Manning, Manningham deliver in big game
It was a drive into history, a loud statement engineered by a quiet man who now must be considered the greatest offensive player in the history of New York football.
Elite? Calling Eli Manning that at this stage would be to insult him with understatement.
This is more to the point: Welcome to Canton, Easy E! Someday, that is.
First, take some time to celebrate what you and your teammates did Sunday night, ripping another Lombardi Trophy out of the hands of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, this time by a score of 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI.
Adding to the drama was that he did it at Lucas Oil Stadium, a building largely made possible by the success of his older brother Peyton. Eli now leads the Manning family in championship rings, 2-1.
Neil Best , Newsday
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Move over David Tyree. Mario Manningham is the new star in the Giants’ latest version of the “The Catch.”
It may not have been a helmet catch like Tyree’s in the Super Bowl four years ago, but it was just as clutch and just as timely – and Tyree was there to see it.
Manningham made a magnificent over-the-shoulder catch and managed to stay inbounds on the opening play of a game-winning, 88-yard touchdown drive that carried New York to another come-from- behind win over the Patriots in the NFL championship game.
Manningham’s 38-yard reception – with two defenders bearing down on him – propelled the Giants to a 21-17 win and their fourth Super Bowl title.
Tom Canavan, Associated Press
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There was no way he could lose. New England quarterback Tom Brady was throwing darts, so accurate and deadly that the New York Giants were in retreat and helpless to stop him.
Brady completed 16 straight passes, a Super Bowl record, hooking up with everyone except his super model wife Gisele Bundchen.
As Brady advanced his Patriots down the field, he moved himself closer to the extraordinary legacy of his idol, Joe Montana.
There was no way he could lose, not after connecting with Aaron Hernandez for a 12-yard touchdown pass that extended New England’s lead to 17-9 with 11:20 left in the third quarter.
At that point Brady had completed 20 of 23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
Just when you thought Brady would be hoisting a fourth Vince Lombardi trophy above his shoulders, the 46th Super Bowl changed dramatically, and forever. We made the mistake of forgetting about the Giants’ Eli Manning, who was quietly lurking in his customary role as the overlooked quarterback.
Manning pulled the Giants out of another crisis, engineering the team’s seventh fourth-quarter comeback of the season, cutting down Brady and the Patriots for a 21-17 victory that altered the legacy of both quarterbacks.
Bernie Miklasz,
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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What began as a far-fetched dream – a quixotic one at that, especially after that torturous roster upheaval, the preseason spate of injuries and the four-game losing streak at midseason – ended with one last awe-inspiring comeback and the joyful reality of one more Super Bowl championship for a franchise that is starting to get used to them.
Eli Manning came through one more time with one more fourth-quarter comeback to earn his second Super Bowl MVP, getting the better of future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady in a rematch of that remarkable night of Super Bowl XLII. This time, it was another dramatic ending in a 21-17 win, as Manning led the game-winning drive in the final minutes to win a second title, doing so in the same building that older brother Peyton has starred in since 1998.
Bob Glauber, Newsday