Super Bowl 2012 Highlights: 5 Biggest Game-Changing Moments

While Super Bowl XLVI is over, the analysis is just beginning.

The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in a game where, quite frankly, there weren't too many highlight plays.

As much as the announcers were demanding that we see this matchup every week, and while the Super Bowl did provide some late drama, it was really lacking in excitement.

The longest play of the game was only 38 yards, and fans had to wait until the fourth quarter to see it.

Super Bowl XLVI had been billed as a matchup between Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

Brady and Manning had very good games, but both quarterbacks had trouble breaking down the opposing defenses as they got closer to the end zone. Neither stole the show until Eli's game-winning drive with less than a minute to go.

The game will be remembered as the moment that Eli Manning ascended into the stratosphere of elite clutch quarterbacks in the history of the game. Despite all the criticism he has received throughout his career, he now has one more ring than his brother and he outperformed Tom Brady again on the biggest stage in football.

For those who may have missed the game or just want to relive it again, here are the five biggest moments from the Super Bowl.

The Safety

It was only the second time in Super Bowl history (Super Bowl IX being the first) that a safety opened the scoring.

There doesn't seem to be any debate as to whether or not it was in fact intentional grounding. Tom Brady simply threw the ball down the middle of the field to no one in particular. It was pretty surprising that, given the leeway referees give for a catchable ball, they didn't rule that some receiver didn't have a chance.

The safety proved to be more important than the two points would have you believe.

If everything stays the same, and it can be tough to argue that they do, then the Giants are only up 20-17 going into New England's final drive. (This assumes New York converts the PAT following Ahmad Bradshaw's touchdown.)

A field goal would have put the game in overtime. You would have to like the chances of Tom Brady at least being able to drive the Patriots close enough to give Stephen Gostkowski a shot at the tie.

Touchdown Before Halftime

Had the Giants not won the game, you could look at this drive as the deciding factor in the game. Instead, it's just a footnote.

It was a fantastic drive for the Patriots and managed perfectly by Tom Brady, capped off with a four-yard touchdown pass with Danny Woodhead. Although New England started from the 4-yard-line, they technically went 98 yards in only 3:55.

The nine seconds left on the clock allowed New York to get no answer going into the half.

This touchdown could have been much like James Harrison's interception return against the Cardinals in Super XLIII.

Then, the Patriots received the ball to start the second half and scored another touchdown. However, New England failed to capitalize on any momentum built up from these two scores, as they would fail to get on the board for the rest of the game.

Chase Blackburn's Interception

Tom Brady had been almost flawless up until this point.

The play had really been a testament to how well the Patriots offensive line had been up all game. Given the Giants' great rushing attack, the Patriots had only given up three sacks.

Brady had a lot of time to move around in the pocket to try to find an open man. He thought he had one in Rob Gronkowski, but it wasn't to be.

If Gronk had been 100 percent, he might have been able to make a better play on the ball. Instead, Chase Blackburn made a great play and picked the ball out of the air.

The biggest impact this interception had was that it kept the Patriots off the board. In a game like this one, any time you can keep the opponent off the board is a success.

Also, with the turnover occurring so early in New England's drive, it didn't allow the Patriots to have any kind of drive that sucked more and more time off the clock, even if it proved unsuccessful.

It's not as intimidating for Eli Manning to be looking at an 88-yard game-winning drive with 3:46 on the clock rather than a drive where he has one or two less minutes.

Mario Manningham's Catch

As said before, this Super Bowl was really devoid of what you may consider a Super Bowl moment, until this catch.

It took about two seconds for the announcers to make the parallel to David Tyree's catch in Super Bowl XLII.

The catches themselves are really nothing alike in terms of how they were made, but they were almost equally as impactful.

The 38-yard reception was the longest play of the game. With the catch coming on the first play of the drive, too, it allowed the Giants to slow down a little and take more time off the clock. They didn't have to worry about taking a big risk down the field on a third or fourth down.

Color analyst Cris Collinsworth had criticized Manningham earlier in the game for not giving Eli Manning enough of a cushion to complete a similar pass on the opposite side of the field. Manningham must have heard him because the receiver made sure to have enough room the second time around.

It was a perfect pass and a perfect catch, and it provided fans with the one moment that will live on for years.

Ahmad Bradshaw's Touchdown

When you look back on some of the Super Bowl's most famous touchdowns, Ahmad Bradshaw's six-yard run might be one of the more odd.

New England had clearly allowed Bradshaw to run right up the middle unopposed in order to conserve as much time as possible for a possible game-winning drive.

Bradshaw realized this a little too late, as he tried to stop himself, but his momentum carried him over goal line.

It was a pretty good strategy by the Patriots. Bill Belichick probably would have been lauded as a genius had the Patriots actually won.

Instead, Bradshaw's ungraceful plop into the end zone proved to be difference in the game.