It stands proudly in East Rutherford, bounded by Route 120, the Meadowlands Arena and the New Jersey Turnpike on the east, Route 3 on the south, Berry’s Creek and Route 17 on the west, and Paterson Plank Road on the north.
It has been Giants Stadium since 1976, and it is where The Road to Tampa will go through next month.
All comers are welcome to try to come into the house of the world champion team that plays there and wrestle the Lombardi Trophy from Derrick Ward and the Giants.
This is the place where the ’86 Giants dominated Joe Montana and the 49ers 49-3 then whitewashed the Joe Gibbs Redskins 17-0 in a wind tunnel en route to Pasadena. This is the place where the 1990 Giants mugged the Bears 31-3 en route to denying the 49ers a threepeat in San Francisco and trip to Tampa. This is the place where the 2000 Giants beat the Eagles 20-10 then annihilated Randy Moss and the Vikings 41-0 in the NFC Championship en route to Super Bowl XXXV.
Home, sweet, home.
The team that plays in this stadium is filled with fight, and fighters. None more so than Ward.
The Giants, 34-28 overtime winners over the Panthers, were smashed in the mouth early, and often, looked helpless as DeAngelo Williams scored four touchdowns on them and watched helplessly as John Kasay lined up for a 50-yard field goal with four seconds left in regulation with the No. 1 seed on the line.
The Giants refused to lose. And with the money on the line, it was Ward (215 yards) who made sure that The Road to Tampa will go through East Rutherford.
The Giants won the toss in overtime. And went three-and-out. Delhomme started at his 39. And went three-and-out.
R.W. McQuarters muffed the punt and recovered at his 13 as Giants Stadium gasped.
Then, as if shot out of a cannon, Ward exploded up the middle for 51 yards, forced out of bounds by Ken Lucas at the Carolina 33. Ward flipped the ball over his shoulder and exulted with raucous Giants fans. Then, on third-and-7, Ward took an inside handoff to the 19.
Ward one more time, to the 1, then Jacobs for his third TD. Game over.
It was Manning, down 21-13, who awakened his dead team with 9 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. On third-and-10 from his 16, he hit Kevin Boss for 11. Then Domenik Hixon for 9. Then Ward rumbled for 22. Then Manning looked left and pump-faked, but threw to his right, for Amani Toomer, for 12 yards, to the Carolina 21. Then Manning hit fullback Madison Hedgecock, of all people, in the right flat for 13. First-and-goal at the 8.
Then, third-and-goal at the 4, Manning scanned the field and rifled the TD pass to Boss that made it 21-20. Twelve plays, 84 yards, 8:36.
Giants Stadium could smell that No. 1 seed, and was chanting “Dee-Fense! Dee-Fense! Dee-Fense!”
Except Delhomme, third-and-4 from his 43, hit Muhsin Muhammad against Corey Webster in front of Tom Coughlin for seven yards.
Fourth quarter now. Panthers 28, Giants 26, 3:21 left. Two-point conversion for the No. 1 seed, Manning-to-Hixon against Ken Lucas, and Giants Stadium was roaring.
“Dee-Fense! Dee-Fense! Dee-Fense!”
Kasay, against the wind, for the No. 1 seed.
Overtime.
Ward time.