- 2 days ago
Biggest underdogs did it again
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
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00:02Oh
04:55He asked me a question. I answered it. I really didn't think anything of it.
04:59I think I answered the question honestly because I knew, hey, I'd throw him for 4,000 yards.
05:03I'd throw him for over 30 touchdowns.
05:05All I had to do was discipline myself to eliminate those bad decisions.
05:09That was my intent for the offseason.
05:11It was something different in his eye this year.
05:13He's the first guy in and the last guy out.
05:17I saw Eli work his butt off throughout the lockout with throwing sessions in high schools.
05:22I knew he was going to be a different cat this year.
05:27When starting slot receiver Steve Smith signed a free agent deal with Philadelphia,
05:32the extra work by Manning became even more critical.
05:37I was worried about that slot position, who was going to fill that role.
05:41I know we had a couple guys who were going to compete for it,
05:43but I didn't know if anyone would be as good as what Steve Smith was able to produce for us
05:48the last couple of years.
05:49Although New York didn't realize Victor Cruz would be one of the key figures in the Giants' championship season.
06:03From MetLife State,
06:06became a local hero the summer before when he torched the Jets for three touchdowns in a preseason game.
06:17He saw playmaking potential, but can he be consistent in his route running and learning the concepts?
06:23We still didn't know.
06:25Unfortunately, he got injured early on and missed a full season.
06:29I was hoping he was going to be a big player for us in March or early April.
06:33I wanted to start throwing and needed a guy to throw to.
06:36I didn't know he was from Patterson, New Jersey, so I figured he'd be in the area.
06:40And so that's when I got his number from the Giants.
06:44He sent me a text, and he was like, hey, man, are you in town?
06:48I want to throw.
06:49And I was just like, who is this, man?
06:52I didn't have the number on my phone.
06:54And he goes, it's Eli.
06:55And I go, whoa.
06:57And then I go to my mom.
06:58He's like, my Eli just texted me.
06:59And she goes, you better text him back.
07:01So we went to the field, and there was like a dog competition or something going on.
07:08We couldn't even get on the field, so we're throwing on the sidewalk.
07:10It's still cold.
07:11The wind's blowing it.
07:12He's having to watch out for dogs coming in and out of this park.
07:16Just to be one-on-one, just me and Eli.
07:19It was definitely a surreal feeling at the system, learning what Eli likes to pass.
07:23And it had a really good impact on me.
07:27The rapport Cruz built with Manning in the offseason disappeared in camp as the young
07:33receiver struggled to find consistency.
07:35When are you going to see a freaking hot?
07:38How many years is it going to take?
07:40Look in there and expect blitz.
07:43I think it was just nerves.
07:45I think it was just expectations, you know, living up to those expectations.
07:48I think I was, you know, I was just, the anxiety was kind of overwhelming at the time.
07:54The first game of the season versus Washington, the first third down, I throw him a little
07:59hooker out in the slot and he drops it.
08:01And it's not the way you want to start the season, especially for a young guy.
08:04And, you know, coaches can quickly turn.
08:06You know, there was a little voice in the back of my mind that was telling me, on this
08:10league, the chances come few and far between.
08:12And if you don't take advantage of them, they can slip away just as fast as they can.
08:16Thank God that I got another opportunity.
08:19That chance came when receiver Dominic Hickson was lost for the year with a knee injury.
08:25Our quarterback's coach, Coach Sullivan, he comes up to me, man.
08:28He goes, yo, you're getting a start this week.
08:30It's Hispanic Heritage Month.
08:32You're half Puerto Rican.
08:33You've got to do something to represent the people.
08:35He was like, you've got to dance.
08:36I was like, yo, Coach, if I get in the end zone, I'll do it.
08:39You know, myself thinking that I won't even get in the end zone.
08:41I just wanted to catch a few balls and take it from there.
08:45I catch the first ball, and I'm going up to Sauron, and I break a tackle.
08:49And I'm going in the score, and I'm like, man, I've got to do this dance now.
08:56So I get in the end zone, and I was like, man, here goes nothing.
08:59So I drop the ball, and I just start doing the salsa.
09:02And then it just steamrolled from there.
09:05I kind of said, all right, I think we've found our guy.
09:08There's some things that other guys might do better.
09:10But when you get the ball in his hands, he makes special things happen.
09:13The kid who had only two career receptions before his breakout in Philadelphia
09:18went on to shatter the Giants' single-season record for receiving yards.
09:23I never dreamed of doing anything like that.
09:25It was just awesome, man.
