February 8, 2012
Giants defeat Patriots again for Super Bowl XLVI
Once again, just like it happened four years ago, it was Eli Manning and Tom Brady fighting for the Super Bowl.
By Stephen Lars
It felt like a rematch, but the New England Patriots insisted that they had totally forgotten about what had happened four years earlier. I believe that perhaps they should had looked closely at that last Super Bowl game, four years earlier, when the New York Giants finished their perfect season and the G-man conquered their 3rd Super Bowl Championship. It seems to me that this really was a rematch, but at the end, it was nothing but a Déjà Vu. Once again, despite been the declared underdog, the New York Giants made the best of their situation and took a 21-17 win in Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots.
Once again, just like it happened four years ago, it was Eli Manning and Tom Brady fighting for the Super Bowl.
Earlier this season, one reporter had asked Eli Manning if he belonged in the same league as Tom Brady. He answered without missing a beat: Yes, I do. A few snickers were heard around in the press conference room after Eli made that statement. After Sundays game, it is quite evident that not only is Eli Manning in the same stratosphere as Tom Brady. As a matter of fact, the two times they have met in a Super Bowl scenario it has been Manning who has not only won the Championship Ring but taken home the MVP honors. So not only has he answered the question with a solid answer, he has talked the walk and walked the walk, and by doing so, has secured that nobody will ever ask him a question like that.
At the end, all that Tom Brady had to say was this: "Certainly Eli has had a great season. He made some great throws in the fourth quarter, and they deserved to win.” And so he did. But taking a close look aat the game, one could realize that the Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gave Eli and the Giants a bit of help too. Belichick’s line of thinking was simple once the minutes ran out in the fourth quarter: the Giants would run the clock down and kick a short field goal. So when Ahmad Bradshaw ran 6 yards with 57 seconds left, the Patriots didn’t even bother to stop him. Belichick gambled by allowing the six points, and the stratagem failed. "Ball was inside the 10-yard line, a 90 percent field goal conversion," said Belichick about his 4th quarter plan. "Sure, could have done a better job in a lot of things."
At the end it was all about Eli Mannings spectacular performance in the fourth quarter. Manning finished 30 for 40 for 296 yards and one touchdown to secure the Giants another successful Super Bowl run. On the other hand, Tom Brady was 27 for 41 for 276 yards with two TDs and one interception. But it was Manning’s brilliant fourth quarter performance that made all the difference. And it’s not just one sporadic thing in the heat of the Championship Game. Manning has been absolutely brilliant in clutch time this season. Manning led six comeback victories during the season and set an NFL record with 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes. He just had to do what he has been doing one last Sunday afternoon to bring the New York Giants their 4th franchise Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Stephen Lars is a prominent sports blogger and currently covers the Sports news, previews and handicaps for the BetIAS Sportsbook. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.