"INDIANAPOLIS -- On one last Hail Mary try, Tom Brady heaved it up for his two star tight ends in the end zone. Neither Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez, who both got a hand in the play, could come down with it.
The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI, the second time the Giants beat the Patriots in the last four years in the NFL's title game.
Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw scored the go-ahead touchdown with 0:57 left in the game.
0:35 4th quarter: Giants 21, Patriots 17 -- Justin Tuck just sacked Tom Brady on third-and-10. The Patriots are facing fourth down with second remaining.
0:57 4th quarter: Giants 21, Patriots 17 -- Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for a 6-yard touchdown with less than a minute remaining in the game. The Patriots kept the Giants' D.J. Ware from getting in the end zone on the 2-point try.
Eli Manning completed five passes on the drive. It's crunch time for Tom Brady and the Patriots.
2:00 4th quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- With time in consideration, and down and distance to consider (first-and-10 at the Patriots' 18), the Giants are in a prime position to win this game. Eli Manning has completed three passes in the last drive to get the Giants to this point, including a 38-yarder to Mario Manningham down the sideline that was upheld after a Bill Belichick review.
3:53 4th quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- Tom Brady couldn't connect with a wide open Wes Welker, thorwing behind him before Welker spun around only to drop it. Then on third down, he couldn't hit Deion Branch while he was still open to keep the drive alive. The Giants have the ball with a little less than four minutes remaining.
9:24 4th quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- The Patriots defense finally got off the field thanks to Sterling Moore. The Patriots CB broke up a pass to Mario Manningham on third-and-10 after a lengthy Giants drive that saw Eli Manning convert three other third downs.
9:35 4th quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- The Giants are driving and have now blown their second timeout since taking possession. They've faced three third downs on this drive and have converted on them all.
14:17 4th quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- After getting away from a sack, Tom Brady heaved the ball up for Rob Gronkowski 40 yards down the field and was intercepted by Chase Blackburn who was in coverage.
End of the 3d quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- We're headed into the final quarter of the NFL season. The Patriots are driving. Tom Brady connected with Deion Branch for an 11-yard pass and BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed up the gut for a seven-yard gain. They'll start in the fourth quarter on 2-and-3 at the Patriots 38-yard line.
0:35 3d quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 15 -- Lawrence Tynes kicked a 33-yard field goal, bringing the Giants within two points. Rob Ninkovich had a huge sack on Eli Manning on third down to force the kick. Ninkovich was one of only three Patriots rushing Manning on the play, as the rest dropped back into coverage.
5:57 3d quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 12 -- Justin Tuck sacked Tom Brady on third down to force a Patriots punt and a three and out.
Brady's streak of completions ended at 16, tying his own postseason record and setting a new Super Bowl record.
6:43 3d quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 12 -- Lawrence Tynes booted a 38-yard field goal as the Patriots' secondary came up with two big plays to hold the Giants.
Patrick Chung delivered a crushing hit to Hakeem Nicks to break up a pass and on the following play Sterling Moore smothered Giants receiver Mario Manningham before he could gain any extra yardage on third down.
11:20 3d quarter: Patriots 17, Giants 9 -- Tom Brady hit Aaron Hernandez for a 12-yard touchdown as the tight end bounced off two Giants defenders before ending up in the end zone upright.
Brady got things going with a 21-yard pass to Chad Ochocinco to open up the second half. Then BenJarvus Green-Ellis busted off a 16-yard run. Wes Welker caught two passes on the drive, including an eight-yard reception that set up Hernandez's touchdown.
15:00 3d quarter: Patriots 10, Giants 9 -- The third quarter is underway with the Giants kicking off to the Patriots.
Halftime: Patriots 10, Giants 9 -- Tom Brady is 15 of 18 for 147 yards and a touchdown at half. He got off to a rocky start, getting flagged for intentional grounding while standing in the end zone, resulting in a safety. But he bounced back, particularly in the second half. He completed 11 passes in the final drive of the first half, including a 4-yard touchdown to Danny Woodhead.
