Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The Giants may or may not have better receivers than the Patriots. The bottom line in Super Bowl XLII was that the Giants' receivers played better when it mattered most. Amani Toomer, David Tyree, Steve Smith and Plaxico Burress made huge plays during the Giants' winning touchdown drive, overcoming another productive performance by Patriots wideout Wes Welker.
Toomer struck first with a 9-yard reception on third-and-10, setting up a fourth-and-1 conversion. Tyree struck next with a 32-yard reception on third-and-5, clutching the ball against his helmet even though Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was in position to break it up. Smith's turn came next. His 12-yard sideline grab on third-and-11 kept the Giants moving toward history.
Burress finished off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown grab, but Tyree's improbable play was the one everyone was talking about afterward. Harrison called the play a "fluke" before leaving the interview podium without answering a followup question. He said it's tough to win when the balls are not bouncing your way, but the Giants knew better.
"It was funny because at practice on Friday, [Tyree] was dropping everything," Toomer said. "He dropped every ball. It goes to show he's a tough guy and he represents our team well. We fight until the end and that's why we win."
Which team has the better receivers?
"I don't have to answer that question," Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "Who caught the game-winning touchdown?"
That would be Burress, whose pregame prediction of a 24-17 Giants victory ticked off conservative coach Tom Coughlin. Burress was far from dominant, catching only two passes. Knee and ankle injuries appeared to prevent him from rising high enough to snatch a couple of high passes. But when the Giants needed him to back up his bold words, Burress delivered.
The Giants averaged 7.5 yards every time Eli Manning dropped back to pass, 2 yards better than what New England averaged. The strong finish by the Giants' receivers helped them offset a first half featuring multiple dropped passes. Tyree's big play put New York over the top.
"That has been characteristic of our team more than anything else," offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "We may not be the biggest, we may not be the fastest, but they seem to somehow rise up just enough to make enough plays to give us a chance to win.
"We kind of knew coverage-wise what we expected them to do. The throw to David Tyree, when the protection broke down, [Manning] had to scramble. He threw it anyway and by then the defense had recovered. David made a phenomenal catch."
