Short answer
The Manningham catch started the Giants' last drive of Super Bowl XLVI: down 17–15 to New England, 3:46 left, ball at their own 12 with only one timeout. You call every snap from there, and your calls are graded against Tom Coughlin's, which score in the 32nd percentile in our engine. A field goal wins it, which changes everything about how to play the clock.
The situation
Super Bowl XLVI, February 5, 2012, in Indianapolis. Four years after the helmet catch game, it's Giants–Patriots again. New England leads 17–15, and a punt has pinned Eli Manning at his own 12 with 3:46 left.
The Giants have one timeout, New England two. Down 2, a field goal wins it. That means the Giants want points and they want the clock: score too early and Tom Brady gets the last word.
How the real drive went, play by play
On the first snap Manning threw deep down the left sideline to Mario Manningham, who caught it between two defenders and kept both feet in for 38 yards to midfield. New England challenged and lost.
Manningham caught 16 more to the New England 34 and 2 more to the 32. Hakeem Nicks caught 14 to the 18 at 2:09, Ahmad Bradshaw ran 7 to the 11 at the two-minute warning, and Nicks caught 4 more and was pushed out at the 7. Bradshaw ran 1 yard to the 6.
Then New England did something unusual: it let the Giants score. On 2nd-and-6 with 1:04 on the clock at the snap, Bradshaw ran up the middle, tried to stop short, and tumbled into the end zone. The two-point try failed, so the Giants led 21–17 and Tom Brady got the ball back with under a minute to play. His final throw into the end zone fell incomplete.
The calls that decided it
Two calls frame this drive. The first is the opener: backed up at your own 12 with plenty of time, do you take a deep shot down the sideline or work the ball out with short throws? Coughlin went deep, and it worked, but it's the kind of throw that gets intercepted.
The second is at the 6 with about a minute left. Kick a short field goal after draining the clock, or take the touchdown? A field goal with seconds left wins, but a miss loses. A touchdown leaves Brady a minute to go the length of the field and tie it. In this game you face the same choice, with your kicker's real range.
More Legends
- The Helmet Catch · Super Bowl XLII, down 4, 2:39 left, own 17
- 28–3 · Super Bowl LI, down 8, 3:30 left, own 9
- The Minneapolis Miracle · NFC Divisional round, down 1, 0:25 left, own 20
- Every Legend and Playoff Run
FAQ
What was the final score of Super Bowl XLVI?
The New York Giants beat New England 21–17 on February 5, 2012, in Indianapolis.
How long was the Manningham catch?
38 yards, on the first play of the Giants' final drive from their own 12 with 3:46 left. New England challenged the catch and lost.
Did the Patriots let Ahmad Bradshaw score?
Yes. With the Giants at the 6 and about a minute left, New England let Bradshaw score so it would get the ball back. Bradshaw tried to stop short but fell into the end zone.
Do I need to pay to play this?
This Legend is part of the Legends Pass, a one-time purchase that also unlocks every Playoff Run and removes ads. The daily drive, Practice and Survivor stay free, and 28–3 is a free Legend you can try first.
Sources
- nflverse play-by-play data — the real drive, snap by snap: down, distance, clock, timeouts and play descriptions
- Super Bowl XLVI, New York Giants vs New England box score — Pro Football Reference