Eli authors another Manning masterpiece

Feb 4, 2008 - 2:01 PM By Jim Ralabate PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - Eli Manning trotted toward the New York Giants' huddle facing a challenge of historic proportions.

The New England Patriots had just marched down the field to take a 14-10 lead and were less than three minutes away from winning Super Bowl XLII, capping an undefeated season and staking their claim as the greatest team in NFL history.

The only thing standing between the Patriots and perfection was Manning, the mild-mannered Giants quarterback who had spent his entire life stuck in the shadows of famous family members.

As he took the field with 2:39 remaining, Manning was taking on much more than just the New England defense, a veteran unit boasting several championship-tested stars. He was staring down a chance at football immortality.

But after all the obstacles Manning already had overcome in his brief but burdensome career, this was just an 83-yard stroll in the park.

"That's the position you want to be in," Manning said. "You want to have the ball in your hands, four minutes left go down, you've got to score a touchdown. That's where you want to be, a chance to win the game."

Manning capitalized on that chance in a manner that few people thought he was capable of, orchestrating a magical game-winning drive to propel the Giants to a shocking 17-14 victory over the mighty Patriots.

After converting a pair of third downs, Manning put the finishing touch on his masterpiece by lobbing a 13-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone, igniting a celebration on the Giants' sideline and sparking pandemonium in the Big Apple.

"You're better off being down by four where you have to score (a touchdown) to win the game in the Super Bowl," Manning said. "To go and do it is an unbelievable feeling."

It was an amazing night of vindication for Manning, who had encountered nothing but criticism since coming into the NFL as the No. 1 overall draft selection in 2004.

Although he offered brief glimpses of brilliance over his first three seasons, Manning always fell short of the lofty standards established by father Archie, a former All-Pro quarterback, and big brother Peyton, a two-time NFL MVP.

Eli's pedigree was unquestioned, but his physical and mental makeup left people searching for answers. Critics pointed to his propensity for interceptions - he led the league with 20 this season - and argued that he wasn't as tough as Archie or as obsessive as Peyton.

Impatient Giants fans and New York's rabid media bashed Eli for his "aww-shucks" demeanor - his laid-back personality that rubbed people the wrong way, especially after losses.

But when the Giants needed him most, Eli remained calm in the most pressurized of circumstances.

"You know you've got to make a play and you've got to make a play to the end zone," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said. "So (Eli) played very, very well and very cool - very calm."

"As a quarterback, I have had appreciation for Eli's ability to remain calm in the eyes of pressure situations," added Peyton Manning, who cheered on his baby brother from a luxury box at University of Phoenix Stadium. "The best quarterbacks are able to live in those moments, as opposed to being overwhelmed by them."

Long considered one of the game's best quarterbacks, Peyton reached his pinnacle 10 years into his NFL career last February, when he led the Indianapolis Colts to a championship and was named Super Bowl MVP.

With just four pro seasons on his resume, Eli matched big brother on Sunday, completing 19-of-34 passes for 255 yards and two TDs to earn this year's MVP honors.

"I couldn't be prouder," Archie Manning said. "I never thought about them even playing college ball, much less pro football, much less winning Super Bowls or MVPs."

Here's something to think about Archie - your baby boy vaulted past Peyton and entered the rarified realm of Joe Montana, the only other quarterback in Super Bowl history to throw two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a victory.

Montana will always be revered for his game-winning TD pass to Dwight Clark in the 1982 NFC championship game, a play now known simply as "the Catch."

Likewise, Manning authored an all-time play with one minute remaining and the Giants facing a 3rd-and-5 from their own 44. He dropped back, miraculously escaped the clutches of Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green, rolled to his right and slung a ball to David Tyree, who made an unbelievable leaping catch at the Patriots 24.

"I found a way to get loose, and just really threw it up," Manning said. "He made an unbelievable catch and saved the game."

Coughlin offered a more superlative assessment of the amazing play.

"That might be one of the great plays of all time in the Super Bowl," he said.

Regardless of its proper historical context, the pass to Tyree will forever stand as the defining play in Manning's career - a snapshot reflection of the shy kid's ability to shake off challenges and achieve greatness.

"It is an unbelievable game and an unbelievable feeling," he said. "I'm so proud of the guys on this team. We never had doubt. We had total faith in ourselves and we believed we could win and we earned it."

Enjoy the spotlight Eli - you've certainly earned that.