The Giants are one step from their ultimate goal and at this point they believe they are more than ready to take that step.
“We’re not going to be denied at this point,’’ safety Antrel Rolle said yesterday. “We know what we have as a team. It’s not all about talent, it’s about chemistry, gelling at this point. We have one goal in mind and that’s to win a championship.”
The Giants will try to take that next step Sunday, and they are confident they will stomp out the 49ers in the NFC Championship at Candlestick Park.
“We wouldn’t say we’re unstoppable, but our mindset is extreme at this point,” Rolle said. “We’re not gonna be denied, that’s our mindset. I may be a little biased, but in our minds we can’t be beat.’’
Beating the 49ers in San Francisco figures to be a different challenge — but not likely a more difficult challenge — than knocking off the Saints in New Orleans. Many of the Giants on Saturday were lounging in their hotel rooms in Appleton, Wis., watching along with countless millions as the 49ers were taking it to the favored Saints. The game was headed to a dramatic finish, but the Giants had team meetings and dinner on the schedule.
“I stopped watching with two minutes left, I thought the 49ers had won and I heard I missed the best part of the game,’’ Hakeem Nicks said yesterday. “After Alex Smith scored I walked out of the hotel room, me thinking they had won the game.’’
Well, the 49ers indeed did win the game, but Nicks and his teammates missed a magnificent late drive by Drew Brees, followed by an even more impressive, dagger-plunging moment for Smith, who fired a last-second touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis to secure the Niners’ 36-32 victory.
“I didn’t see the end, we were [following the play-by-play online],’’ Victor Cruz said. “We were like ‘What, Jimmy Graham? Vernon Davis?’ It was crazy.’’
A day later, the Giants buried the defending Super Bowl champion Packers 37-20 to ensure the 49ers would not be headed to chilly Green Bay but instead would remain home at Candlestick Park for the NFC Championship.
No doubt, the 49ers consider themselves fortunate the way the events of the weekend unfolded. No doubt, so do the Giants.
Asked if the Giants are better off playing the 49ers and not the Saints, Cruz said: “I guess so, just coming from our schedule and how it turned out, how we played against New Orleans and how we played against San Fran it definitely works out in our favor a little bit that we’re able to get San Fran as opposed to New Orleans, how we feel about them and knowing we have a good chance to win that game.’’
The Giants faced the 49ers and Saints two weeks apart, both on the road. A four-game winning streak came to an end Nov. 13 when a late rally fell short and the Giants lost to the Niners 27-20 at Candlestick Park. After a rare offensive dud against the Eagles, the Giants went into the Superdome and were run out of the building, their defense caving in during a 49-24 setback that wasn’t that close.
The mauling of the Packers was so complete that the Giants would feel confident no matter who came next, but at New Orleans compared to at San Francisco has a wholly different feel to it. It is not about a lack of respect, it is about how the teams match up.
“San Francisco put up some points [against the Saints], which I think surprised a lot of people,’’ guard Chris Snee said. “You could see just from the outset of that game the energy they had, that place, they were hitting hard. That’s what we saw the first time we played ’em, it was a very physical and sound football team.’’
While the Giants — and everyone else — found the Saints to be unstoppable inside on their fast surface, the 49ers are a far different challenge, a top-flight defense, hard-nosed running offense and, if we are to believe what we saw last week from Smith, led by an oft-criticized quarterback finally making all the winning plays.
“I don’t need anything to open my eyes,’’ Rolle said. “I played against Alex Smith two times a year when I was in Arizona so I’m fully aware of his capabilities as a quarterback. I’ve never underestimated him, I think he’s a great quarterback.’’
That’s not a description usually assigned to Smith, but he was a beast against the Saints, passing for three touchdowns and running 28 yards for another. The way the Giants manhandled Aaron Rodgers and applied a beat-down to the 15-1 Packers, there is not going to be any trepidation heading out west.
“We’re a scary team right now,” Cruz said, “because of the confidence that we’re playing with and the amount of intensity and passion we’re playing with from every position.’’
paul.schwartz@nypost.com