America's Game. 2011 NY Giants

Giants down by for an Eli Manning do it got to go 83 yards in 239 and it takes the snap back to thrown under pressure garage then Eli Manning and perfection thank the staff look Super Bowl 42 the Patriots will not be perfect New York followed it's surprising upset in Super Bowl 42 with three disappointing seasons each year the Giants started strong then faltered down the stretch in 2010 New York lost two of its final three games and missed the playoffs the worst defeat came against the Eagles when the Giants blew a 21-point fourth quarter leave and a division title I've scored 28 points in the final seven minutes of the ballgame I literally sat in the dark for the whole evening and and talked to anybody i sat in a room with no lights on and I just reflected there was a colossal failure believe me it was a long offseason but you have to move beyond it and and that's what we tried to do from the first day of training camp Tom Coughlin's made sure his players understood the theme for the upcoming season finish finish finish we showed a video of a girl's cross-country team a high school cross-country team and one particular girl who really was their best runner coming down the stretch she began to struggle and she collapsed within feet of the finish line she said to herself you have to finish that's the point she literally crawled across the finish line and her team won the state championship when the movie ended you could have heard a pin drop in the room you know normally coach stuff shows us videos man we kind of look at him and like I got his point but seeing someone not getting paid give that much effort I think guys really really took that dollar and he really set the tone for this season if the Giants were going to finish as Division champions it would be up to Eli Manning to lead them there but coming off a season where he threw a league-high 25 interceptions Manning was one of the few who believed he could is Eli Manning an elite quarterback you at top five top ten quarterback yeah I think I am are you in the Tom Brady clause yeah I consider myself in that class I wasn't trying to you know cause a big deal wasn't trying to make a statement you know he asked me a question I answered it I ready to think anything of it I think I answered the question honestly because I knew hey I don't for 4,000 yards I don't for over 30 touchdowns all I had to do was discipline myself to eliminate those bad decisions that was my intent for the offseason it was something different in his eye this year he's the first guy in and the last guy I saw you like worked his butt off throughout the lockout we're throwing such high school I knew he was gonna be you know a different cat this year when starting slop receiver Steve Smith signed a free agent deal with Philadelphia the extra work by Manning became even more critical yeah I was worried about that slot position who was going to fill that role I know he had a couple of guys who and compete board but I didn't know if anyone would be as good as what Steve Smith was able to produce for us the last couple years although New York didn't realize it at the time Smith's replacement would be one of the key figures in the Giants championship season heading into the season one of the Giants biggest concerns was how to fill the void left by slot receiver Steve Smith one candidate was Victor Cruz an undrafted free agent who possessed raw athleticism Cruz who grew up only a few miles from MetLife Stadium became a local hero the summer before when he torched the Jets for three touchdowns in a preseason game - hell of a play by that kid you saw playmaking potential but can he be you know consistent his route running and learning the concepts you know we still don't know you know unfortunately he got injured early on and missed a full season I was hoping he was gonna be a big player for us in March or early April I wanted to start throwing and needed got a throat - I didn't know he was you know from Paterson New Jersey so I figured he'd be in the area and so you know that's what I got his number from from the John's he shot me a text and I was like um and he was like hey man are you in town I want to throw and I was just like who is this man like huh like who's that I didn't have the number of my phone he goes it's Eli and I go and I go whoa and then I go to my mom's I might you like just said to me she goes well you better text them back so we went to went to the field and it was you know there was like a dog competition or something going on I couldn't get in the field so we're throwing on the sidewalk you know it's still cold the wind's blowing and he's having to watch out for dogs coming in and out of this park just to be one-on-one just me and Eli it was definitely surreal feeling but the system learning what Eli likes to pass and I was just it had a really good impact on me the report Cruz built with Manning in the offseason disappeared in camp as the young receivers struggled to find consistency when are you gonna see a freaking hot how many years is it gonna take look in there and introspect blintz I think it was just nerves I think it was just expectations you know living up to those expectations I think I was you know I was just anger anxiety was kind of