Former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra must be smiling as it was “Déjà vu all over again” and four years didn’t matter this time either to the New York Giants football team. The 2011-12 NFL Season ended the same as the 2007-08 season with the New York Giants “out-toughing” the New England Patriots again. The Giants won Super Bowl XVLI by a score of 21-17 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The 92nd NFL season culminated with Patriots (15-4) taking it on the chin again from the Giants (13-7) in a “Deja Blue” moment. The NFL’s 267th and final game of the 2011-12 season didn’t disappoint with great back-and-forth action, strong quarterback play on both sides and another New York comeback. There was no “revenge” in the air as the comeback-kids fought until the very end and came away with another “In Your Face” win over the favored Patriots.
The 3-point underdogs made the game a “Back to the Future” moment as, for the second-time, the glass slipper fit. The scrappy Giants showed that winning the games that “count” are the only ones that matter. New York won their sixth consecutive game, including four straight in the playoffs, as they plowed past the best the NFL had to offer in order: the Atlanta Falcons (NFC #5), Green Bay Packers (NFC #1), San Francisco 49ers (#2), and the Patriots (#1) to win it all. And please don’t say anything about “deserving” because the Giants dismantled the NFL’s supposed elite – teams with combined regular season records of 52-11 — in winning their franchise’s fourth Super Bowl title.
Yes, during a roller-coaster season that saw many ups and downs for head coach Tom Coughlin’s bunch, this group never stopped fighting and now they are holding the Lombardi Trophy. Now the cries of “Eli isn’t Peyton” and “Coughlin must go” are nowhere to be found. The 2011 season was definitely a make-or-break season for the beleaguered pair and they, for certain, “Made It”. After putting some serious pressure on himself going into the season, Coughlin’s top-5 quarterback said, “Yeah, I think I am… I definitely consider myself in that class.” Once again, Eli-Don’t-Call-Me-Peyton’s-Little-Brother-Manning backed it up with his second Super Bowl MVP award.
Manning was masterful as he out-dueled Patriots’ QB Tom Brady by completing 30-of-40 attempts for 296 yards and one touchdown. Sure, Brady (27- 41, 276 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT) was “on” for the majority of the game — he had the most consecutive completions in Super Bowl history with 16 — but Eli proved to be his foil once again in walking away with the biggest game’s biggest prize. In the game’s omnipotent series, Manning drove the New York offense 88 yards for the game-winning points – Eli’s seventh come-from-behind winning drive this season. The biggest play on the steely drive was Manning connecting with receiver Mario Manningham on a highlight-reel sideline 38-yard throw-and-catch. Manningham said of the catch, “I knew as soon as the ball hit my fingertips, I was going to have to freeze my feet. I kind of knew I was in.”
Of course, in comeback gut-wrenching style, the Giants’ victory was not sealed until the game’s final play. After Giants’ running back Ahmad Bradshaw (72 rushing yards) took it to the house for a score after performing the game’s worst kneel-down ever.
“I was yelling at Ahmad not to score,” Manning said. The Giants were hoping to kill the clock without permitting the Patriots a chance for a potential game-winning final drive.
The stage was set for another dramatic Tom Brady Hall-of-Fame moment when America’s Quarterback got the ball back with 57 seconds left, two timeouts, and trailing by four points. If anyone could rally his troops and drive them down the field to a win it was Brady… right?
Sorry. Wrong answer. The Giants defense went to work one more time. It had harassed Brady the entire game, including a “near” sack safety for the game’s first score. When it mattered most, they hit and sacked Brady to make his championship drive most difficult.
In the end, the New England quarterback’s “Hail Mary” pass was not answered as the ball bounced off tight end Aaron Hernandez and injured fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski could not get to the bouncer before it hit the turf and Giants were World Champions again.
Tom Coughlin, the oldest head coach to win the Super Bowl at 65, said after the game, “I’m thankful and grateful.”
“It’s been a wild game. It’s been a wild season,” said Eli Manning after his team’s huge win. He added, “We had a bunch of guys who never quit.”
Lloyd’s Leftovers
- I thought the pre-game performance by Kelly Clarkson singing the national anthem was solid.
- This game will also be remembered for Brady and his security blanket receiver, Wes Welker, missing on a potential touchdown play when the Patriots were leading 17-15 late in 4th quarter. In a chicken-and-egg debate that will rage forever in sports bars everywhere, Welker had two hands on a pass thrown partially behind him and dropped a “difficult” catch. To me he should have had the pass, but Brady didn’t do him any favors with a not-so-great throw. If they had hit that pass and the Patriots had scored in that spot, it might have been an entirely different game. But I can’t stand talking “Shoulda-Coulda” after games. Almost every National Football League game contains plays like that. And good players take “if” out of the equation. You can watch the play for yourself and decide from this YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or1nSVUJeq8.
- Everyone always wants to know which of the commercials I liked and didn’t like. I just found it amazing that, in our tough economy, about 28 advertisers paid over $3 million per 30-second spot. My number one has to be the “Sling Shot” Doritoes ad followed closely by the Bud Light Rescue Dog, “Here We Go.” Then comes Clint Eastwood’s “American Comeback” for cars and the NFL Timeline spots. Some stinkers were the Jerry Seinfeld Acura and Ferris Bueller Honda commercials — both were terribly played out. You can watch all of the Super Bowl ads at YouTube.com/adblitz
- I have to admit, the 14 minutes of Madonna at halftime was pretty good as the Material Girl showed that 50 isn’t a death sentence. But M.I.A’s stunt with the “finger” was lame and now she can just go away.
Now that Super Bowl XLVI is over, I can take a quick break. Like most people, my NFL season doesn’t end with the Super Bowl. As the NFL Combine (later in February into March), Free Agency (starts March 13th), Colts’ Peyton-Decision (March 8), and the NFL Draft (April 26-28, with the Indianapolis Colts currently on the clock) will all be here before we know it.
Lloyd Vance is the Editor for Taking It to the House , who is also an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). He is an NFL Analyst for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. Lloyd can be reached on Twitter @lloydvance_nfl