth down and soon found themselves in a 3rd and 5 situation with 1:15 remaining in the game. Walking back to the huddle following an incomplete pass on second down, no one could have anticipated that they were about to see what is widely acknowledged as the greatest play in Super Bowl history.

On third down, Manning snapped the ball at his own 44-yard line and immediately found himself in trouble. With a heavy Patriots pass rush in his face, Manning somehow eluded pressure from Adalius Thomas and evaded the grasp of Jarvis Green and Richard Seymour as the pocket collapsed. Manning then rolled out before dropping back and setting his feet to launch a ball down the field to Tyree, who was surrounded by defenders and had safety Rodney Harrison draped all over his back.

With the ball in the air, Tyree perfectly timed his jump to catch it at the peak of its arc. Harrison immediately attempted to knock the ball from his possession as he came down with it, but Tyree locked it onto his helmet with incredible strength from his right hand before hitting the ground and securing it with both hands. Somehow, Tyree maintained control the entire time, and the ball never hit the ground. The greatest play in Super Bowl history had just set the stage for the greatest upset in Super Bowl history.

After the Giants completed a long third-down play on the next set of downs, Manning found wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown that gave the Giants a 17-14 advantage with 35 seconds left on the clock. Four plays later, the Giants were in victory formation after safety Gibirl Wilson knocked down a Brady pass on 4th and 20.

When those final seconds ticked off the clock, the Giants were world champions for the third time in franchise history while also bringing a would-be undefeated season by the Patriots to a close. Tyree achieved the dream of every player who has ever put on pads that day by catching a fourth quarter touchdown in the Super Bowl. However, it was his incredible Helmet Catch that will forever live in football folklore until the end of time.