Brandon Jacobs does not care what the Patriots — or anyone else — thinks about Super Bowl XLII: he has a ring. After practice Friday, the Giants fullback said it did not matter if the Patriots, and pretty much everyone else in the world, saw Big Blue’s 2008 Super Bowl upset of New England as a fluke.
“We did beat them. Even on a fluke, it still gives us the ring,” Jacobs said. “Fluky or not, we still won the game.”
In that Super Bowl, Jacobs ran for 42 yards on 14 carries. He hopes that in this rematch at Super Bowl XLVI he and Ahmad Bradshaw can be a bigger part of a Giants win, one that is not considered “fluky.”
After struggling in the regular season, finishing dead last in the NFL, the Giants’ running game has found its footing in the playoffs. In the postseason, the Giants have improved that to 117.3 yards per game.
“Our guys got better through the course of the season,” Jacobs said. “This is the end, the last game. We know how each now. We know how each other works, where each other is going to be and we also know each other’s weakness as well. We can all pick up the slack in certain areas.”
In the Giants’ 24-20 win over the Patriots this season, Jacobs had to pick up the slack for an injured Bradshaw. He ran for 72 yards and a touchdown; the Giants rushed for 111 yards total.
Having a healthy Bradshaw back gives Jacobs a lot of confidence.
“I thought we ran OK in the first game,” Jacobs said. “But I think we are always stronger with more warriors.”
Still, Jacobs learned the value of making a crucial play in 2008. While Jacobs did not dominate the offense in the Giants’ Super Bowl win, he made a key move.
On fourth down with a yard to go late in the game, Jacobs powered through for a 2-yard gain. Two plays later, David Tyree made a spectacular catch. At the end of that same drive, Eli Manning found Plaxico Burress in the end zone and the Giants took a 17-14 lead.
“It was fourth-and-1. You don’t get it, game over,” Jacobs said. “We got a fresh set of downs, we were able to hold the ball and won the game. That’s how far it propelled us.
“We won the Super Bowl.”
