Giants Top Patriots In Super Bowl XLVI Behind MVP Performance From Eli Manning

But we’ll stick to 10 things of note ...

Reassessing the Patriots place in history. They are now 3-2 in Super Bowls in the last 10 years, instead of improving to 4-1. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are still going to the Hall of Fame one day. This is still one of the greatest dynasties of all-time. But I think you have wonder reassess where exactly on that list of great dynasties they fit. Are they No. 1 after simply making five Super Bowl appearances? Do you know them down a peg for losing two title games? We’re not quite ready to figure out their place in history because they very well could be back next year. This isn’t a dynasty that’s about to fall apart. The Patriots will keep winning and Belichick and Brady may very well have a chance at a fourth Super Bowl. It’s a tough loss but it doesn’t make us forget that this team is on one of the all-time great runs in the last 11 seasons.

But then the whole thing fell apart, and so did the Patriots’ Super Bowl. Video is below.

You couldn’t ask for a better set up if you’re the Patriots: A blown coverage by the Giants on the biggest drive of the game, and the greatest QB of this generation throwing to his favorite receiver, Wes Welker. And that’s part of what makes the whole thing so cruel.

The New York Giants came away with the win in Super Bowl XLVI, beating the New England Patriots in their huge rematch. Here’s the final results of the odds and prop bets on the game. The Giants picked up the 21-17 win for their second title in five years.

The Giants easily beat the spread, which had them pegged as losing by between 2.5 and 3 points. The over/under, which seemed high, was set at 54, but the final combined score of 48 was well under that.

And he tried. But the Giants’ defensive line did just enough to stop him, with a massive sack by Justin Tuck on third down that forced the Patriots to take a timeout and enough pressure throughout the final drive to force the Patriots to try a Hail Mary on the game’s final play.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

The Giants took the ball on their own 12 yard line with just under four minutes remaining in the game and down by two to the Patriots. On the first play from scrimmage, Manning hit Manningham for a beautiful 38-yard pass and catch. Check out the video:

It’s hard for video to even do this play justice. The over the shoulder catch is one of the most difficult in football, let alone when someone behind you is chopping their hand on your shoulder and a safety is coming in for the hit. Oh, and he held onto the ball when he hit the ground.

This is just the best. It’s like he’s so completely confused that he has no idea what to do next. The result is an adorable, accidental touchdown.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

But Welker did something extraordinary with the ball: he dropped it.

And, immediately, Welker knew how big his drop was.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Ballard limped off under his own power but was clearly in pain. It looked like the medical personnel was checking out his left knee. He was seen on the sidelines trying to jog and cut but his knee gave out and he fell down. Check out this below, watch him fall and let us know if you think he’ll return:

The turnover was the first of Super Bowl XLVI.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

The first half of Super Bowl XLVI is in the books and now so too is the Super Bowl halftime show. The annual spectacle was headlined by Madonna. She was joined by special guests M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, Cee-Lo Green and LMFAO.

The set lasted nearly half an hour. You can check out full video of the entire halftime show below.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

It was a hard hit but it didn’t look too out of the ordinary.

Brady was being examined by trainers on the sideline and it looks like he was just dinged up and not seriously injured. He was rotating his left shoulder so that’s where the problem is. He’s had a left shoulder injury in recent weeks so this likely has something to do with that.

Brady’s key stats, as presented by NBC, give us a vital insight to the man behind the player. For example, Tom Brady is exuberant.

Tom Brady is confident.

If the pendulum is swinging back toward the Giants defense, Big Blue may still have a chance.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

As you can see, it looks like a painful hit:

Nicks was trying to make the sideline catch extending his arms but Chung came flying in to drill him. Nicks went out of bounds and appeared to be a little dinged up. He went to the sidelines and came out for a play but quickly returned. It appeared he was grabbing his hand or fingers but he’s back in the game.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Brady has now completed his last 15 passes, a new Super Bowl record for consecutive completions that breaks the previous record of 13 set by Joe Montana.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.

In the meantime, Brady has broken a former Montana Super Bowl record when he hit 14 consecutive completions against the Giants. Montana originally set the record against Denver in Super Bowl XXIV with 13.

Brady and the Patriots started slow after they touched the ball only once in the first 11 and a half minutes of the game. But shorty after the start of the third quarter Brady had completed an incredible 20-of-23 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He’s on his way to one of the more memorable Super Bowl performances if he can continue at this pace.

As most football fans know, every year during the Super Bowl, there are hundreds of small, individual prop bets that you can put money on. These prop bets extend to the annual halftime show. Here are a few of the more interesting prop bets regarding the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVI, along with the results.

It should come as no surprise that the odds-on favorite of “blonde” came up as the big winner here.

You can see Pierre-Paul, on the left side of the Giants’ line, break off his pass rush to drop into coverage. That turned out to be a bad decision.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated Super Bowl hub.