overwhelming at the time the first game that season first watched in the first third down I throw him a little hook around in the slot and he drops it and it's not the way you want to start the season especially for a young guy and you know coaches can quickly turn you know there was a little voice in the back of my mind I was telling me on this league did chances come few and far between and if you don't take advantage of them they can slip away just as fast as they came thank God that I got another opportunity that chance came when receiver Dominic Hickson was lost for the year with a knee injury our quarterbacks coach coach Coach Sullivan it comes out to me man he goes yo you're getting a start this week Hispanic Heritage Month you're half Puerto Rican you got to do something to represent the people he was like you got a dance that was like he'll coach if I get an answer and I do it you know myself thinking that I won't even get in the endzone I just wanted to catch a few balls and and and take it from there I catch the first ball and I'm going up the cylon and I break the tackle I'm going in to score and I'm like man I got to do this dance now so I gave him an end zone and I was like man here goes nothing so I got the ball and I just start doing the salsa and then it just steamrolled from there I kind of said all right I think we found our God there's some things that other guys might do better but when you get the ball in his hands he makes special things happen the kid who had only two career receptions before his breakout in Philadelphia went on to shatter the Giants a single-season record for receiving yards I never dreamed of doing anything like that it was his awesome man it was you know no words can even describe the journey each and every week once you get the understanding of the offense that you're playing in and you're confident and you're relaxed I think it's just easy to sit back and play man and I think that's what happened to me throughout the course of season be with that player this year when we needed to play we'll be on the sidelines like what crews that every time you got it done and he's a phenomenon I know the sauce has been around for years but now that's the dance week to prove study every time you take the ball in John State and they say crew at Mike's Danny they don't say UI and definitely don't say tote yeah I mean kind of jealous would help think use Eli Manning had his finest season as a pro backing up his preseason proclamation man ain't set an NFL record with 15 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and led the Giants to six comeback victories my wife is getting over she says you know you're allowed to have a 10-point lead going to the fourth quarter and just win a game I said well coach pump and told us to finish strong so you know we figured might as well be down finish strong and so then we took his point a little bit too literally about finished in Week nine Manning's stunned the Patriots with a comeback reminiscent of the one he orchestrated in Super Bowl 42 the game-winning drive even featured a miraculous catch by a receiver wearing number 85 what a catch by Fowler he pulls a David I ripped because I well I've been in this situation before I've been lying if I said there wasn't have an eery similar feeling through the Super Bowl no7 Berger not Eli Manning has don't like look pretty elite here now hi he played this year was tremendous I think he should've been League MVP thanks to Manny the Giants were six and two and in first place at the halfway point of the regular season at the start of Super Bowl 42 Justin Tuck was an unknown after an MVP caliber performance that included two sets chuck was hailed as the next great Giants pass rusher over the next three years Chuck replaced Michael Strahan as defensive captain and he matured into one of the fiercest defenders in the NFL when I play I kind of visit myself as a gladiator Robin I love Ellen for a birthday present I got the he-man sward and I used to run around saying you know I'm he man and I had the power my mom used to say I used to sleep with a sword and we were kind of inseparable so the nickname he manages in 2011 injuries made the most powerful man in the Giants universe on the air mortal I had growing issues shoulder foot knee torn ligaments in my hand but when what I did the neck you know it takes away a little bit of the edge every time you go and contact the guy there's some doubt yeah that's the I wasn't ready to be Justin took of hope top was also hurting emotionally after his grandfather and two uncle's passed away during the season I truly love those guys not do you know they've watched me play since I was running around screaming he-man I've kind of try my best to block out those memories being on a plane to get it down there and just cry you know it was it was tough quite frankly Justin wasn't Justin I thought he was somewhat depressed as a matter of fact I thought it was time for us to talk about it and we simply had a kind of a heart-to-heart it wasn't coached a player was more this is what I'm seeing this is what I don't want this for you I want you to look at things from the positive standpoint you know he challenged me if you know me I don't like backing down from challenges told me I was