Giants beat 49ers in overtime; will play Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI
_PHOTOS: GIANTS BEAT 49ERS TO ADVANCE TO SUPER BOWL_
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_GIANTS FANS CHEER AS TEAM HEADS TO SUPER BOWL AGAIN_
(http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/giants_fans_cheer_super_team_defeats_hZQ84HH9xbfURlfiDgYicL)
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More Print SAN FRANCISCO – Four years ago, Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants
into a Super Bowl in the frigid air of Green Bay. Sunday night, he did it
again, this time through the damp, rainy air of Candlestick Park.
Thanks to an incredibly big play by their special teams, the Giants rose
out of a difficult battle with the 49ers when Tynes with 7:06 left in
overtime nailed a 31-yard field goal to lift the Giants to a 20-17 victory over
the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The kick, plus a determined defensive
performance, also lifts the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI, where waiting for
them in Indianapolis will be the Patriots in a rematch of the classic upset
four years ago, when the Giants out in Glendale, Ariz. ended New England’s
perfect season with a stunning last-second 17-14 triumph. Four years later,
with 15 players from that title team sprinkling the roster with big-game
experience, the Giants again take aim at Tom Brady and Co., this time with a
full-grown Eli Manning waiting for him.
Unable to get anything accomplished with Manning in a collapsing pocket,
the Giants were saved by a special teams play. Steve Weatherford’s punt
sailed to Kyle Williams, who was handling all the return duties because Ted Ginn
Jr. was injured and not in uniform. Williams caught the ball in stride but
as he got motoring, rookie linebacker Jacquian Williams reached out with
his right arm and poked the ball loose. Devin Thomas, the gunner, alertly
pounced on it on the 49ers 24-yard line.
From there, the Giants knew exactly what to do. They ran Ahmad Bradshaw
three times, Eli Manning centered the ball and Lawrence Tynes lined up for a
26-yard field goal. The Giants were called for a delay of game penalty,
making it a 31-yard attempt. After a time out by the 49ers attempting to ice
Tynes, he drilled the game-winner, sending the Giants leaping into the air in
jubilation.
This was an inelegant, defensive battle filled with stops, sacks and punts,
an endurance test that went the distance, and beyond.
After taking a 17-14 lead on Manning’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Mario
Manningham with 8:34 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Giants got the ball
back three more times but could not do anything with it, as their offensive
line has great difficulty holding off the fury of the Niners pass rush. The
best shot for the Giants came when Manning hit Ahmad Bradshaw for 30 yards
but after getting to the 49ers 46 a deep pass to Victor Cruz did not
connect.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin had lost his past eight replay challenges but he
won a big one with 11:08 left when replays showed the ball glanced off the
right knee of punt returner Williams, giving the ball to the Giants on the
Niners 29-yard line after Thomas alertly scooped up the loose ball. That
was the first of two Williams’ returning mishaps. Six plays later, facing a
third-and-15, Manning drilled a 17-yard scoring pass to Mario Manningham,
who beat Tramaine Brock for his first reception of the game. With 8:34
remaining, the Giants had a 17-14 lead.
It didn’t last long. Williams got some redemption for his gaffe with a
40-yard kickoff return out to the 49ers 45. Runs of 17 yards by Alex Smith and
12 by Kendall Hunter put the Niners in position for David Akers’ 25-yard
field goal and the game was tied at 17 with 5:39 to play. Those were the last
points until the game-winner.
The Giants got a huge break with two minutes left in regulation when
Bradshaw after a six-yard reception had the ball stripped out of his hands by
NaVorro Bowman at the Giants 21-yard line. Bradshaw was ruled to have had his
forward progress stopped, allowing the Giants to keep the ball.
In a game played in varying degrees of mist, rain and breeze, the Giants
could not escape a down-and-dirty slugfest with the 49ers, the sort of
low-scoring affair that favored the grittier team. The Niners gradually turned
up the heat on Manning and their defensive line got the better of the Giants
up front.
The only breakaway threat in the 49ers passing game, tight end Vernon
Davis, came up with a huge play to give the 49ers an early lead. He got a free
release off the line and simply outran Antrel Rolle to the right sideline,
hauled in Alex Smith’s pass, tiptoed on the sideline and never stopped until
he had a 73-yard touchdown reception midway through the first quarter.
The Giants allowed a golden opportunity to slip through their fingers when
the 49ers botched a reverse and the loose ball bounced right into the arms
of Osi Umenyiora on the Niners 24-yard line. Umenyiora couldn’t recover the
fumble, though, and the 49ers dodged a bullet. Earlier, the Giants were
fortunate when Manning was sacked by Ray McDonald, who forced a fumble. The
ball sat on the soggy ground until right tackle Kareem McKenzie pounced on
it on the Giants 30.
Trailing 7-0 and needing a spark, the Giants went to their energizer and
Victor Cruz delivered with a 36-yard catch against cornerback Carlos Rogers.
The Giants needed to make a mid-stream adjustment on the drive when center
David Baas went out with an abdominal contusion but with Kevin Boothe at
center and Mitch Petrus at left guard Manning was protected and he finally
cashed in, finding Bear Pascoe on a 6-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-7.
On defense, the Giants regrouped from their one big gaffe and put the
clamps on the 49ers passing game. The Niners went conservative late in the first
half, keeping the ball on the ground and punting it back to the Giants
with 1:36 left before halftime. With no time outs to work with, Manning found
Cruz four times, working the middle of the field, setting up a Tynes
31-yard field goal with two seconds left to give the Giants their first lead,
10-7.
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