enlarge The Associated Press

Being the son of an NFL great and the younger brother of a Super Bowl champion could be daunting for some, but not for Giants quarterback Eli Manning: “I’ve never been shy about taking advice or asking questions … I’ve done it to my dad, done it to Peyton since high school.”

enlarge The Associated Press

Eli Manning's road to the Super Bowl went through Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay in January. He threw for four TDs without an interception in those playoff victories – his first three as a pro. "He certainly has been the key reason why we're here," saud Giants Coach Tom Coughlin.

BIG TURNAROUND

Eli Manning has made a dramatic turnaround in the playoffs from his regular-season performance. That's one of the big reasons why the Giants are in tonight's Super Bowl. Regular season

56.1 completion percentage

23 touchdowns

20 interceptions

73.9 passer rating Playoffs

62.4 completion percentage

4 touchdowns

0 interceptions

99.2 passer rating

PHOENIX — To the people on the outside, Eli Manning is an enigma.

They know his pedigree - son of Archie, brother of Peyton, born to be a quarterback.

They know his resume - record-setting college career at Mississippi, first pick of the 2004 NFL draft.

But they don't really know Eli Manning.

His leadership has been criticized by former teammate Tiki Barber, his demeanor has been dissected by the New York media.

He's not fiery enough. He doesn't care enough. He'll never be his brother.

Those who know Eli Manning the closest - his teammates and coaches - know nothing could be further from the truth.

"A lot of people want to take snapshots of him on the sideline or during the game and I'll tell you it's easy to get fired up and throw a temper tantrum on the sideline when things aren't going your way," said Giants center Shaun O'Hara. "I think we've all seen those things happen. I think the tough thing to do is maintain that calm. I think we feed off that; to see that no matter what, if he's having a great day throwing touchdowns or a tough day and interceptions are coming, Eli is the same.

"The great thing he's done is despite all the expectations and the pressure, he's never wavered in his confidence in himself. He's always understood that he belongs at this level and he can win football games."

And now he is.

Manning, who struggled through an inconsistent regular season, has become - in the playoffs - the quarterback the Giants were hoping they got when they traded Philip Rivers and three high draft picks for him on draft day in 2004. He's led the Giants to three road victories in the playoffs, beating Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay in succession, while throwing four touchdown passes and no interceptions.

And now the Giants will play the unbeaten New England Patriots in tonight's Super Bowl.

"I'm proud of this team and the way we have dealt with things," said Manning, who won't take any credit for New York's playoff surge. "In years past when we had adversity and things didn't go our way, we'd get down, talk to the media and things would get worse.

"This year, when we had bad games we didn't let it get us down ... Throughout the season you're going to have highs and lows, there's going to be a stretch when you're not playing your best. But it's about getting through that stretch and becoming a better team after."

Coach Tom Coughlin said Manning's strength is, and always has been, his ability to ignore criticism.

"He keeps an awful lot inside him, without a doubt" said Coughlin. "But he tries to stay away from the real highs and the real lows, the peaks and the valleys, as all this goes on. He's been able to focus.

"He certainly has been the key reason why we're here."

Everything about Manning's game has been elevated in the playoffs. He's completed 62.4 percent of his passes, as opposed to 56.1 in the regular season. His playoff passer rating is 99.2 as opposed to 73.9.

The Patriots aren't entirely surprised. They saw firsthand, in their 38-35 win over the Giants on Dec. 29, what Manning was capable of as he threw for four touchdowns and 251 yards.

"I mean, when we played regular season he killed us," said cornerback Asante Samuel. "How much better can he get?"

Still, it's hard to imagine how Manning could have transformed overnight from a quarterback who threw 20 interceptions in the regular season and then turned into, well, his brother Peyton.

O'Hara said the reason is simple: "He's throwing it to our guys."

But it's not really that simple. The Patriots see a young quarterback who is maturing before their eyes.

"It's confidence," said New England safety Rodney Harrison. "You look at him on film, you can see it in his eyes in his press conferences. He's a very confident young man who's playing extremely well....