Giants vs. Patriots: Memorable Plays and Photo Recap of Super Bowl XLVI

The New York Giants are Super Bowl champions again. 

The Giants and New England Patriots were faced with the task of replicating the brilliance of Super Bowl XLII four years ago. It was unlikely that this game had any chance to do so.

The game, however, did more than replicate the magic of Super Bowl XLII; it surpassed it. 

There were many plays that will be remembered for years to come, no more memorable than Mario Manningham's catch on the sideline.

Here is a look at the plays that meant the most and the photos that prove the greatness of Super Bowl XLVI.

Kelly Clarkson Performs National Anthem

Kelly Clarkson hit it out of the park with her rendition of the national anthem. Kickoff was soon to follow.

Coin Toss

The Patriots won the coin toss but chose to defer and let the Giants begin the game on offense.

Patriots Come out Strong on Defense

The Patriots came out strong on defense. Although they allowed the Giants to get three first downs, they pushed the Giants back when they were in borderline field-goal range or fourth-down territory. 

On 3rd-and-13, Mark Anderson got to Eli Manning for a sack and a six-yard loss.

The loss of yards led to a punt by Steve Weatherford that ultimately benefited the Giants.

Giants Lead 2-0 on Safety of Brady

Justin Tuck wasted no time getting to Tom Brady. Although Brady got the ball away before the hit, it was to an invisible receiver in the middle of the field. 

The referees made the right call, and a bold one at that in a Super Bowl.

The play resulted in a 2-0 New York lead and the first of many encounters between Tuck and Brady in the game.

Eli Manning Puts New York Up 9-0

Eli Manning celebrates his two-yard touchdown strike to Victor Cruz in the first quarter. The Giants took a 9-0 lead on the scoreboard.

Salsa Time

Victor Cruz breaks out his infamous salsa dance after he receives a two-yard pass from Eli Manning for the first touchdown of the game.

Patriots Score Their First Points, Trail 9-3

Stephen Gostkowski kicks a 29-yard field goal to put the Patriots on the board.

Tom Brady Finds an Open Man, Patriots Lead 10-9 at Halftime

Tom Brady buys time and finds Danny Woodhead in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown in a record-long drive with eight seconds remaining in the first half.

The connection gave the Patriots a 10-9 lead at halftime.

Tom Brady Excited

Tom Brady is emotional after giving the Patriots a lead going into halftime. The Patriots seemed to get it going on the scoring drive. 

After playing terribly all half, New England had the lead entering Madonna's halftime concert.

Madonna Takes Center Stage

Madonna provided the halftime entertainment as the teams eagerly anticipated the second half in the locker rooms.

Tom Brady to Aaron Hernandez to Start Half, Patriots Lead 17-9

Aaron Hernandez is the beneficiary of a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady. The score gave New England a 17-9 lead.

Tom Brady Has His Second Touchdown

Tom Brady reacts after taking an eight-point lead in the third quarter. 

Lawrence Tynes Field Goal Makes It 17-12

Lawrence Tynes connects for a 38-yard field goal to cut the Patriots' lead to five.

Justin Tuck vs. Tom Brady Part 2

Justin Tuck drives Tom Brady into the ground for a sack on third down in the third quarter. This forced a three-and-out.

Third Quarter Comes to an End, Pats Lead 17-15

Lawrence Tynes finishes the scoring in the third quarter, kicking a 33-yard field goal. The ball barely made it through, as it veered toward the left upright.

The score cut the Giants' deficit to two points going into the fourth quarter.

Tom Brady Intercepted to Start Final Quarter

Tom Brady heaved it up to Rob Gronkowski in what appeared to be a matchup that benefited the offense. The ball was slightly underthrown, and Gronkowski was not able to go up and get it.

Chase Blackburn was, however. He intercepted the Brady throw to give the Giants possession early on in the fourth quarter.

Mario Manningham out of Bounds

Mario Manningham burned the defense but drifted too far to the sideline. He would not be able to bring his second foot down in bounds. He would make up for this later in the game.