09:27It was, you know, no words can even describe the journey each and every week.
09:31And he still holds it, even though Odell Beckham got close two or three times.
09:39He still holds that Giants' receiving record.
09:42And for a team that's been around 100 years, that's a big accomplishment.
09:49You get an understanding of the offense that you're playing in,
09:52and you're confident, and you're relaxed.
09:54I think it's just easy to sit back and play, man.
09:56And I think that's what happened to me throughout the course of the season.
09:59He was that player this year.
10:00When we needed to play, we'd be on the sideline like,
10:04where Cruz at?
10:05Every time he got it done.
10:07All to the middle, complete it to the 10.
10:09Victor Cruz spins off, and it's to the end, jump for a touchdown.
10:13I mean, he's a phenomenon now.
10:15The sauce has been around for years.
10:17But now that's the dance Victor Cruz started.
10:20Every time he touches the ball in Giants' stadium, they say, Cruz.
10:22The chant of Cruz breaks throughout Penn Life Stadium.
10:29They don't say Eli.
10:30They definitely gonna say Tuck.
10:33Yeah.
10:35I mean, kind of jealous.
10:41With help from Cruz, Eli Manning had his finest season as a pro.
10:464900 yards.
10:52Manning set an NFL record with 15 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter
10:57and led the Giants to six comeback victories.
11:00And the Giants have the lead back.
11:03We talk about a story of resiliency.
11:05My wife is getting home.
11:07She says, you know, you're allowed to have a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter
11:10and just win a game.
11:14And she's right.
11:15I mean, 15 touchdowns in the fourth quarter, that's pretty good.
11:20But why did you have 14 touchdowns the other 48 quarters?
11:2648 quarters, 16 games, three quarters a game.
11:31What the heck happened?
11:36I said, well, Coach Coffin told us to finish strong.
11:38So, you know, we figured we might as well be down, finish strong.
11:41And so maybe we took this point a little bit too literally about finish.
11:45In week nine, Manning stunned the Patriots with a comeback reminiscent of the one he orchestrated
11:51in Super Bowl XLII.
11:53The game-winning drive even featured a miraculous catch by a receiver wearing number 85.
12:00What a catch by Ballard.
12:03He pulls a David Tyree.
12:06You're kind of saying, well, I've been in this situation before.
12:09I'd be lying if I said there wasn't kind of an eerie, similar feeling to the Super Bowl in 07.
12:16Third and goal is a one.
12:19Close and clap to the end zone.
12:20Touchdown, Giants.
12:21Anyone who doubts whether or not Eli Manning has the stuff.
12:26Eli looked pretty elite here.
12:30You know, how he played this year was tremendous.
12:33I think he should have been league MVP.
12:37Thanks to Manning.
12:43I don't know.
12:45No way Justin Tuck thinks he should have been league MVP over Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees.
12:53No way.
12:55Right?
13:00The Giants were 6-2 and in first place at the halfway point of the regular season.
13:10And he matured into one of the fiercest defenders in the NFL.
13:15When I play, I kind of vision myself as a gladiator.
13:19Growing up in Alabama, for a birthday present, I got the He-Man sword.
13:23And I used to run around saying, you know, I'm He-Man and I have the power.
13:27My mom used to say I used to sleep with the sword and we were kind of inseparable.
13:31So, uh, the nickname He-Man just stuck.
13:35In 2011, injuries made the most powerful man in the Giants universe a mere mortal.
13:41I had groin issues, shoulder, foot, knee, torn ligaments in my hand.
13:50But when I did the neck, you know, it takes away a little bit of the edge.
13:57Every time you go and contact a guy, there's some doubt.
14:00You know, mentally I wasn't ready to be Justin Tuck.
14:03You go at him, the impact is with the neck.
14:07300, at least 300 pounds against your neck is not a good, not a good way to go about life
14:16if you just got neck surgery.
14:22Tuck was also hurting emotionally after his grandfather and two uncles passed away during the season.
14:30I truly love those guys, man, I do.
14:33You know, they've watched me play since I was running around screaming He-Man.
14:37I've kind of tried my best to block out those memories,
14:40being on a plane headed down there and just crying.
14:44Um, you know, I don't know.
14:48It was, it was tough.
14:54Quite frankly, Justin wasn't Justin.
14:56I was depressed, as a matter of fact.
14:59I thought it was time for us to talk about it.
15:01Uh, uh, had a, kind of a heart to coach the player.
15:05Seeing, I want this for you.
15:06I want you to look at things from the past.
