With the sports world — and really the entire country — pretty much on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bleacher Report has been holding Madden simulations in a bracket-style tournament.
On Wednesday night, now-retired Eli Manning and the New York Giants (+2.5) faced off against the Los Angeles Rams led by former Giant Kurt Warner.
Big Blue was able to defeat the Rams, 23-21, and advance to the Final Four in the tournament and is are one win away from representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Eli Manning was clutch for the Giants putting up 304 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Manning connected with one his favorite targets over the years, Plaxico Burress (six catches, 150 yards and a touchdown), to put the Giants ahead early and they didn’t look back from there.
Odell Beckham Jr. added a touchdown before the half to put the Giants up 14-0 going into halftime.
Early in the third quarter Aldrick Rosas connected on a field goal to give the Giants a 17-0 lead.
The Rams would get back in the game behind the rushing attack of Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. L.A. cut the lead to 20-14 before the Giants put the game away.
Rosas all but sealed the game by hitting a 49-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game with under 3:00 remaining.
The Giants’ roster is loaded with star power, led by Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Carl Banks, Sam Huff and, of course, Lawrence Taylor. The Giants offense is also deep with Odell Beckham Jr., Plaxico Burress, Saquon Barkley, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey and Frank Gifford.
The Giants defeated their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, over the first two rounds of the bracket. The Final Four of the bracket will feature the Giants, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.
Big Blue will now have to go up against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Hopefully Manning can have the same success he had going up against Favre in the NFC Championship in the 2007-2008 postseason.
If the Giants are able to advance, Manning and the Giants may get one more chance to beat the Tom Brady-led Patriots for old time sake — but this time in the virtual video game world.
