Giants Upset Packers, Will Meet 49ers in NFC Championship
- Posted on January 15, 2012 at 8:11pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(The Blaze/AP) For Eli Manning and the New York Giants, Lambeau Field has become a familiar launching pad. After beating the Green Bay Packers at home for the second time in four years, they only hope this trip ends the same way – at the Super Bowl.
Manning threw three touchdown passes and the Giants shocked the Packers 37-20 in an NFC divisional playoff game Sunday. Manning threw for 330 yards, sending the Giants to San Francisco for the NFC championship game next Sunday night.
The Packers might have been the reigning Super Bowl champs, but the Giants might be the hottest team in the NFL.
“I think we’re a dangerous team,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “I like where we are and how we’re playing.”
The Giants stunned the Packers with a touchdown off a long heave from Manning to Hakeem Nicks just before halftime, then knocked them out with a late touchdown off a turnover. Lambeau Field fell silent as the Giants swarmed the field in celebration, with a handful of New York fans chanting, “Let’s go, Giants!”
The win came four years after the Giants beat a Brett Favre-led Packers team in the NFC title game. It wasn’t nearly as frigid this time around, and the Packers’ vulnerable defense seemed to be waiting to get sliced up.
Manning found six different receivers against a porous Packers defense. But Manning did the most damage with his throws to Nicks, who caught seven passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Nicks’ biggest play was a 66-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. His score at the end of the half came on a 37-yard pass into the end zone with defenders all around.
“It was a big momentum play for them, but we were not deflated as a football team,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.
The Giants’ defense also was able to defuse the big-play abilities of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ defense.
Rodgers was 26 of 46 for 264 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He also was the Packers’ leading rusher with 66 yards on seven carries.
Meanwhile, the Packers’ past problems with dropped balls by their talented group of wide receivers returned at the worst time imaginable.
And while the Packers’ defense has been porous all season, giving up far too many yards and big plays, they’ve typically made up for it by forcing turnovers.
This time, the Packers were the ones giving the ball away.
Green Bay lost three fumbles, including one on a rare giveaway by Rodgers. The Giants also sacked Rodgers four times.
With the Packers trailing 20-10 at halftime but finally beginning to look like themselves on offense to start the second half, Osi Umenyiora swatted the ball away from Rodgers, and Deon Grant recovered the fumble at the Green Bay 37.
But the mistake didn’t cost the Packers points, and Green Bay cut the lead to seven points on a 35-yard field goal by Mason Crosby late in the third quarter.
The Packers put together another drive early in the fourth quarter, but Michael Boley and Umenyiora combined to sack Rodgers on fourth-and-5 in Giants territory.
After carving up the Packers in the first half, the Giants’ offense hit a lull in the second half. But they broke out of it to drive for a 35-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes to take a 23-13 lead with 7:48 left to play.
Packers running back Ryan Grant then fumbled after catching a pass and the Giants recovered, taking the ball back deep into Green Bay territory.
Manning then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham and the Giants took a 30-13 lead. Rodgers rallied the Packers for a 16-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver, cutting the lead to 30-20 with 4:46 left.
The Packers then tried on onside kick, but the Giants’ Victor Cruz recovered.
New York’s Brandon Jacobs scored on a 14-yard run with 2:36 left to put the game away.
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ripwtc91101
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 7:53ami hope Pat and Stu read this all i have to say about sunday is HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA best part is my giants already did more than i expected so this game sunday if they lose i wont be that upset if they win awesome but regardless after this sunday at most only 2 teams can say they had a better season
Report Post »cobra two
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 12:30amSomebody tell me how Mr Aaron Rodgers, Who has been hotter than a two dollar pistol all year shows up for work Sunday and looks like he’s playing for the Falcons. Come on man! I smell a FIX.
Report Post »nealb4zodd
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 5:58pmLets go Niners!!!
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 3:43pmI am hoping for a Harbaugh brothers super bowl
Report Post »Reload
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:24pmI wouldn’t want to be the team that has to play the Giants. They have peaked at the right time for sure.
Report Post »Dalton C
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:07pm49ERS!
Last year they were terrible.
Report Post »So, they got a new coach and with the same team they are fighting to go to the superbowl.
THATS CRAZY!
LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:52pmNew coach, huh?
To bad the owner of my beloved Eagles can’t seem to wrap his head around that notion.
Hey Jeff Lurie, where the hell are our multiple Super Bowl trophies??????????????
Report Post »eagle2715
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 5:44pmAndy has his fair share of problems…but this season it’s limited to the Defensive Coordinator….All the other ********* sits right in the lap of the very owner you mention….As Reid had very little say in most of it….
Who you think is gonna replace him that isn’t just going to go 4-12 next year?
Report Post »mcmeador
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 12:23pmGO GIANTS!!! If it were up to the refs, the Packers would have won that game. Two of the Packers touchdowns followed terrible calls by the officials. They should have never scored those points.
Report Post »mcmeador
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 12:26pmActually I should say that Green Bay’s ONLY touchdowns followed terrible calls by the officials.
Report Post »LookTowardsTheLight
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:53pm“Terrible calls”
Spoken like a true New York fan LOL
Report Post »mcmeador
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 3:41pmHaha, I had a Dallas fan and a Steelers fan agreeing with me on those. Even the announcers were in agreement. The first was ruling I’m referring to is “down by contact” when it was completely obvious that the ballcarrier lost control of the ball before he hit the ground. It should have been a fumble recovered by New York.
The second was hitting Umenyiora with a penalty for a blow to the head against Rodgers when he never hit his head and no angle they showed of the play gave that appearance. It should have been fourth down for Green Bay at that point.
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 3:42pmThe reversal of the fumble call as down by contact was terrible.
Report Post »bpodlesnik
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 5:31pmAgreed. That was one of the worst calls I have seen in the NFL.
Report Post »TheePolitinator
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 12:15pmWell since the Pats put up more points then these two teams combined against Denver. I don’t think any team is gonna wupe em. And they are home again next week. And Brady has that very determined look he had before.
Report Post »BubbaT
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 9:45amLooks like the Packers took a dive on that game.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 9:28amNew England trounces Denver…… To quote my son..”Lowden Downey needed a trial lawyer today, and the Broncos needed a quarterback”.
Report Post »TheePolitinator
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 12:12pma few good men :P
Report Post »Plumber1911
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 8:40amRodgers should have played in the last home game against the Loins,he looked like he hadn’t played in a game for three weeks.Giants made all the big plays,onto San Fran.Good Luck
Report Post »mrmikejohnson
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 4:59amI just hope the Cheatriots don’t win the SB. I’m so sick of them.
Report Post »HumbleMan
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 5:06amBread and circuses. As the Roman culture was crumbling under excessive taxes and out of control entitlements, the politicians sedated the public with bread and circuses.
Report Post »Mop
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 4:41amG-Men all day!
Report Post »imerbusterit
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 10:41amThe road to the super bowl is through the stick! The niners sent them home losers once already this year. Who has it better than us? NOBODY
Report Post »TyrannyNoMore
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:44amI’m hoping the 49rs will squash Eli Manning and the Giants next week. GO PATS !!
Report Post »Huguenot Descendant
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 3:45amHECK YEAH! It’s going to be an exciting season after the Pats go up against the Ravens. I don’t give two cents about the Giants or the 49ers.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 7:39amWhy? Afraid the Pats can’t beat them?
Report Post »bandi9
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 8:59amhatin the Pats here
Report Post »BLINKY2525
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 10:47amI’d love nothing more than the Pats to lose in the playoffs AGAIN! Hell YES I’m hating on the Pats. Sick and tired of Gronk and Brady. I wish every game for Brady to get Theismanned and permanently leave the game for good! Go RAVENS! If for some reason the Pats make it to the SB again, I’d love a repeat of the Giants vs. Patrtiots so they (Giants) can ram the ball down Brady’s thrat for the THIRD time!
Report Post »BLINKY2525
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 10:48am*throat*
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:40amGo Niners
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 1:34amI’m so happy the Packers lost. I live in Wisconsin and I HATE football and it also just happens to be the obsession of everyone in the state. Now that the Packers are out, I don’t have to hear about football for another year. Woooooooo!
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 10:44amYou should move to Cleveland where they don’t have a football team.
Report Post »TheRev1776
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:17am@gonzo Touche.
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