playing like crap told me I was better than that told me we don't care about introduced nobody cares about injuries no toughness no championship at that point I realized you know I am feeling sorry for myself when I got out of the chair I just felt revived a little bit and just seemed like all day all the pains and all the you know fatigues and injury started to kind of just go away a little bit now he lit up the room again you know with his eyes and his smile and his work habits and that was a breath of fresh air for everybody so that was that was a huge factor tux rebirth couldn't have come at a better time New York's injury depleted defense was struggling the Giants had lost three straight and there was growing concern from the media of another second-half collapse no one pointing fingers no one no said anything to get in guys any other guys down everybody kind of just picked each other up part of the team's cohesiveness stem from techniques learned earlier in the season at a seminar conducted by former fighter pilots when a group of pilots land they go immediately into a debriefing session they talk about how can they get better and they can get better by each individual no chip on their shoulder you know no defense mechanisms in place talking about what they did wrong so to carry that over players had their own films no coaches in now some of the younger guys that father wouldn't say that when coaches from there they felt comfortable in saying I'm struggling with this or you know I missed this read because Justin jumped out of his gap it would be rare for a rookie to tell you know the captain of the defense that he shouldn't do that but we all had equal say-so in it when you feel like you got ownership and you take it a little bit more seriously we knew and everybody had each other's backs great team members trust each other enough to surrender it went a long way from taking all those Eagles out and getting guys on the same page I think it did wonders for our team despite his best effort in weeks Chuck and the Giants came up short against the undefeated Packers running their losing streak to four however the game evoked memories of the 38:35 loss to the unbeaten Patriots in 2007 one that propelled New York to a championship I think it was at similar tight game you know we're we're hey this this is the best team in the NFL and we just played with them to the very end we want a little losing streak but we are a good team we're close we're not far off we just had to put it all together new york's season was in danger of derailing again the Giants have lost four straight something no team in NFL history had ever overcome to win a Super Paul it was a turning point for us B they were gonna tank it this season and and be an average scene that could have shoulda woulda or we were gonna turn it around and win the rest of our regular season games and make it to the postseason we're six and six we going to dollars if we lose that game closed-off it might be fired you know Coughlin is gonna get fired maybe they should start that early in the year cuz we play better when that starts we never made that an issue he got this cool it had good messages for us we've fallen but we got to get to the that finish line don't matter how you do it you just gotta make it happen in a must-win game against the Cowboys the Giants fell behind by 12 points with less than six minutes remaining New York's latest collapse was nearly complete just frustrated sitting on the sidelines because we know we're better than what we playing looking for somebody to make a play and billowy like felt good you know we've just gone down there and once you to drive something would have been very good at all season or to have another opportunity they got a big third down we're coming with the Blitz I see Romo he's sending a signal and he's got Miles Austin five yards behind our offenders it's got to be a touchdown and overthrowing and then we get a chance to get the ball I was like well game over for them you know I'm sitting on the sidelines I'm like we got next week the other thing I remember now is how you know little plays can be a difference in making the playoffs or not but thus winning a Super Bowl or not and it's what you do with that opportunity that can make you special or not this is as good a quarterback performance in the clutch with the season on the line as I have seen in a long long time handoff Jenga she runs right falls in La Jolla here is over and the New York Giants a huge relief when new hey we're right back where we need to be you know we're in our own we hold you know in control of our own destiny and and it was a it was a huge win the following week the Giants fell back into second place after a lackluster effort against the Redskins New York had to win its final two games to make the playoffs you know right after that we have a chapel service and we had a guy we have a different speaker come almost every week guy gave us a poker chip he said we needed to push all our chips to the middle of the table and be all in we kind of adopted our model having that that mindset of you know how are you all in for this football team and are you all in to make the postseason it was huge for us all of us didn't have that poker chip you know some guys worried