Super Bowl XLVI teams that had been given the last rites by many near the end of the season, emerged as champions at the end. Eli Manning became (and still remains) the only quarterback to throw for more than 4,900 yards and win a Super Bowl in the same season. The Giants became the first team to have won Super Bowl games broadcast on all four U.S. national networks (CBS, ABC, FOX, and now NBC). The Giants and Patriots became the 3rd and 4th teams (after the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers) to appear in Super Bowls in four different decades (both in
Super Bowl XXXVIII made it the second straight year that a team from the NFC South division made the Super Bowl, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning Super Bowl XXXVII. The Patriots were seeking their second Super Bowl title in three years after posting a 14–2 record. NFL fans and sports writers widely consider this game one of the most well-played and thrilling Super Bowls; "Sports Illustrated" writer Peter King hailed it as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time." Although neither team could score in the first and third quarters, they ended up with a combined total of 868 yards and 61