BY JIM FLINK
ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

 

Who caught the ball? Who didn’t? That’s the storyline from Super Bowl 46. The G-men beat the Pats, 21-17.
ESPN’s Tom Jackson and Steve Young show off the catch -- everyone will remember.

JACKSON: “Look at the footwork, look at the concentration. Look where Eli put the football. This is the way you win the Super Bowl.”
YOUNG: “If that doesn’t give you that feeling up the spine, you don’t play the sport.”

So Manningham is the hero. The Pats’ receivers -- the goats. NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin breaks down -- the most costly one.

IRVIN: “He’ll throw that throw 100 times to Wes Welker. He’ll make that catch 99. That’s just the one that got away and it cost them the game.

Lots of Patriots receivers had trouble catching the ball when it counted. But Yahoo! Sports says, Welker’s drop was notable -- because it put the Pats in a position to win.

“He was targeted eight times on the day, and caught seven balls … Not that this catch would've been the easiest one in the world, but it's one you can usually depend on Welker to make.... He couldn't keep his hands on the ball, though. And now he doesn't get his hands on a trophy.”

For the Giants -- this is like catching lightning in a bottle -- twice. Or so says Salon -- who remembers the last time -- a catch did the Pats in.

“Four years after Giants’ receiver David Tyree’s legendary ball-on-helmet grab led to the Giants’ scintillating victory in Super Bowl 42, the Patriots just got fatally struck by Eli Manning lightning. Again.”