‘The Helmet Catch’: Looking back 17 years later at David Tyree’s Super Bowl play

Exactly 17 years ago today, Giants wideout David Tyree made one of the greatest catches in NFL history, and it led to New York’s upset win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Let’s take a look back to Feb. 3, 2008:

Setting the scene

Eli Manning led the Giants to Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona, where they were heavy underdogs against Tom Brady and the Patriots. New England was looking to become only the second NFL team to finish with an unblemished record, as it entered the big game at 18-0.

The Patriots had held the Giants to just a field goal as the game headed into the final quarter, but an early score by Tyree put New York up 10-7. Then, as the clock wound down to 2:45, Brady connected with future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss to regain the lead for New England.

With around one minute left to play, the Giants found themselves in a tough third-and-5 situation at their own 44-yard line with Manning facing pressure from multiple Patriots defenders. In a miracle-type moment, Manning was able to escape and launch the ball down the field for Tyree, who pinned the ball to his helmet to secure the catch for a 32-yard gain and a first down.

The legacy

The Giants would go on to win the Super Bowl after Manning threw a touchdown to Plaxico Burress to take a 17-14 lead with just over 30 seconds remaining. New York handed Brady and the Patriots their first loss of the season, thrashing their hopes of a perfect 19-0 finish.

Tyree announced his retirement in 2010, finishing his NFL career with 54 receptions, 650 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. The 2005 Pro Bowler would later rejoin the Giants as the team’s Director of Player Development from 2014-17.

Manning had a storied quarterback career in New York. Four years later, he faced off in another Super Bowl against Brady and the Patriots and took home a second win. He retired after the 2019 season.

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