Manning's 4th quarter drive. . . Best EVER?

[pjsnyc]

Its ticker tape parade time BABAY!!!!

[Elvisliveson]

Nah, I can name a few better.

The question was greatest game winning DRIVE - there was no game winning drive in Super Bowl V - after that pick the Colts ran a couple of plays into the line before kicking the winning FG. Superbowl V was one of the worst, most poorly played Super Bowl's ever, and that's a fact.

[Elvisliveson]

Not by a long shot, no. You forgetting "The Drive"? And there were others.

Um, "The Drive" by Montana took a full five minutes against a Bengals team playing a prevent defense. Plus, the 49ers were only down by 3, so they knew they could always fall back on a FG. How can you comment on Eli, when you admit you didn't watch much of him? Floater? Most critics say he throws the ball too hard with no touch. And Eli's stats for the game were better than the majority of QBs who have won the SB MVP, none of which led a game winning drive. Jeez, he threw for 155 yards and two TDs in the 4th quarter - is that the part of the game you missed? Ben Rothlesberger on the other hand had the worst rating of ANY QB in SB history and was handed that SB victory by the refs. Big Ben was a product of Bill Cowher's system, where he took half the field away from him and limited his total pass attempts per game. That's why Eli's production numbers (Yardage and Tds) are higher than Ben's every year and over the course for their careers. Finally, anyone who cannot recognize the magnitude of Eli's drive is just hopelessly biased or simply must not have watched too many Super Bowls.

[slimeberry]

Best 4th quarter in Super Bowl I have ever seen.

I wouldn't really call it a come back, as they were only down 4 after The Patriot's scored their last TD, but still the most exciting Super Bowl I have seen in a very long time. My wife even watched it. Now that is saying something.

The best come back I have ever witnessed was the AFC Play Off Game last year when the Colts mounted a come back for the ages. Poor Tom Brady and Bill "Video Killed The Credibility Star" Belidick must be getting a complex from all of these Manning boys smothering their "Dynasty" hopes and dreams. It almost makes me want to cry... almost.

[golf_junkie27]

Um, "The Drive" by Montana took a full five minutes against a Bengals team playing a prevent defense. Plus, the 49ers were only down by 3, so they knew they could always fall back on a FG. How can you comment on Eli, when you admit you didn't watch much of him? Floater? Most critics say he throws the ball too hard with no touch. And Eli's stats for the game were better than the majority of QBs who have won the SB MVP, none of which led a game winning drive. Jeez, he threw for 155 yards and two TDs in the 4th quarter - is that the part of the game you missed? Ben Rothlesberger on the other hand had the worst rating of ANY QB in SB history and was handed that SB victory by the refs. Big Ben was a product of Bill Cowher's system, where he took half the field away from him and limited his total pass attempts per game. That's why Eli's production numbers (Yardage and Tds) are higher than Ben's every year and over the course for their careers. Finally, anyone who cannot recognize the magnitude of Eli's drive is just hopelessly biased or simply must not have watched too many Super Bowls.

Elvis,

While I agree with a majority of your post, Eli's career numbers for touchdowns and yardage are not greater than Ben's. Take a look: 77 Touchdowns and 11,385 yards for Eli. 84 Touchdowns and 11,673 yards for Ben. Ben also has a higher completion percentage and has thrown less interceptions in virtually the same amount of games.

[iacas]

Um, "The Drive" by Montana took a full five minutes against a Bengals team playing a prevent defense.

Joe Montana completed more passes for more yards and was far more efficient on his drive than Eli was. Joe also didn't have the tremendous luck of his receiver making the catch, nor the luck to escape what would have been a sack most times.

Luck and skill are often interchangeable, but the pendulum swung heavily to the side of luck at several points in that play. And he lobbed the ball to Tyree when a bullet would have done much better. Eli has a candy arm. Reminds me of Chad Pennington in that regard.

How can you comment on Eli, when you admit you didn't watch much of him? Floater? Most critics say he throws the ball too hard with no touch.

No, they don't. And I never said I haven't watched him - I said I didn't watch much of the Super Bowl.

and was handed that SB victory by the refs.

Bull. Find a call that wasn't legit. The only one I've got a beef with is the one they called on Hasselbeck for blocking below the knees when he was going for a tackle... but the same call was made on Ben a few weeks prior and is, under the rules, the correct call.

Fall back on the "refs" thing all you want, but even if you had a legitimate bad call (you don't), good teams overcome bad calls. The Steelers themselves overcame one several weeks earlier when Troy's INT was reversed, stupidly, at Indy.

Big Ben was a product of Bill Cowher's system, where he took half the field away from him and limited his total pass attempts per game.

No, that's not correct. With Ben, the Steelers build up big leads by passing early in the game, then cement the victory by running the ball most of the second half. Look at the number of runs vs. passes in the first vs. second halves of games.

That's why Eli's production numbers (Yardage and Tds) are higher than Ben's every year and over the course for their careers.

This has already been shown to be very, very wrong. Aside from Ben's 2006 season (motorcycle accident, appendicitis, two concussions), Ben's stats are better than Marino's, Peyton's, Montana's, Young's, and Brady's. His QB rating is high, his INT to TD ratio is low, and he's one of two QBs to throw for five TDs in a half EVER (Peyton being the other).

And had you watched any Steelers game this year, you'd see that his offensive line was Swiss cheese, and any QB who could somehow manage a rating of over 100 behind that offensive line is extraordinary. Tom Brady wouldn't have broken 50 behind the Steelers OL (they REALLY need to upgrade).

Finally, anyone who cannot recognize the magnitude of Eli's drive is just hopelessly biased or simply must not have watched too many Super Bowls.

Sure. It couldn't possibly be that they simply disagree.

I was happy as heck he did made the drive and scored the TD. But I'm not willing to call it the BEST EVER. Too much luck and a few bad passes. Tyree made the big catch and the running back got the extra half yard needed to keep the drive alive. I give more credit to them than Eli.

While I agree with a majority of your post, Eli's career numbers for touchdowns and yardage are not greater than Ben's. Take a look:

In order of ability (Ben, then Eli), here are some more stats:

Completions/ATT: 908/1436 (63.2%) vs. 987/1805 (54.7%) Yards (YPA): 11,673 (8.13) vs. 11,385 (6.31) TD/INT: 84/54 vs. 77/64 Attempts per TD/INT: 17.1/26.6 vs. 23.4/28.2 Rushing TDs: 8 vs. 2 (and a better average per rush) Fumbles/Lost: 18/8 vs. 34/12 TD %/Rating: 5.8%/92.5, 4.3%/73.4 (ouch) Again, take away Ben's 2006 season (59.7%, 7.5 YPA, 18TD/23INT) and the numbers get shockingly good. But you don't even need to take that away to have Ben clearly trounce Eli. Oh, and Tom Brady's stats? 63% (lower), 7.2 YPA (lower), 5 rushing TDs (lower in more seasons), 29 fumbles lost (much higher average), 92.9 passer rating (barely higher, and obviously assisted by the 117 he pulled in this year while running up the score on several teams, something the Steelers simply don't do, and obviously assisted by, again, Ben's 2006 season. Remove either and Ben's higher.)

[iacas]

Uhm, so yeah, this isn't a "Ben is one of the greatest QBs of all time" thread, so let's drop that.

In other words, yeah.... let's all get back on topic.

[Wisco-Kid]

Not only best Superbowl 4th Qtr drive but I think it may be the best 4th qtr drive for any football game ever. That catch by Tyree was off the charts. I am a Packers fan of course (hence the name Wisco-Kid) and I have never been so excited by a football game as I was watching the GIANTS BEAT THE PATRIOTS! Good for you Eli, get the pundits off your back for good.

[neudi]

Only thing I have to say is the refs missed an offensive pass interference call on Burress during their first touchdown that was OBVIOUS, but that is sports, it's not perfect.

[golf_junkie27]

And he lobbed the ball to Tyree when a bullet would have done much better. Eli has a candy arm. Reminds me of Chad Pennington in that regard.

I watch the Jets and Giants every single week. Eli Manning has a bazooka for an arm. His problem is not arm strength but poor mechanics. He's constantly throwing off his back foot and gets hammered for it by the critics, deservedly so.

As for the "lob", name me one quarterback in the NFL that can throw a bullet 52 yards downfield off his back foot? As was the case on that play. Just because he's not throwing tight spirals does not mean he's not throwing the ball hard. If you've ever been in the Meadowlands in November and December, it's possibly the toughest place to throw. I've seen Steve Young, Doug Williams, John Elway and Troy Aikman struggle throwing the ball downfield. All of them had great arms.

[907golfer12]

I think it is, but that is only because I'm 15 and haven't seen any superbowls since before about '95, and I don't remember them that far back, probably only back to '98. But my mom was at the superbowl with "the catch" and from how she discribed it to me I would say that is very amazing.

[muskegman]

No, not the best ever. That doesn't take a think away from the quality of this game. I enjoyed it and given the fact that I was rooting against the Pats it turned out great as far as I'm concerned.

The Giants handed the Patriots a defensive stunner. The Patriots were tired, the Giants pestered Brady constantly. Eli did a great job getting his team down the field and they won. It was a truly great game. Not the greatest drive though.

[smileykj218]

Has to be Joe Montana, best SB QB ever.