Posted on 02/03/2008 10:54:07 PM PST by Cedar
Eli Manning, David Tyree show why Giants are Super this night
GLENDALE, Ariz. - The best Super Bowl of them all really ended in the left corner of the end zone at University of Phoenix Stadium, one last ball in the hands of Plaxico Burress, who called this one the way Joe Namath called one once. Eli Manning delivered that ball to Burress, delivered it the way great quarterbacks are supposed to deliver the ball at the end of a game like this, delivered it the way Joe Montana did in a Super Bowl in Miami against the Bengals. And now it wasn't just Super Bowl XLII ending this way, even with 35 seconds still left on the clock. This was the ending to one of the great sports stories of all time, any sport, in New York or anywhere else.
"The greatest victory in the history of this franchise," John Mara said on the field when it was over.
And it was. It was. It was 17-14 for the Giants against the Patriots, and the Patriots weren't going to be 19-0 and Tom Brady wasn't going to have enough time to drive his team down the field one last time the way the kid, Eli Manning, just had. Eli and the Giants were underdogs again on Sunday night, the way they have been underdogs for a month. Couldn't stop them because nothing could stop them, not in a month when a sports team carried the city, carried the whole area we think of as New York, as much as any New York team ever has.
The Cowboys couldn't stop them and the Packers couldn't stop them at Lambeau and the Patriots couldn't stop them yesterday. And as much as a money throw that last throw was, as much of a money play it was from Eli, it wasn't the play that will be remembered from this game. The play that will be remembered, a play that goes in with the best Super Bowl plays ever made, is the one you had to see to believe in that last drive, the one Eli made to David Tyree four plays before the winning touchdown to Burress. The one where Eli seemed to disappear underneath the pocket and then break free like a swimmer coming out of the water.
"An amazing play," Tom Coughlin said, "in the middle of an amazing drive."
The Patriots did not sack Manning (19-for-34, 255 yards, two touchdowns, the MVP of course) on third-and-5 from the Giants' 44. They did not bring him down even though everybody in the stadium thought they had. He was still standing, standing up and standing in there the way he had all day long. Then he was running to his right and throwing one down the middle of the field to Tyree, who outjumped an old Patriots safety named Rodney Harrison for the ball and came down with the ball at the Patriots' 24.
Under a minute left in Super Bowl XLII. And now the improbable had become inevitable in the Super Bowl.
Namath shocked the world once for the Jets. Eli did the same yesterday. Only he had a better game against the Patriots than Namath had in Super Bowl III, and against one of the best teams to ever play. Even after Tom Brady hit Randy Moss and got the lead back near the end, it didn't matter. Wasn't his day. It was Eli's day and his time to make history for the Giants, on the best day the Giants have ever had.
There will be other teams in New York, because there always are. There is always another team. This team goes with Namath's Jets now and the '69 Mets and Willis Reed, with anything the city has ever seen or will ever see. Never a bigger day than this, never a better Super Bowl than this.
Now Eli Manning came through the confetti of University of Phoenix Stadium, came into the tunnel through all the Giant fans at the other end of the field from where Eli had hit Burress. And now he put up one finger, the way Namath did when he beat the Colts.
"How did you get away from that sack," he was asked.
"Don't frankly know," he said. "All I was trying to do was escape."
He was asked if he could feel not just the pressure, but a hand on the back of his uniform jersey.
"I knew I was getting grabbed," he said. "And then I saw Tyree."
A few minutes later Tom Coughlin couldn't stop talking about that scramble from his quarterback and that throw, amazing throw in an amazing drive, that Eli made to David Tyree that was like the punch that started to finish the New England Patriots on the day they thought they were going to be 19-0.
"It has to be one of the great plays of all time in the history of the Super Bowl, doesn't it?" Tom Coughlin said.
The last Giant drive, the end of everything that really began with that 38-35 loss to the Patriots on the 29th of December, began with a throw to Amani Toomer for 11. Then he hit Toomer again, out to the 37. Fourth-and-1. One hundred seconds left in the Super Bowl. Brandon Jacobs ran for the first down. Three plays later came the escape, the scramble, the throw, Tyree going up for the ball like it was a basketball rebound that was going to win the Super Bowl for the Giants, Tyree out-wrestling Rodney Harrison and holding on when he hit the ground.
"Some things just don't make sense," Tyree said. "I guess you could put that catch up there with them."