Wes Welker's Inexplicable Drop

Wes Welker drops a wide open pass that would have moved the chains and kept the clock running with over four minutes remaining. It was a catch he always makes. 

After the game, he was quoted by The New York Times, stating, “It’s a play I never drop. I always make it. And in the most critical situation, I let the team down.”

Wes Welker Devastated

It is hard not to sympathize with Wes Welker, as he was visibly distraught after dropping the ball.

He went on to tell The New York Times, “The ball’s right there...It’s one I’ll have to live with.”

Mario Manningham Impersonates David Tyree

Trailing 17-15 with 3:46 remaining, the Giants took control of the ball on their own 12-yard line. Manning took the snap and found Manningham as he trailed toward the sidelines. With two defenders in the area, Manningham went up and brought down a 38-yard prayer.

Initially, it looked as though there was no way that Manningham's feet were in bounds. Bill Belichick had no option but to challenge the play. Even he knew that it was eerily similar to the Tyree catch, and he feared the outcome. 

A quick glance at the replay proved the catch was perfect. 

The challenge was unsuccessful, and it wasted a crucial New England timeout.

Manningham did his best David Tyree impression, and from that point forward, it seemed like a lock that the Giants were on their way to another victory over Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots.

The play will be remembered along with Tyree's spectacular catch. Manningham's catch seemed just as miraculous as Tyree's catch four years ago. 

Manningham's catch was one of the most spectacular catches in Super Bowl history. It was guided by a pinpoint throw from Eli Manning.

Ahmad Bradshaw Tries to Stop, Gives Giants 21-17 Lead

Ahmad Bradshaw tried to stop himself from scoring to allow the clock to continue running. If the Giants made a successful field goal, they would have had an 18-17 lead, and Brady would have had around 20 seconds to put a drive together to get a field goal.

The touchdown by Bradshaw gave the Giants a four-point lead and allowed Brady to have 57 seconds to drive down field for a touchdown.

I thought it was a better play to take the touchdown anyway. If the Patriots only needed a field goal, they would be allowed to drive 35 less yards. It seemed like a better idea to force New England to get into the end zone.

Although it looked like a mistake, it worked out for the best for New York.

No Shame in a Touchdown

Ahmad Bradshaw celebrated his touchdown, although many believe it was not the right move. Either way, the Patriots were left trailing by four points with 57 seconds remaining.

Justin Tuck vs. Tom Brady Part 3

The Patriots trailed by four and had 57 seconds left to begin the final drive of the game.

After an incompletion to Deion Branch and an Aaron Hernandez drop, Justin Tuck made it to Tom Brady again to sack him and force a 4th-and-16.

Tom Brady Completes a 4th-and-16

On 4th-and-16, Tom Brady connected with Deion Branch for 19 yards to keep the Patriots' hopes alive.

Hail Mary Falls Short

Aaron Hernandez was the intended target of the Hail Mary from Tom Brady. Rob Gronkowski ended up playing the ricochet and coming up just short on a potential miracle catch.

Giants Win Super Bowl XLVI, 21-17

A mostly Giants crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium was showered with confetti when the final pass touched the turf in the end zone.

New York won in an amazing game that came down to the last play.

Champs!

Eli Manning holds the newspaper that declares the Giants "champs."

Victor Cruz Celebrates a Great Season

Victor Cruz celebrates the remarkable win by the Giants. He finished the game with four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. He capped off his exceptional season with a Super Bowl ring.

Celebration for Giants

Devin Thomas hoists the Lombardi Trophy.

Joyous Times Square

Fans mobbed Times Square to take part in the Super Bowl festivities. Fans will attend a parade on Tuesday to honor the NFL champions.

Eli Manning Takes Home MVP

Eli Manning won his second championship in four years. He also claimed another Super Bowl MVP trophy.

He finished the game 30-of-40 with 296 yards and a touchdown.

Team Effort

It took a team effort from the New York Giants all season to become worthy of holding the Lombardi Trophy.

Tom Coughlin Does It Again

Tom Coughlin took a 7-7 team and turned it into a Super Bowl champion. At 65 years old, he becomes the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl.