Last Sunday the rivalry between New York and New England
sports was again in high gear. This time it was not about the
Yankees and the Red Sox, but the mighty New York Giants and
the high octane New England Patriots. The viewership of the
game should come
as no surprise, as
an all time record
of over 111 million
people watched
the game; however,
how these two
teams entered and
left Indianapolis’s
Lucas Oil Stadium
on Sunday night
might come as a
surprise.
In the offseason,
Eli Manning,
quarterback of the
Giants, proclaimed
on a radio show
that he was an
“elite” quarterback—
up there
with the great
quarterbacks of
today, including
New England’s
Tom Brady and the
Green Bay Packers’
Aaron Rodgers.
Manning’s
comment caused
uproar with people
both inside and
out of the NFL,
who argued that
Eli had not proven
enough of himself
to be considered
amongst the elite.
After a four game
losing streak near
the end of the season, the Giants found themselves in the precarious
position of being 7-7 and fighting for a playoff berth. Critics’
thoughts were starting to be confirmed as the season began
to wind down. Before anyone knew, the 2011 Giants morphed
into the 2007 Giants, a team who beat the Patriots in their last
Super Bowl meeting. They started playing better defense, had
a stronger running game and got considerably more performance
from Manning. The Giants might have squeaked into the
postseason this year, but once in, they trounced on teams before
eventually beating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to win
the NFC title and a trip to the Super Bowl XLVI.
Similarly, the Patriots quickly found themselves at a 5-3 record,
(which included a loss to the New York Giants) and behind
the Buffalo Bills in the conference standings. Moreover, their
defense ranked dead last for much of the year in allowed-yards
per game before the Packers surpassed that ranking. The Patriots
were able to start beating teams by using their offensive attack
to score an abundance of points, and having the defense clamp
down in the red zone when it mattered the most.
Yet, the most important thing for the Patriots was not what
they were playing for, but for whom: MHK. Those three letters
were patched on to every Patriots jersey and represented whom
this season was dedicated to: Myra Kraft, the late wife of owner
Robert Kraft. The Patriots finished the regular season on an
eight game win streak, capturing the number one AFC playoff
seed. In the first round, they beat the Denver Broncos and had a
missed field goal go in their favor to then defeat the Baltimore
Ravens, leading to their trip to the Super Bowl.
Now, jump to the fourth quarter of the Superbowl, with about
3 minutes and 57 seconds left. With the Patriots barely leading,
17-15, they punted the ball to the Giants. Eli Manning’s
first pass went for 38 yards to receiver Mario Manningham
who made an impressive catch as he quickly got both feet in
the white line before his body momentum pushed him out of
bounds. All New Englanders dreaded reliving the awful 2007
Super Bowl game-winning drive Eli constructed that included a
similar catch to then receiver David Tyree. Eli Manning, though,
was doing nothing new. He was clutch all season when it came
to fourth quarter play, in which he led the NFL in comebacks
with eight wins. This time around, time was running out.
With their lead at stake,
the Patriots allowed running
back Ahmad Bradshaw to
score a touchdown with
57 seconds left. It was a
calculated move to produce
the strongest chance of
winning: give Tom Brady
the ball as soon as possible
instead of letting the Giants
run the clock down and kick
a field goal with a few sec onds
left. The plan obviously
did not work, mostly due
to dropped passes from the
Patriot receivers. In the end,
Tom Brady’s Hail Mary fell
incomplete as time expired,
giving the Giants a 21-17
victory.
While the question of Eli
Manning being elite is still
causing debate, there is no
way around the fact that Eli
now has one more Super
Bowl ring than his older
brother, Peyton, who is
considered to be an elite and
one of the all-time best
quarterbacks. In the end,
only time will tell how
truly special a quarterback
was after the conclusion of
their career.
Until then, there is the
offseason. Both teams look
poised for another strong
run in the 2012 campaign;
however, there are issues
for both teams that need to
be addressed during this offseason if they hope to make it to the
final game of the NFL season. Currently for the Giants, the big
free agent concern is wide receiver Mario Manningham. They
will also have to look for a new tight end after Jake Ballard tore
his ACL in the Super Bowl. Look for the Giants to perhaps go
after Stanford tight end Coby Fleener with their 32nd pick in the
NFL Draft come April.
The Patriots have to make some big decisions on free agents
this offseason, including receiver Wes Welker and running back
BenJarvus Green-Ellis. They will also look to improve on their
defensive secondary in the NFL Draft with two first round picks
that could be possibility; however, the Patriots are also known
for trading up for more picks, as head coach Bill Belichick operates
in strategic ways that are unknown to the public.
