USA TODAY International Edition
Clutch play lifts Giants to win,
Manning takes advantage of opportunity, leads rally
INDIANAPOLIS — No matter how disoriented the New York Giants play for three quarters, they usually find their bearings in the fourth, and success often follows.
That fact was reinforced Sunday night in Super Bowl XLVI, as the Giants rebounded from 45 inconsistent minutes to mount another comeback over the final 15 culminating in a 21- 17 victory against the New England Patriots. That was fitting in a season featuring six previous fourth- quarter rallies, if not for a team that had already done it on football’s biggest stage.
Not surprisingly, quarterback Eli Manning was the conductor, leading a two- minute drive culminating in Ahmad Bradshaw’s 6- yard touchdown run with 1: 04 remaining. New York’s defense, stout at first but ragged for the most part, regrouped to give the offense several chances before the plan finally came together— just as it usually does.
“We’ve had a bunch of them this year,” said Manning, named the game’s MVP after completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. “The whole second half, right before halftime, New England drives down and gets a touchdown, and first possession of the second half, they drive and get a touchdown. That could’ve sucked the momentum right out of us, but we responded and we went back.
“We had been in those situations before, and we knew that we had no time left. We had to go down and score, and guys stepped up and made great plays.”
Said strong safety Kenny Phillips, “You never doubt Eli Manning when it comes to the fourth quarter.”
But first, the Giants had to stay poised to take advantage of chances created by a defense that stiffened down the stretch. That wasn’t as easy as it sounded, especially after New England was trying to pad its 17- 9 lead, driving to New York’s 43.
The drive ended three plays later, and Manning went to work, making plays he really shouldn’t have. He started with a 38- yard completion to Mario Manningham, threaded over a defender and requiring the receiver to keep both feet inbounds at the same time.
The play withstood a Patriots challenge, and Manning took more chances, hitting Manningham again for 16 yards and Hakeem Nicks for 14 for a first down at the New England 18 at the two- minute warning.
“It was just confidence,” wide receiver Hakeem Nicks said. “We have to have confidence if we’re going to get the job done. We’ve been in this situation time in and time out. We knew what we were capable of doing, and we got the job done.”
Manning did his part with a short completion. But Bradshaw closed the deal with three runs for 14 yards, including the goahead score in which he zigzagged through a hole and stopped at the goal line before falling over backward into the end zone, not sure if he wanted to use up more time. That made it 21- 17, with the Giants leaving a bit more time on the clock than they wanted. But a lastsecond Hail Mary fell incomplete in the end zone.
Manning and the Giants had another ending to feel good about for a lifetime.
“We persevered through all of the adversity and kept working,” running back Brandon Jacobs said. “We had a few moments that detoured us a little bit. But we kept believing, and this is the reward. This football team is an example of what a man’s character should be like.”