As I start this live blog for Super Bowl XLVI, the New York Giants are mounting a drive after losing the coin toss (Pats deferred) – a lovely mix of runs and play action passes.
So far, New England Patriots are playing a base defense set. And we had the first big play, with Hakim Nicks catching a pass that could have been picked off, and gaining 19 yards. Then, with the Giants in New England territory, Eli Manning went back to pass, but was sacked. Then the Pats Defense tightened, downed a run and now it’s 3rd and 13. Manning sacked again due to good downfield coverage.
Pats get the ball – on the five yard line. A long way to go for their first possession.
Ok. Audi commercial where the car kills the vampires. Love this one!
Ok, Pats with the ball. Tom Brady back to pass, throw’s it deep – no one around. Refs call intentional groundings. Wow. Safety call on New England. Giants lead 2 nothing.
Wow. Manning throws short to Giants FB, who breaks tackle and picks up 13 yards, and first down. Now, Amad Bradshaw picks up 20 yards around left end. Giants in Pats territory on 33; picks up six more yards on nifty outside pitch play from Georgia Tech design.
Giants in red zone area now.
NY Giants 9, New England 0.
Giants short passes in flat to running backs, and Pats mistake of having 12 men on field results in first touchdown for Victor Cruz and for this Super Bowl game.
New England Ball On 29 Yard Line
Time for cute Pepsi Super Bowl commercial. And can’t wait for Madonna and Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show!
Ok, Pats first play of second drive – Giants Aaron Ross stops run for 2 yard loss. Second play is a screen to Glen-Ellis; it’s 3rd and 4 now Brady has first real good throw – to Deion Branch down the middle. Pats at mid field. Brady goes to work; hits Wes Welker on a crossing pattern. Then reverse to Wes Welker for 11 yards and a first down. Pats move smartly into Giants territory. Red zone.
Brady goes no huddle, hits Arron Hernandez for five yards. 3rd and 4 now for the Pats.
Bunch formation – pass batted. Big play by Jason Pierre-Paul. Pats held to a field goal; NY Giants 9, Patriots 3. 2nd 13:48 left.
Super Bowl Commericial: not a huge John Carter fan, but I hope it does well for Disney.
This drive is important for New York. Eli play-fake, but New England all over the receivers; Manning throws incomplete. Brandon Jacobs, all 6-4 265, picks up 11 yards, Giants on the move again.
Spread formation; first pass dropped – short for Giants. No gain. Injury time out. Just in time for the commercial for the movie The Lorax. But I do like the VW Darth Vadar commercial.
Giants 2nd and 10; another run for Brandon Jacobs up the middle for 4 yards. 3rd and 6 – big down. BIG CATCH by Hakim Nicks for 18 yards over the middle! But 12 men in huddle for Giants – 2nd and 15 yards.
3rd and 15 for Giants. Bradshaw gets 11 yards; Giants have to punt. First punt of the Super Bowl game.
New England Patriots get ball with good starting field position at their 19 yard line. Wow. Jason Pierre-Paul bats second Tom Brady pass of the game. Pats give to Danny Woodhead – gets 3 yards – 3rd and 7 now. Pats go to spread formation, no huddle. 4 wide with Chad – one handed catch by Wes Welker called short of first down. 4th and 1. Pats punt.
Interesting as neither team’s using much in the way of exotic schemes for this Super Bowl. So far.
Giants ball – 2nd and 5. I formation pass – to FB Piestocki for first down. Giants keeping it short, ball control with a 3 yard run – 2nd and 7 yards.
Giants I Formation, Bradshaw gets 10 yard – has 9 for 44 yards. Giants gashing Pats with run. Jacobs gets to 45 – 3rd and 1 yard.
2nd 4:45 left.
Brandon gets 8, but penalty – holding on #77. Replay 3rd down. Manning throws deep to Manningham, misses – Giants punting. WOW. Giants punt down to the 4 yard line; Pats in the hole again.
Pats get false start penalty – move back to the 2 1/2 yard line. Wow. 1st and 12. Tom Brady gets Pats out of hole to 9 yard line, but still 2nd and 5; Woodhead get 1st down with 4 yard run.
2nd 3:11 left.
