With the game on the line and the team in need of big plays, there's no player Tom Coughlin would want to lead the way more than Eli Manning.
Coughlin and Manning won two Super Bowls together, and Manning came up with big plays at key moments throughout the Giants' championship run.
“He's the greatest — people are going to disagree with me, I get it, but he's the greatest play — big game, excuse me, big game quarterback I've ever seen. ,” Coughlin said on a recent appearance on Barstool Sports. Please excuse my opinion. ”
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Former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning embrace during a ceremony honoring the 2012 Super Bowl champion team. (Daniel Parkhizkaran/USA Today Sports)
The Giants defeated the undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in the 2008 Super Bowl and again defeated the Patriots 21-17 in the 2012 Super Bowl.
“I mean, the way he approached things and the fact that he really, really accepted the challenge. He wanted the challenge. He wanted it. I mean, he was like, for example, Tom Brady, knew what the comparison was, and frankly, understandably, they've piled up a lot of Super Bowls, but in those games, you could call it his pedigree; Call it what you want, but this guy, you talked about making plays when he had to make them,'' Coughlin said.
“Look at (Mario) Manningham's catch in the '46 Super Bowl. I used to be like that too, but I'm just watching it in my head. In that situation, Eli was in the back. I didn't realize he was maneuvering to get the ball off the ball.'' So you talk about big plays, big game guys, I'm going to take him to every play you can imagine.'' Because I’ve seen him do it in situations,” Coughlin continued.
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Eli Manning was named MVP after the Super Bowl in Indianapolis on February 5, 2012. (Imagination)
Manningham's catch is one of Manning's best plays. Manning threw a sideline pass into a small window that powered the Giants' victory in the 2012 Super Bowl.
Manning always had a knack for stepping up in key moments in close games.
The four-time Pro Bowler was sensational during his playoff career. In his first Super Bowl appearance, Manning threw for 854 yards and six touchdowns, leading three game-winning drives in 2008 and earning his first Super Bowl MVP award.
The most memorable play of Manning's first Super Bowl appearance was his helmet catch on David Tyree. The Giants fell behind late in the fourth quarter when Manning escaped a sack and carried the ball downfield, where Tyree made one of the most memorable catches in Super Bowl history.
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Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning prepares to throw out the first pitch before the New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays game at Yankee Stadium. (Vincent Calchietta/USA Today Sports)
Manning did it all over again in 2012, winning his second Super Bowl MVP by leading two game-winning drives while throwing for 1,219 yards, nine touchdowns, and just one interception.
Manning is aiming to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this season, and his playoff history could be the reason he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Coughlin coached the Giants from 2004 to 2015, leading them to a 192-102 record in 12 seasons. Prior to coaching the Giants, Coughlin spent eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading the Jaguars to a 128-68 record.
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