The New York Giants are heading to Indianapolis and Super Bowl 46 for a rematch with the New England Patriots after a hard fought victory over the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC Championship. The Giants put the lights out at Candlestick Park in a thrilling overtime period in which 49ers punt returner Kyle Williams fumbled a return, giving the Giants great field position for Lawrence Tynes to kick them into the Super Bowl.
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Williams, a second-year backup, also took a punt off his knee earlier in the game, giving the Giants great field position again. Make no mistake though, this was a struggle for both offenses as the defensive side of the ball for both teams kicked into high gear. Eli Manning was sacked 6 times as the Giants offensive line simply looked overmatched against the 49ers. Manning was able to work through the pressure, frequently finding Victor Cruz, who picked up 10 receptions for 142 yards.
When the 49ers put the brakes on Cruz, Manning found Mario Manningham for a 17-yard touchdown, Manningham's only catch of the day, putting the Giants up 17-14 in the fourth quarter. The 49ers crawled back 3 minutes later, tying the game at 17 on a David Akers field goal. From there on out it was a defensive struggle, with both teams trading 3 and outs until the final whistle and overtime.
The big difference in overtime was Williams. The 49ers returner, after both defenses continued clamping down, was stripped by Jacquian Williams in Giants territory, with Devin Thomas recovering. Ahmad Bradshaw picked up some yards on the following plays to get Tynes closer and he didn't disappoint, nailing a 31-yard field goal to send Big Blue to the Big Game.
The Giants will take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who are no doubt looking for revenge. The Giants defeated New England in Super Bowl 42, putting an end to the Patriots' perfect season. Much like that game, the Giants come into Indianapolis as underdogs. While Super Bowl 42 saw the Giants as 12 point underdogs, they are currently 3.5 point underdogs in Las Vegas.
The Giants don't seem to be worried. This team is used to being the underdogs and seem to thrive on it. Besides, the Giants are walking into Indianapolis led by a Manning. If there is such a thing as having close to home field advantage in the Super Bowl, this is it.
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