Afc Champion Patriots Face Giants in Super Bowl Xlii
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AFC CHAMPION PATRIOTS FACE GIANTS IN SUPER BOWL XLII NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (18-0) vs NEW YORK GIANTS (13-6) Sunday, February 3, 2008 ¹ University of Phoenix Stadium (70,500) ¹ 6:00 p.m. EST The Patriots will seek their fourth Super Bowl title in seven years when they face off against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3. New England is making its sixth Super Bowl appearance in the last quarter-century, marking the highest total by any NFL team over that span. WINNING WAYS The Patriots have won 18 games in 2007, tying the NFL’s all-time record for most overall victories in a season. New England joins the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears as the NFL’s only 18-game winners. The Patriots have become the first franchise in NFL history to have at least three seasons of 17 or more overall wins, with this season’s squad joining the 2003 and 2004 Patriots, who both won 17 total games. The San Francisco 49ers are the only other NFL team to have achieved the feat more than once. 2007 PATRIOTS SCHEDULE HIGHEST SINGLE-SEASON VICTORY TOTALS IN NFL HISTORY REGULAR SEASON (16-0) Team Season Total Wins Reg. Season Playoffs Overall Sun., Sept. 9 at N.Y. Jets W 38-14 New England Patriots 2007 18 16-0 2-0 18-0 Sun., Sept. 16 San Diego W 38-14 Chicago Bears 1985 18 15-1 3-0 18-1 Sun., Sept. 23 Buffalo W 38-7 San Francisco 49ers 1984 18 15-1 3-0 18-1 Mon., Oct. 1 at Cincinnati W 34-13 Miami Dolphins 1972 17 14-0 3-0 17-0 Sun., Oct. 7 Cleveland W 34-17 New England Patriots 2004 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Sun., Oct. 14 at Dallas W 48-27 New England Patriots 2003 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Sun., Oct. 21 at Miami W 49-28 Denver Broncos 1998 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Sun., Oct. 28 Washington W 52-7 Washington Redskins 1991 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Sun., Nov. 4 at Indianapolis W 24-20 San Francisco 49ers 1989 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Sun., Nov. 18 at Buffalo W 56-10 New York Giants 1986 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Sun., Nov. 25 Philadelphia W 31-28 Pittsburgh Steelers 1978 17 14-2 3-0 17-2 Mon., Dec. 3 at Baltimore W 27-24 Sun., Dec. 9 Pittsburgh W 34-13 PATRIOTS TIED FOR MOST PLAYOFF WINS IN A DECADE Sun., Dec. 16 N.Y. Jets W 20-10 The Patriots have won 14 playoff games this decade, tying the 1970s Pittsburgh Sun., Dec. 23 Miami W 28-7 Steelers and Dallas Cowboys for the most playoff victories by any NFL team in either Sat., Dec. 29 at N.Y. Giants W 38-35 the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s or 2000s. Pittsburgh and Dallas both won 14 playoff contests between 1970 and 1979, while New England has PLAYOFFS (2-0) won 14 postseason games from 2000 to the present. Sat., Jan. 12 Jacksonville W 31-20 Sun., Jan. 20 San Diego W 21-12 MOST PLAYOFF VICTORIES IN A DECADE Sun., Feb. 3 * N.Y. Giants 6:00 FOX Team Decade Playoff Wins Championships *-at Glendale, Ariz. New England Patriots 2000s 14 2001, 2003, 2004 Dallas Cowboys 1970s 14 1971, 1977 BROADCAST INFORMATION Pittsburgh Steelers 1970s 14 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979 TELEVISION: The game will be broadcast by Fox San Francisco 49ers 1980s 13 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989 and can be seen in Boston on WFXT-TV Channel 25. Dallas Cowboys 1990s 12 1992, 1993, 1995 Joe Buck will handle play-by-play duties with Troy Washington Redskins 1980s 11 1982, 1987 Aikman providing analysis. Buffalo Bills 1990s 10 -- RADIO: WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for Green Bay Packers 1960s 9 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967 the Patriots Rock Radio Network. Play-by-play Green Bay Packers 1990s 9 1996 broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 31st season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with SUPER PERFORMANCES Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and The Patriots will play in their sixth Super Bowl, joining three other teams as six-time Cappelletti are celebrating their 24th season as a Super Bowl participants. New England is 3-2 in its previous five Super Bowls. tandem. PATRIOTS IN THE SUPER BOWL (3-2) ALL-TIME SUPER BOWL BERTHS NATIONAL RADIO: The game will be broadcast to a Date Game Opponent W/L Score 8..... Dallas national radio audience by Westwood One. Marv 02/06/05 XXXIX Philadelphia W 24-21 6..... New England, Pittsburgh, Denver Albert will handle play-by-play and Boomer 02/01/04 XXXVIII Carolina W 32-29 5..... San Francisco, Oakland, Esiason will provide analysis. John Dockery and 02/03/02 XXXVI St. Louis W 20-17 Washington, Miami 01/26/97 XXXI Green Bay L 21-35 4..... Green Bay, Minnesota, Buffalo Kevin Kiley will report from the sidelines. 