INDIANAPOLIS (WXIA) -- So much for calling Eli, "The Other Manning." Sunday night, Eli Manning stepped from his brother's shadow to lead the New York giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots Sunday night in Super Bowl XLVI.
It was a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl, where Manning led the Giants past the Patriots to crush New England's bid for the NFL's first perfect season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
Manning completed 30 of 40 pass attempts for 296 yards and, with his second Super Bowl title, now has one more than Peyton, the Indianapolis Colts star who watched from a suite at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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And suddenly, Manning is just one title shy of the Patriots' Tom Brady, whose own stellar effort - including a Super Bowl record 14 consecutive completed passes - ended when his Hail Mary effort 51 yards away from the end zone narrowly eluded a diving Rob Gronkowski on the game's final play.
To put the exclamation point on the win, Manning was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player.
Ahmad Bradshaw's 6-yard touchdown run with 52 seconds remaining provided the winning margin, capping an 88-yard drive that showcased Manning's coolness in the clutch.
The Giants trailed 17-15 when they got the ball at their own 12 with 3:53 left, and Manning, the game's Most Valuable Player, got them moving with a 38-yard pass toMario Manningham, who made a sideline grab at the 50.
Passes of 16 yards to Manningham and 18 yards toHakeem Nicks got the Giants to the Patriots' 18 at the two-minute warning. The Patriots let Bradshaw score so they could get the ball back sooner, but their final effort again fell short, the circumstances almost uncannily similar to the Giants' 17-14 conquest of the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, their third of four championships.
(USA Today and The Associated Press contributed to this report.)