15:08You know, he touched me.
15:09And if you know me, uh, like backing down from challenges.
15:13Told me I was playing like crap.
15:15Told me I was better than that.
15:17Told me, we don't care about injuries.
15:19Nobody cares about injuries.
15:20No toughness, no championship.
15:22At that point, I realized, you know, I am feeling sorry for myself.
15:25So, when I got out of the chair, I just felt revived a little bit.
15:29And it just seemed like all the, all the pains and all the, you know,
15:34fatigues and injury started to kind of just go away a little bit.
15:38Now, he lit up the room again, you know, with his eyes and his smile and his work habits.
15:44And that was a breath of fresh air for everybody.
15:47So, that was, that was a huge factor.
15:50New York's injury-depleted defense was struggling.
15:54The Giants had lost three straight.
15:56Vince Young, Eagles Vince Young threw touchdowns on you.
16:01Something is wrong.
16:02And there was growing concern from the media of another second-half collapse.
16:07No one pointed any fingers.
16:08No one, you know, said anything to get any guys, any other guys down.
16:13Everybody kind of just picked each other up.
16:16Part of the team's cohesiveness stemmed from techniques learned earlier in the season
16:20at a seminar conducted by former fighter pilots.
16:24The three main tenets to flawless execution, leadership, accountability, and teamwork.
16:31When a group of pilots land, they go immediately into a debriefing session.
16:35They talk about how can they get better.
16:38And they can get better by each individual, no chip on their shoulder,
16:43you know, no defense mechanisms in place, talking about what they did wrong.
16:48So, to carry that over, players had their own film session.
16:52No coaches in there.
16:54Now, some of the young guys that probably wouldn't have said nothing when coaches were there,
16:58they felt comfortable in saying,
17:00I'm struggling with this, or, you know,
17:02I missed this read because, you know, Justin jumped out of his gap.
17:07It would be rare for a rookie to tell, you know,
17:10the captain of the defense that he shouldn't do that.
17:12But we all had equal say-so.
17:26I think it did wonders for our team.
17:39Despite his best effort in weeks,
17:42Tuck and the Giants came up short against the undefeated Packers,
17:46running their losing streak to four.
17:48However, the game evoked memories of the 38-35 loss to the unbeaten Patriots in 2007,
17:55one that propelled New York to a championship.
17:58I think it was a similar type game, you know,
18:01where, hey, this is the best team in the NFL,
18:04and we just played with them to the very end.
18:07We went a little losing streak, but we are a good team.
18:09We're close.
18:10We're not far off.
18:11We just had to put it all together.
18:14To Dallas, if we lose that game, Coach Coughlin might be fired.
18:17You know, Coughlin's going to get fired.
18:19Maybe they should start that early in the year,
18:21because we play better when that starts.
18:23We never made that an issue.
18:24He got this cool.
18:26It had good messages for us.
18:28We've fallen, but we've got to get to that finish line.
18:31Doesn't matter how you do it, you've just got to make it happen.
18:34In a must-win game against the Cowboys,
18:37the Giants fell behind by 12 points,
18:39with less than six minutes remaining.
18:42New York's latest collapse was nearly complete.
18:47It's just frustrating sitting on the sideline,
18:48because we know we're better than what we're playing.
18:51You're looking for somebody to make a play, and go, Eli.
18:58And he takes a low snap.
19:00He's back to throw.
19:02He looks middle.
19:02He throws a little to the goal line.
19:04Touchdown, Jake Mowler.
19:05With 3.14 to go, the Giants are still alive.
19:08It felt good.
19:09You know, we've just gone down there in one-two-minute drive.
19:11It's something we've been very good at all season.
19:13We're going to have another opportunity.
19:15They got a big third down.
19:16We're coming with a blitz.
19:17I see Romo.
19:18He's sending a signal,
19:19and he's got Miles Austin five yards behind our defenders.
19:23It's going to be a touchdown.
19:26And it's overthrown, and we get a chance to get the ball.
19:30I was like, well, game's over for them.
19:33You know, I'm sitting on the sideline.
19:34I'm like, what do we got next week?
19:38You know, the thing I remember now is how, you know,
19:41little plays can be a difference in making the playoffs or not,
19:45with us winning a Super Bowl or not.
19:47And it's what you do with that opportunity that can make you special or not.
19:52This is as good a quarterback performance in the clutch
19:57with the season on the line as I have seen in a long, long time.
20:01You've got to score, baby.
20:03You've got to score.
20:04Second and goal at the one.
20:06Four of the lead.
