MVP Eli puts big kibosh on 'little brother' talk

It's the way he did it that they will all remember, his gutsy, take-charge fourth quarter. It was in his hands, and he seemed to relish it.

After throwing a first-half interception -- it was one of several passes to bounce off a Giants receivers' hands in the game -- Manning came alive at the right moment, the moment when all the greats usually show up. It would be too soon to call him a great, but in this moment he sure looked like one.

With the Patriots leading 7-3, Manning moved the Giants 80 yards to open the fourth quarter, going 3-for-3 on the drive, with the score coming on a 5-yard pass to David Tyree --- more on him in a bit -- with 11:05 left.

As expected, Brady came alive late in the quarter and moved the Patriots 80 yards in 12 plays to the go-ahead score on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss with 2:42 left. That drive came after Manning badly missed a wide-open Burress on the previous series, a miss that would have kept alive a drive and maybe kept Brady off the field.

"When he missed that throw to Plaxico, it could have wrecked his confidence," Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "It would have destroyed a lot of other people. He never flinched."

The end of Super Bowls is usually Brady time. Not this one. It was Manning time. Taking over as his own 17 with 2:42 left, Manning went to work. The biggest play of the final drive is one that won't soon be forgotten.

Facing a third-and-5 at his own 44 with 1:15 left, Manning dropped back to pass. With pressure coming from his left, he stepped up, but Jarvis Green grabbed his jersey, a sure sack to set up a fourth-and-long. Instead, Manning escaped, saw Tyree deep in the middle of the field, and tossed a long ball.

With Rodney Harrison draped on Tyree, he was able to make a one-handed catch, then fight off Harrison for the ball and pull it down for a 32-yard gain to the Patriots 21.

"I felt like I was being grabbed a little bit," Manning said. "I got out of it, saw David in the middle of the field and tried to get the ball to him and it just floated. He just made an unbelievable catch."

Said Coughlin: "I don't know if there's been a bigger play in the Super Bowl."

It had the great escape, the amazing catch and it gave the Giants a chance. After a 12-yard completion to Steve Smith on third-and-11 put the ball at the Patriots' 13, Manning stared down a blitz and found Burress one on one with Ellis Hobbs, who Burress beat badly. Manning fired it to him for the score, and when the Giants defense shut the door on Brady, the quarterback coronation was complete.

"He (Manning) is the two-minute king," Giants defensive end Mike Strahan said.

Other teammates noted how poised Manning was as he came into the huddle for the final drive. They said he didn't say anything. He just went to work.

With each completion, he was closer to pulling off an upset for the ages. The team that everyone said couldn't be beat was dying a slow death, pass by pass from Manning's right arm. As it was playing out, a quarterback was disposing of so many labels -- too carefree and too goofy-looking among them.

With his brother watching from a luxury box, Manning did what brother Peyton did last year -- winning a Super Bowl and taking home the MVP honors.

He's the little brother no more. Instead, he's a champion -- just like big brother.