Giants rewrite history in upset of Patriots

Giants quarterback Eli Manning connected from New England's 13-yard line to wide receiver Plaxico Burress for a touchdown with 35 seconds to play.

New York held on against a flurry of deep passes heaved by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady toward his own top receiver, Randy Moss, for the victory.

New England had completed the first perfect regular season since the National Football League extended to 16 games in 1978, and won two playoff games to reach the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, outside Phoenix.

After playing facing their stiffest test of the year in the last game of the regular season, a 38-35 victory over the same Giants, the Patriotss tumbled against a more confident New York team on Sunday.

A key to the game was the Giants pass rush, which kept Brady off-balance off throughout the game and sacked the all-pro quarterback five times.

Moss set a record for touchdown receiptions with 23 in the regular season, helping Brady to the single-season record for touchdown passes.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only team in the Super Bowl era to complete a perfect regular season with an NFL championships.

Manning, who was named most-valuable player of Super Bowl XLII, not only torched New England's hopes to write history but wrote took care of some family business of his own.

His older brother, Peyton Manning, led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl championship a year ago. Sons of a well-regarded NFL quarterback, they are now the only brothers to ever quarterback Super Bowl champions, and accomplished the feat back-to-back.

Eli Manning had been a highly touted player, both for his pedigree and collegiate career, who had struggled to perform consistently in the glare of New York's media spotlight. Only in the playoffs, reached as a 10-6 wild-card entry, did the Giants start playing consistent football against top opponents.

After leading 7-3 for most of the game, the Patriots fell behind in the fourth quarter when Manning connected on a short pass to receiver David Tyree for a touchdown.

Trailing 10-7, New England looked to be in trouble until Brady led the team on a 12-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a six-yard TD flip to Moss with two minutes, 42 seconds to play.

But Manning and the Giants refused to crumble under pressure, converting on fourth down and twice on third down before taking the lead for good.

Immediately after the game, Burress, who played most of the season with a severely damaged ligament in his ankle, tried to give credit to the New York defense. Then he burst into tears of joy.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur