Certainly the greatest SB catch since this one.
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.
This Patriots did :-)Hats off to the Giants. I'm happy for Coughlin though. He got a raw deal here in Jacksonville. Also, maybe that crybaby Tiki Barber will stop throwing Coughlin and Manning under the bus.
CLOSE THE MEADOWLANDS.
The GIANTS should play ALL their games away!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fantastic Game fantastic story legendary GIANT DEEEEEEFence
OK, a little rattled. And his line maybe older, but they seemed to play pretty well the entire year and let Brady pocket pass to his heart's content, and set records doing it. The fact is the Giant's defense played an incredible game.
Sorry if you are a Pats fan,
LOL, I was around for the Dolphins perfect season and this year they have their worst year ever. The Hurricanes suffer their worst home loss ever in their last game at the Orange Bowl before Clinton witch Donna Shalala has it torn down. Of course I was pulling for the Giants against all odds.
Eli stepped up and was magnificent under pressure. And Tyree made that amazing over the head behind the back land on your spine and keep the ball during the final drive. The Giants truly earned the win.
Congrats to Archie and wife for raising some incredible sons.
Just call it "Up Yours Bellicheat"!
That could be the best catch ever in a Super Bowl. Just incredible for Tyree to hang on to that ball. It compares to, if not surpasses, Lynn Swann’s acrobatics and some of Jerry Rice’s clutch catches in past games.
To be fair, I don’t believe that Bellickeck knew there was time left on the clock.
Pretty Boy Brady had his mind elsewhere it appears.
I tell you what... Tyree earned his money last night. If he never got noticed much before, he sure got some attention now. His agent probably still hasn’t quit smiling.
i’m lucky...nice little reentry for me back into an entertainment sport i grew up with in the Golden Years
Starr, Namath, Unitas, Tarkenton etc
same as you........we all knew all their names as kids
Certainly the greatest SB catch since this one.
I like that Col picture you posted on another thread - one of the many reasons I like college ball.
yes...a great night
but the greatest Giant of all time was YA Tittle
;>)
yes...the Brady-Welker combo was amazing as was that 70 yard pass
i don’t watch it anymore so this was all news to me
“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.”
AWESOME!
Not sure when the play was, but wasn’t it Eli that ran with the ball, was tackled and then the ball dropped out if his hands but he held onto it in a grip between his thighs?
I was impressed! lol
Tonight I watched ESPN’s highlights of the greatest SuperBowl plays ever. They showed them all and now there’s no doubt, the Manning-Tyree play is the greatest ever!
As everyone is saying, you never get tired of watching that replay. Just incredible of both Manning and Tyree.
I didn’t expect my beloved G-Men to win. Yet I’m a fan and I supported them. Being a native new yorker it wastough up her in patriot nation the last couple of weeks. Some fans were great, but most were giving me the needle hard. I was brave enough to wear my giants hat before the game. And yesterday, here in Lewiston I took my life in my own hands and wore it proudly. Wainting for the champion hoody to arrive. That will drive them nuts.
Great one liners and such to throw at pats fans: 18 and 1, trademark that!
Chase Blackburn gets the most expensive Giants suberbowl ring. 12 instead of 11 diamonds. He gave the patriots a fresh set of downs in Giants terrority and they still got stuffed!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.