For football fans in New York, it is a familiar story.

In Super Bowl III, the Jets were double-digit underdogs to the Baltimore Colt.  Quarterback Joe Namath made a public guarantee that his team would win the game and become world champions.  The Jets would win the game.

Nearly forty years later, Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress predicted the New York Giants would beat the double-digit favorite New England Patriots and win Super Bowl XLII.  Burress would catch the game-wining touchdown Sunday night, and propel his Giants to a 17-14 victory, and a world championship.

“There’s something about this team,” said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, according to Si.com.   “The way we win games, and performed in the playoffs in the stretch. We had total confidence in ourselves. The players believed in each other.”

“We played them five weeks ago and it was a three-point game,” said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.  “And they made enough changes and really eliminated what we did offensively.”

The Giants scored first, driving 63 yards on the first drive of the game to kick a 32-yard field goal.  The drive was one second short of 10 minutes, the longest in NFL history.

New England would follow with a 43-yard kickoff return.  The Patriots were aided by a 16-yard pass interference penalty by linebacker Antonio Pierce that placed the ball on the 1-yard line.  Running back Laurence Maroney walked in to give the patriots a 7-3 lead.

Despite quick starts by both teams, there was no further scoring until the fourth quarter. The Patriots passed on an opportunity to kick a 49-yard field goal with 6:49 left in the third quarter, when coach Bill Belichick deciding to go for it on fourth-and-13.  This choice would be the difference in the game.

In the fourth, Manning would lead the Giants on an 80-yard drive.  Manning’s connection with David Tyree on a 5-yard touchdown pass gave the Giants their first lead of the game.

However, the undefeated Patriots would produce when needed.  Brady connected with Randy Moss with 2:42 left in the game to give New England a 14-10 lead.

Manning showed great poise in difficult situations.  On their final drive Manning hooked up with Amani Toomer for 9 on a third-and-10 play.  Brandon Jacobs plunged for the first down on the next play.  Two plays later, Manning looked like he would be sacked before he somehow escaped the grasp of defensive end Jarvis Green.  Manning would find Tyree downfield.  Tyree made a circus catch, trapping the ball against the back of his helmet while being tackled for a 32-yard reception.

“That might be one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history” said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin

Moments later, destiny was rewritten, as Manning found Burress in the end zone to give the Giants a 17-14 lead.

“They were basically double-teaming me all night,” Burress said. “We were just waiting for that one time where we could get him over there in single coverage. I gave him a slant fake; he bit on it; and Eli put it up there for me to come down with it.”

Manning won the MVP, throwing for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns.  “You can’t write a better script,” said Manning.  “We believed the whole time and made it happen.”

“It was an amazing drive,” said Coughlin.

Meanwhile, the Patriots earn the dubious distinction of being the only team to go 18-1, and not win the Super Bowl.

“We conquered the regular season,” said Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel. “We conquered the playoffs. What does it mean if you don’t win the Super Bowl? It doesn’t mean anything.”

“This is the greatest feeling in professional sports,” said Burress.  “For us to come out and win a world championship tonight – nobody gave us a shot.”