When the final gun ended, Eli Manning walked away from his biggest stage a winner of the Super Bowl MVP award. Better yet, he also came away with the signature moment for his career. No matter how long Manning plays in the NFL (and, barring injury, it will be a long time) and how many titles he might lead his team to, his signature moment for his career has been cemented.

Eli faces a 3rd and 5 from his own 44-yard line, down 14-10 to the undefeated New England Patriots. Just off the snap, Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green beats LT David Diehl for a sure sack; Eli ducks away and avoids sacks by two other defenders before heaving a long pass downfield to a well-covered David Tyree. Tyree out leaps and outfights Patriots’ safety Rodney Harrison for the ball, coming down with a miraculous catch at the Patriots’ 25-yard line, the ball wedged against Tyree’s own helmet. Two plays later, Eli tosses the game winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress.

There are many elite NFL quarterbacks who have had tremendous careers and many who have won Super Bowls, but very few have accomplished both, and combined them with a moment to remember. These quarterbacks created a moment so special, and so game changing, that these moments were given a catchy name to accentuate the highlight.

The names bring about fond memories of sensational plays. Bart Starr has “The Plunge” against the Cowboys in the Ice Bowl; Roger Staubach threw the “Hail Mary” to Drew Pearson, beating the Minnesota Vikings in 1975; Terry Bradshaw has “The Immaculate Reception,” arguably the greatest NFL play of all-time, in beating the Oakland Raiders in a 1972 Divisional game; Oakland got revenge a few years later when Kenny Stabler hit Clarence Davis amid the “Sea of Hands,” eliminating the Miami Dolphins from a possible fourth consecutive Super Bowl. Also, the signature moment of the 1980’s belongs to Joe Montana, who after a long drive found WR Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone in the 1981 NFC title game against the Cowboys, affectionately known a “The Catch.”

Some other great signal callers have signature moments as certain sequences of plays or even entire games. There is “The Drive” by John Elway, a 98-yard masterpiece against the Cleveland Browns, perhaps setting the standard for clutch QB performances. Joe Namath has “The Guarantee,” when Joe Willie boldly predicted his New York Jets would trump the Baltimore Colts, the overwhelming favorites to win Super Bowl III. Besides Eli’s Giants upset the Patriots, Namath’s victory was the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. Finally, one of Eli’s predecessors with the New York Giants, Phil Simms, played the Big Game better than any other quarterback in history, setting the bar high for all others to emulate, when he completed an astounding 22 of 25 passes in leading the Giants over the Denver Broncos. No fancy name for Simms game, but the best performance by a QB in Super Bowl history likely can stand on its own merits.

Eli’s own signature play was part of his signature drive, rivaling only Montana’s combination moment of long drive and key play. The younger Manning has his moment, and although brother Peyton has also won a Super Bowl and MVP, there is not a defining moment of game for him. Other great QB’s such as Troy Aikman, Brett Favre, Fran Tarkenton and Dan Marino all had tremendous careers, winning titles and received accolades on their many accomplishments, but never had that one key moment, drive or game.

After the Giants defense finished off the Patriots’ last futile attempt at salvation, Eli was able to put away all the naysayer, vindicating himself and former GM Ernie Accorsi, who sold the house four years ago when he traded for Eli on draft day. The stoic and outwardly expressionless Eli did this all through an internal desire to constantly improve his game. Mostly, Eli vindicated himself by his signature moment, one play, which unlike the other great plays mentioned earlier, does not have a nickname.

Whereas Eli’s pass to Tyree is somewhat reminiscent of Bradshaw’s scramble before the Immaculate Reception, I now propose a nickname for Eli’s version of the mad scramble and downfield pass. Eli ducked under three potential tacklers and chucked the ball high in the air.

There have been other names bandied about. One was simply “The Play,” whereas a second offering of  "The Magnificent Connection" seems like a recycled name based upon Bradshaw’s magic. The first choice is simply too basic for New York, and is too familiar to The Drive and The Catch. And while Eli’s move to escape tackles and throw to the middle of the field is eerily similar to Bradshaw’s 1972 play, “The Magnificent Connection” is once again too similar to an existing name. With the blue-collar New York fans and the “lunch pail” type players the Giants have on their roster, the plays nickname needs to have more of an everyday name. A name with a New York style attitude.

The Duck and Chuck. Completely blue collar and completely New York.

New York fans…let me know your thoughts, ideas and other suggestions.