With the Super Bowl on the line, look who had the perfection thing down Pat: Eli Manning and the road-conquering New York Giants.And what a beauty their 11th straight road victory was, a 17-14 Super Bowl win Sunday that shattered the New England Patriots? unblemished season.
In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, Manning, New York?s unlikely Mr. Cool, hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants? fourth consecutive postseason away win and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.
?There?s something about this team,? Manning said. ?The way we win games, and performed in the playoffs in the stretch. We had total confidence in ourselves. The players believed in each other.?
It was the most bitter of losses, too, because 12-point favorite New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents? defensive signals in the season opener against the New York Jets.
?I don?t rank them,? Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. ?It?s disappointing.?
The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and the improbable comeback led by Manning. Yes, Eli Manning, who outplayed league MVP Tom Brady and furthered the family legacy one year after older brother Peyton led Indianapolis to the title.
