Simply one of the best championship games I’ve have seen, and it equates in so many ways to the 1991 championship game win over San Fran. Facing a legendary QB (Montana versus Favre). Last play is a game winning FG. No one really giving the visiting Giants a chance. There is just so much to talk about so let’s get right to it.
The Giants are in the Super Bowl because they basically beat Green Bay in every phase of the game. Let’s start with the weather. Everyone focused on temperature all week, but if you took someone who knew nothing about either team, they would have told you the Giants were from the Frozen Tundra and not the Pack. Anyone see Favre on the sideline? He looked whipped because of the cold. Eli?? That guy never even blinked, and his performance on the field was outstanding. A glance at the stats doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story. Almost every pass he threw was catchable and accurate, and he probably lost about 60-75 passing yards on drops. In a wind chill of minus 25, Eli Manning played superb and for the third straight week, outplayed his counter part. Brandon Jacobs set the tone with his absolute crushing hit on the first carry of the game, while Plax gave Al Harris a lesson in humility. Any whispers about Burress not being a big game player were put to rest. He’s done it all this season.
Defensively, the Giants put he clamps on the Green Bay offense. I knew they’d shut down Ryan Grant. More formidable was the Green Bay passing game, but here’s where the cold actually helped the Giants. And Steve Spagnuolo again called a tremendous game. Green Bay finished an awful 1-10 on third down conversions. This shows you how far the Giants have come. Their major weakness entering the 2007 season was getting off the field on third down. Again, Corey Webster (again!) made the big play, this time a pick in OT to put the Giants in position to win it. This guy, destined to be cut next training camp, has played himself back on the team. Maybe the kid got a wakeup with his midseason benching.
Finally, how about Lawrence Tynes. This guy has taken abuse this season from radio callers and bloggers alike, but it’s somewhat a mystery to me. Outside the 40 this season, he’s perfect (8-8). Overall, he is 23-27 (85%) which is pretty damn good. And when you consider the problems we had early on with the snaps from center, I think he’s done about as well as we could hope for, especially in the Meadowlands. So flashback to Sunday night. He’s already 2-2 and has a chance to put the Giants in front with six minutes and change left with a 37 yarder. Misses it. Again gets the chance to win it with four seconds left…very high snap, Feagles gets it down, clunks it wayyyy left. At that point, for the first time really in the game, I though the Giants were doomed. And you had to really feel for Tynes. He’s kicking a rock hard ball in the most awful conditions, nevermind it’s a pressure packed spot. But to his credit, and we heard this from Coughlin, he was ready to roll when the Giants were faced with 4th and 5 from the GB 30 yard line in OT.
And what does Tynes do? Nails it. First kick ever over 40 yards to win a playoff game at Lambeau Field.
Giants win, Giants win.
And Tynes is now 9-9 over 40.
