American Football · 2008 · Glendale, USA
The Helmet Catch
Escaping a near-certain sack, a New York Giants quarterback throws downfield to a receiver who pins the ball against his own helmet, the play that undid the New England Patriots' bid for a perfect season.
Giants 17-14 Patriots
Result
32 yards
Gain on the play
18-0
Patriots' record entering
The New England Patriots arrived at Super Bowl XLII on 3 February 2008 unbeaten in 18 games, chasing the first perfect season in NFL history since 1972. The New York Giants trailed 14-10 with just over a minute left when quarterback Eli Manning, facing a third-and-five from his own 44-yard line, was grabbed by multiple Patriots defenders and appeared certain to go down.
Manning shrugged free and threw up a deep pass under pressure. Receiver David Tyree out-jumped Patriots safety Rodney Harrison for the ball and, falling backward, trapped it against the crown of his own helmet with one hand while wrestling for control with the other, somehow completing the catch for a 32-yard gain.
Four plays later Plaxico Burress caught the winning touchdown with 35 seconds left, and the Giants held on to win 17-14, denying New England's perfect season. The Helmet Catch is routinely ranked among the greatest plays in Super Bowl history for the combination of stakes, difficulty, and sheer improbability.
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