20:06A minute to go.
20:07Hand off, Jacobs.
20:08He runs right, follows his block.
20:09This is a goal line.
20:11Touchdown, say it.
20:13The skin is over.
20:14And the New York Giants have saved their season.
20:17A huge relief.
20:19We knew, hey, we're right back where we need to be.
20:22You know, we're in our own, we hold, you know, in control of our own destiny.
20:25And it was a huge win.
20:29The following week, the Giants fell back into second place after a lackluster effort against
20:34the Redskins.
20:36New York had to win its final two games to make the playoffs.
20:41You know, right after that, we have a chapel service.
20:43And we had a guy, we have a different speaker come almost every week.
20:46A guy gave us a poker chip.
20:49He said we needed to push all our chips to the middle of the table and be all in.
20:54We kind of adopted that as our motto.
20:56Having that mindset of, you know, are you all in for this football team?
21:01Are you all in to make the postseason?
21:03It was huge for us.
21:05All of us did have that poker chip.
21:07You know, some guys wore it in their socks during the game.
21:10Some guys, you know, kept in their locker room.
21:13I keep it right by my nightstand so I can see it every night before I close my eyes.
21:20Inspiration to finish strong seemed to come from everywhere, even the head coach of their
21:26crosstown rival.
21:27I never came here to be a little brother to anybody, so clearly we were the better team
21:31my first two years here.
21:33I don't care about Tom Coughlin or anybody else.
21:35I know how I believe, and I don't care if it's, you know, acceptable in everybody's opinion.
21:41I really don't care.
21:42Something we've always believed in for ourselves is talk is cheap, play the game.
21:46And sometimes I wonder whether our own guys have listened to that.
21:52A reporter asked me, you know, what do you think about teams that are throwing more to
21:58Revis this year?
21:59And I said to her, teams aren't scared to test him early on in the game.
22:02And, of course, that got taken as me saying no one's scared of Darrell Revis, and it was
22:07just this whole big hoopla around him.
22:10The only time I remember this guy is in the preseason game.
22:14So, I mean, that's the only time I remember that.
22:16Yeah, other than that, I don't know the guy very well.
22:20So, you know, I was a little taken aback by it, but I just wanted to go out there and
22:24play and make sure that my play on the field proved the type of player I was.
22:29So, you know, I hate the media.
22:31I don't, I wouldn't talk to the media and give them anything to quote about because they
22:38take stuff out of context.
22:40They cherry pick.
22:42They do double standard stuff like that.
22:45But it make it really difficult for athletes to just go out there and perform without animosity.
22:59The Jets even tried to get under the Giants' skin on game day by covering their Super Bowl mural.
23:07Rex saying those things I didn't necessarily care about, but, you know, covering up our Super
23:11Bowls, eh, that's, that's different.
23:16We definitely wanted to set Rex up.
23:19Even with added motivation, the Giants' offense barely made a peep against Ryan's smothering
23:26defense.
23:27It's an absolute struggle, you know, and we're looking from the sideline.
23:30We're backed up.
23:31We got the ball on the one-yard line and we're coming out.
23:34This could be dangerous here.
23:36If we don't get a first down there, we're going to have to punt.
23:39We're going to get the ball in good field position.
23:41I mean, that could be a 14-point or a 10-point swing right there.
23:46Desperate for a spark, the Giants needed Victor Cruz now more than ever.
23:53And it back to throw.
23:55Looks.
23:56Throws one to the right.
23:57Gets it to the right for a first down and running out of a tackle down the right sideline
24:00is Victor Cruz.
24:02Chase Myceney.
24:03Hurdles over him.
24:04To the 30.
24:05To the 20.
24:06To the 10.
24:07To the 5.
24:08To the Giants.
24:0999 yards.
24:11You can't ask for a bigger momentum change than that.
24:19Who knows he didn't salsa because after you run 99 yards in Desnay, after you run that
24:27far, you're too tired to dance. Nobody ever danced after a 90-plus.
24:39You guys got that? You got that on audio? Yeah, because, you know, you make such a big play for
24:45your team. You know, you're feeling good about yourself. Your emotions are running high. So I
24:49was talking a little bit, and I think it was warranted for the time being, at least.
24:55And so Victor goes 99, and it's a whole different ballgame. And probably from that point on,
25:00if you wanted to define the defining moment in the season, when things really came together
25:05and took off, that was it right there. From that point on, we started to combine confidence
25:11with cohesiveness, with intelligence, with masterful play.
25:18A healthier and revitalized defense shut down the Jets in the second half, and the Giants
25:25got the last word.
