Super Bowl XLII: Inside the Game

By Jim Ralabate
SportsTicker Staff Writer

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - The inside story of the New York Giants' historic 17-14 upset of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

HEROES: Giants quarterback Eli Manning and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Manning emerged from the shadow of big brother Peyton to become a star, authoring an improbable game-winning drive capped by his 13-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining. It was a night of redemption, recognition and jubilation for Manning, whose first three seasons in New York had been marked by constant criticism toward his laid-back demeanor and skittishness in the clutch. But Manning came up with his best performance in the most pressure-packed of situations, matching the heroics of Tom Brady en route to winning Super Bowl MVP honors. Manning completed 9-of-14 passes for 152 yards in the fourth quarter, accounting for New York's only two touchdowns in the game with his 13-yarder to Burress and a 5-yarder to David Tyree with 11 minutes left. Manning finished 19-of-34 for 255 yards, two TDs and one interceptions - his first of the postseason. While Manning saved his best for the end, Spagnuolo's defense all but shut down the Patriots' record-setting offense, limiting New England to a season-low 14 points by consistently pressuring Brady. Spagnuolo, a first-year defensive coordinator, devised a game plan in which the Giants used a variety of blitzes to keep Brady out of rhythm. Although Brady orchestrated a vintage 80-yard drive to give New England a 14-10 lead with 2:42 left, the Giants held the Patriots to just 274 yards of total offense. New York also sacked Brady five times, the highest single-game total allowed this season by the Patriots. GOATS: The Patriots' defense, which failed to protect a 14-10 lead by allowing the Giants to march 83 yards and score in just 2 minutes, 7 seconds. Despite boasting a veteran unit which included multiple players with Super Bowl experience, New England failed to come up with a crucial stop against the Giants, who converted two third downs and a 4th-and-1 on the decisive drive. The Patriots failed to stop running back Brandon Jacobs on 4th-and-1, they failed to finish off a sack of Manning on 3rd-and-5 and they failed to hold New York on 3rd-and-11 from their own 25. The last Patriots defensive player to come up short was cornerback Ellis Hobbs, who slipped in one-on-one coverage of Burress on New York's game-winning touchdown.

TURNING POINT: The Patriots were one sack away from forcing the Giants into a 4th-and-long in the game's final minute. But Manning miraculously slipped away from a pair of tacklers, rolled to his right and lofted a ball to Tyree, who amazingly pressed the ball against his helmet and came down with a 32-yard reception. The whacky play moved the ball to the Patriots 24-yard line, and Manning found Burress for the game-winner four plays later.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Randy Moss entered the fourth quarter with only one catch. The Giants' secondary did an excellent job of bottling up Moss over the game's first three quarters, although half of the credit also should go to New York's relentless pressure of Brady. Despite finishing with five catches for 62 yards and a TD, Moss was not much of factor for most of the game.

DEFENSIVE STARS: Defensive linemen Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan harassed Brady throughout the contest. Despite failing to record a sack, Umenyiora recovered a fumble and dominated Patriots All-Pro left tackle Matt Light. Tuck was outstanding in the first half and finished with two sacks, while Strahan added a crucial third-quarter sack that stalled a potential scoring drive and forced New England to punt. Linebacker Kawika Mitchell and rookie defensive tackle Jay Alford also joined in on the fun, recording sacks of Brady.