MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.
BY JANIE MCCAULEY | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — The New York Giants have their own Super Bowl formula: in overtime and on the road.
And with Lawrence Tynes’ foot.
Five plays after the 49ers’ Kyle Williams fumbled a punt, Tynes kicked a game-winning 31-yard field goal in overtime, sending the Giants to the Super Bowl with a 20-17 victory over San Francisco in the NFC championship game on Sunday.
In another tight one in this decades-old postseason rivalry, both defenses made key stops before New York capitalized on a rare mistake in San Francisco’s resurgent season. Williams’ blunder put the Giants in perfect position for another sensational finish in a season full of them.
“That was a tough game. We had to fight for every yard that we got,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. “Defense was outstanding, special teams getting us two turnovers was huge. That led to 10 points.”
The first three overtime series ended in punts before Williams fumbled. The Giants won it moments later and silenced — for good this time — the towel-waving, poncho-wearing sellout crowd at cold, rainy Candlestick Park.
“It was one of those situations where I tried to turn it upfield and it just didn’t work out,” Williams said.
Manning and the Giants (12-7) will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis as 31/2-point underdogs. The last time the teams met for the NFL title, 2008, the Giants ended the Patriots’ bid for a perfect season.
Tynes had a hand, er, foot in getting the Giants to that one, too, kicking the game-winning field goal in overtime at Green Bay.
Devin Thomas put the Giants in position by recovering his second fumble of the game after Jacquian Williams stripped the ball from fill-in return man Kyle Williams, who also fumbled earlier to set up a New York touchdown.
Manning went 32 of 58 for 316 yards and two touchdowns and overcame six sacks in his record fifth road playoff win, New York’s fifth in a row overall.
Manning threw a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham with 8:34 remaining after Kyle Williams fumbled for the first time.
The Giants challenged that the ball touched Williams’ right knee and Thomas recovered with 11:06 left, and coach Tom Coughlin won, giving the Giants the ball back at the 29.
Giants 20, 49ers 17 (OT)
N.Y. Giants 0 10 0 7 3 — 20
San Francisco 7 0 7 3 0 — 17
First quarter
SF—V.Davis 73 pass from Ale.Smith (Akers kick), 7:11.
Second quarter
NYG—Pascoe 6 pass from Manning (Tynes kick), 11:15.
NYG—FG Tynes 31, :02.
Third quarter
SF—V.Davis 28 pass from Ale.Smith (Akers kick), 5:18.
Fourth quarter
NYG—Manningham 17 pass from Manning (Tynes kick), 8:34.
SF—FG Akers 25, 5:39.
Overtime
NYG—FG Tynes 31, 7:06.
A—69,732.
NYG SF
First downs 20 15
Total Net Yards 352 328
Rushes-yards 26-85 28-150
Passing 267 178
Punt Returns 6-55 8-70
Kickoff Returns 1-17 4-100
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 32-58-0 12-26-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 6-49 3-18
Punts 12-46.4 10-45.5
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 4-2
Penalties-Yards 9-60 6-50
Time of Possession 39:36 28:18
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—N.Y. Giants, Bradshaw 20-74, Jacobs 5-13, Manning 1-(minus 2). San Francisco, Gore 16-74, Ale.Smith 6-42, Hunter 4-31, Dixon 2-3.
PASSING—N.Y. Giants, Manning 32-58-0-316. San Francisco, Ale.Smith 12-26-0-196.
RECEIVING—N.Y. Giants, Cruz 10-142, Bradshaw 6-52, Nicks 5-55, Beckum 4-16, Hynoski 3-20, Jacobs 2-8, Manningham 1-17, Pascoe 1-6. San Francisco, Gore 6-45, V.Davis 3-112, Walker 2-36, Crabtree 1-3.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.