and their socks during the game some guys you know kept our locker room I keep it right by my nightstand so I can see their night work load my inspiration to finish strong seemed to come from everywhere even the head coach of their crosstown rival I never came here to be little brother to anybody so clearly we were the better team my first two years here I don't care about Tom Coughlin or anybody else I know how I believe and I don't care if it's you know acceptable and everybody's opinion I don't know I really don't care something we've always believed in for ourselves this talk as chief play the game and sometimes I wonder whether whether our own guys have listened to that reporter asked me you know what UT what do you think about teams that are throwing more to Revis this year and I said to her teams aren't scared to test him early on in the game and I'm of course that guy taking as me saying no one's scared of Darrelle Revis and it was just this whole big hoopla around him the only time I remember these guys in the preseason yeah so I mean that's the only time I remember yeah other than that don't know the guy very well so you know I was a little taken aback by but I just wanted to go out there and play and and and make sure that my play on the field proved on the type of player Iowa the Jets even tried to get under the Giants skin on game day by covering their Super Bowl neural bricks and those things I didn't necessarily care about but in coming up our Super Bowls that's that's different we definitely set Rex up even with added motivation the Giants offense barely made a peep against Ryan's smothering defense it's an absolute struggle you know and and we're looking from the sideline board backed up we got the ball in the one-yard line and we're coming out this could be dangerous here we don't get a first down there we're not the putt there and get the ball good field position and that could be a 14 point or a 10 point swing right there desperate for a spark the Giants needed Victor Cruz now more than ever the truck looks throws one of the right you guys got that you got that on audio yeah because you know you make such a big play for your team you know you're feeling good about yourself you know motions are running high so I was talking a little bit and and I think it was it was it was warranted for the time being at least and so Victor goes 99 and it's a whole different ballgame and probably from that point on if you wanted to define the defining moment in the season when things really came together and took off that was it right there from that point on we started to combine confidence with cohesiveness with intelligence with masterful play a healthier and revitalized defense shut down the Jets in the second half and the Giants got the last word it was good so good to kind of you know win the Battle of New York if you will some guys rip those things down and let them breathe after the game and let those murals be seen a little bit big blue was the best team in the Big Apple but the victory came at a price chocolate chip the shot and where I got knocked out of bounds it felt like somebody had taken a part of muscle or tendon and just torn it across the back of your leg it was my fault I relaxed I let my guard down those things happen and I want to remind everybody I didn't fall down though no toughness no championship Coughlin and his team had persevered and only the Cowboys stood in the way with the finish line in sight the Giants didn't crawl they blazed right through I hate couples I do and have an opportunity to end it with the sack cause fumble or get Romo there's one of my favorite moments so that you they're celebrating in the aisles at MetLife Stadium congratulations to the NFC East Java finishing this part of the season you know after the game of I was cleaning out my bag I see a poker chip at that point we won that game who won the game bursts and Jets you know and then it's kind of gets in the superstitious my third all my blow dresser I didn't want to say it was good luck or not and it's kind of made a little hints and I told my wife I know it might seem odd that there's a there's a poker chip sitting there but you know let's just let's just leave there that there and this until this rods over four years earlier New York peaked late in the season and rode the momentum all the way to a Super Bowl title heading into the 2011 playoffs few thought the nine and seven Giants could do it again the idea of everybody telling you that you can't do something I like that that's a good thing well these guys took this to the extreme we thrives and people not giving up society I think that we went through the most diversity issue of any team I think that made us that much stronger we're all in and we're gonna lay it on the line for what it was worth and you know when it does clear you know last-man-standing we expect them to be us spurred on by their resurgent defense and three touchdown passes from Eli Manning the Giants won the first playoff game in MetLife Stadium history in the o7 playoffs Manning upset Brett Favre in one of the coldest games ever at Lambeau Field this time he outplayed League MVP Aaron Rodgers to put the 15 in one Packers on ice the Giants have scored on each of the first incandescent