CATCHING MOMENTUM: Hakeem NIcks’ 37-yard Hail Mary touchdown catch before halftime last night gave the Giants the momentum they needed to capture the victory. (Getty Images)
Nicks’ play recalled David Tyree’s famous helmet catch during the final drive of Super Bowl XLII, (AP)
GREEN BAY, Wis. — These fairy tales come out of nowhere sometimes, and here comes another one. Here comes another New York Dream Team that won’t let go of a dream only these players and coaches dared to dream.
The Giants, stunning 37-20 winners last night over the Packers, are 60 minutes from the Super Bowl.
And if the 49ers leave their heart out in San Francisco next Sunday, these Giants will rip it away from them. Someone else will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy next month. Why not these Giants? An All In team that is All Out in pursuit of the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl championship.
PHOTOS: GIANTS BEAT PACKERS, 37-20
With an elite Ice Man of a quarterback who outdueled a rattled Aaron Rodgers (four sacks, two touchdowns, one interception).
Thanks to an elite wide receiver who had the kind of monster game that Plaxico Burress did in the 2007 NFC Championship game here.
This time it was a Hail Hakeem — Eli Manning-to-Hakeem Nicks — that sent the Giants soaring over Cloud 88 to San Francisco on the wings of Euphoria Airlines.
Manning threw for 330 yards, and 165 of them went to Nicks. Manning threw for three touchdowns, and two of them went to Nicks.
It was Nicks’ 37-yard touchdown grab on the last play of the half, one San Frantastic catch for the ages, that changed the night, and the fortunes of the Road Warrior Giants, and the defending champs.
“It kinda broke their backs ’cause I saw ’em walking off the field, they had their heads … I pretty much knew that they were done,” Jacobs said.
Ahmad Bradshaw scampered 23 yards and out of bounds with six second on the scoreboard clock.
“I was surprised we didn’t kick it,” Giants president John Mara said, and then chuckled and quickly added, “but I’m happy with the decision.”
The football gods must have adopted the Giants? Manning had never completed a Hail Mary. Nicks had never caught a Hail Hakeem.
Nicks positioned himself on the left side of the end zone surrounded by Charles Peprah and Charles Woodson.
And it might not have mattered if Herb Adderley and Willie Wood were there, too. Because Nicks wanted that ball every bit as much as David Tyree wanted that ball at the end of Super Bowl XLII.
Nicks went up and reached up with these red gloves covering his big hands to where Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch were sitting in Big Blue heaven.
“All I really saw was big hands, big red hands. … That’s all I saw, like his hands go up over everyone’s and bring the ball down,” Jacobs said.
The play is called Flood Tip and Manning never bothers to throw the pass in practice.
“Usually once his hands get on the ball, it’s usually a catch,” Manning said.
It appeared as if Nicks used his helmet to stabilize the ball before it trickled down to his chest, at which point he held on for dear life.
“I was the jump man, I got there, and I looked up, I didn’t even see who was around me, all I seen was the ball,” Nicks said. “Once I seen the ball, I said, ‘I gotta jump and get it.’ ”
He was asked whether the helmet had aided the catch.
“I don’t think it hit my helmet. … I gotta see the replay,” Nicks said.
It was Giants 20, Packers 10, and a hush fell over Lambeau Field.
“I think whoever was sort of on Tebow’s side,” Steve Tisch said, “was on the Giants’ side tonight.”
Manning jumped into David Diehl’s arms as if he was Yogi Berra and Diehl was Don Larsen. Because it must have seemed like a Perfect Game to all of them right then and there.
“When it happened I was more like, ‘Wow, I caught it!’ ” Nicks said.
Justin Tuck had retreated to the locker room and never saw the Hail Hakeem. But squeals of joy all around him told him something special had happened.
“I just heard an eruption — all our doctors were screaming, like they saw it on TV,” Tuck said.
Rodgers resembled Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII.
“They rattled 12 in there,” Jacobs said.
The Giants played to win: Ahead 30-20 with 4:31 left and the Packers down to their last timeout, Manning, third-and-11 from his 49, found Victor Cruz for 17 yards.
“That’s the game right there in a sense of securing it for us,” Manning said.
Three plays later, Jacobs stormed around right end for a 14-yard touchdown and wound up in front of Giants fans in the front row.
“Leap, Leap,” they implored.
“And I’m like, ‘No, no, can’t do that,’ ” Jacobs said, and laughed.
Lambeau Leap all the way to San Francisco instead.