GREEN BAY, Wis. — Plaxico Burress’ stint as a highly paid decoy ended with an exclamation point last night.
The Giants’ big-play wide receiver, barely a factor in playoff victories over the Buccaneers and Cowboys the past two weeks, could not be stopped by the Packers in the NFC Championship game.
By the time it was over finally over, the Giants were on their way to the Super Bowl with a 23-20 win in overtime and Burress had a franchise playoff record 11 catches for 154 yards.
“I’ve been to this doorstep twice, and I didn’t want to get to the door anymore — I wanted to kick it open this time,” said Burress, who lost the AFC title game as a Steeler in 2005. “My mindset was not to leave here without a win.”
Burress asserted his presence right away, catching three passes for 36 yards, including a key 19-yard reception on third-and-long with the Giants stuck deep in their own territory, on their opening field-goal drive.
The arctic temperatures at Lambeau Field didn’t slow Burress down after that, either. By halftime, he had seven catches — one short of his season high for an entire game — for 105 yards, highlighted by a 32-yarder just before intermission.
Then again, few should have been surprised that the minus-23 wind chill at kickoff would hamper Burress, who played college ball at Michigan State and spent the first five years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh.
Even on a sprained ankle that hampered him all season and kept him out of practice most of the year, Burress was in his element.
Overmatched Packers cornerback Al Harris certainly couldn’t do anything to keep Burress under wraps. Burress had a 45-pound weight advantage, and he made the most of it from the outset. Burress could frequently be found running wide open after shaking Harris’ weak bumps at the line of scrimmage.
The only disappointment of Burress’ first-half eruption came in the final seconds of the second quarter, when he got open deep along the right sideline but could not connect with Eli Manning at the Packers’ 5-yard line.
Burress’ disappointment didn’t last long, though. He made up for the tough drop right away in the third quarter, getting behind Harris again before hauling in an 18-yard Manning throw to the Green Bay 11.
Four plays later, the Giants had a 13-10 lead on a 1-yard touchdown dive by Brandon Jacobs that they owed in large part to Burress’ handiwork.
It was a far different Burress than the Giants and their opponents had seen in the first two playoff games. He had four catches for a quiet 38 yards against the Bucs, then all but disappeared against the Cowboys with one reception for 5 yards.
Last night, though, Burress was front and center.
“I’ve been battling all year and should have been even better in the regular season, but I had to take the hand I was dealt,” he said. “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to, but now I’m going to the Super Bowl. It’s one of the best feelings of my life.”