Through the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVI , the New York Giants are picking up where they left off in their last Super Bowl -- beating the New England Patriots.
The Giants received first after the Patriots won the toss and deferred. Starting on their own 35-yard line, Eli Manning went 4-for-4 on the opening drive and got the Giants into New England territory, but a sack on 3rd-and-13 stalled the drive at the NE 42-yard line.
Giants punter Steve Weatherford pinned the Patriots inside the ten yard line with a 36-yard punt, which, bizarre enough, led to the first points of the game. On the Patriots' very first play Tom Brady dropped back to throw, but was met with a heavy Giants' pass rush and forced to get rid of the ball in a hurry. Brady's throw was deep over the middle, but no Patriots' receiver was in the vicinity, so it drew a flag for intentional grounding. Brady was in the end zone when the throw was made, so by rule it's a safety, and gave the Giants a 2-0 lead.
After the Giants received the free kick, they went marching down the field, a big chunk of yards coming from a 24 yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw. On 3rd-and-3 at the NE 11-yard line, Victor Cruz lost a fumble after picking up a first down, but New England was flagged for too many men on the field, not only giving the ball back to New York, but also giving them a fresh set of downs inside the 10. Two plays later, Manning hit Cruz for a touchdown.
It didn't take long for the Patriots to start responding to the early 9-0 hole, though; three completions and 41 yards from Tom Brady, the Patrios will have it at the Giants' 17-yard line when the second quarter resumes.
For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub