INDIANAPOLIS -- Move over David Tyree. Mario Manningham is the new star in the New York Giants' latest version of "The Catch."
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It may not have been a helmet catch like Tyree's in the Super Bowl four years ago, but it was just as clutch and just as timely -- and Tyree was there to see it.
Manningham made a magnificent over-the-shoulder catch and managed to stay inbounds on the opening play of a game-winning, 88-yard touchdown drive that carried New York to another come-from-behind win over the Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Manningham's 38-yard reception -- with two defenders bearing down on him -- propelled the Giants to a 21-17 win and their fourth Super Bowl title.
"We just tried to be patient," said Manningham, who finished with five catches for 73 yards. "Got to be patient with this game. We knew big plays were going to come, we just had to take advantage of them."
Manningham, relegated to No. 3 on the Giants' depth chart because of knee injuries and the emergence of Victor Cruz, had three catches on the nine-play drive capped by Ahmad Bradshaw's uncontested 6-yard touchdown run.
His acrobatic catch wasn't as improbable as Tyree's grab that led the Giants to a 17-14 win over New England. Tyree said Manningham's catch didn't bring back memories of his reception in 2008 "but the more I thought about how important it was, it should."
"I think they are both spectacular catches," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. "I think with Mario's earlier tonight, the way he kept his feet inbounds and held on to the ball going out of bounds was a remarkable thing."
Manningham's big moment came after offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride saw New England's defense playing its two safeties deep and shading them to the right side to cover Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.
Running a go pattern up the left sideline on a first-and-10 from their own 12 and down 17-15, Manningham made the catch between safeties Patrick Chung and Sterling Moore and right in front of Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Manningham said he never lost track of where his feet were.
"It was a great ball. I knew where I was on the sideline. I knew I didn't have that much room and it's a good thing I wear (size) 11s because if I wore 11 1/2s I would not have been in."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