25:27This door town! This door town!
25:30It was good to kind of, you know, win the Battle of New York, if you will.
25:35Some guys ripped...
25:36Rex Ryan should have read up on his history, and the history would have told him that it's
25:41been the Giants town since 1981.
25:50Those things down, and let them breathe after the game, and let those murals be seen a little
25:55bit.
25:56Where's the Jets?
25:57It's our house!
25:58It's our house!
25:58Giant Stadium!
25:59I think that's a stadium!
25:59What was that?
26:00Giant Stadium!
26:05In fact, the Jets did move into Giant Stadium in, like, 84. So, there's some history there.
26:16The Big Apple, but the victory came at a price.
26:20Yes!
26:20Coughlin took a shot, as Ware got knocked out of bounds.
26:25It felt like a part of a muscle or tendon had just torn it across the back of the leg,
26:31but it was my fault, and I relaxed. I let my guard down. Those things happen, and I want
26:36to remind everybody I didn't fall down, though.
26:40No toughness, no championship. Coughlin and his team had persevered, and only the Cowboys
26:48stood in the way. With the finish line in sight, the Giants didn't crawl. They blazed
26:54right through.
27:06Touchdown, Vincent Cruz! 74 yards, and he's done it again!
27:12I hate the Cowboys. I do. And having the opportunity to end it with a sack-cause fumble against Romo...
27:23...it's one of my favorite moments of that year.
27:26We have sack-by-tuck for football to football! And the Giants have it! And that's your ball game!
27:33They're celebrating in the aisles at MetLife Stadium. The New York Giants are the NFC East Champions.
27:42Congratulations to the NFC East Champions!
27:46Yes, sir! Yes, sir! Great job of finishing that! Great job of finishing this part of the season!
27:53You know, after the game, I was cleaning out my bag. I see a poker chip. At that point,
27:58we won that game. We won the game versus the Jets. You know, and then it just kind of gets
28:03into superstitious.
28:04I thought the 9 and 7 Giants could do it again. The idea of everybody telling you that you can't
28:11do something, I like that. That's a good thing. I like that. Well, these guys took this to the extreme.
28:17We thrive in people not giving us a shot. I think that we went through the most adversity this year
28:24of any team.
28:25I think that made us that much stronger. We were all in. And we were gonna lay it on the
28:31line for what it was worth.
28:32And, you know, when the dust cleared, you know, last man standing, we expected it to be us.
28:40We better than O-7! We gotta pit that s**t together! Right now!
28:44They ain't feel like us! They ain't feel like us! They ain't ready for this s**t to be right in
28:48the brain today!
29:01Spurred on by their resurgent defense and three touchdown passes from Eli Manning,
29:06the Giants won the first playoff game in MetLife Stadium history.
29:11Unbelievable! This is unbelievable! Unbelievable! We're gonna be there! We are!
29:16If we play like this, we're gonna be there. No question about it.
29:20In the O-7 playoffs, Manning upset Brett Favre in one of the coldest games ever at Lambeau Field.
29:27This time, he outplayed league MVP Aaron Rodgers to put the 15-1 Packers on ice.
29:34Touchdown Giants! The Giants have scored on each of their first two possessions.
29:39Giants are gonna run another play without a timeout. Six seconds to go.
29:44Manning back, steps up, keys one down the middle of the field, into the end zone,
29:49and Mitch makes the catch for the touchdown!
29:52I had to go in and do some stuff on my shoulder.
29:56Lawrence Tyne runs up the stairs and hugs me. I'm like, what is wrong with you?
30:01And he said, we just scored a touchdown. I was like, what?
30:06And from that point on, I just said, man, this game is over.
30:11I've never had much success with that play. So it was a good time and a good situation to hit
30:17my first Hail Mary.
30:18First 15-1 team of all time. And I know that shouldn't take anything away from them because they went
30:2915-1.
30:30Think about it. Only 15-1 team to go one and done. And the game was a blowout.
30:37At home. By a 9-17.
30:46Well, when they went to the Super Bowl in 2007, they beat an NFC South team first.
30:51Then they went to the number one seed Cowboys and they beat them.
30:54I remember guys saying stuff like, can you believe this is happening? Can you?
31:01Man, this is eerie. Is this deja vu? Or how in the world are we in this spot?
31:08We felt as though no one could beat us at this point.
31:11San Francisco, here we come!
31:16Like the divisional playoff, the NFC Championship was a rematch of a regular season loss and won
31:24time for vengeance.
