Eli and Giants earn plenty of respect

FOXBORO, Mass.

After what we saw from Eli Manning in Sunday's dramatic showdown with Tom Brady, it's time to end the talk about whether Manning belongs in the same class with his future Hall of Fame counterpart.

After he beat Brady for a second straight time with a similarly epic last-minute performance, the answer is a definitive yes.

Manning set off a torrent of controversy and discussion during an August radio interview in which he said he most certainly belongs in Brady's class. But Sunday's performance offered proof of Manning's declaration that he can and should take his rightful place alongside Brady when it comes to determining the league's elite quarterbacks.

He did it nearly four years ago in Super Bowl XLII, when he led the Giants to one of the greatest upsets in playoff history with one of the most unlikely drives, capped by Plaxico Burress' touchdown catch with 35 seconds to play in a 17-14 win. And then he did it again Sunday at Gillette Stadium, bringing the Giants back from the brink of defeat with an 80-yard drive that ended with his 1-yard TD pass to tight end Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left in a 24-20 decision.

"He's beaten '12.' He's beaten '12,' " said Brandon Jacobs, using Brady's uniform number. "That's all I got to say. He's my quarterback. To me, he's better than '12.' '12' couldn't get it done today. '10' got it done today.''

After throwing two touchdown passes in the final 3:03 to bring his team back twice, Giants' No. 10 got it done the way we're used to seeing Brady get it done so many times before.

SEE PHOTOSFeb. 3, 2008: Giants win Super Bowl XLII

Breaking the Patriots' streaks of 20 straight regular-season home wins and 18 straight home victories against NFC teams, Manning gave his team one more reason to believe that their unlikely ascent in this injury-filled and roster-jumbled season is becoming more and more legitimate.

In lifting this team to a 6-2 record, Manning began a brutal stretch of games with a terrific performance against a Super Bowl contender. Getting to 5-2 against mostly losing teams was one thing; getting to 6-2 against the Patriots on the road has elevated this team's stature. Manning now must be considered among the elite at his position, and the Giants have entered the conversation about teams worthy of postseason discussion.

Of course, we've seen 6-2 Giants teams crumble in the second half of the season, so caution is always advised. But with fresh proof from this showing, the Giants deserve to feel good about what they've done and optimistic about what lies ahead.

Especially if their quarterback continues to put up the kind of numbers he has this season. Coming off a career-high 25 interceptions last year, Manning has thrown only six in half a season, including a bad one in the end zone against the Patriots in the third quarter. But he more than made up for the gaffe with an 85-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham and the 80-yard drive that ended with the game-winner to Ballard.

In the Super Bowl, it was his heave over the middle, in the face of a fierce pass rush, that David Tyree pinned against his helmet for a 32-yard catch on third down to set up the winning TD. This time it was a 28-yard throw over the middle to Ballard, who made an acrobatic catch between two defenders to keep the winning drive alive. Both wore jersey No. 85, too.

Unlike the Super Bowl, though, the Giants could have sent this one into overtime if they'd bogged down in the red zone. "You always want to get to get a touchdown," Manning said. "You always want to get the win if possible."

Manning got the win, and in the process, he won himself some more respect. Even if it's not the kind he truly cares about.

"I'm just trying to play to the best of my ability," he said. "I don't get involved in trying to rank somebody or compare myself to somebody else. I'm just trying to win games for the Giants and we got a big one today."