3RD TYNES A CHARM!!! - N.Y. Giants head to the SuperBowl
KICKER CAPS SUPER BOWL RUN WITH OT KICK
By PAUL SCHWARTZ
January 21, 2008 -- GREEN BAY - Nothing deters these Giants.
Nothing stops these Giants.
Not unholy cold. Not the mystique of sacred Lambeau Field or the presence of future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre or yet another road game they were supposed to lose or more than 60 minutes of what seemed to be dominating play that was headed toward to nothing but heartache.
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And certainly not the need for retribution on a historic night when heroes and villains intermingled until finally, ultimately, a kicker named Lawrence Tynes who had caused so much angst allowed the Giants to erupt in jubilation and exultation with a boot that somehow, some way, sends them to a truly improbable trip to the Super Bowl.
This is the stuff of dreams.
“Not in this weather, not from that distance and not at Lambeau Field," Tynes exclaimed afterward.
It was Tynes who on the final play of regulation in the NFC Championship Game against the favored Packers could not recover from the high snap of rookie Jay Alford and sent a potential game-winning 36-yard field goal attempt knuckling wide left. And then, after an interception of Favre by a cornerback named Corey Webster - thirsting for retribution after a blown play earlier in the night - who set Tynes up again, this time with a tough 47-yard field goal just 2:35 into overtime. Tynes thrust himself into Giants lore with a kick that was straight and true and then sprinted for the tunnel, knowing the Giants had beaten the Packers 23-20 and were on their way to sunny Glendale, Ariz. for a Super Bowl XLII date with the mighty and unbeaten Patriots.
Of course, the Giants are 13-point underdogs.
“It was beautiful - Ice Bowl II, with a different ending," linebacker Antonio Pierce said. “A New York ending! Beautiful."
It was the longest postseason field goal ever at Lambeau and Tynes' right foot was black and blue from the strain of striking a frozen football. Time will likely judge this game fondly, as it was contested in the most bitter of conditions (minus-one degree on the thermometer, minus-23 wind chill factor), the second-coldest game at Lambeau.
“I can't describe how bad it was," Toomer said. “Breathing in the air would burn your lungs and it was just ridiculous."
Incredibly, these teams battled through the elements and produced an electrifying game that ebbed back and forth, with the Giants dominating everything in terms of total yardage and time of possession but unable to build any real lead. Eli Manning outplayed Favre, Plaxico Burress (11-154) overwhelmed cornerback Al Harris and the Giants (13-6) continued their uncanny ability to send opposing fans home miserable with their 10th consecutive road victory, their third in this wild playoff run.
The Giants squandered chances in the red zone and took a 6-0 lead on a pair of Tynes field goals but Favre on one play got the Packers (14-4) on top, as Webster slipped and Donald Driver raced with a 90-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass play. The Packers led 10-6 at halftime. Four Green Bay penalties helped a drive that ended with a Brandon Jacobs scoring burst to put the Giants ahead 13-10. A personal foul penalty on Sam Madison led to a touchdown grab for Donald Lee to put the Packers up 17-13. Back and forth it went, a battle in the tundra.
A 33-yard kickoff return by Domenik Hixon paved the way for a four-yard touchdown scamper by rookie Ahmad Bradshaw, putting the Giants up 20-17 late in the third quarter. Cornerback R.W. McQuarters intercepted Favre but fumbled on the return and Mason Crosby hit a field goal to tie the game at 20.
Tynes with 6:49 left in regulation missed on a 43-yard field goal try and the bundled crowd roared in approval. Bradshaw ran 48 yards for an apparent touchdown but it was called back by a holding penalty on guard Chris Snee. Manning got Tynes in position for the game-winner but he missed.
Then came overtime, the Giants lost the toss and Favre got the ball.
“That's what we wanted, trust me," Pierce said.
Soon enough, the defense got the ball back to Manning and Manning gave Tynes another shot and his kick sent the Giants to the Super Bowl.
“That was some game," said Tom Coughlin, his face red from the bitter cold but unable to contain a wide smile as he heads to his first Super Bowl. “I think the thing I am most proud of about this team is the way they hang together, the way they played hard."
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