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Beating big odds, Eli leads Giants to Super Bowl

Bob Glauber
January 21, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis.

Eli Manning celebrates after watching the winning field goal

Giants quarterback Eli Manning celebrates after watching the winning field goal. (Getty Images Photo / January 20, 2008)


Bad cold-weather quarterback. Playing with a glove on his non-throwing hand. Going against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. On the road, and in subzero temperatures, no less.

There was a lot going against Eli Manning heading into last night's NFC Championship Game at hallowed Lambeau Field. There weren't many who thought there'd be a happy ending for the Giants' quarterback. But for all the angst Manning has caused Giants fans throughout his four-year NFL career, last night provided further validation of the massive draft-day trade they pulled for him in 2004.

Manning did everything he could to get the Giants in position to win, and they should have walked off at the end of regulation 23-20 winners. Manning led a drive to set up a 36-yard field-goal try with four seconds left, but Jay Alford's snap was high and the kick by Lawrence Tynes was pulled left.

Too bad, because Eli had decisively outplayed Brett Favre on his home turf. But in the end, it all worked out, anyway. Favre was picked off by Corey Webster on the first possession of overtime, and Tynes redeemed himself for two fourth-quarter misses by hitting a 47-yarder 2:35 into OT.

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The Giants are going to the Super Bowl. They are going because Eli got them there.

It didn't seem possible a month ago, when he was stumbling through more growing pains in what seemed like a series of missteps that led to gnashing of teeth for Giants fans.

But no matter what happens in two weeks against the Patriots, this much can be said: Manning has grown up as a quarterback, and the future looks a lot brighter for the franchise because of it.

He put on a clinic against the Packers, finding Plaxico Burress routinely down the sidelines, hitting Amani Toomer for a diving catch down the sideline on a critical third-quarter play that led to a go-ahead TD.

"It feels great," Manning said. "We stuck through a lot. We're here, and we're excited to be here. I might be a hard guy to read sometimes, but right now, I'm as excited as I've ever been.

"... This is not about me. This is about the players around me. My only job is to get them the ball."

Now it is on to the 18-0 Patriots, whom the Giants nearly upset on the final weekend of the regular season.

"It was a big game for us, we played them well, and it got us going," Manning said. "Something just seemed to click ... We know what it takes. Now we've got another shot."

Manning didn't throw for a touchdown last night, but in frigid conditions that were nearly as bad as the 1967 Ice Bowl here, he threw for 254 yards. And perhaps most importantly, he didn't throw an interception. His counterpart, the one who is going to the Hall of Fame after he calls it a career, threw two huge ones - in the fourth quarter and in overtime.

"I had no problems with the cold," Manning said. "I had the hand warmers, I stayed near the heater all game. I was warm."

Entering the game, Manning had put together three of the most consistent performances of his career. In the 38-35 shootout with the Pats and playoff upsets of the Bucs and Cowboys, Manning threw for eight TDs and just one interception, managing the game flawlessly and putting his myriad problems behind him.

He looked like a completely different quarterback than the one who threw eight TD passes in his previous nine games. He was authoritative in the huddle. He was confident at the line of scrimmage. He was nearly flawless in his execution.

And last night, he looked as comfortable as ever in the biggest game of his life. He overcame penalties, dropped passes, a touchdown near the end of regulation negated by a holding call, and Tynes' two misses.

Didn't panic. Didn't force the coaches to pull in the reins because they couldn't trust him in a big spot. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride kept calling passes, and Manning kept throwing them, completing most, especially the ones in big spots.

Manning came to the Giants on a controversial draft day in 2004 when Philip Rivers went to the Chargers from the Giants and Ben Roethlisberger was picked by the Steelers. Roethlisberger won a ring two years ago, making Manning's early struggles even more pronounced.

It took him a little longer, but here he is: Eli Manning is going to the Super Bowl.

Unmistakable

Eli Manning has thrown 85 passes in the Giants' three playoff wins without an interception. His postseason numbers:

Opp. Comp-Att. Yards TD INT Rating
Buccaneers 20-27 185 2 0 117.1
Cowboys 12-18 163 2 0 132.4
Packers 21-40 254 0 0 72.3

Related topic galleries: Plaxico Burress, Football, Eli Manning, Multi-Sport Events, Brett Favre, New York Giants, New England Patriots

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