USA TODAY International Edition
Manning works magic again,
QB shows he’s among elite
INDIANAPOLIS — The New York Giants stood at 7- 7 after a Week 15 loss to the Washington Redskins, on the brink of missing the postseason, when coach Tom Coughlin’s mantra “Finish” kicked in.
General manager Jerry Reese stood amid a euphoric locker room Sunday after the Giants capped off an improbable run with one last comeback in defeating the New England Patriots 21- 17 in Super Bowl XLVI.
“Tom kept our players focused and said, ‘ Look guys, we’re close, if we can just start to play some good games and get some momentum,’ ” Reese said.
“The margin in this league is really tiny. We got some momentum, and we rode that wave. And here we are.”
The Giants won six consecutive single- elimination games.
“This team never gave up on themselves,” co- owner Steve Tisch said. “They don’t really care what the clock or the scoreboard says. Under Coughlin, these guys played with such heart and fight. And Eli Manning led them in one of the most dramatic football games I’ve ever seen.”
It came down to Tom Brady’s desperate heave into the end zone from the New England 49yard line that fell incomplete amid a scrum of players.
Manning, fourth- quarter magic man, was selectedmvpin the first meeting of two former NFL title- game MVPS.
Manning upstaged Brady at his own game, leading the Giants on a nine- play, 88- yard drive capped by Ahmad Bradshaw’s 6- yard scoring run that provided the winning margin.
In a season that began with a question last summer whether the Giants quarterback considered himself in the same elite class as Brady, Manning provided the definitive answer. He took down the Patriots for the second time in the Super Bowl since 2007, leading his seventh fourth- quarter comeback this season.
“We’ve seen Eli do it a lot this season,” Reese said. “I’m not surprised. He has a ferocious will to win.”
Manning completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards with one touchdown, trumping Brady, who completed 27 of 41 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
There was no bigger play than his 38- yard strike to Mario Manningham from thenewyork 12yard line to ignite that winning drive with 3: 46 left.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride called for a go route against New England’s twodeep safety coverage, and Manning’s strike arrived a beat ahead of defensive backs Sterling Moore and Patrick Chung.
“Eli said before this season that he’s elite, and now he proved it,” said David Tyree, a Super Bowl XLII hero who made that remarkable catch against his helmet. “He came to New York with all the weight on his shoulders. Now he’s taken his game to the next level.”
Manning earned a 2012 shiny black Corvette convertible as game MVP.
“We played to the very end,” Manning said. “We had a tough bunch of guys who fought all season, great toughness, great faith by our guys.
“I feel great for my teammates, coaches and the Giants organization and the dedication it took to make it happen.”
No quarterback had made it happen more consistently than Manning, who overcame a slew of injuries to teammates and carried his fifth- seeded playoff team by throwing a record 15 fourth- quarter TD passes during the regular season.
So it was fitting he led his team on the winning drive after getting the ball at his 12 yardline with 3: 46 left and down 17- 15.
“Two Super Bowls wins, and if Eli continues to play well certainly he has to be considered strongly for the Hall of Fame,” said former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who traded for Manning on draft day in 2004. “He’s playing like a Hall of Famer right now.”
Manning was 5- for- 6 for 79 yards operating out of the shotgun on the deciding drive.
“All things are possible for those who believe,” Coughlin said.
It sure helps when there is a fourth- quarter magicmanto believe in.