GREEN BAY, Wis. – Nothing deters these Giants.
Not the cold, not the intimidating venue of Lambeau Field, not the presence of Brett Favre on the opposing team.
Somehow, some way, the Giants tonight found away to defeat the Packers 23-20 in overtime, using a 47-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes with 2:35 gone by in overtime in the NFC Championship game.
The astounding victory sends the Giants into Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz. to face the undefeated Patriots, who defeated the Chargers 21-12 today.
The way the Giants are playing, nothing is impossible for them.
This incredible game, played in the most bitter of conditions (minus-1 on the thermometer, minus-17 wind chill factor) was often dominated by the Giants but was never safe.
The Giants seemingly had the game won as Tynes lined up for a 36-yard field goal attempt with 4 seconds left in regulation. With the bundled crowd hushed, the snap from rookie Jay Alford sailed back high, holder Jeff Feagles got the ball down and Tynes pushed the kick on a line drive, wide left.
The Packers won the toss and got the ball first in overtime, but Favre’s pass intended for Donald Driver sailed in the air, cornerback Corey Webster jumped the route and intercepted the ball, taking it to the Packers 34-yard line. After two rushing attempts by rookie Ahmad Bradshaw, Tom Coughlin sent Tynes out for another try – he had missed two field goal attempts in the fourth quarter – and this time Tynes delivered with the game-winner to send the Giants to the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.
Now it’s the Patriots next.
“We know how good they are and we know what it takes to beat ’em,” Eli Manning said.
A dramatic turn of events in the fourth quarter cost the Giants the lead. Favre, under pressure, heaved a pass downfield that was intercepted by R.W. McQuarter’s for the game’s first turnover. McQuarters, a hero in two previous playoff victories, got careless on the return and fumbled after a hit by Ryan Grant. Mark Tauscher recovered the loose ball and, incredibly, the Packers were back in business on the Giants 19. That led to a Mason Crosby field goal for a 20-20 tie with 11:46 remaining.
Sam Madison, a 33-year old veteran cornerback in his 11th NFL season, in the third quarter cost the Giants dearly by losing his composure. Madison, who missed the past two playoff games with a strained abdominal muscle, rushed on a blitz and was picked up by Vernand Morency when Favre completed a 2-yard pass short of a first down. That should have forced a 41-yard Packers field goal attempt, but well after the play, Madison shoved Morency to the grass and was hit with a 15-yard personal foul penalty. That put the ball on the Giants 12-yard line and on the next play safety James Butler failed to track tight end Donald Lee and the result was an easy touchdown flip from Favre to Lee.
Undaunted, back came the Giants, sparked by Domenik Hixon’s 33-yard kickoff return to the Giants 43. Some hard running from rookie Ahmad Bradshaw and a lunging catch on the left sideline by Amani Toomer for 23 yards set up Bradshaw’s 4-yard scoring run and the Giants led 20-17 entering the final quarter.
Trailing 10-6 at halftime, the Giants took the kickoff and embarked on an unusual but eventually effective drive, moving 69 yards in 12 plays and eating 7:04 off the clock before Brandon Jacobs crashed in from 1 yard out to make it a 13-10 Giants lead. The Packers contributed mightily to the Giants cause, committing four defensive penalties, the most costly a 15-yard roughing the passer call on safety Nick Collins after a third-down Manning pass was batted down at the line.
Any fears the Giants would come down with a case of the jitters on this grand, frozen stage were quickly dashed. They moved the ball well, and Manning, wearing a bright red glove on his left hand, had plenty of protection and little trouble finding Plaxico Burress, who was getting the better of cornerback Al Harris.
The Giants advanced to the Green Bay 11- and 12-yard lines on first-half possessions and both times came up short in the red zone, settling for Lawrence Tynes field goals for a 6-0 lead.
The Giants cornerbacks were determined to be aggressive at the line but Donald Driver made them pay for that strategy. The Giants had the lead and the momentum, with the Packers backed up on their own 10-yard line. In an instant, the lead and the momentum were gone.
Driver shed the attempted jam at the line of Corey Webster, shoving Webster to the ground then running free. Favre hit Driver in stride on 30-yard line and the race was on. Webster got to his feet and gave chase, but Driver out-legged him and safety Gibril Wilson had the angle but not the acceleration. The 90-yard scoring play made it 7-6 Packers with 11:18 left in the second quarter and enlivened what had been a subdued crowd.
It was the longest completion in Packers postseason history.