The Perfect Game

Earlier this afternoon, I outlined what the Patriots and Giants would each have to do to win the game. I then made a horrible prediction. What went wrong?

Everything.

I said the Patriots would need to execute offensively and pressure Eli Manning. They didn't. Tom Brady missed on a lot of throws, and I'm fairly certain that Laurence Maroney didn't come out of the locker room at halftime. The Offensive Line had very poor protection and really cost the Patriots the game. Guys like Light, Mankins and the Pro Bowl line, who were very reliable in the regular season, completely broke down. The Giants' Offensive Line, however, tightened up and played great. The Patriots stopped getting any pressure on Eli and allowed him to score touchdowns and become MVP.

I can't say enough about how well the Giants played. I can't believe it. Coming into this season, I didn't think they would even win 6 games. When they started playing well in October, I figured they would blow it at the end. When they clinched a playoff berth, I thought they would be sent home packing again. When they beat the Bucs, I figured they would be one and done. They weren't. They weren't any of these things. In the end, they proved they were a great team. And it's thanks to #10, who proved a lot of people wrong tonight.

Even in the late stages of the 4th quarter, I figured Eli Manning would screw up. He always has before, right? There's no way he would get it done on the biggest stage. Then he did. It wasn't just any drive that ended in an eventual winning touchdown. There were only a few minutes left on the clock. If the Giants didn't score on that drive, they're not going to get the ball back. Not only did he put his team up with 35 seconds left, he was part of a signature, classic play that's going to be shown thousands of times for eternity. Under rare incredible pressure from the New England blitz, Eli somehow stays on his feet, spins away from the pressure, and throws up a pass to David Tyree, a mostly special teams player, who holds the ball against his helmet with one hand and finally secures the catch as he hits the ground. Unbelievable.

Except for the one turnover and Corey Webster falling down, they truly played the perfect game. The defense was suffocating. Eli led his offense down the field and used just about every weapon he had to outscore the Patriots. It was a well played game with one quarter that really stood out. Congratulations to the Giants, as much as I hate to say it. I guess it's pretty hard to buy a home in Mercury Morris' neighborhood.