01/26/86 XX Chicago L 10-46 Super Bowl Champions: 2001, 2003, 2004 ¹ Conference Champions: 1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 Division Champions: 1963, 1978, 1986, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Playoff Seasons: 1963, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 PATRIOTS VS. GIANTS SERIES HISTORY TALE OF THE TAPE: 2007 REGULAR SEASON The Patriots and Giants will meet for the ninth 2007 Regular Season New England New York time since their series was inaugurated in Record 16-0 10-6 1970. The Patriots claim a 5-3 edge in Divisional Standings 1st 2nd regular-season play and have won four Total Yards Gained 6,580 5,302 straight regular-season games against Total Offense (Rank) 411.3 (1) 331.4 (16) New York since 1996, including a victory Rush Offense 115.6 (13) 134.3 (4) in the 2007 regular-season finale on Pass Offense 295.7 (1) 197.1 (21) Dec. 29. The series dates back to Points Per Game 36.8 (1) 23.3 (14) 1970, the year of the AFL-NFL merger Touchdowns Scored 75 44 and includes some memorable games Third Down Conversion Pct. 48.2 41.6 despite the relative infrequency of the matchups. In 1996, the Total Yards Allowed 4,613 4,880 Patriots stole a 23-22 win to clinch a playoff berth after trailing Total Defense (Rank) 288.3 (4) 305.0 (7) 22-3 in the fourth quarter. The first preseason game between Rush Defense 98.3 (10) 97.7 (8) the teams was the first NFL game played in Foxborough, as the Pass Defense 190.1 (1) 207.3 (21) Patriots opened Schaefer Stadium with a 20- Points Allowed/Game 17.1 (4) 21.9 (17) 14 win. The clubs have been frequent Touchdowns Allowed 34 41 preseason opponents recently, squaring Third Down Defense (Pct.) 33.7 34.6 off in the preseason opener for three Field Goals Made/Attempted 21/24 23/27 straight years from 2001-03 and in Possession Avg. 32:33 31:22 preseason finales for three straight Sacks Allowed/Yards Lost 21/128 28/222 seasons from 2005-07. The teams Sacks Made/Yards 47/340 53/349 faced each other in the 2007 Interceptions For/Against 19/9 15/20 preseason finale at Gillette Stadium Penalties Against/Yards 78/690 77/652 on Aug. 30, with the Patriots Punts/Avg. 44/41.4 71/40.4 claiming a 27-20 victory. Turnover Differential +16 -9 Regular Season – New England 5, New York 3 Date Result Score H/A Stadium TALE OF THE TAPE: 2007 PLAYOFFS 10/18/70 L 0-16 H Harvard Stadium 2007 Playoffs New England New York 09/22/74 W 28-20 A Yale Bowl Record 2-0 3-0 11/08/87 L 10-17 A Giants Stadium Total Yards Gained 750 887 12/30/90 L 10-13 H Foxboro Stadium Total Offense (Rank) 375.0 (2) 295.7 (8) 12/21/96 W 23-22 A Giants Stadium Rush Offense 147.0 (2) 108.0 (5) 09/26/99 W 16-14 H Foxboro Stadium Pass Offense 228.0 (5) 187.7 (9) 10/12/03 W 17-6 H Gillette Stadium Points Per Game 26.0 (4) 22.7 (7) 12/29/07 W 38-35 A Giants Stadium Touchdowns Scored 7 8 Third Down Conversion Pct. 56.5 40.5 THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM Total Yards Allowed 661 871 Super Bowl XLII will mark the third time that the Patriots and Total Defense (Rank) 330.5 (7) 290.3 (5) Giants have met this season (at the third different venue). The Rush Defense 92.0 (6) 83.7 (4) teams met in the final preseason game and in the final regular Pass Defense 238.5 (8) 206.7 (4) season game of the season and will now meet in their final Points Allowed/Game 16.0 (1) 17.0 (T-2) playoff game. The Patriots defeated the Giants 27-20 at Gillette Touchdowns Allowed 2 6 Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. in the 2007 preseason finale on Third Down Defense (Pct.) 31.8 50.0 Aug. 30, and also beat New York 38-35 at Giants Stadium in E. Field Goals Made/Attempted 1/2 4/6 Rutherford, N.J. in the 2007 regular-season finale on Dec. 29.