Eli hit Steve Smith at the 13 three plays later. Forty-five seconds left. Then one more dream throw from Eli, to Burress, like Brady had been making to Moss all year, all the way to 18-0, the pass to the guy who said the Giants were going to shock the world.
Last time the Giants won a Super Bowl, they won because Scott Norwood went wide right. This time it was because they were better than 18-0, because it was their day and their time to make history. And because the great Tom Brady could only watch at the end as another Manning won the Super Bowl, and Peyton's kid brother found greatness in himself.
"We believed the whole time," Eli Manning said.
There will be another team someday, another run, another improbable story. It won't be better than this football team, and this run, and this story. There have been other big games in football. Considering the circumstances, never one bigger than this.
What a play and what a game. Congratulations to the Giants!
Someone needs to track down Tiki Barber to ask him what he thinks of Eli now.
Single coverage on Plexico? They should have had people standing in the endzone.
As a longtime Pat’s fan, I have to agree. We had a great team, but no way can we beat a guy who can catch a ball with his head!
Manning should have been sacked in that play, he had three NE Patriots hanging off his jersey. He just did a better job, right when they needed it.
That’s why Superbowls are played.
That play was breathtaking. My congratulations to both teams for one of the best Super Bowl’s in a long time IMO.
Great photo. And I love seeing the play shown on ESPN highlights. It’s incredible how Eli was able to get away from that rush. Looked like a sure sack, but he got free and made a great throw.
I agree with the coach...it has to be one of the best plays in SB history, maybe the best.
His daddy could run too.....
that was a helluva catch...
i like that pelexio guy too
i had not watched football since 1986....all the showboating and thuggery killed it for me.....i still loathe all that hoodie in yer face crap...i just want to reach out and slap em.....thank you jimmy johnson....you and yer hurricanes made that garbage a reality in football
but Eli was spot on .....
since I don’t watch it I never knew what a threat Brady and that little cracker wr of his were...dang...looked like Stabler and Belinticoff from the late 70s
but it looked like Brady got hit more than he is used to tonight...and it rattled him
I agree that this was the most exciting one ever. What really made the Giant win possible was the pressure that the NY defense put on Brady. I lost count of the number of sacks they got, and when they weren’t sacking Brady they were hurrying him, forcing a lot of bad throws. Toward the end of the game he was looking frustrated.
What are giants going to call the tyree catch? The 49ers have ‘the catch’, the steelers the immaculate reception. This is as big a play and I think deserves it’s proper place in NFL history.
“That red-headed kid from Rebel town.
He’s the hottest quarterback there is around.
Archie Manning is his name.
Breaking records is his game.
Oh that red-headed kid from Rebel town.”
Do you recognize that song? My best friend from childhood (a Preppie) had the 45 of that song, and she used to play it over and over again.
If I were him I would say:"Quality people, learn and change..get better at what they do. This is what Eli and the football Giants has done this season under a great coach. Congrats to the NY Giants."
I’ve been trying to find a clip of the Giants’ Catch on the internet, but I haven’t had any luck so far. The Catch part of it reminds me of the Tyrone Prothro Catch for Bama a few years ago.
The only thing I can think to compare it to is Garo Yepremian's pass attempt in Superbowl VII, but of course that was an example of bathos, not heroics. Still, it's the only thing which seems to match the level of physical outrageousness.
But what will thy call it? I dunno, "The helmet catch" ?
Thanks. It looked to me like holding by the Giants o-linemen. No way Eli gets out of that without the holds. No way. But, alas, it wasn’t called. The Pats had plenty of other opportunities. And a bunch of holes in their offensive line. The Giants wanted it more.
The Catch was beautiful!
Move over Bucky Dent and Aaron Boone ... wish I had the franchise for “David Bleeping Tyree” T-shirts up in Boston.
;-)
Thank you!!! The defense was incredible!!! The Giants had better be renegotiating Spagnulo’s contract, the man is a defensive genius. I am so happy for Strahan and Toomer. And how about Archie Manning? 2 sons, back to back Super Bowls, he must be over the moon. Maybe next year, Peyton vs. Eli.
We had phone calls coming in from NY til 1 am, and my brother called me from Bagdad with 2 min. left and we watched it together. It was sooooo cool!
Go Big Blue!!!!!
This was an amazing catch. The whole drive was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat and almost called 911 at a few points. My kids were asleep on the couch beside me so I had to do a very quiet victor dance after that last touchdown.
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