Tom Brady gets 21 yards with throw off play-action and to Ron Gradkowski, who looks fine to me.
2 minute warning – fast Super Bowl game.
FINALLY a new Marvel Avengers commercial!
Back to the game, if the Pats score, it would be 10 to 9, with all the great NY Giants play. So this drive is really important for both teams in this game. Brady hits Hernandez for 10, then for 8 – but this one is reviewable. It’s a catch. Pats have ball, 2nd down and 2 now.
Pats in Giants area; Woodhead to 40, but flag on Pats for holding – loss of 10 yards. 2nd and 12 – Brady throws to Hermandez for 8 – 3rd and 4 now. Tom Brady hits Arron again, first down at the 32 of the Giants.
Pats run sealed up – 44 seconds left. 2dn and 9. Pats Tom Brady misses getting sack, throws to Woodhead for gain of five yards. Time out.
Commercial Time: Doritos Commercial’s a good one.
Now, back to this Super Bowl XLVI. It’s 29 second remaining in first half. Pats at the Giants 22 yard line. Brady passes to Woodhead who get to 12 yard line. Tom Brady gets New York to jump offside, but then passes to Woodhead who get to 3 ydl. Another big play by Giants Jason Pierre-Paul who stops the Woodhead run for a loss. 3rd and 4.
Pats score a touchdown as Tom Brady throws to Danny Woodhead – Pats drive 98 yards to score; 9 – 9 but extra point makes it 10-9.
Halftime. My tweets:
zennie62 Zennie Abraham
@
@CruiseDivaNJ LOL! I’m sure he did too! LOL
1 minute ago Favorite Reply Delete
Zennie Abraham
zennie62 Zennie Abraham
Uh, OK. What did Madonna just do with that #Superbowl “head” sommersalt? Just asking?
2 minutes ago
Zennie Abraham
zennie62 Zennie Abraham
Madonna gives an entrance fiting for this #SuperBowl game.
5 minutes ago
A great Super Bowl highlight show. Perhaps the best one.
Back to the game – NY Giants need to solve the riddle of covering New England backs out of spread formation. The fullback is pulling the middle linebacker out to cover him wide and the MLB has to run a long distance to catch up.
First play, Tom Brady to Chad Ochocinco for 21. Another fake draw pass by Tom Brady for 8 yards. Now, big play to Giants 34; Brady short to Wes Welker for 4 yards. Tom Brady has 14 straight completions – a Super Bowl record.
Now, 3rd down and 1 yard to go – inches, really at the Giants 23 yard line. Pats get first down with run to left. Brady throws 16th straight completion to Aaron Hernandez. And now Aaron Hernandez catches the 17th throw from Tom Brady, runs into endzone to score. New England 17, NY Giants 9.
New England went to fake-draw passes on that drive to keep the Giants defensive linemen down and stop the passes being batted.
NY Giants get ball on 35 yard line after great return. After two short gains, 3rd and 4 – Manning to Hakim Nicks for first down.
Giants at midfield – 48.
Manning to Paso for 8 yards – 2nd and 2. Bradshow gets first down – Giants moving the ball. 1st and 10.
Excellent throw by Eli – thread the needle to Nicks for the first down. Giants at Pats 25. Hakim Nicks gets hammered – out of game. Manning throws incomplete – 3rd and 10. Can’t figure out why no exotic plays here. Confusing.
Giants in field goal range. Manning passes to Manningham who gets decked five yards from first down. Field goal attempt is just inside and good. Giants 12 New England 17.
Pats get the ball; Giants Blackburn stops outside pitch play, but Jason Pierre-Paul gets injured in the process. Time out called.
Pats Brady runs fake-draw pass again, gets out of pock, throws ball away. 3rd and 8. Tom Brady gets sacked by Giants – coverage sack. First sack of Tom for this game.
That was a huge series for the NY Giants as they survived a Pats wrinkle, the fake-draw pass.
Giants ball at midfield with best start of this Super Bowl game. 2nd and 9 after a yard run. Wow. Eli Manning and NY Giants get HUGE break – Hakim Nicks makes catch, fumbles, Giants recover.
Then Brandon Jacobs runs for 7 yards. Jacobs again for three yards and first down.
Giants at the Pats 23.
Another fake draw pass – this one by the Giants as Manning get ball to Pasco for first down. Giants in red zone. Two runs – no gain other than a yard. Giants Bradshow not following blockers.
3rd and 8.
Eli Manning gets sacked – no one open. Giants have to settle for field goal. Third quarter went fast. Kick is good: New England 17, NT Giants 15.
Pats ball, Tom Brady to Hernandez, who drops pass. 2nd and 10. Brady takes advantage of “off coverage” to Branch, throws to get 1st down. Pats RB Green-Ellis picks up 3 yards, 3rd quarter over – 4th quarter now.
Pats ball; get first down with Green-Ellis run. Pats nearing mid field – Brady almost sacked; Giants miss. Tom throw downfield interception.
Giants ball at 8 – bad throw by Eli Manning to Manningham, just short. Wow. Giants get ANOTHER BREAK as Bradshow fumbles, Giants get ball back.
Eli has got his grove after several bad passes, hits Victor Cruz for 7 on short of a first down – but injuries are mounting; now Ballard is hurt.
Time out.
Wow. Eli another great pass – Victor Cruz for first down on 3rd and 1. Then Eli passes to Mario for another first down; Giants at mid-field in Pats area of field. 1st down.
Hakim gets quick pass for Nicks, 5 yards – 2nd and 5.
Wow. Mario fade loses his position on the field, makes catch but was out of bounds. Big play lost. 3rd and 5. Now, Giants have to burn a stupid time out; are the Giants having problems getting the plays in on time?
Another penalty – false start. Well, Giants Defense getting a long rest. 3rd and 10.
That Eli Mannning pass should have been a flag on Pats – WTF? Giants have to punt – lost two time outs.
Pats ball after punt – 9 minutes left in game.
Brady passes, rushed, incomplete; 2nd down. Brady blitzed from Rolle at left, throws right, gets 19 yards. Now, pitch left to Green-Ellis, who gets three yards. And another Giants player hurt – Antrolle Rolle. Wow, what’s happening to the G-Men?
When we return, Pats ball with a two point lead. Why do I feel like something big is about to happen?
Welker for 11 yards on a reverse to Giants Rookie CB Prince Amukamara’s side.
Ball at 46; Danny Woodhead gets one yard – 2nd and 9 for Pats.
Five wide now. 3rd and 3 for Pats. Giants must stop them now.
Pats get huge first down at Giants 44 yard line. Pats try run; run gets stuffed – 2nd and 11.
WOW. Wes Welker drops what would have been a TD pass. 3rd and 11. WOW. Tom Brady gets all time to throw, his Deion Branch, but he drops it. Pats put. And here comes Eli Manning with 3:46 left.
WOW Big catch! Mario Manningham from Eli Manning. Giants at mid-field; catch being reviewed. Nails biting in New York.
Catch should be ruled good by refs. If ruled good by refs, Pats lose a time out.
Here it is: confirmed catch by NFL refs. 3:39 left. 1st and 10 at 50. ANOTHER BAD throw by Eli Manning. Eli rights himself, finds Mario for first down and 13 yard gain. Then Giants call wide receiver screen – Pats Defense closes fast, Giants get 2 yards.
2nd and 8.
Wow. Manning fires a bullet – Nicks makes catch, gets inside 20 yard line. Giants in red zone.
Bradshow runs hard to New England 13 – time left: 1:47. Hakim Nicks great play, pushes to the first down and goal. NY Giants run for about two yards – Pats call time out.
NY Giants come up. Bradshaw scores for New York. New England let them score. Big gamble.
Giants going for 2 now, up by 4, 57 seconds. Miss two point conversion.
Here we go Tom Brady has 80 yards to go in 57 seconds. Brady to Branch, who makes second drop of the game. 52 seconds.
Wow – another drop, this one by the normally sure-handed Hernandez. TOM BRADY SACKED!!
This is it. 4th and 16 yards to go. This is it. Wow Brady gets first down! No time outs. No time outs, 17 second to go, 2nd and 20. Pass incomplete – but Giants have 12 men on field – but 9 seconds left over. Branch with another miss out of bounds – five seconds left.
Time for one play. WOW. Almost caught, not NY GIANTS WIN!