Super Bowl MVP 2012: Eli Manning Is the New Captain of Clutch in the NFL

Joe Montana was so clutch they simply called him "Cool Joe." John Elway took over the clutch crown and engineered a drive so legendary they simply call it "The Drive."

Tom Brady was considered the most clutch player in the NFL after winning three Super Bowls in four years, two of them by leading game-winning drives. Ben Roethlisberger made a claim for the crown when he won his second Super Bowl after an amazing throw to Santonio Holmes in 2009.

Well, let there be no question about who the current king of clutch is in the NFL: Eli Manning.

Eli has now earned two Super Bowl MVP trophies for beating the New England Patriots with game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter. And he's wrestled away the crown of NFL's most clutch player from Brady by making the big throws in key moments that Brady failed to make.

For example, Brady cost the Patriots a safety and threw an interception in this year's Super Bowl.

Manning did neither and finished an impressive 30-of-40 with 296 yards passing yards, one touchdown and no turnovers.

Brady couldn't put the game away with a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter or lead the Patriots to the win when New England got the ball back with a minute left, trailing 21-17.

Manning marched the Giants down the field for the go-ahead touchdown after starting the drive on the 12-yard line with 3:46 left in the game. Had Ahmad Bradshaw fallen at the 1-yard line like he should have, the Giants would have run out the clock and kicked a game-winning field goal without giving the ball back to the Patriots.

Eli didn't become clutch in the Super Bowl, or even the playoffs, of course. He's been doing it all year. From ESPN:

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In the regular season, he threw an NFL-record 15 TD passes in the final period.

He also led six game-winning drives to bring New York back from fourth-quarter deficits.

"He's become confident over time; kind of grew into it," Manning's father, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie, told The Associated Press after Sunday's game. "I always felt like you have to experience those situations before you become confident. He's certainly had his share."

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When we talk about elite quarterbacks in the NFL today, we now absolutely have to include him alongside Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and the healthy version of his brother, Peyton Manning.

But when we talk about clutch performers in the NFL today, it's Eli that stands alone at the top.

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