Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have scripted many records together. But they could never script an unbeaten season that ended with a Super Bowl win. The Miami Dolphins have that record.

Only one man stood in his way: New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who led his Giants into what seemed an impossible task to the public. But what happened throughout the 60-minute game would be remembered for decades to come. And, it would also break the notion that Tom Brady was invincible.

Leading up to Super Bowl XLII

The Giants went 10-6 during the regular season and entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the NFC. If they wanted to get to the Super Bowl from here, they’d have to win three straight road games. Manning and Co. understood the memo.

Manning led his team to 24-14, 21-17, and 23-20 wins throughout the postseason, besting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers.

The Packers were the No. 2 seed. Led by quarterback Brett Favre, they were the likely team to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes missed two field goals in the fourth quarter, including a 36-yarder with time expiring in regulation. It was testing New York, but they did not let up.

In overtime, the Packers got the ball first. But Farve threw an interception on the second play, picked off by Giants cornerback Corey Webster. This set up a game-winning 47-yard field goal for Tynes, sending the Giants to the Super Bowl.

Only one man stood in Manning’s way now.

Super Bowl XLII

Going into the game, the Patriots were 12-point favorites over the Giants. Not a soul expected the No. 5-seeded Giants to best the Patriots, who had already won the Super Bowl thrice since 2000. The team was led by the duo of Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss. The WR had 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns on the season, and was a key reason behind the Patriots reaching the Super Bowl. 

This was Brady’s game to win. But it turned out to be much closer than everybody thought.

Both defenses stole the show, but in the fourth quarter, the offenses took over. There were three lead changes in the fourth quarter, with the first being a six-yard touchdown to Giants receiver David Tyree.

Brady made sure to respond. New England went on a 12-play touchdown drive, with Brady finding Moss for a six-yard touchdown, giving the Patriots a 14-10 lead. With 2:42 left on the clock, it looked like the Patriots would complete their perfect season.

The Giants’ offense needed to work quickly, but the drive started on their 17-yard line. New York somehow earned a third down, and the Patriots were only two more stops away from securing the perfect season.

Then came one of the most iconic plays in NFL history.

Manning dropped back and was immediately put under pressure. The pocket collapsed, and the QB’s jersey was being grabbed, but he kept his eyes downfield. Manning got dragged around. But he escaped a sack, collected his feet under him, and immediately got his eyes back down the field. He loaded up and threw a strike down the middle of the field for Tyree, who made a touchdown catch earlier in the quarter.

Tyree jumped and made a one-handed catch with his right hand on the crown of his helmet. It was a 32-yard catch for the first down conversion and one of the luckiest plays in NFL history.

The play set up Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burreas for a 13-yard touchdown catch, bumping up the Giants to 17-14, with under one minute on the clock. New England’s offense couldn’t get into field-goal range, and the Giants did what seemed impossible.

They brought down the Goliath of the NFL; they ruined what a great dream it had been. The Patriots had to end their season 17-1, keeping the ’72 Dolphins record alive.

Manning raised the Lombardi Trophy with a smile on his face. It was him, not Brady. One of the craziest games in NFL history was complete. And the city showed up to celebrate.

“I grew up in New Orleans, and I had been to Mardi Gras. I guess I just didn’t know what the Canyon of Heroes was, kind of heard about it, kept hearing the words, I just didn’t realize everything about it,” Manning recalled in 2018. “Just the confetti and the people just as far as you can see – down the side streets, the blocks, people everywhere hanging out of buildings. It was awesome, just total chaos and an unbelievable experience going through that.”

It’d be the first of two times Manning beat Brady in the Super Bowl, but this one meant more. Manning ended one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history, and Tyree will forever be remembered in New York for the iconic catch he made.