Now you see him

PHOENIX -- I didn't believe he could do it.

I had predicted the Giants to win in that day's newspaper, and I still didn't believe he could do it.

I had loudly repeated that prediction to harried press box mates at halftime, yet I still gave up.

Be honest. So did you.

When Tom Brady hit Randy Moss in the end zone with 2:42 remaining Sunday to give the New England Patriots a 14-10 lead over the New York Giants, we all thought Super Bowl XLII was over.

No way Eli Manning leads them back.

No way he goes 83 yards in 2 1/2 minutes.

No way he goes 83 yards in 2 1/2 games.

Maybe brother Peyton does it. Certainly, Brady could do it.

Probably, half a dozen other quarterbacks in the NFL might do it, from Roethlisberger to Romo to Favre.

No lie, not Eli.

Not the mop-headed, wide-eyed wanderer who earlier could have clinched the win with a gentle pass to a wide-open Plaxico Burress, yet threw the ball to Tucson.

Not the quiet, sometimes cowering kid who had one of the league's seven worst passer ratings while tying for the most interceptions.

Earlier this year there was even talk of him being benched for a hefty guy named Jared who apparently does not eat at Subway.

This was not Johnny U.

It was Who Me?

Up in the stands pumping his fist, sport coat-wearing Peyton was more demonstrative.

On the other side of the ball, muscular Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was more confident.

"I could not imagine us losing this game," he said.

Admit it. Neither could anyone else.

Then seven plays into the drive, Manning got me.

He got me at The Yell.

Did you see it? Is that when he got you?

It was the seventh play of the drive. Manning had moved the Giants to their 44-yard line, but barely.

He had underthrown Burress on one play, thrown behind him on another play, and nearly had the ball stripped on a run.

Now, on second down, he lofted a ball deep down the right sideline, but receiver David Tyree turned right when he should have turned left.

The ball sailed directly over the head of Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, who leaped and stretched and just missed pulling down the interception.

Manning was furious. He screamed. He shook his fist.

The average fan had never seen anything like it. Neither, apparently, had some of the Giants, who stared at him as if he were nuts.