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"Sometimes you play great defense and they make a great throw and a great catch," Belichick said.
Manning went back to Manningham on the next three plays. On the first, the receiver ran the wrong pattern, but he followed that with catches of 16 and 2 yards to move the ball to the 32-yard line.
Two passes to Nicks and a couple of runs by Bradshaw got the ball to the 6, where the Patriots let Bradshaw score so they had a chance to win the game with a final drive.
Cruz, who set a single-season team record with 1,536 yards receiving, said the Giants never considered Manningham the third receiver.
"These playoffs he's been making these great catches in great moments," Cruz said. "It's a credit to the way he has carried himself. I am just happy for the guy, he has made some clutch catches. It was great for him to come up big when we needed him the most. To come up big in this game and on this stage is great."
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora said he spoke to Manningham before the game, knowing the receiver had not had the best of seasons.
"I told him earlier that he was going to do something, that he was going to make a play to help us win," Umenyiora said. "He fulfilled my prophecy. We know what type of player he is and what type of talent he is and he came up big for us."
Tom Brady wound up 51 yards short on the Patriots' final drive when his desperation pass fell incomplete in the end zone with no time left, giving the Giants their second Super Bowl victory in four years.
"It's been a wild game. It's been a wild season," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who was named MVP. "We had a great tough bunch of guys. Guys who never quit and have great faith in each other. Proud of our team and the way we dealt with everything all season and came out strong."
Nicks, who led the Giants' receivers in the postseason, had a team-high 10 catches for 109 yards, while Cruz had four for 25, including a short touchdown.
"I feel good, man," Nicks said. "Blessed to be part of this team, blessed to be in this situation."
[Associated Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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