ORLANDO – We’ve always known that Eli Manning was an elite quarterback. Now, however, he’s a two-time Super Bowl champion and he probably just punched his ticket to the Football Hall of Fame.
Apparently, Mike & Mike on ESPN disagree and so too does former Super Bowl champion QB Kurt Warner, but in 15 years, it would surprise me if Eli Manning was NOT in the Hall of Fame as opposed to IN it.
Eli Manning
Last Sunday night at Lucas Oil Stadium (or as it has been called, “The House that Peyton Built”), Manning led the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. On Monday, he was feted here at Disney World to the cheers of thousands of football fans and non-football fans. The guy is a star.
Now, let’s be honest here: It wasn’t the greatest performance in Super Bowl history but thanks to one spectacular catch by Mario Manningham – the new David Tyree – and a decision by Pats coach Bill Belichick to let the Giants score with 57 seconds remaining, Manning and his teammates got their rings and despite some opinions to the contrary, young Eli will get a taste of football immortality.
Tom Coughlin
“That was quite a drive that he was able to put together at the end,” said Giants coach Tom Coughlin in his post-game news conference. “He deserves all the credit in the world because he really put this team on his shoulders all year.”
People forget that after Week 15, this Giants club was 7-7 and there was talk that Coughlin should be fired. From there, however, they pulled a Green Bay Packers circa 2010-11. They won their final two regular season games to finish 9-7 and make the playoffs and then swept the NFC playoffs on the road before winning on Sunday.
After last year’s performance by the Packers down the stretch it’s unlikely that anyone needed any proof that the hottest team usually wins the Super Bowl, but there was little doubt that the red-hot Giants were the best team in the end.
“We’ve had a bunch of these late drives to win this year,” said Manning, who finished with 30 completions on 40 attempts for 296 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. “We’ve been in those situations, and we knew that we had no more time left. We had to go down and score, and guys stepped up and made great plays.
And with that, Manning, who now has two Super Bowl MVP trophies to go with his two rings, became the 46th NFL player to look into a camera and say, “I’m going to Disney World!”
Of course, the big win in the biggest game didn’t come without a few stressful moments.
The Catch II.
Manning needed a near-impossible catch by Manningham along the sidelines on the final drive to get the job done. As Eli made very clear after the game, “there was more to this win that just me.”
“It’s been a wild game, a wild season,” Manning said at his post-game news conference. “This isn’t about one person. It’s about one team, a complete team, coming together at the right time.”
It’s not like Manning’s heroics were anything new. Peyton’s younger brother was responsible for six comeback victories during the regular season and during those incredible comebacks, he set an NFL record with 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes. During the final drive on Sunday, Manning completed five passes, but he might never had the chance to do that if he hadn’t completed the first one to Manningham, who made a catch that will be replayed for decades to come.
“Great toughness, great faith, and great plays by a number of different guys made the difference,” Manning said. “It just feels good to win a Super Bowl, it doesn’t matter where you are or who you beat. Winning is why we play and with a great team around me, it feels really good to be able to help them win.”
There was no person prouder in the Giants locker room after the game than Eli’s dad, Archie. The former New Orleans Saints great answered as many questions from reporters as his son.
“He’s become confident over time and kind of grew into the job,” Archie said. “I always felt like you have to experience those situations before you become confident. He’s certainly had his share of experiences.”
Eli with another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Eli’s career numbers still aren’t as good as Peyton’s or Brady’s. He hasn’t been to the Super Bowl five times like Brady has and there is a lot to be said for that number – that’s half the Super Bowls in the last decade.
But on Sunday night, helped along by a tremendous team, a solid coach, a terrific catch and a remarkable defense, Manning The Younger did exactly what he had to do to win the biggest game of this, or any other year.
Eli Manning is one of the game’s truly elite quarterbacks and with two Super Bowl championships (while playing in the toughest city in sports), there is now a sculptor getting ready to carve the younger Manning’s bust for Canton.
