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Eli Manning's pouty face and boyish decorum tackled Tom Brady's million-dollar smile and infallible pose, winning the 2008 Super Bowl and ruining the Patriots' perfect season. As an Eagles fan living in Boston, I am soaking up every hanging head and frowning face on the morning after. As the day carries on, sense needs to be made out of the senselessness of the Giants victory. How did they pull it off?

So many thoughts and moments swirl in my mind when that question is asked. I picture Tyree's remarkable grab, Eli's newfound agility in the pocket, Belichick's decision not to kick at forty-nine field goal in the third quarter and go for it on fourth and thirteen, the Giant's defensive line (although as an Eagles fan, their brute force didn't surprise me), Tom Brady taking hit after hit, and Hobbes' one-on-one coverage against Plaxico. While these pieces all are vital to the Giant's victory, standing alone, they mean nothing.

The Giants managed one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history because they snuck into the Super Bowl unnoticed and humble, but confident. The Patriots already had the rings on their fingers after the AFC Championship game. The Patriots managed to forget about the Giants warrior-like defensive line, who controlled the line of scrimmage from the first New England snap. The Giants played smart, ate up the clock and trusted their defense to make big stops. The Giants weakest link, their defensive backs, played like Pro Bowlers, containing Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth and only holding Wes Welker to short gains.

The Giants' offense converted third down after third down. Suddenly, Belichick's brilliance in playing veterans such as Junior Seau and Ted Bruschi is dimmed by the Giants youth blowing past them time and time again. Who would have thought one season ago that a Shockey and Tiki-less Giants would win the Super Bowl? Not even the Giants fans' faith extends that far.

Containing the Patriots' offense and only allowing them to score fourteen points is an achievement. The Giants defense deserves much credit. Tyree's miraculous grab, however, steals the limelight. How did he hold onto that ball? The Patriots' defensive backs will be pondering that question for some time. The answer isn't rocket science. He wanted it. Very badly. His concentration mirrored the Giants performance throughout the entire game. Never once did they doubt their ability to beat the unbeatables. They held their heads high all week and showed up on game day with a swagger. Even Eli kept his patented scowls and head shakes to a minimum. In short, the Giants played like they wanted it more. And they got it. Hats off to them.

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