So, another NFL season is done, and the long offseason now begins. It was a strange season, to be sure, starting out with a lockout, and then proceeding with record numbers of viewers and followers.
Indeed, it was an exciting season with powerhouse teams and close competitors, and some surprises, as well. There were some surprising losers in the league, like the "Dream Team" of the Philadelpia Eagles, who went from being preseason favorites to reach or even win the Super Bowl, to a team that was struggling to try and remain relevant, which they basically failed to do. The San Diego Chargers, hoping to bounce back after a bad 2010 season, started off strong at 4-1, before collapsing during a 6-game losing streak that effectively pushed them out of the playoff picture and relevancy altogether. Tampa Bay, who had gone 10-6 in 2010 and figured to improve and perhaps be a real contender, started off strong at 4-2, including a victory over powerhouse New Orleans, before suddenly and inexplicably losing the rest of their games. The Dallas Cowboys, another team projected to be quite good, were unexceptional at best, and ultimately lost their chance at the playoffs.
Some teams, however, surprised on a positive note. The Detroit Lions raced out to an undefeated 5-0 start, and finished at 10-6, good enough to qualify for their first postseason since the late nineties. Tim Tebow leading the Broncos to one victory after another after a 2-5 start, and eventually guiding them to a surprise division title and even a postseason victory against perennial AFC bullies, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cincinnati Bengals, perennial doormats, found their mojo (well, a bit), and managed to be competitive enough to eventually qualify for a playoff berth, where they met the also surprising Houston Texans, who enjoyed a breakout season that might have catapulted them to the ranks of the elite teams in the league, and a team with a bright future. The San Fransisco 49ers, under the guidance of rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh, enjoyed a very strong season that allowed fans to reminisce about past glory days, back in the 80's and 90's, and almost made it to the Super Bowl, getting eliminated in overtime with a field goal by the team that ultimately proved to be the biggest success story of them all, the New York Giants.
The Giants were left for dead in the preseason. With the Eagles making enormous waves in terms of publicity regarding some headline pickups, establishing themselves as the trendy preseason Super Bowl favorites, and with the Cowboys figuring to rebound from recent disappointments to become a competitive team once again, nobody seemed to figure the Giants would do much of anything, who had only lost big names in the offseason, and had no major pickups.
Yet, there they were in their third game, a 1-1 team going up against the also 1-1 Philadelphia Eagles, and overpowering them. It was a bit of revenge for their horrific loss the season before, after holding a 31-10 lead midway through the final quarter before eventually losing in regulation, a ridiculous and haunting loss. The victory over the Eagles was surprising and perhaps set the tempo for both teams. Suddenly, the Giants were relevant. The Eagles, in the meantime, would lose four in a row to start off at 1-4, and they never really recovered. For the Giants, it was the opposite. A huge win that gave them confidence, they fed off of it. Some weeks later, they were 5-2 and heading to New England , to take on the 5-2 Patriots in a Super Bowl XLII rematch, and what would in fact prove to be a Super Bowl preview, as well (but who knew?). In a game reminiscent of that earlier Super Bowl, the Giants were led by Manning to a fourth quarter, come from behind victory. It was New England's only home loss all season, and New York
For the Giants, it was a huge win, and they played the surprising 49ers next, which they wound up losing narrowly, in a hard fought contest. It was the first of the killer four-game losing streak, and they would lose five out of the next six overall, that seemed to end their season. With two games remaining, they stood at 7-7, behind the Dallas Cowboys in the standings, and with no wiggle room.
Yet, that was precisely when these Giants finally came to life. They defeated the New York Jets in a "road" game at their home stadium, shutting up Rex Ryan at least a little bit. They then demolished the Cowboys in a winner takes all showdown to end the regular season, and they suddenly were division champs!
That would mean little to nothing, however, if they did not at least win one postseason game. They had a home game, but had not won a postseason home game since the 2000 Super Bowl season. That changed in a big way, however, when they dominated the Atlanta Falcons, 24-2, to move on.
A stunning victory against powerhouse Green Bay
The victories over the Jets, the Cowboys, and the Falcons had been impressive, but the victory in Green Bay Green Bay New England had been in the Super Bowl four years earlier, but this time, also, the Giants did not need last minute heroics to pull off the upset, as they had against the Pats back then. It earned them the right to play for a Super Bowl berth by renewing a storied rivalry against the 49ers.
The most appropriate description for the NFC Championship Game was that they survived on a soggy day in San Fransisco in OT, 20-17, off the reliable foot of David Tyrne, to move on to their second Super Bowl in five years. It was a hard fought game against two hard-nosed and hard-hitting teams, and indeed was reminiscent of the rivalry between these two teams during their glory days of the 1980's and early 90's, when names such as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, Charles Haley, and Mark Bavaro, Bill Walsh, and Bill Parcells, to name just a few. It was not exactly the same, of course. Yet, the intensity of the game seemed fitting, as did the end, with a Giants kicker splitting the uprights to send New York to it's second Super Bowl in five years, almost exactly the same scenario and headlines as in that historic Championship showdown in January of 1991, which remains the most intense football game that the author of this piece has ever seen, even to date.
The victory against San Fran earned them a yet another rematch with another familiar opponent in the New England Patriots, renewing another storied rivalry. There was a lot of hype for this one, even more than for most Super Bowls. For once, the game actually lived up to the billing, as well!
