It was nearing 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, and the world was five seconds away from witnessing history. With a comeback win, Tom Brady would enter the most elite class, becoming the third quarterback in NFL history with four Super Bowl rings. On the other hand, with one last defensive stand, the Giants beat the Patriots for the second time in four years on the biggest stage in sports, and Eli Manning will cement his place in the Hall of Fame. With the ball at their own 49-yard line and trailing 21-17, Brady made one last desperation heave into the end zone. After watching the ball in the air for what seemed to be an eternity, it finally reached a group of players from both teams before it was knocked down, and pandemonium broke out.
This wasn’t any ordinary season for the New York Giants. Some can say that once they made it to the Super Bowl, they were destined to win. The 2007-08 season when they won Super Bowl XLII, has an exact resemblance to this year’s Super Bowl win. I will go as far to say that you can compare them to identical twins.
Late in the 2007 season, the Giants faced the undefeated New England Patriots. After putting everything on the line, they came up just short; losing at home 38-35. Fast-forwarding to the 2011 season, the Giants had another date with an undefeated team late in the season, when they hosted the Green Bay Packers. After it looked like they were going to be able to pull off the upset, Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a last second 38-35 win. In both seasons, they had a demoralizing loss to the Washington Redskins late in the season; each times the score being 23-10.
After reaching the postseason, the comparisons continued to grow. In both runs, they were able to knock of the No. 1 seeds on the road, earning them a trip to the NFC Championship. In 2007, the Giants went into Lambeau field ending Brett Favre’s career as a Green Bay Packer, with a 20-17 win in overtime. This year the Giants went into San Francisco and took down the surprising 49ers squad, 20-17 in overtime.
If you aren’t freaked out about the comparisons yet, take a look at how both Super Bowls played out against the Patriots. In 2007 very few people thought the Giants would be able to stop the Patriots from completing their perfect season. As the game went along, it stayed a nail biter. On the Giants final possession, Manning miraculously escaped the pressure, and wildly threw a pass down field hoping for a prayer. The prayer was answered when David Tyree caught the ball, pinning it against his helmet. With less than a minute remaining, Manning completed the miracle, finding Plaxico Burress in the end zone for the go ahead touchdown.
Returning to the present time, there were more people who believed that the Giants could take down the Patriots, but that did not stop the Patriots from being the favorite. The Giants got out to an early lead, when Justin Tuck forced Brady to throw the ball away while in the end zone, resulting in a safety. New York increased their lead when Manning found Victor Cruz for a 2-yard touchdown pass. Even with the Giants dominating most of the first half, they found themselves trailing the Patriots after Brady orchestrated a Super Bowl record tying 96-yard drive before the half.
Throughout the third quarter the game stayed close, setting up an exciting final quarter of the NFL season. After stopping Brady for the second time in the quarter, the Giants received the ball at their own 4-yard line. With their backs up against the wall, Manning was looking for another miracle. Once again his prayer was answered, this time by Mario Manningham, who made a David Tyree-esque catch along the sideline. With the momentum on their side, the Giants took the ball all the way down to the Patriots 6-yard line, where Ahmad Bradshaw unwillingly ran it into the end zone with less than a minute remaining.
So yes, I do believe that the Giants were destined to win the Super Bowl again this year. They had history on their side, they played a better game, and they had the better quarterback on their side. Don’t get me wrong, Brady will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in history, but the show was stolen by Manning.
After all, you can’t spell ELITE without ELI.
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