SAN FRANCISCO — Giants special teams palyer Devin Thomas was watching 49ers returner Kyle Williams handle a punt early in the fourth quarter when he saw something.
“The ball’s bouncing around. He’s back there acting like he might pick it up. And then it grazed his knee,” Thomas said. “I’m like, ‘Oh yeah!’ ’cause I was ready to make the tackle, but since it hit his knee, I picked the ball up.”
Thomas not only recovered the muff, but he did it again in overtime. In the Giants’ 20-17 overtime victory over the 49ers in the NFC Championship, Thomas was one of Big Blue’s biggest stars. The special teamer recovered two fumbles that helped the Giants to their final 10 points.
Seven in the fourth quarter and the three in overtime.
PHOTOS: GIANTS BEAT 49ERS TO ADVANCE TO SUPER BOWL
They were critical plays by Thomas — and a pretty impressive development for the former third-round pick who played two-plus seasons for the Redskins before getting cut. Thomas played one game for the Panthers before the Giants picked him up for four games last season.
This year, he was with the Giants the whole way. Thomas only caught three passes for 37 yards this season, but he delivered splendid work on special teams last night. He helped carry his team to the Super Bowl.
“My position as a fourth or fifth wide receiver and special-teams player, I take pride in that and do anything to help this team win,” he said.
On the first Williams’ miscue, the referees did not rule that it was a fumble. Thomas insisted that it was a fumble to coach Tom Coughlin, who threw the red flag.
“I saw it bouncing and it hit his knee and changed the way that was going. I knew right away,” he said. “I was like, ‘Coach, throw the flag. Throw the flag.’ I saw it. I saw the way the ball changed and it bounced off his knee. We’re gonna get it back.’ ”
With 9:42 left in overtime, Jacquian Williams stripped Kyle Williams to force the second fumble. Thomas recovered it at the San Francisco 24-yard line, and 2 1/2 minutes later, Lawrence Tynes’ 31-yard field goal won it.
“I had a vision in my mind that I was going to make some type of big play to help us win the game,” Thomas said. “I thought it was just going to be that first fumble, but I got another opportunity to recover another one and I jumped on that. LT was able to put us into the Super Bowl with the field goal.”