NFL-Patriots complete perfect season with 38-35 win over Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The New England Patriots earned a place in NFL history by completing a perfect 16-0 regular season with a 38-35 victory over the battling New York Giants on Saturday.

The Patriots became the first NFL team to go undefeated in a regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins completed a 14-0 record.

New England turned the tide with a second-half spurt after the Giants had taken a 28-16 lead with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress with 9:12 left in the third quarter.

Laurence Maroney danced into the end zone from six yards out to make it 28-23 and, with less than four minutes gone in the fourth quarter, Pats quarterback Tom Brady hit favorite receiver Randy Moss with a 65-yard bomb to grab the lead.

Brady's strike to Moss, who had dropped a wide open deep pass on the previous play, was their second TD hook-up of the game and gave Brady the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season (50) and Moss the record for most TD catches (23).

New England, who get a first-round bye when the playoffs begin next weekend, also set an NFL record for most points in a season with 589, eclipsing the 1998 mark of 556 set by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Giants (10-6) play a wildcard round game next week against the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Editing by Larry Fine)