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SAN FRANCISCO — It is the Super Rematch Eli Manning and Tom Brady would have signed up for the minute the confetti came flying down from the sky at the end of Super Bowl XLII.
Supe’s On again for the New York Football Giants, and it is New England clam chowdah again. Only this time, no one has to wait until the last two minutes of Super Bowl XLVI to know that Manning is in Brady’s class.
This time, Elite Eli won’t be throwing to David Tyree and Plaxico Burress, but Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz instead.
This time, Tom Coughlin doesn’t have Steve Spagnuolo and Michael Strahan, but Perry Fewell and Jason Pierre-Paul instead.
PHOTOS: GIANTS BEAT 49ERS TO ADVANCE TO SUPER BOWL
For Manning and Coughlin, it is a chance to win their second Super Bowl together, which means it is a chance for Coughlin to tie Bill Parcells, and it is a chance for Manning to carry the banner for little brothers everywhere with one more championship than big brother Peyton.
In the meantime, he is the first Giants quarterback to take the franchise to two Super Bowls.
“I’m sure that it’ll be tremendous copy for the two of us matching up again, resuming the 2007-2008 battle,” Coughlin said.
Elite Eli versus Tom Terrific again.
“We know what it’s going to take to beat him, we’ve had some great history against him, but you can throw all that out the window,” Justin Tuck said of Brady and the Patriots. “They’re going to bring their best game in Indy and hopefully we’ll do the same.”
The Giants, 20-17 overtime winners in the NFC Championship, are back in the Super Bowl because they refused to lose last night to the 49ers. If it takes these Giants 67:54 to beat you, they will be out there fighting and believing for 67:54.
Call them Miracle Men, and because they are Miracle Men, they are Supermen. Little brother tries to go one championship up on big brother in Peyton’s adopted hometown.
“I’m just excited to be playing in a Super Bowl, it doesn’t matter to me where you’re playing it, or the fact that it’s in Indianapolis,” Manning said.
It was a pair of miracles, and their Miracle Mann quarterback, who weathered the rain and paid homage to their mantras of No Toughness, No Championship! And — All In — every step of the way.
The 49ers kept knocking Manning (six sacks) down. And Manning (32-for-58, 316 yards, 2 touchdowns) kept getting back up. And did not lose the ball once. Not even once.
“It tells you the kind of courage, the kind of player, the kind of focus, the kind of leader that he is, and his performance tonight certainly proved that,” Coughlin said.
Manning threw the 17-yard touchdown pass on third-and-15 to Mario Manningham, who beat reserve Tramaine Brock, that gave the Giants their 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter after Miracle No. 1 had positioned him at the SF 29: a Steve Weatherford punt that brushed off the right knee of returner Kyle Williams that Devin Thomas recovered.
“The play that Eli made on third down that got us the touchdown that gave us the lead was just an incredible football play,” Coughlin said.
Miracle No. 2 came when Williams fielded a Weatherford punt in overtime.
And rookie Jacquian Williams reached out with his long right arm and stripped him. And Thomas recovered at the SF 24.
Three Ahmad Bradshaw runs pushed the Giants to the 6, before Manning centered the ball with a kneel-down.
And here came Lawrence Tynes, who had kicked the Giants into Super Bowl XLII. In overtime.
And now, after an attempt to ice him, Weatherford handled a low snap and Tynes’ 31-yard field goal kicked the Giants into Super Bowl XLVI … in overtime … just as Matt Bahr had kicked the 1990 Giants into Super Bowl XXV on this very field.
Deja Blue all over again indeed.
“It is kind of eerie,” Tuck said. “I’d be lying to you if I told you it didn’t feel like ’07.”
“I mean you can say they’re similar, but it doesn’t mean the outcome’s going to be the same,” Manning said. “We are going to prepare, have a great two weeks to get ready for a good team, and continue to play smart, great football in all three phases. I’m sure there are going to be comparisons and that’s fine, but that is not going to make anything guaranteed.”
Guaranteed Brady and Bill Belichick won’t relish facing these 2011 Giants.
“Guys never quit, never have any doubts, just keep believing, keep fighting to the very end, no matter what the circumstances are,” Manning said. “I think everybody knew we were going to get a break, we were going to get a chance to win this game, and we’re going to make a play, if we didn’t make a mistake ourselves.”
Big Blue, except for lapses on a pair of Alex Smith touchdown passes to Vernon Davis, overwhelmed Smith.
“Be patient,” Manning kept telling himself. “Don’t force anything. Don’t give ’em anything.”
So he didn’t.
All he gave ’em was hell.
Tuck said, “We give him a lot of grief about his dorky appearance — he doesn’t look like he’s been in the weight room ever — but that guy’s a tough guy, man.”
SuperMann II.