New England Patriots Lead Giants 17-12 in Third Quarter of the Super Bowl

The New York Giants kicked a field goal to trail the New England Patriots 17-12 during the third quarter of the Super Bowl.

The Giants went ahead in the first quarter when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was called for intentional grounding while in his own end zone, resulting in a safety. Victor Cruz then collected a 2-yard scoring pass from Giants quarterback Eli Manning to make it 9-0 at the end of the opening quarter.

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 29-yard field goal for the Patriots at the start of the second quarter and Brady found Danny Woodhead with a 4-yard touchdown pass eight seconds before halftime to make it 10-9 to New England at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Patriots extended their lead to 17-9 after the opening possession of the third quarter when Brady found Aaron Hernandez with a 12-yard pass to end an eight play, 79-yard drive.

Lawrence Tynes of the Giants then kicked a 38-yard field goal to make it 17-12 to the Patriots.

Each team is seeking a fourth win in the National Football League championship game. The Giants last claimed the title by beating the Patriots after the 2007 season, while New England hasn’t won since beating the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2004 campaign.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dex McLuskey at dmcluskey@bloomberg.net