If there was any doubt remaining, Eli Manning cemented his status as an elite NFL quarterback after leading the New York Giants to its second victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 21-17.
Manning, who at the beginning of the season argued that he should be mentioned in the coversation for the league’s best quarterback with Brady, Aaron Rodgers and his own brother Peyton Manning, backed up the bravado by leading his team to the title.
As has become habit, Manning led his team to a fourth-quarter comeback victory, after driving his team 88 yards down the field and scoring with 57 seconds remaining. Brady and the Patriots, wanting to avenge a similar defeat in 2008 that ruined a perfect season, made it interesting with a Hail Mary toss at the end of the game, but the batted pass fell just out of reach of injured tight end Rob Gronkowski after time had expired.
Manning completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and 1 TD to earn his second Super Bowl MVP award, matching Brady.
Though Brady and Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick reached their fifth Super Bowl together, they once again failed to defeat the underdog Giants.
