The perfect ending to New England’s undefeated season was stumped by New York’s G-Men in a 17—14 victory in Super Bowl XLII.
The New England Patriots lost the coin toss for its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance as it did in 2001, 2003, and 2004 victories, however, the 12-point favorites were not able to capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which would have made them the first team in 35 years to have a perfect season and legitimize arguments that the dynasty is the best in NFL history.
Quarterback Tom Brady was sacked five times and the Patriot offense was held to 274 yards, giving the Giants, the first NFC wild card team to win the game, its sixth NFL title.
The game was watched by 97.5 million viewers and attended by more than 60,000 ticket holders and 3,500 members of the media.
The NFL’s 2008 Hall of Fame class was also announced during the weekend. The group was selected out of 17 finalist been voted on by committee. The enshrinement ceremony will take place on Aug. 2, 2008 in Canton, Ohio, and will honor the following players:
- Fred Dean (Defensive End) — San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers
- Darrell Green (Cornerback)—Washington Redskins
- Art Monk (Wide Receiver)—Washington Redskins, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
- Emmitt Thomas (Cornerback)—Kansas City Chiefs
- Andre Tippett (Linebacker)—New England Patriots
- Gary Zimmerman (Tackle)—Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos
In a pre kick-off announcement, Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor was honored as the 2007 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Taylor was recognized for providing improved healthcare and after-school literacy programs for kids in South Florida.
Taylor’s favorite charity will receive a $25,000 donation in his name. He joins past recipients including running back LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers and running back Warrick Dunn of the Atlanta Falcons.