14-6 = #1

And Super Bowl XLII Champions.

When Tom Brady hit Randy Moss on the go-ahead TD pass with just minutes to play, it seemed a poetic ending to season dominated by the statistical brilliance of those two future Hall of Famers.

Yet Eli, with help from his receivers and Brandon Jacobs on a 4-1 season-decider, had other ideas.

In a drive reminiscent of Montana in Miami, twenty years ago, the Giants earned their third Super Bowl title as the New England Patriots could not finish the job.

New York held the Pats to FOURTEEN points, fewer than 300 total yards, and sacked Gisele's beau five times.

Unlike many other upsets, they won this game without a strong turnover edge and without a dominant running attack. Their initial drive of almost ten minutes certainly set the tone and served notice that the expected blowout would not prove forthcoming.

Many talked about how a victory for the Packers would write the perfect, Elwayesque ending to Brett Favre's career, instead, Micheal Strahan will have to decide if it gets any better than this.

As for Eli Manning, he is no longer anything but an equal partner with his tremendously proud older brother, in the most important stat of all: championships.

And little brother did it under the sweltering heat of the NYC media market.

The Patriots lost their feeling of invincibility long ago, perhaps beginning with their narrow win over A. J. Feeley and the Philadelphia Eagles but nearly everyone assumed their championship experience would carry them through.

Almost.

The New York Giants finished their regular season scoring only twenty-five more points than they allowed... I don't have to tell you that's the lowest ever for a champion.

They won despite...

ZERO special teams touchdowns
ZERO Tom Brady interceptions
ZERO defensive touchdowns

And the three most amazing of all...

ZERO points off of turnovers
ZERO edge in turnovers
FEWER than 100 yards on the ground

SEVENTEEN points scored, on just ONE forty-yard plus play, which is the third lowest total ever by a champion.

Closest historical parallel? 1984-85 Villanova Wildcats, 25-10, #8 seed, NCAA Champions over defending champion Georgetown with 79% shooting from the floor... to win by two.