John Riordan, New York
Eli Manning was reluctant to admit it but the New York Giants are Super Bowl champions thanks to him. And he now has a second MVP to go with two dramatic comeback victories on the biggest stage.
At the start of this NFL season, the Giants quarterback (pictured) suggested he was in the same elite bracket as New England Patriots leader Tom Brady.
He's not quite there yet but Sunday night's 21-17 victory over the Patriots will go a long way to cementing a legacy that now includes two Super Bowl victories - both against New England.
"It's been a wild game, a wild season," Manning said. "This isn't about one person. It's about one team, a team coming together."
"Certainly Eli has had a great season. He made some great throws in the fourth quarter, and they deserved to win," Brady said.
An exciting game ended in the most bizarre way imaginable. Manning guided his side through eight yards to the crucial touchdown: the Patriots didn't contest and Ahmad Bradshaw, seemingly confused, ran six yards and into the end zone as the clock was halted with 57 seconds left.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick had hoped that the Giants would run the clock down and kick a short field goal, thus gambling by allowing the six points.
"I was yelling to him, `Don't score, don't score," Manning said. "He tried to stop, but he fell into the end zone."
But it was at the beginning of that drive when the most incredible moment of the game occurred: Mario Manningham caught a 38-yard pass on the sideline as Manning went for broke. Manningham somehow managed to keep his feet inbound and the writing was on the wall for the Patriots.
New York had opened the scoring when breakout star wide receiver Victor Cruz added a touchdown to an early two-point safety, making it 8-0 - and 9-0 after the kick.
However, either side of half-time, Brady showed why he is still the master. On the final series of the opening half, and starting at his own four-yard line, Brady went 10-for-10 for 98 yards, capping the drive with Danny Woodhead's four-yard TD reception just before the half. And then he rounded off a 79-yard drive to open the second half with a 12-yard TD to Aaron Hernandez.
But then it swung back towards New York after consecutive field goals by Lawrence Tynes of 38 and 33 yards brought New York within 17-15. The rest belonged to Manning.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/73kSB54xIkU/post.aspx
Paul Myners Sunderland Biffy Clyro Yorkshire Petrofac Newspapers
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