Ranking the 15 most dramatic finishes in Super Bowl history

8. Super Bowl XLII

The New England Patriots went 16-0 during the 2007 regular season and did so with some record setting seasons by both their quarterback Tom Brady and receiver Randy Moss. Brady was the first player to throw for 50 touchdown passes in a single season and Moss was the recipient of 23 of those, also an NFL record.

After their first two postseason wins all that stood in their way of perfection were the New York Giants, who had gone 10-6 and already lost to the Pats in the regular season.

The Patriots had also set a team record with 589 points scored, an average of 36.8 points per game, which made what happened in the Super Bowl even more shocking.

The Giants defense harassed Brady all game long as he struggled to find time to operate in a very dirty pocket. At the half the score was just 7-3, and it looked nothing like the finesse football New England played all season long.

The second half was more of the same as the Giants took a 10-7 lead early in the fourth quarter. Brady then did what he was able to do all season long and hit Moss for the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter. The six-yard touchdown put them up 14-10 and the Giants received the next kickoff at their own 17 yard line, with just about two and a half minutes left.

Quarterback Eli Manning methodically led the team down the field and fate seemed to be on their side, as a 3rd-and-five desperation pass was caught by David Tyree with safety Rodney Harrison on him like a blanket.

The drive continue and with just 35 seconds remaining, Manning hit receiver Plaxico Burress from 13-yards out for the game winning touchdown. The powerful Patriots offense was held to just 14 points by the Giants’ masterful defense.

Next: No. 7