31:25I wanted to play San Francisco mainly because, I mean, I did want another shot at Carlos Rodgers.
31:31I'm not going to lie. In the regular season, he had an interception on me and did my dance.
31:37You know, and I want a little bit of revenge.
31:40Cruz got his payback, catching eight passes in the first half.
31:44You're going to have to find a way to get Carlos Rodgers some help on it.
31:48I know he's the Pro Bowl corner and Cruz is just having his way with him right now.
31:52They're not taking this from me. They're not taking this from me, cuz.
31:55They ain't taking this from me, boy. They're not taking this from me.
31:58Whoopies, boy!
31:59They weren't going to take my gold to playing a Super Bowl.
32:03Well, he took something from him. He took a whoopie. He took that from him.
32:10This thing that I've dripped up all my life, they weren't going to take it from me that day.
32:14I just felt so adamant about that.
32:17New York's ability to move the ball through the air was remarkable, given the frequent downpours and sloppy field conditions.
32:25I didn't worry about the wind.
32:27I'll come in some days on a Sunday and I'll say, no, Eli, it's 15-degree wind out there.
32:32And he goes out, he warms up, and he comes in.
32:35I say, how's the wind?
32:36It's okay. It's not bad.
32:39Should we, you know, be aware of throwing into the wind? No.
32:42Do we have to worry about that? Nope.
32:45Okay.
32:47Coughlin's confidence was justified.
32:49Manning threw 58 times and didn't commit a single turnover.
32:54Not even the 49ers' pass rush could unnerve easy Eli.
32:59I started to walk over and tell David Carter to get warmed up because, you know,
33:03there was some kids that didn't even think he was going to get up.
33:10When you pick Eli up out of that mud, it was kind of like you had to...
33:13Why would beating up David Carr fare any better?
33:21He, he was, he got the crap beaten out of him his rookie year and that was nine years earlier.
33:28Why would he have fared any better against that pass rush?
33:32Just keep Eli in the game.
33:43He had to, like, scoop him out of it.
33:46His jersey's halfway ripped off his shoulder pad and his chin strap is on his nose.
33:50But he was still cool and calm and collective, man.
33:53He never complained about, you know, guys not blocking or just yelling at him.
33:57Never yelled at his offensive line. Never yelled at any one of us.
34:00When the game went into overtime, the Giants remained resolute.
34:05Just the fact that we had so many close games in the regular season.
34:09We always just had this confidence to say, hey,
34:11if there's a chance we can win this game, we're going to go win it.
34:15Boots won, returnable for Williams from his own 20.
34:19Lost the ball, and the Giants say they have it, they do!
34:30Knocked out by Jaquan Williams, Devin Thomas recovered it.
34:34That's the only thing I can remember thinking I was in favor in this football team.
34:39Can the Giants now finish the deal?
34:42We're going to be all right, we're going to be all right.
34:43I know.
34:44We're going to be all right.
34:45Lawrence tines 31 yards to put the Giants in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.
34:50This is the same guy that, in 08, kicked a 47-yard field goal
34:56with minus 24 degrees in overtime in Green Bay, Wisconsin,
35:00with a ball that was hard as a brick.
35:02I believed he was going to make it.
35:10Kicked on its way, it's got the distance, and it is gone!
35:17And Lawrence tines has done it again, he's kicked the Giants to the second Super Bowl in four years.
35:27We're going to Super Bowl! We're going to Super Bowl!
35:34We're going to Super Bowl!
35:36We're going to Super Bowl!
35:40You never picked the Giants!
35:43You know it, you're right!
35:44I'm getting in there if I'm not picking the Giants.
35:48Why would anyone pick the Giants?
35:52They're the spoilers...
35:54They weren't supposed to win in 2007, 2011.
35:58But they did!
36:02Miss Merrill gave Brad Shaw some grief there
36:04And Terry's not the only one
36:06I love you Terry but
36:08You're not the only one
36:09Love her spirit and love how much she loves
36:12The Giants I knew she was excited
36:14And she had a good point
36:19And my brother
36:21What he was like after he's lost the Super Bowl
36:24That's something I never want to experience
36:27We're going to work and we're prepared
36:28And we're not going to lose
36:30I commend Eli because that's not what he's done
36:33That's not normally where he's comfortable
36:34But again
36:37Eagles aside
36:38Just getting up and doing what's best for the football team
36:41Our practices out there
36:43Bang bang bang bang bang
36:44I don't know if the ball ever hit the ground
36:46And the guys who usually try to bust my tail
36:49With my time thing
36:51I would set up time for practice
36:53Let's say it was 3.35 or something
36:55They'd be out there 3.20
36:56Dressed and ready to go
36:58I am so very, very proud of this football team
37:04And I am man enough, man enough to tell you guys
37:08That I love you
37:11I've never said that
37:13To a team before
37:15But I felt strongly about this team
37:17The thing I wanted them to know is how much I admired them
37:20For what you've accomplished
37:21For the men that you are
37:22And the way in which you have truly come together as a team
37:25That's all you coach for
37:27That's what you
37:29That's the goal
37:31How many of y'all want it today?
