Super Bowl XLVI: 5 Things We Learned from the Super Bowl

Super Bowl 46 is in the books! The New York Giants and the New England Patriots meet again four years later for a Super Bowl rematch.

In the end, the Giants prevailed again by defeating the Patriots in another epic Super Bowl that came down to the wire.

As spectators of the Super Bowl, we have learned a lot about these two teams.

What can we take out of this game? What is something we will remember for a long time?

The Giants Had More Heart Than Any Team in the Playoffs

This might be one of those statements that is stating the obvious. Especially since the Giants won the Super Bowl. However, football fans must remember that the Giants were 7-7 near the end of the regular season.

The Giants entered the postseason as a No. 4 seed. But they held the lowest win percentage of any playoff team from the NFC.

With a 9-7 record, the Giants held the Falcons to only two points, beat the powerful Packers by 17 points and outlasted the 49ers in a close NFC Championship contest to reach the Super Bowl.

Many were impressed with the Giants when they survived the NFC East. There were not a lot of people who thought that the Giants would be able to reach the Super Bowl, let alone get through the Falcons, or perhaps even the Packers.

The Giants capped it off by defeating one of the most successful franchises from the past 10 years to become Super Bowl champions.

The Giants Are the Most Hated Sports Team in Boston

Boston sports fans should not be afraid to admit that they strongly dislike the Giants.

Let's face it. The Giants were the wild-card team that prevented the Patriots from having a perfect 19-0 season run. The Patriots won every game except for the game that mattered the most, and that was Super Bowl 42.

Four years later, the Patriots (even though they won't admit it) were hoping to seek revenge. Unfortunately, the Giants rallied together around Eli Manning and put together a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter in both Super Bowls.

In the final offensive drive for the Giants in each Super Bowl, Manning threw key passes to David Tyree and Mario Manningham to move the chains and eventually allow the Giants to score a touchdown to win.

Patriots fans who watched while aching in pain can't help but to strongly dislike the Giants. The Patriots have not had any serious divisional rivalries in the AFC East, though they have had a powerful conference rivalry with the Colts.

Now the Patriots hold a serious Super Bowl rivalry with the Giants. Boston sports fans will forever label the Giants as the evil Patriot killers in the Super Bowl.

I think it is safe to assume that if the Patriots are to ever go to another Super Bowl in the near future, their fans would not want to see it happen against the Giants.

Eli Manning Has More Wins Than Peyton Manning

Who would have ever thought that Eli Manning would have more Super Bowl wins than his older brother, Peyton Manning?

Peyton has it all. He is a four-time NFL MVP and is an 11-time Pro Bowler. Manning is viewed as one of the best players in NFL history. However, he only has one Super Bowl victory to show for it.

Peyton had the opportunity to win another Super Bowl, but the Saints did not allow that to happen.

Eli has received a lot of criticism from fans and the media throughout his career. Eli has not had the most memorable career in terms of record-breaking statistics and total wins.

In the end, Eli has earned himself two Super Bowl rings while Peyton only has one. Peyton is the better player individually, but is is Eli who has had more success.

Eli is 31 years old and it is not out of the question that he could win at least one more ring before his time in the NFL is up.

Peyton will be 36 years old when the 2012 season gets underway and has said that he would like to continue to play.

While Eli is ahead, both players are still active. For now, we are all surprised to see Eli earn more Super Bowl victories than Peyton.

Despite Another Super Bowl Loss, Brady and Belichick Are Still One of the Best

Say whatever you want about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick not being able to win the last two Super Bowls they have appeared in.

Brady and Belichick will one day be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and there will be a ton of memories brought back to everyone who saw these two together.

Together they have accomplished so much and have to be considered as one of the best quarterback-head coach duos in league history.

The two figures brought three Super Bowls in four seasons to Foxborough. Alongside the three championships, they also helped the Patriots put together the first 16-0 season in NFL history and appeared in two more Super Bowls.

This is a feat that may never be accomplished by another quarterback and head coach.

Giants Fans Take Back Saying That They Ever Wanted Tom Coughlin Fired

No one from the Giants organization has taken more heat and has received more criticism than Tom Coughlin.

Coughlin is now a two-time Super Bowl champion as a head coach after two grueling seasons in 2007 and 2011.

Fans were calling for Coughlin's head during those two seasons when it seemed as if the Giants would not make the playoffs. After squeezing into the postseason in both years, fans had no idea if it would still be enough to save Coughlin's job.

The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl in both seasons and now Coughlin is viewed as a hero by Giants fans. Fans of the organization now regret ever wishing Coughlin (now the oldest coach to ever win a Super Bowl) to be fired.

On top of that, Coughlin earned the two Super Bowls against the most accomplished team in the past 10 years.