Eli Manning has done his best to put the Giants ahead. He completed his first nine passes, an NFL record, and threw a 2-yard touchdown to UMass alumnus Victor Cruz. Ahmad Bradshaw has been steady for the Giants with 44 yards on nine carries.
End of the 2d quarter: Patriots 10, Giants 9 -- Tom Brady connected with Danny Woodhead for a 4-yard touchdown pass across the middle of the end zone after a rocky 96-yard drive over 14 plays with 8 seconds left in the half.
The drive tied for the longest in Super Bowl history. In completing 11 passes on the drive, Brady passed Brett Favre for most postseason completions in NFL history. Favre had 482 for his record.
2:00 2d quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 3 -- Rob Gronkowski has finally gotten on the board. He registered a 20-yard catch before the two-minute warning, a sign that he's more than a decoy in today's game. He had played in limited snaps up until this drive where he has taken part in the team's hurry up offense.
4:03 2d quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 3 -- Sterling Moore broke up a pass to Mario Manningham on third and 10 to force the Giants to punt.
The Patriots were helped on the drive by a holding call on OL Kevin Boothe that if not caught would have resulted in a first down on a run by Brandon Jacobs.
8:50 2d quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 3 -- Jason Pierre-Paul batted down another Tom Brady pass and a throw to Wes Welker was just shy of a first down as the Patriots went three and out.
Giants tight end Travis Beckum, who was injured on the Giants' previous drive, has a torn ACL and is out for the game.
10:20 2d quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 3 -- The Giants were whistled for 12 men in the huddle and Patrick Chung broke up a pass to Hakeem Nicks, forcing the Giants to punt and giving the Patriots a chance to tie or take the lead in the game.
Eli Manning had another huge throw on the drive though, completing a 17-yard pass to Nicks.
13:48 2d quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 3 -- Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 29-yard field goal as the Patriots couldn't punch it into the end zone after a 9-play drive.
Tom Brady's pass on third down at the 11-yard line was deflected by the Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul.
It should be noted that Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski has played a very limited role in the game.
End of the 1st quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 0 -- The Patriots are just warming now as the game heads into the second quarter. A 15-yard pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch and a 19-yard pass to Wes Welker has got the Patriots into the red zone.
3:24 1st quarter: Giants 9, Patriots 0 -- Two uncharacteristic mistakes by the Patriots have led to an early Giants lead. Giants QB Eli Manning hit WR Victor Cruz on slant for a 2-yard touchdown, as New York capitalized on a Tom Brady intentional grounding that resulted in a safety.
The Patriots appeared to hold the Giants in the red zone with CB Sterling Moore stripping receiver Hakeem Nicks on third down. But the Patriots were flagged for 12 men on the field, resulting in a first down at the Patriots' six-yard line for the Giants. Two plays later, Cruz was salsa dancing in the end zone. Patriots LB Jerod Mayo, who was in coverage on the play, didn't see as Manning's pass went behind his head to Cruz.
8:52 1st quarter: Giants 2, Patriots 0 -- Tom Brady dropped back on a play-action pass on the Patriots' first possession, and before getting hit in the pocket in the end zone, he fired the ball down field to no one in particular. He was called for intentional grounding, thus resulting in a safety for the Giants. The Giants will now receive a Patriots punt.
9:14 1st quarter: Patriots 0, Giants 0 -- Mark Anderson sacked Eli Manning on third down and Brandon Deaderick added a sack on first down as the Patriots slowed down a steady attack from the Giants on their first drive of Super Bowl XLVI. Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz to convert on two third downs for the Giants. After a Giants punt, the Patriots take over at their own 6-yard line.
15:00 1st quarter: Patriots 0, Giants 0 -- The Patriots won the toss. They deferred and the Giants will receive to open the game. Game on!
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Is all the hoopla over yet? Not quite. But it will be in the next 20 minutes or so. We'll have kickoff and then updates right here like we have had all year.
Enjoy the game. And thanks for following along all year, right here."
-- Zuri Berry, Globe Staff
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