37:33I got a ring
37:34Chris, you ain't got one
37:35You don't know what it feel like
37:36Rock, you ain't got one
37:37You don't know what it feel like
37:38Look when you ain't got one
37:39You don't know what it feel like
37:40Boss, you ain't got one
37:42You don't know what it feel like
37:44I'm telling you right now
37:45It's the best feeling in the world
37:47And if it's on me today
37:49You're going to have one after this
37:51Super Bowl XLVI
37:54Man, oh man
37:56I'm trying not to blink
37:57Cause I don't know what it feels like
37:57Might miss something
37:58To finally be on that field
38:00And look up and see
38:01You know, Super Bowl 2012
38:03And Indianapolis
38:04Was just probably one of the greatest feelings ever
38:08Cruz in a slot left
38:10Manning back to throw
38:11Throws one
38:12Touchdown Giants
38:13And he does the salsa
38:17And the Patriots end zone
38:22It's a dream just to be able to play in the game
38:25But to actually score a touchdown
38:27Touchdown right in front of where my high school coach
38:29And my godfather was sitting
38:33It was just
38:34There's no other feeling that could match that
38:37Cruz's touchdown was the only one New York tallied
38:40In the first three quarters
38:42Tom Brady gave the Patriots the lead by completing a Super Bowl record 16 consecutive passes
38:49But he failed to connect on the one throw that could have finished the Giants
38:54Five minutes to go
38:55Patriots by two
38:56Wide open
39:03You've seen less make catching even harder than that
39:05But like the real most awesome throw
39:08You know, I thought
39:09I saw that
39:09I was like
39:10Well, that was their opportunity
39:12For the second time in four years
39:15The Giants Patriots Super Bowl would be decided in the closing minutes
39:22You know, I felt familiar in that situation
39:26The last two times we've played the Patriots
39:29We've gone down there
39:30And scored touchdowns
39:32I'll say this time only down two points
39:34So you start thinking
39:35Hey, a field goal will win this game
39:39Like it had four years earlier
39:41And so many times during the last five months
39:44New York's fate rested
39:45On the right arm of Eli Manning
39:49Manning out of the shotgun set
39:50He's back to throw
39:51Climbs the pocket
39:53Deep ball down the left sideline
39:54And it's going to be caught
39:55Does he inbounds?
39:57Yes!
40:03That's a heck of a throw
40:04And a heck of a catch by Mario Manning here
40:07What a catch
40:09It's not quite David Tyree
40:10But that is pretty close
40:16I think it's the best throw Eli's career
40:19He didn't have
40:20You know, I told Mario
40:21I mean, great catch
40:23But he didn't have a choice
40:24He put it in the tiniest of places
40:27Mario didn't have a chance of dropping it
40:30And I remember asking Eli
40:31Like, how do you know where to put the ball in?
40:34And he's like, I don't
40:35I see the guy running
40:36I see the safety
40:38I just trust my ability to throw it
40:41I was like
40:42It can't be that simple
40:44The pass to me
40:47That's Eli
40:49Is that the greatest throw in Super Bowl history?
40:52It has to be in the argument
40:55Panningham was easy
40:56The hard part was securing the winning score
40:59Without leaving too much time
41:00For a Tom Brady comeback
41:03Second down
41:04We're going to run the ball
41:05Make them use their last time out
41:06And then probably run the ball
41:07And either score or kick a field goal
41:09Call the play
41:10I break the huddle
41:12At that point
41:13It just pops in my head
41:15Saying
41:16They're going to let us score right here
41:18I walk into the line of scrimmage
41:20And I stop
41:21And I think about going
41:22To tell Ahmad
41:24If they let you score
41:25Don't do it
41:27Then I say
41:53The ball snapped
41:54And I can tell right away
41:55They're not going hard
41:56So I'm going back
41:58I'm handing him the ball
41:59And I'm yelling
41:59Don't score
42:00Don't go in
42:01Don't go in
42:05He's giving the Giants the lead
42:07Here in the Super Bowl
42:08But it was an almost reluctant touchdown
42:10By Bradshaw
42:12It's not your typical
42:13Great play
42:14You know
42:15We just had a great chance
42:16To win the Super Bowl
42:17It's kind of like
42:18Should he have gone down there
42:20Should he have scored
42:20Am I happy
42:21Am I upset
42:22Kind of what's the emotion
42:24I want to feel right now
42:25But ultimately
42:26You know
42:27You'd rather score a touchdown
42:29Than settle for a field goal
42:31A lot of people in this situation
42:32Be thinking
42:32Why did we score so quick
42:33Why we didn't
42:34Blah blah blah
42:35I remember turning to O.C.
