Much-maligned New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning silenced his critics with his last-gasp heroics to stun the unbeaten New England Patriots and claim the Super Bowl.
Manning threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter to lead the Giants to a shock 17-14 victory over the Patriots last night.
"He played super," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "He did things in the second half, the fourth quarter that you have to do to win the Super Bowl.
"He brought us down the field, he got the ball in the end zone twice... He played very, very well and very cool, very calm."
Manning was sharply criticised by the tough New York newspapers this season for his inconsistent performances and what some believe is a lack of leadership skills.
But Manning came alive during the post-season, leading New York to four straight victories on the road.
Many expected Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to be the one with the cool fourth-quarter performance but it was the easy-going Manning whose display will be remembered for years.
The 27-year-old Manning suffers from comparisons with his older brother Peyton. He is the younger brother of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, widely considered to be the best signal-caller in the game.
Peyton won the Super Bowl last season and was named the most valuable player. This year it was Eli's turn to claim the championship and receive the MVP trophy.
"It's been a fun year," Manning said. "Watching Peyton win last year and then the Giants winning this year, it's just unbelievable. I'm so proud of the guys on this team.
"We had total faith in ourselves and we believed we could win. And we earned it."
Peyton said he was "pulling so hard" for his brother.
"I was pumped," he said. "I got a lot of messages telling me to calm down because I was excited and pumped after the big plays he was making."
Manning completed 19 of 34 passes for 255 yards but his late-game play was particularly impressive. He led the Giants to two long scoring drives, including the game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left.
Archie Manning, the father of the Manning brothers and a former NFL quarterback himself, said the last two Super Bowls have been hard to put into words.
"For Eli and what he was able to accomplish on that last drive, that's what it is all about as a quarterback," he said.