the Giants are gonna run another play without a timeout six seconds to go Manny one down I had to go in and do some stuff in my shoulder long times like runs up the stairs I'm like hose me I'm like what is wrong with you and he said we start snarling what's and from that point on I just they're like man this game over I've never had much success with that play so it was a good time and a good situation that hit hit my first Hail Mary remember guys saying stuff like can't believe this is happening and this is eerie this DejaVu howling worldly in this spot we felt as though no one could beat us at this point like the divisional playoff the NFC Championship was a rematch of a regular season loss and one giant was eager for vengeance I wanted to play San Francisco mainly because I mean I didn't want another shot at Carlos Rogers I'm not gonna live in the regular season II had an interception on me and did my dance you know I not want a little bit of revenge Cruz got his payback catching eight passes in the first half they weren't gonna take my gold to playing Super Bowl this thing that I've dreamt of all my life they weren't gonna take it from me that that day I just felt so adamant about that New York's ability to move the ball through the air was remarkable given the frequent downpours and sloppy field conditions I didn't worry about the lien I'll come in some days on a Sunday and I'll say no Eli it's 15 degree wind out there knee he goes out he Pratt he warms up and he comes in I saw as the wind it's okay it's not bad should we you know be aware of throwing into the wind now do we have to worry about that nope okay Coughlin's confidence was justified manning threw 58 times and didn't commit a single turnover not even the 49ers under easy Eli I started walk over that David car get warmed up because I helped some here's the union think he is going to get up we pick Eli of our mother it was not like you had to have a spatula like a scoop mother his jerseys halfway ripped off his shoulder pad and his chin strap is on his nose but he was still cool and calm and collected man never complained about you know guys not blocking or just yelling at he never yelled at his offensive line every other that any one of us when the game went into overtime the Giants remained resolute just the fact that we had so many close games in the regular season we always just had this confidence and say hey there's a chance we win this game we're gonna go win knocked out by Jaquan William damn it Thomas recovered it that's not a I can remember thinking of favor in this football team can the Giants now finish the deal they're gonna be our guy large signs 31 yards to put the Giants in the Superbowl against the page this is the same guy that noe kicked the 47-yard field goal with minus 24 degrees in overtime in Green Bay Wisconsin with a ball that was hard as a brick I believe he was going to make the ticket items to the second Super Bowl enjoy years how bad Misner very brash awesome grief there and Tara is not the only one although you Terry but you know you're not going with love her spirit and love how much she loves the Giants I know she was excited and she had a good point to complete another incredible championship run it seemed fitting that the Giants would again have to defeat the New England Patriots during preparations for the Super Bowl Eli Manning made sure that his teammates were focused on finishing I stood up and I said I've been to a Super Bowl but I've also seen in my brother what what he was like after he's lost the Super Bowl that's something I never want to experience we're not working we're prepared we're not gonna loose I commend Eli because that's not what he's done that's not normally where he's comfortable but again Eagles aside just getting up and doing what's best for the football team our practice is out there bang-bang-bang that Bay I don't know if the ball over hit the ground and the guys who usually try to bust my tail with my time thing you know I would set up time for practice let's say it was 335 or something they'd be out there 320 dressed and ready to go never said that to a team before but I felt strongly about this team the thing I wanted them to know is how much I admired her for what you've accomplished for the men that you are and the way in which you have truly come together as a team that's all you coach for that's what you that's that's that's the goal how many y'all wanted today I got a ring Chris you ain't got one you're going to feel like rocking a goblin you'll know that feeling like women you ain't got one you're going to be like boss you didn't get one you don't know what it feel like I'm telling you right now it's the best feeling in the world if it's on me today you all have one Super Bowl 46 man oh man now the blank is on my mitts on to finally be on that field and look up and see you know Superbowl 2012 and Indianapolis was just by one of greatest feelings ever crews in a slot laughing Manning back to throw it's a dream just to be able to play in the game but to actually score a touchdown right in front of where my high school coach and my Godfather was sitting it was just there's no other feeling that can match that cruises touchdown was the only one New York tallied in the first three quarters