42:37And saying
42:38We got
42:38We got a chance
42:39To get another sack
42:40If you're a competitor
42:42You want to
42:43You always want to get
42:45As much yards as possible
42:46If you ever have to
42:48You don't want to
42:49Rely on a field goal
42:51Why?
42:53Because if you score a touchdown
42:54Go ahead
42:55They have to score a touchdown
42:57It's a lot harder
42:59To score a touchdown
43:01So if you're in a position
43:03Just score
43:07Have the chance to
43:26If that ball goes in the air
43:28You just
43:29Oh my goodness
43:30It felt like it was in the air
43:32For a lifetime
43:39I kind of see the ball
43:41You know
43:41Get hit
43:42And then I lose it
43:44And then finally
43:44The second layer
43:45I kind of see it
43:46Dribbling on the ground
43:48Incomplete
43:49And the ball game's over
43:50And the Giants
43:51Have gone Super Bowl XLVI
43:54Finish
43:54Is what Tom Coughlin said
43:56And the Giants
43:57Have finished off
43:58The Patriots
43:59In the Super Bowl
44:00For the second time
44:02In four years
44:02When you set a goal
44:04And you accomplish the goal
44:07And when you
44:09Specify
44:11Exactly what it's going to take
44:13And it happens exactly that way
44:17And it's rewarding
44:19And it's satisfying
44:20And it's also fulfilling
44:22There's nothing like it
44:26In the midst of all that chaos
44:28I just want to reflect
44:30Think about
44:32My adversity
44:33On and off the football field
44:35I also just want to give thanks
44:38It's so old joy
44:39But
44:40It's kind of like
44:42It's almost kind of like
44:43A sigh of relief like
44:46I started thinking about
44:47What a crazy ride
44:48We've had
44:49And how
44:49There's so many similarities
44:51To the last one
44:52You can't believe
44:53It truly happened
44:54It probably changes
44:56The way I'm viewed
44:56I don't think it changes
44:58The way I view myself
44:59It doesn't change the way
45:00I'm going to improve
45:01As a player
45:01To make sure that
45:02I give my teammates
45:03And the new guys
45:04That'll come
45:05Be a part of this team
45:06An opportunity
45:07To have those same experiences
45:08Let me touch it
45:10Your honor
45:11Yeah, life kind of slows down
45:16And everything
45:17Kind of comes into perspective
45:21For me to come so far
45:23And do all the things
45:24That I've done
45:25And, you know
45:26Almost running out of opportunities
45:28It was great to just
45:29Come full circle
45:30And to be standing there
45:31With the Lombardi trophy
45:32And my family watching
45:34It was definitely
45:35A moment that I'll never forget
45:39I got a ring
45:40I got a ring
45:41He got one too
45:42He got one too
45:43I got a ring
45:44I got a ring
45:45He got one too
45:46He got one too
45:47I got one too
45:48He got one too
45:49He got one too
45:50He got one too
45:51He got one too
45:54What an amazing
45:55Talented
45:56Thanks
45:56Thanks a lot for nothing
45:58Lee Evans and
45:59Billy Cundiff
46:00Because
46:02Whatever anybody wants to say
46:04They would have beaten the giant
46:05The Ravens would have beaten the Giants
46:07That year
46:09Not for their kicker
46:13But
46:14The Giants beat the Patriots fair and square
46:17So
46:21We play teams that
46:22Probably should have beat us
46:24But none of that matters
46:25When everybody's on the same page
46:27And we
46:28Are living
46:29Proof of that
46:31The way in which
46:32It all came together
46:34Was
46:35You know
46:35Something that is
46:37You'll never forget it
46:38Never forget it
46:39And it's over so darn fast
46:42Don't
46:42Because
46:42The
46:43The
46:48Transcription by CastingWords
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