Mickey Gilliam - Pro Football Upsets

Mickey Gilliam

Lerner Publications Minneapolis

Copyright 2020 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gilliam, Mickey author. | Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Title: Pro football upsets / Mickey Gilliam.

Description: Minneapolis : Lerner Publications, [2020] | Series: Sports wildest upsets (Lerner Sports) | Audience: Ages: | Audience: Grades: to | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019016682 (print) | LCCN 2019021885 (ebook) | ISBN 9781541583696 (eb pdf) | ISBN 9781541577091 (library binding : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781541589674 (paperback : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: National Football LeagueHistoryJuvenile literature. | Sports upsetsUnited StatesHistoryJuvenile literature. | National Football League MiscellaneaJuvenile literature. | FootballUnited StatesHistoryJuvenile literature. | Sports rivalriesUnited StatesHistoryJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GV955.5.N35 (ebook) | LCC GV955.5.N35 G57 2020 (print) | DDC 796.332/640973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019016682

Manufactured in the United States of America

CG 12/31/19

Contents

Football is the most popular professional sport in the United States. The talent, hard work, and rivalries are what have kept people interested over the years. Fans compare the teams in the National Football League (NFL) and enjoy arguing over which team is best. They root for their favorites to reach the Super Bowl at the end of the season.

Opening Kickoff

Upsets can happen anytime during the NFL season.

The greatest upsets in the NFL often come during the playoffs. The playoff teams with the best regular-season records play those with the worst. But every squad in the playoffs is a good one. That means they can beat anyone if they perform well enough. The amount of talent in the league also means that any team, no matter how bad the teams season, has the ability to rise to the top and win.

Facts at a Glance

In the 1950 season opener, the Cleveland Browns beat the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. It was Clevelands first game in the NFL. However, Cleveland had previously played in a different league called the All-America Football Conference.

The New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts on January 12, 1969. It was the first time a team from the American Football League (AFL) defeated an NFL team in the Super Bowl.

The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars made the playoffs in their second year of existence. They pulled off an epic upset, beating the Denver Broncos in the playoffs.

The New England Patriots would have had a perfect season if they had won Super Bowl XLII. Instead, the New York Giants beat the odds and defeated the Patriots.

The players from the 1972 Miami Dolphins were nervous on February 3, 2008. They were the only team in modern NFL history to go undefeated. The 1972 Dolphins won all games they played, including the Super Bowl. They wanted to remain the only team to do so.

Unbeaten No Longer

The New York Giants faced the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XLII.

Tom Brady was named the NFLs Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2007.

The New England Patriots had not lost a game that season. Most people believed they would win the championship game against the New York Giants. Then the 2007 Patriots would join the 1972 Dolphins as the only two teams with a perfect season.

The Patriots were loaded with talent. Best of all was quarterback Tom Brady. He had thrown for nearly 5,000 yards that season. He had also set an NFL record that year with 50 touchdown passes. Nearly half those scores landed in the arms of Randy Moss. Moss was one of the best wide receivers in football history.

The game remained close throughout. Both defenses dominated the first three quarters. Quarterback Eli Manning put the Giants ahead on a touchdown pass to David Tyree. Brady answered with a scoring strike to Moss.

One minute remained in the game. The Giants trailed by four. Manning escaped a fierce New England rush. He bolted to the right and fired a long pass. Tyree leaped and pinned the ball between his hand and helmet. It was an incredible catch.

David Tyrees helmet catch is considered one of the greatest catches in the history of the Super Bowl.