New York Giants: Eli Manning & the G-Men's Fourth Quarter Wins

When Eli Manning made news in the offseason by saying that he was an elite quarterback and in the same class as Tom Brady, he was considered the laughing stock of the NFL.

Who's laughing now?

After leading the Giants to victory over the New England Patriots, Manning has silenced his critics and shown that he can make big plays in pressure situations.

Halfway through the 2011 season, Manning and the Giants have won five games in the fourth quarter, and Manning has played exceptional in the final quarter of games, posting a 86.7 completion percentage, 803 passing yards, eight touchdowns, two interceptions, all adding up to a 121.7 quarterback rating in the fourth quarter.

With that being said, here is a look at the Giants' fourth quarter wins this season:

Week 3 at Philadelphia

Heading into the fourth quarter down 16-14 to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, Manning took the game over.

He connected on a 28-yard TD pass to Victor Cruz, which was followed by a Brandon Jacobs two-point conversion on the ground, to put the Giants ahead 22-16.

After an Aaron Ross interception of backup QB Mike Kafka, the Giants took the ball into Philadelphia territory.

Later in the drive, Manning hit Ahmad Bradshaw with a short pass to the left that went for an 18-yard TD and ultimately sealed the win for the G-Men over "The Dream Team," 29-16, as Kafka threw another pick, this time to Kenny Phillips to end any threat by Philadelphia.

Week 4 at Arizona

The Giants waited until the fourth quarter to turn it on against one of the NFL's worst teams in the Arizona Cardinals.

Down 20-10, Manning marched the Giants down the field, resulting in a 1-yard TD run for Jacobs to put the Giants down by three.

The Giants would go on to squander an Antrel Rolle interception by punting on their next possession, which set up a 2-yard TD run for Beanie Wells. Giants down 27-17.

Again, Manning led the Giants down the field, connecting with Nicks, Ballard and Cruz, eventually leading to a 2-yard Ballard TD catch to put the Giants within three.

After the Giants' D forced an Arizona punt, Manning took advantage, hitting Nicks for a game-winning 29-yard TD with under three minutes left in the game.

Giants win 31-27.

Week 6 vs. Buffalo

In a matchup of 4-2 teams, the Giants found themselves in a tight one at home against Buffalo on Oct. 18.

Up 24-17 in the fourth quarter, the Giants allowed Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to connect with Steve Johnson for a 9-yard TD, tying the game at 24-all.

After punting on their next possession, Corey Webster made a crucial play, intercepting a Fitzpatrick pass in Giants' territory to give New York the ball back.

Steamrolling down the field, Bradshaw and the Giants left it up to their kicker Lawrence Tynes, who drilled a 23-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining to win the game for the G-Men, 27-24.

Week 8 vs. Miami

Coming off of a bye week, the Giants found themselves down by a touchdown entering the fourth quarter against the winless Dolphins.

Lawrence Tynes connected on a 29-yard field goal to put the Giants within four points of victory.

After the Giants' defense forced a 3-and-out, Manning and the offense took advantage, scoring on a 25-yard pass from Manning to Cruz to put the G-Men up by a score of 20-17.

The Giants' D would sack Miami QB Matt Moore four times and intercept him once on the ensuing two drives to complete the come-from-behind victory over the Dolphins.

Week 9 at New England

In a hyped 2007 Super Bowl rematch, the underdog Giants began the fourth quarter up by seven, having held Tom Brady and the Patriots to a mere three points in the first three quarters.

That changed when Brady connected with Aaron Hernandez on a 5-yard TD pass to knot the game at 10-10.

After the Giants gained a first down on a pass to Jacobs, the Giants faltered and punted the ball away to New England.

Rob Gronkowski helped Brady and the Patriots drive down the field, leading to a New England field goal, which gave them their first lead of the day at 13-10.

But Manning and the Giants' offense responded nicely, passing the ball down the field, and connecting with Mario Manningham on a perfectly thrown 10-yard pass to give the Giants back the lead, 17-13.

Again, Gronkowski was Brady's go-to guy, and the Patriots took the lead 20-17 on a 14-yard TD pass to Gronkowski.

However, Manning and the Giants responded, as they have done all year, launching the ball down field on a weak Patriots' secondary, culminating in a 1-yard TD pass to Ballard to complete the Giants' victory over the Patriots, 24-20.