Tom Brady gave the Patriots the lead by completing a Super Bowl record 16 consecutive passes but he failed to connect on a one throw that could have finished the Giants you seem let's make getting hard in it but like the Romans often throw you know I thought I saw that I was like well that with their opportunity for the second time in four years but Giants Patriots Super Bowl would be decided in the closing minutes America 346 to go one time out in the two-minute warning who sees something like this before haven't we yes we are in Super Bowl 42 Eli Manning led the Giants to victory with a dramatic game-winning drive now he had a chance to do it again definitely had a little you know felt familiar in that situation the last two times we've played the Patriots we've gone down there and scored touchdowns I'll say this time only down two points so you're starting to hear a field goal we'll win this game like it had four years earlier and so many times during the last five months New York's faint rested on the right arm of Eli Manning panting out of the shotgun set his back to throw climbs the pocket he called down the left sideline it's gonna be yes that's a heck of a throw and a heck of a catch by Mario Manningham what a catch it's not quite David Tyree but that is pretty close I think the best draw realized through he didn't had yeah I told Mario I mean a great kid you didn't have a choice he put it in the tiniest of places Mario did have a chance of dropping it and I remember I asking you like how do you know where to put the ball and then he's like I don't I see the guy running I see the safety I just trust my ability and throw it I was like it can't be that simple the past Manningham was easy the hard part was securing the winning his score without leaving too much time for a Tom Brady comeback second down we're gonna run the ball make him use her last timeout and then probably run the ball and either score or kick a field goal call the play I break the huddle and I just you know at that point it just it pops my head saying they're never gonna let us score right here I'm walking to the line of scrimmage and I stop I think about going to tell Ahmad you know they let you score don't do it then I start saying well you know what what if he messes up or doesn't know what I'm saying and he fumbles or you know if he goes down right when I handed the ball at the 8 yard line so I'm not the same thing I still let it happen get the ball snap and I can tell right away they're not going hard so I'm going back I'm hitting in the ball and I'm yelling you know don't score don't don't go in don't go in he's given the Giants the lead here in the Super Bowl but it was a almost reluctant touchdown by Bradshaw it's not your typical great play you know he just had a great chance to win the Super Bowl it's kind of like Judy you've gone down there shooting scored am i happy and I upset now what what's the emotion I want to feel right now but ultimately you know you'd rather score touchdown then settle for a field goal a lot of people in situations we thinking why do we score so blue why we didn't thought about I remember turning to ocn saying we got it we got a chance to get another sack better competitor you want to have a chance to finish only one place separated the Giants from the ultimate finish Brady's under question as that ball goes in there you just oh my goodness I felt like it was in the air for a lifetime I kind of see the ball you know get hit and then I lose him and then finally a second later I kind of see it dribbling on the ground when you set a goal and you accomplished the goal and when you specify exactly what it's going to take and it happens exactly that way rewarding and satisfying but it's also fulfilling there's nothing like in the midst of all that chaos I just wanted to reflect think about my adverts the owner and off the football field but also just want to give thanks you stole enjoyed but it's kind of like it's all almost kind of a sigh relief like I started thinking about what a crazy ride we've had and how there are so many similarities to the last one you can't believe it truly happened the probably changes the way I'm viewed I don't think it changes the way I view myself it doesn't change the way I'm gonna improve as a player to make sure that I get my teammates and the new guys that will come be a part of this team an opportunity to have those same experiences get life kind of slows down and everything kind of comes into perspective for me to come so far and do all the things that I've done and you know almost running out of opportunities it was great to just come full circle and to be standing there with the Lombardi Trophy and my family watch and it's just definitely a moment that I'll never forget might not have been the most talented we play teams that probably should have beat us but not that matters when everybody's on the same page and we are living proof of it a way in which that it all came together was you know something that is you'll never forget it never forget and it's over siddharth Fang

Channel: Rocco Sandwiches

Views: 60,080

Keywords: Football NFL Giants 2011 Champions Championship

Id: n2KnJFT0Fbs

Length: 44min 10sec (2650 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 10 2016