The Giants’ Incredible Drive

How many times will Tom Brady and the Patriots play Super Bowls and have them all come down to the last drive? It’s a story that couldn’t be written by the best fiction writers to ever live.

There were many storylines that went into Super Bowl XLVI, but like four years ago, it was the New York Giants’ defensive line that dictated and won their 6^th Super bowl, 2^nd this decade against the New England patriots.

Eli Manning played with moxi and knowledge and threw the ball like John Elway and Joe Montana did in their Super Bowls. He absolutely butchered the Patriots’ pass defense, but most of this came in the second half, making it that much more clutch.

The game started out fairly boring, as the Patriots went into the locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium up 10-9 off of a touchdown.

I was impressed and marveled at the composure of the Giants’ offense in the second half.  To start off the 2^nd half, Eli came out a different quarterback.  He threw darts down field to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz on the 1^st drive out of the half, then proceeded to dissect the New England defense. On numerous 3^rd downs, Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, were able to move the chains on well composed, well executed pass plays. Manning was 20-26 in the 3^rd when he hit tight end Bear Pascoe for 12 yards up the middle for another NY 1^st down.

This is how the legendary 4^th quarter goes.

1^st and 10- New York Ball, down 17-15.

Incomplete pass

2^nd and 10- Ahmad Bradshaw gets absolutely de-cleated by Pats linebacker Brandon Spikes after an 8 yd run.

3^rd and 2- Manning looks at the beastly Spikes, then drops a perfect ball over Spikes head and hits former North Carolina Tar Heel receiver Hakeem Nicks for a first down. This was the 8^th catch of the night for the behemoth Nicks.

1^st and 10- Another 2 yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw

2^nd and 8- Manning looks to the far left side line and hits Victor Cruz, who was waiting wide open by the sticks for a 7 yard gain.

3^rd and 1- This time, Cruz improvises and goes up the middle and Manning sees him, throwing a great ball out to the 45 yard line.

1^st and 10- Eli is clearly on fire at this point, hitting receiver Mario Manningham for 12 more yards and another drive sustaining  1^st down.

1^st and 10- Manning takes a one step drop and throws a WR screen to Nicks, who runs outside for a 5 yard gain.

2^nd and 5- Incomplete

3^rd and 5- False start Giants, loses 5 yards.

3^rd and 10- This time, Eli gets mugged by the Pats D and is sacked, forcing the Giants to punt with 9:24 left in the game.

NE stalls on 3^rd and 11 and is forced to punt with 3:46 left, giving Manning the opportunity he needed to stay on fire and lead his team to the second Super Bowl win against this New England juggernaut.

This drive puts the Super Bowl XLVI MVP Eli Manning into the same category as Montana, Elway, and Bradshaw for his heroics in the end. His brother Peyton is now also surpassed by the younger Manning.

Giants get the ball on their own 12 yard line and then proceeds to start an 88 yard, Super Bowl winning drive.

1^st and 10- Eli eludes a very fast and big 4 man rush to hit Manningham on a beautiful, over the shoulder sideline catch for a 38 yard gain. The play is reviewed and stands.  This was the longest play of the game, and the Giants have great field position at midfield.

1^st and 10- 3:39 seconds left in the 4^th quarter, incomplete pass .

2^nd and 10- Manningham catches a short hitch and takes it for a 16 yard gain, and to the 34 yard line of New England.

1^st and 10- Eli throws another WR screen, this time to Manningham, and gains just 2 yards.

2^nd and 8-  Manning takes a three step drop and throws the ball in a small window of space and his pass falls into the hands of Manningham, who beat his man off the ball, who was playing man to man defense, and gets 16 yards on a well executed slant play.

After a few more dinks and dunks, it is 2^nd and goal with 1:04 left in the 4^th quarter, and New York is trying to keep the ball as long as possible to keep Tom Brady and the Pats offense off the field.

2^nd and goal- Giants bruiser back Bradshaw takes the hand off from Manning and cuts up center, clearing a way for the Giants’ game winning touchdown. The genius and risky part of this play, which also made it very interesting, was the fact that Bradshaw stopped at the 1, waited for the New England defense to catch up and also, mainly to take a few more seconds off the clock, then jumped into the end zone with: 57 seconds left in the game.

New England had its one chance of heroics, but what happened on the last drive, summed up the game for New York. Brady was pressured until the clock was out. The Hail Mary was tried twice, but no prayers were answered for Pats nation.

Overall, this was the best Super Bowl I have seen in years, and it makes me think this game was more psychological than physical. I feel the Patriots, in their head, knew that they were vulnerable against this particular Giants team, having ended an undefeated season and 18-0 record, and played close, tough games each time the two met.

I’m not really 100% sure how this game was won, but 50% has to be accredited to the Giants defense, Eli Manning and the the Patriots’ mindset since that day when David Tyree ruined their dreams.