Manning, Manningham were The Men

Many NFL franchises have flopped around over the last 46 years, without a single glorious winning Super Bowl moment.

You know who you are, Minnesota Vikings.

Then there are the New York Giants, who not only win this game every few years, it seems, but do so with late-game flourishes that go straight to the “Best Of” files.

One of the best late drives ever in a Super Bowl. One of the best pass plays.

Manning-to-Manningham.

You start talking about how many Super Bowl catches have been as fantastic or vital as Eli Manning's 38-yard dart down the left sideline to Mario Manningham, and the short list starts with the gem of four years ago: Manning-to-David Tyree.

Manningham didn't pin the football to his helmet like Tyree, but he somehow planted his left foot and a toe on his right foot in bounds while eluding two New England Patriots defensive backs and staying in bounds at the 50-yard line.

You might not even call it a well-advised throw by Manning, if not for the fact it was merely perfect.

Sterling Moore slapped at Manningham's right shoulder just as the ball nestled in the receiver's hands, but Manningham didn't flinch. Patrick Chung blasted Manningham a split-second after the catch. Didn't matter.

The official ruled it a completion. The Patriots, unsure of its validity, used their red challenge flag. After the replay was shown on the Lucas Oil Stadium video screens, Giants fans roared with delight.

They knew what they had seen. What had looked like an unfavorable scenario for the Giants – the ball at their own 12 with a 17-15 deficit and 3:46 to go – immediately had daylight.

Eight plays later, the Patriots ceded a 6-yard Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown run with 57 seconds left.

It was a weird moment. New England didn't want to tackle him, so it could still have some time left to go with its lone remaining timeout. Bradshaw tried to slam on the brakes at the 1, but couldn't do it and was forced to earn a touchdown in a world-championship contest.

As the Giants feared, Tom Brady got the ball back. The score was 21-17, and Brady began at his 20. He pulled a Brady-esque rabbit out of his hat on 4th-and-17 at the 13 with a 20-yard pass to Deion Branch off a scramble.

But the drive died at the New England 49 when Brady's “Hail Mary” to the end zone was swatted to the turf by a gaggle of Giants.

New Englanders will always wonder what might have been had Wes Welker, a possession receiver who seemingly catches everything, hadn't failed to reel in a bomb from Brady on the Patriots' possession prior to New York's game-winning march.

Welker was open. He had to leap for the ball, but it was catchable.

Manningham made his catch, and made two more as the Giants charged into chip-shot field goal range.

It was shrewd of New England Coach Bill Belichick to surrender the touchdown and take the 57 seconds rather than let the Giants wear the clock to a nub before kicking a field goal.

But this wasn't Brady's night, though the 3-time Super Bowl-winner did nothing in this game to tarnish his legacy.

No, this was when Manning staked his claim as someone who is quite a bit more than Peyton Manning's younger brother.

I watched this game from near the back row of the stadium, but my view was good enough to see the beautiful precision and confidence of Manning's throws.

This team was 9-7, easily the worst record of any of the four NFC division champs. But they pay off on what you do in the postseason, where the Giants own two of the last four league-championships.

Tyler Sash, Giants backup safety, was involved in several special-teams plays. None of them hurt his team. In fact, Giants special-teams were solid all the way around.

For Sash's work this year, the rookie from the University of Iowa and Oskaloosa will get a winners' share of $88,000, with a gaudy ring to come.

Sash came out of Iowa after his junior season only not to be drafted until late in the sixth round. You could say it worked out fine for him.

On the flip side from a Hawkeyes point of view, former Iowa center Brian Ferentz won't get one of those huge chunks of jewelry, at least not this year.

Patriots tight end coach Ferentz and his team didn't have a 100-percent Rob Gronkowski, and it showed. Gronkowski had just two catches for 26 yards while playing with a high ankle sprain.

Tight end Aaron Hernandez, however, had eight catches for 67 yards and a third-quarter TD catch that would have stood up as the difference in a victory were it not for Manning, Manningham and company.