Yet, it did not necessarily look like it would early on. Justin Tuck managed to sack Tom Brady in his end zone on the Patriot's first offensive play of the game, for a 2-0 lead. The Giants then took the ensuing drive and marched down the field, managing to get lucky and avoid a fumble recovered by the Patriots because New England had too many men on the field. It was one of many mistakes by both teams combined, in fact. An error-free Super Bowl, it was not. Manning found Victor Cruz for a touchdown and a seemingly commanding 9-0 lead, and victor Cruz conducted his trademark dance moves known as the Cruz Salsa.
The Patriots, however, are champions. Not too long ago (the last Super Bowl that they were in, which was their historical loss to the Giants, as a matter of fact), they had been considered a dynasty. So you just knew that they would do something. They got a field goal, but still the Giants dominated most of the first half, until New England orchestrated an absolutely brilliant and long drive to effectively end the second half on the most positive note possible, and Brady, under brilliant protection from his offensive line that gave him all the time in the world, found Woodhead for the touchdown. Just like that, New England was up, 10-9 at the half, in a game that they had largely been dominated in. Leave it to Belichek to pull that off!
The Patriots had won the coin toss, and opted to kick the ball off to the Giants, which although a bit unusual, nonetheless earned them the first possession of the second half. They then responded with a touchdown drive that made this decision look absolutely brilliant! Suddenly, they had a commanding lead of their own, 17-9. It was a lead that stood up for them until inside of the final minute of the game, and which they almost utilized to ice the game late in the 4th, prior to that. The last minute touchdown before the half, and then converting the first possession of the second half with a touchdown drive was eerily reminiscent of the Giants victory in Super Bowl XXV, as well. Only then, it was the Giants who, down 12-3 to the powerful Buffalo Bills, managed to turn the game around with a touchdown drive that left so little time on the clock that the Bills offense had no time to really work with, and then the Giants drove down the field and ate up a lot of the clock, finishing it with a touchdown and a 17-12 lead. Another similarity to another previous Giants Super Bowl was the 10-9 halftime deficit, the exact same score that the first ever Giants Super Bowl team trailed by in XXI,, against the Broncos, another game that they went on to win, although that ended up being a romp, with no last minute heroics needed with that juggernaut team. In fact, an interesting side note is that the Giants have trailed at the half in each of their five Super Bowls. Considering their overall record of 4-1 through these five games, it seems to be working for them more often than not, for whatever reason.
Yet, New England had the ball late in the final minutes, and had the opportunity to ice it. Unfortunately for them, their receivers seemed to drop catchable balls, most notably the drop by Wes Welker that would likely have iced it in favor of the Pats. Instead, New England 's drive stalled, and the Giants got it back.
Right away, Manning went for broke, gunning the ball down to Manningham, who streaked down the sideline and completed a brilliant play that has come to symbolize the victory, and is already being compared (although not necessarily favorably) to the famous Super Bowl catch by Giants receiver David Tyree four years before. Favorable or not, it got the Giants out of a hole and put them in position to drive towards a score, which they eventually did. But it was a strange position for them to be in, deep in New England territory, and not wanting to score too quickly, thus leaving Brady and the dangerous Patriot offense with too much time on the clock left, and the possibility of scoring. Giants back Bradshaw seemed to lose sight of this for a moment, but unfortunately, that was all that was needed, as he raced to a wide open end zone before realizing that this was perhaps a little too good to be true, and that the Patriot defenders had purposely opened up the lane for him. To be sure, he tried to stop, but his momentum carried him into the end zone. Most likely, a defender would have plowed him into the end zone anyway. But done is done, and the Giants had scored the touchdown, albeit early. They held a 21-17 lead with less than a minute to go.
That, of course, left it to New England to score in the final minute, even the final seconds, possibly, to try and get their Super Bowl back, before time ran out and it slipped from their grasp again.
It did not look good early in the drive. New England 's drive seemed to stall on the first three downs, with Brady getting sacked for the second time by Justin Tuck for a loss, setting up a fourth down and forever, seemingly. But again, New England are champions, and responded accordingly, making the conversion and keeping their hopes, and their drive, alive.
They eventually got it to around midfield, but time was rapidly running out. There was eventually time for that last, desperate play, a Hail Mary, to win it. Brady threw it to the end zone, but the Giants batted the ball down. Even then, Gronkowski almost got his hands on it, but almost does not count on the decisive final play, and the Giants preserved their Super Bowl victory. A Super Bowl that had promised enormous results and enormous implications lived to it's billing, for once. The Giants immortalized themselves, while new England had another crushing loss, their second such Super Bowl loss in five years. Brady looked dejected, and this loss probably tainted the legacy of Belichek and Brady.
For the Giants, however, it was time to celebrate. The game took place only this past Sunday, so they are still celebrating! But the pinnacle was the on field celebration and then the locker room, and throughout the night, at the hotel. Yesterday, they enjoyed their ticker tape parade in the "Canal of Champions
It was an amazing thing to share with my son, and for me personally, I now know what it is like to enjoy a Giants Super Bowel victory as a child, and now as an adult, and proud parent of a fellow Giant fan! I hope that his own memory of these events will live on, and I know I will not likely soon forget them!
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