The first pass that Tom Brady threw in Super Bowl XLVI landed in the middle of the field, to no one in particular. The throw was so errant that it resulted in an intentional grounding penalty, and a safety for the New York Giants.
The last pass that Tom Brady threw landed in the end zone. A hail mary to no one in particular, but it somehow almost landed in Rob Gronkowski’s hands.
In between all of that, there was a stretch of 16 straight completions for Brady, who rallied the Patriots from a 9-0 deficit with seventeen unanswered points. They played well for stretches, but the Giants never seemed to have trouble moving the ball down the field, as they did on their final possession in the closing minutes.
Super Bowls as tightly contested as these are remembered by big plays. It was the helmet catch the last time these two matched up. We remember Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone or John Elway helicoptering his way to a Super Bowl win.
For this rendition of the big game, we’ll have Mario Manningham’s catch as he strided towards the sidelines, hauling in a perfectly placed throw from Eli Manning. Or Ahmad Bradshaw’s accidental touchdown that proved to be the difference. Of course, Patriots fans will lament Wes Welker’s drop that could’ve potentially sealed the victory for the Patriots had they gone onto score.
But really, this game was not about legacies for either side. Sure, Brady and Belichick have now been foiled in their last two trips to the Super Bowl, by the same team no less. But what they’ve accomplished for the better part of a decade remains remarkable. They cemented their place as one of the best quarterback-head coach tandems a long time ago.
All that’s been left to accomplish these past few years is just placing themselves amongst the greats, finding a landing spot on everyone’s top ten lists. They would probably disagree with such assessment, being the competitors that they are, but when they step away from the game, these will be blemishes on a wonderful resume, not something that taints their entire body of work.
I feel the same about Eli Manning and the New York Giants. What his second Super Bowl victory doesn’t elevate him into an upper echelon, because he probably belonged there all along.
I’m as guilty as anyone for discrediting his accomplishments, ignoring his ability to step up in the big games. It’s as if we never gave him the respect he was due the last time he won the big game. Now he’s earned it all.
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