AMERICAN FOOTBALL: For the New York Giants, Sunday's Super Bowl win was the last play of a season of comebacks, writes SAM BORDEN

AS THE confetti poured down in multicoloured streams and the spotlights whipped around the Lucas Oil Stadium seats, Giants quarterback Eli Manning ran out and grabbed defensive end Justin Tuck by the arm. Tuck turned and looked, saw Manning and smiled wide.

With the world seemingly exploding around them, two of the Giants captains – the two Giants leaders – wrapped each other in a fierce embrace.

Manning and Tuck were two of the 15 Giants who won the Super Bowl four years ago in Arizona and were in the game again on Sunday, beating the New England Patriots again, 21-17, for the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl title.

For all the similarities, though, this was not four years ago. This time the Giants did not have the devastating pass rush, this time Manning was not just a sidelight, not just a still-green quarterback who pulled off a miracle finish with a hopeful heave.

This time, Manning – as he had been all season – was outstanding. He saved the Giants, picked up the defence as it went through fits and starts against Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Manning finished the game 30 for 40 passing for 296 yards and a touchdown. He was named the game’s most valuable player and led a fourth-quarter comeback for the seventh time in the Giants’ 13 victories this season.

In contrast to four years ago, when the Giants used a dominating pass rush to upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl, Brady felt little pressure all game.

In 2008, the Giants sacked Brady four times; on Sunday, they started strong, with Tuck’s presence forcing an intentional grounding from Brady that led to a safety on New England’s first play from scrimmage, but disappeared shortly thereafter. The Giants did not record their first sack until Tuck – again – got to Brady with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

A critical third-and-five with about nine minutes remaining was typical: Brady dropped back and lingered, waiting while the Giants’ rushers were stymied. Osi Umenyiora could make no headway. Linval Joseph appeared to have his feet stapled to the turf.

With no reason to rush, Brady calmly found Danny Woodhead for 19 yards and a first down. The Giants’ pass rush appeared to have faded away.

The Giants still had their biggest weapon in Manning. He took the ball for the final time at the Giants’ 12-yard line with three minutes, 46 seconds remaining and the Giants trailing by two points.

On the first play, Manning rolled to his left, cocked his arm and lofted a sharp spiral deep down the left side, where Mario Manningham pulled it in.

Four completions later, Manning had taken the Giants to the Patriots’ six-yard line, where Ahmad Bradshaw ran in for the winning touchdown.

Comebacks were Manning’s forte this season, a seemingly regular occurrence as the Giants endured inconsistent performances in nearly every other facet of their game. There were injuries throughout the defence and a secondary that needed to go back to basics late in the year. There was an offensive line straining for chemistry and a running game that was, literally, the worst in the league.

There were hot-and-cold showings from the tight ends. There was a group of linebackers that seemed be using a revolving door into the huddle.

Through it all, though, there was Manning. The first fourth- quarter comeback came in week three against the Philadelphia Eagles, a game in which Victor Cruz emerged as a star and Manning threw four touchdown passes on the day as the Giants went from two points down to a 13-point victory.

That game began a run in which Manning lived in the fourth quarter. He led another comeback a week later against the Arizona Cardinals – at the site of his most famous rally in the 2008 Super Bowl – and followed it up two weeks later with a winning drive against the Buffalo Bills.

By this point, the Giants were trying not to expect it from Manning – several players joked about being a “cardiac” team – but it was hard not to see a pattern.

At the beginning of the season, when Manning led those five game-winning drives in six weeks, that is what the Giants did.

They did it against the Patriots in November, too, and against the Cowboys at Dallas when it seemed as if the season was going to end before Christmas.

The Giants did it against San Francisco, in the rain and mud, to win the NFC championship game. And then – finally – they did it in the Super Bowl here. In a season of comebacks, Manning saved his best for last. New York Times