First off, I thought the game went extremely fast. There were many completions and running plays that kept the clock running, and before I knew it the game was already over. The Giants, much to my disappointment, pulled out a 21-17 win over the Patriots, in eerily similar fashion to their victory against Brady and company four years ago. Eli Manning got the ball back with under four minutes on the clock this time and mounted another masterful drive, eventually leading to an Ahmad Bradshaw accidental touchdown plunge to go up 21-17 with 57 seconds left. Brady and company were fortunate to get the ball back with that much time, but they were unable to convert a Hail Mary attempt as the ball fell just out of the reach of tight end Rob Gronkowski as the clock hit zero and the Patriots were devastated again.
Looking back at this game, I take away some key things starting with Welker's drop and Manningham's catch. You have to feel bad for Wes Welker, one of the most sure-handed guys in the league, who dropped a crucial pass late in the game that would have given the Patriots a first down and possibly help salt away the clock to preserve a fourth Super Bowl victory for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Welker is diminutive in stature, but he'll admit that he should have caught that pass. He feels like a goat, but I think it's overblown a little bit. I was listening to the Scott Van Pelt show on ESPN Radio yesterday and some guy tweeted in saying that Manningham's catch will be remembered more with time. Drops are forgotten more quickly, and I think Welker's drop won't haunt him and that he has the resolve to get over it and begin to get ready for another Super Bowl run next year.
The Giants caught some breaks as they didn't lose any of their three fumbles, but their biggest play of the game came on a 38-yard hookup from Manning to Mario Manningham, who made a beautiful catch on the sideline to give the Giants huge momentum on their final drive. Manningham has been relatively unheard from because of the emergence of Victor Cruz, but this catch was the pivotal play of the game just as David Tyree's catch was huge four years ago. Manningham deserves a lot of credit after he made a silly error in losing track of where he was in relation to the sideline on another ball from Manning earlier in the game. Manning's throw was pinpoint and in the one spot that Manningham could make the play.
Other things that come to mind regarding this game: I thought the Patriots defense played all right, but had their letdown in the secondary on that final drive. However, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the offense and admit they beat you, and I think this was the case too. The Pats' D did get a lot of pressure on Eli and came up with some big sacks and forced some fumbles, but the ball just didn't bounce their way. The Giants' D was good, but I wouldn't say quite as spectacular as its performance four years ago. I thought they did an amazing job clamping down following the two consecutive touchdown drives the Patriots had from late in the second quarter to early in the third quarter. They didn't allow a single point for the final 26 minutes of the game and must be commended for that.
Brady knows this Super Bowl will haunt him because it was another one within reach. Now 3-2 in Super Bowls with both losses coming to Eli Manning, he knows he is running out of time to make a fourth victory a reality. I think the Patriots need to use their draft picks this year instead of trading them. They first need to get better with an established player in the secondary, or they need to use their pick/s to better that position. Next, I think they need a big play receiver who can stretch the field. Now that Josh McDaniels is back to to run the offense, I think they need someone who can be a vertical threat in the passing game (Randy Moss/Brandon Lloyd of his past offenses). They were obviously lacking in this department this year, and defenses can begin to pick up on that and key in on the short-intermediate routes these guys are running. Brady and company still tore it up this year and were great offensively, but I think they need someone who can stretch the field.
Eli's "elite" and Hall of Fame status are big topics of conversation these days. I guess you have to call him elite now, but I hate to do so because I like Peyton much more. Regarding the Hall of Fame, I don't think he's quite punched his ticket yet, but six more seasons of big numbers could do the trick for him. The Giants are a good football team with a lot of talent of both sides of the ball. They tend to underachieve in the regular season, as evidenced by their 9-7 regarding where they had to beat the Jets and Cowboys in the final two weeks just to make the playoffs. I feel like they just need to get up for every regular season game, whether that be against Grossman's Redskins or Rodgers' Packers.
Those are some of my thoughts regarding the game. Feel free to comment or chime in on anything that comes to mind. I hope your Super Bowl parties were as tasty and memorable as mine!
Nice post. I was also surprised at how fast the game seemed to fly by. Although not a football fan myself, I thought the close score throughout the game made it a bit more interesting.
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