Does anyone else miss football yet?

The NFL season ended with an exclamation point Sunday as Tom Brady’s last-second heave to the end zone fell incomplete, igniting a celebration from the Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants.

Here are some thoughts from New York’s 21-17 triumph ...

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Obvious aftermathI think we can all agree Eli Manning’s reputation received a significant boost with yet another stellar performance, especially down the stretch.No matter where you rank him among the great quarterbacks, this much is certain: He has forever etched his name in Super Bowl lore.•

Unsung heroGiants punter Steve Weatherford played a subtle, but instrumental role in New York’s triumph. That’s right, I’m giving love to a punter.Weatherford consistently pinned the Patriots in poor field position. His first punt led to New York points, as an intentional grounding on Brady gave the Giants an early safety. It set the tone for the game.•

Misplaced blameA lot of fingers are being pointed at Wes Welker for a fourth-quarter drop on a potential first down that could have helped the Patriots run out the clock. I don’t know why more blame hasn’t been placed on Brady.The Giants didn’t generate any pass rush, Welker was wide open, but Brady misfired high and away, making the catch exponentially more difficult.Does Welker normally make a great catch there? Yes, but an average pass probably gives Brady his fourth Super Bowl ring.•

Familiar momentMoments after Brady and Welker failed to connect, Mario Manningham tip-toed the sideline for a 38-yard yard reception on a gorgeous throw from Manning to spark the game-winning drive.It was reminiscent of the infamous Manning-to-David Tyree play four years earlier. This was a little bit different, though.Manning to Tyree was a borderline miracle, but Manning to Manningham was a beautiful display of skill.The pass was on time, on target and beat double coverage, while the catch was nothing short of sensational as Manningham absorbed a hit and kept his feet inbounds.•

Unique situationSunday marked the first and possibly last time we’ll ever see a player hesitate to score the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.The Patriots let Ahmad Bradshaw score late to give Brady a chance to rally. To me, it created the most memorable moment of the game as Bradshaw reluctantly fell forward into the end zone.•

Lesson learnedHaving the game in Indianapolis was a touch of irony as Brady collected his first three Super Bowls often at the expense of Peyton Manning’s Colts.Brady was hailed as “a winner” while Eli’s elder was labeled as a guy who couldn’t get it done in big games. However, Peyton actually has a better career postseason QB rating (88.4) than Brady (87.8).At the time, Peyton was putting up gaudy numbers but didn’t have a defense to back him up. Sound familiar? It should.Brady is a more productive and consistent quarterback than Eli Manning right now, but the Giants were the more well-rounded team Sunday.Quarterbacks are commonly judged by Super Bowl championships, but I can’t buy into it.Brady is a far better QB now than in his Super Bowl days, but he no longer has a superior team around him.It’s been seven seasons since Brady last won a title, demonstrating a lesson Peyton learned years ago: It takes more than a great quarterback to win a Super Bowl.