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We asked Eli Manning which heartbreaking throw he enjoyed making more: David Tyree’s helmet catch or Mario Manningham’s toe tapper?
We asked Eli Manning which heartbreaking throw he enjoyed making more: David Tyree’s helmet catch or Mario Manningham’s toe tapper?
David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII was recently named the No. 1 play in Super Bowl history.
With this year’s Super Bowl just days away and Tom Brady back in the big game competing for yet another championship, there has been a lot of reflection on his past. One memory that Brady does not enjoy discussing is Super Bowl XLII.
Many will remember Super Bowl XLII as the ‘Giant Upset’ due to the fact that the New York Giants took down the undefeated New England Patriots in one of the biggest upsets in sports history. The game also included one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.
David Tyree’s improbable helmet catch on the game-winning drive was recently ranked No. 1 among plays in Super Bowl history by NFL Films.
The catch only tells half the story.
The play, which was a third-and-5, also included the eventual Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning, escaping three Patriots defenders to avoid the sack and heaving the ball down the field in Tyree’s direction. The play came at a pivotal point in the game with the Giants trailing by four late in the fourth quarter.
Four years later, the Giants would beat Tom Brady and the Patriots again. Although not quite as iconic, Mario Manningham made a catch that was just as clutch as Tyree’s catch. Manningham’s catch ranked No. 10 on the list giving the Giants two plays in the top 10 on NFL Films’ list.
Tyree’s catch is one of the first things people think about when they remember Super Bowl XLII. It’s no surprise that Tyree’s catch ranks No. 1, although Pittsburgh Steelers fans may argue that it might not even be the greatest catch in Super Bowl history.
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Retired New York Giants WR David Tyree reflects on his Super Bowl XLII helmet catch and his relationship with Eli Manning.
Former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree appeared on the MSG 150 at Home program this week to discuss his amazing football career.
Tyree was a special teams ace for the Giants in the mid-2000s who ended up becoming one of the most recognizable names in Giants history thanks to his amazing “helmet catch” that helped Big Blue knock off the undefeated New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII.
It was an unlikely play to many football fans since Tyree was not used very often as a wide receiver. Ironically, Tyree had gotten the nicked-up Plaxico Burress’ reps in practice during the week and had flubbed almost every target he got the Friday before the game.
But when game-time rolled around, Tyree rose to the occasion. Whenever the Giants needed a big play on offense, Tyree was there to make it. He not only made the miraculous helmet grab, he also scored on a pass from Eli Manning early in the fourth quarter.
“For me, it’s this moment that I call the monumental moment,” Tyree said of the helmet catch. “It’s always something that I can go back to and celebrate with fans and teammates. And to be a part of history is pretty monumental. It’s amazing.”
Tyree admitted to hosts Bill Pidto, Alan Hahn and Cam Smith that he does not have the football that he caught against his helmet that day. Normally when players make significant plays in the field, they either take the ball home or donate it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Burress, who caught the winning touchdown minutes later, kept that football as it was same exact one used in the Tyree play earlier in the drive.
“That’s a true to the fact statement,” said Tyree. “He’s got the two-for-one of a lifetime.”
Like most Giants players, Tyree expressed his appreciation for having Manning as his quarterback.
“I think what I appreciate is the journey and evolution of Eli Manning,” he said. “When you’re drafted No. 1 overall, the expectations are extremely high. When you think about the legacy attached to the name and the many shoes he had to walk into, especially coming into New York City.
“And what I appreciate is that it wasn’t all roses when he first stepped into New York. But he just worked. He was consistent, he was full of integrity and he was full of character. He was the best teammate I think any of us ever played with throughout our years. He never spoke ill of his teammates. He was very true to himself and he improved and matured into a Hall of Fame quarterback.”
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David Tyree is among those critical of the New York Giants for failing to land a big-play outside wide receiver.
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A common knock on the New York Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman this offseason has been their failure to address the wide receiver position.
In one of the richest receiver drafts in recent memories, the Giants took none. They also passed on signing a big-play outside receiver during free agency, instead choosing to rely on Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton and Corey Coleman this season.
Retired Giant and Super Bowl XLII hero, David Tyree, who left the team last week after serving as the director of player development since 2014, is among those critical of the lacking talent at the position.
“I think when you have a young quarterback talent, you want to have a linchpin to go along with a young quarterback,” told Pat Traina of Giants Country. “When you have an Amani Toomer, when you have a Plaxico Burress — guys who are proven playmakers who have done it on a big scale and have size, strength, and ability, I think there’s something to that, especially more so with a young, unproven quarterback. It gives them confidence (and) a bigger target.”
Tyree doesn’t believe the Giants have that linchpin.
“I don’t think there’s any lack of the ability and playmaking with the receiver corps, especially with Golden (Tate) and Sterling Shepard, and (tight end) Evan (Engram). So I think you have a great set of playmakers there, but from the outside, yeah, I think there’s still something that could be wanted there,” Tyree said.
Tyree doesn’t necessarily think the lack of a security blanket on the outside will stunt the growth of second-year quarterback Daniel Jones, but he acknowledges it’s not going to help, either.
“I think Daniel Jones has a lot of similar attributes,” Tyree said. “Obviously, he’s a little more athletic, but from the standpoint of preparation and grit, there is a lot of promising things.
“But just like when Eli was coming in, it’s going to take time. I feel like he’s on a good track. And I think the franchise from a foundational standpoint has a lot of good pieces to build with.”
The Giants still have some time to add a tall outside receiver before the start of training camp, but a sudden change in philosophy seems unlikely. Instead, they will roll full steam ahead with what they have and hope one of their undrafted rookie free agents step up like Victor Cruz did on the inside in 2011.
Draft season is upon us, so travel back in time as we look at some of the best New York Giants draft picks by round since 2000.
With the free agency frenzy now in the rear-view mirror and April just around the bend, it’s time to begin looking ahead (and back) at the NFL Draft, its impact and what it could mean for teams in 2020 and beyond.
While there will be weeks of coverage ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, we here at Giants Wire decided to kick off draft season with a look back at the New York Giants’ best draft picks by round since 2000.
Here they are in reverse order:
Bradshaw is far and away the Giants’ best seventh-round pick since 2000. Unless, of course, you wanted us to tab Matt Dodge or Bobby Hart for this position. No? Didn’t think so.
Bradshaw immediately took the Giants by storm in 2007 and helped propel them to a Super Bowl XLII title (and later, a Super Bowl XLVI title).
In total, Bradshaw spent seven seasons with the Giants and then three more with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring following the 2015 season.
In 103 career games, Bradshaw gained 4,928 yards and scored 36 touchdowns, adding an additional 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.
For the first time, New York Giants QB Eli Manning offered an in-depth reflection on his two Super Bowl titles.
When looking back at the legacy Eli Manning left, his two Super Bowl titles immediately leap to the forefront. They were magical moments and all-time upsets that were appreciated by fans all across the world.
However, the New York Giants legend rarely talked about those championship victories, instead remaining determined to focus on whatever task was at hand.
While announcing his retirement from football on Friday afternoon, Manning reflected on those Super Bowl wins in detail for the very first time. And in typical Eli fashion, credited everyone but himself.
“You know, those are obviously — when you think about the great moments in your career, those are going to be at the top of the list, when you win championships and both of them, two-minute drives to go down there and win it against an undefeated team that had not lost all year; I think those are special,” Manning said.
“I think everybody wants to make it me versus Tom Brady. It was the Giants versus Patriots. Our defenses played outstanding. Guys made plays. David Tyree, Mario Manningham, Plaxico Burress, in the corner of the end zone. Like I said, you just cherish those moments and you cherish those relationships that you have with those teammates and coaches when you win those games, and you know, those are — that’s obviously why you play for. You play for the opportunity to win a championship.
“You realize how hard it is and how difficult and all the breaks that have to go your way and that you got to overcome to get to those scenarios. Those are special ones that fortunately you get to kind of relive those moments through your friends.”
Unfortunately for Manning, he and the Giants would not hoist a third Lombardi trophy during his time under center and never really came close. The team eroded rapidly after the 2011 season and the final five years of Manning’s career were completely wasted.
Still, those two titles were special for obvious reasons and that’s something no one will ever be able to take away from Manning.
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New York Giants WR David Tyree and his magical helmet catch have been ranked among the Best Playoff Moments in NFL History.
It seems like yesterday… The New York Giants shocked the world and defeated the then-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
The Giants have since won their fourth Super Bowl title in their history, but the memory of the crucial David Tyree helmet catch lives on as arguably the greatest play in Giants history.
Last week, ESPN ranked the Best Playoff Moments in NFL History and the Tyree catch ranked fourth on the list.
What this play meant to NFL history: The final catch of Tyree’s otherwise prosaic career — a play after cornerback Asante Samuel dropped what would have been a game-sealing interception — kept alive the Giants’ improbable winning drive and allowed the undefeated 1972 Dolphins to pop some corks. Yeah, the Giants beating New England ended the Patriots’ epic season, one in which they won their first 18 games before losing in the Super Bowl. Oh, and those Dolphins? They are still the only team to go unbeaten and untied in a season at 17-0. Manning, who was nearly sacked three times on the play, called it the “luckiest” play in NFL history.
The plays ranked ahead of Tyree’s miraculous catch were the “Ice Bowl QB Sneak” (1967), “The Catch” (1982) and the “Immaculate reception” (1972).
The helmet catch was the lone Giants play that made the list.
One of the bigger plays for some of the older Giants fans was, of course, “Wide Right.” Mario Manningham’s catch in Super Bowl XLVI is a huge play for the franchise but likely didn’t get much consideration for the list.
Between the helmet catch, the Santonio Holmes touchdown, the Music City Miracle, Malcom Butler’s game-sealing interception and Stefon Diggs’ game winning-touchdown against the New Orleans Saints just a few years ago, there have been plenty of great plays in recent memory.
Like most lists, there were plenty of notable plays left off. But David Tyree is still a name that will follow Giants (and Patriots) fans around for a long time. The helmet catch is certainly deserving of being on the list and one could argue that the play should have been ranked higher.
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