Super Bowl 46: Best Big-Game Players in Giants vs. Patriots Showdown

All it takes is one or two big plays in a Super Bowl for a player to be named a "big-game performer." While some players are certainly deserving of that distinction, others luck into it. A couple players are likely to earn that label on Sunday, but some already have it going in.

The New England Patriots and New York Giants will meet this Sunday in a Super Bowl rematch. While many players from both teams have played on the grandest stage, only a few of them have truly excelled, and they will be looking to come up huge on Sunday.

Here are the best big-game players who will be doing battle in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

WR Deion Branch (NE)

Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch may not be a huge part of the team's offense currently as he is the fourth option in the passing game behind Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. With that said, though, he certainly has the big-game experience that can come in handy for the Pats. Branch was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX when New England defeated the Philadelphia Eagles.

Branch reeled in 11 passes for 133 yards in the signature performance of his career. It is highly unlikely that Branch will put up numbers that even somewhat resemble that on Sunday, but he has proven that he can excel on the big stage. With much of the focus being on the other pass catchers, don't be surprised if Branch makes quite a few big plays.

QB Eli Manning (NYG)

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has only played in one Super Bowl, but he made it count as he led New York to a win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Manning didn't put up monster numbers, but his 255 yards and two touchdowns netted him MVP honors. Perhaps the biggest reason for that was his late touchdown drive that culminated in a scoring strike to Plaxico Burress and ultimately held up as the winning touchdown.

Manning has also come up big during this postseason, particularly in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. He wasn't a statistical marvel, but Manning was hit on nearly every play. Despite that he continued to get up, dust himself off and make plays. Manning is no stranger to dramatic moments late in games, so the G-Men will be happy to have him under center.

QB Tom Brady (NE)

Manning may have knocked off Patriots quarterback Tom Brady four years ago in the Super Bowl, but few signal callers in NFL history can match Tom Terrific's pedigree. Not only has he won three Super Bowls and appeared in four total, but he has been the Super Bowl MVP twice, namely in Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII. On top of that he is one of the most prolific passers in the game right now as he threw for over 5,000 yards in the regular season.

Brady's offensive line will have to step up more than it did when the Pats and Giants last met in the Super Bowl, because when Brady has time there is no more reliable big-game quarterback in the league. New England's current Super Bowl team isn't as complete as past ones have been. The defense has very obvious flaws, so Brady will need to come up big. If he does, then the Patriots may get revenge at long last.