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One Giant Step: Big Blue destroys Packers heads to NFC Title game

GIANTS 37
PACKERS 20

The New York Giants are heading back to the NFC Championship Game after breaking the spirit of the defending champion Green Bay Packers in a dominating 37-20 effort, Sunday.

The Giants won this game thanks to their defense which blitzed the heck out of the Packers and harassed Aaron Rodgers like no other team has all season. The Giants sacked Rodgers four times, picked him off once, and forced him into his first fumble of the season. It was an all-out, dominating performance by a defense that was much maligned all season with injuries and inconsistent play. On Sunday night this group triumphed; they shut down Jordy Nelson, shut down Jennings, and kept Green Bay's running offense in check all night.

The Giants never trailed in this football game, grabbing a 10-3 lead late in the first quarter thanks to a 66 yard touchdown to Hakeem Nicks from Eli Manning to silence Cheese-head nation in Lambeau Field, as the rout was clearly on.

Even a bad call by the referees when an apparent fumble by Green Bay's Greg Jennings was ruled down by contact that eventually led to a Rodgers touchdown pass to John Kuhn, the Giants didn't back down. With the game tied at 10, the Giants could have folded like a cheap camera, but they didn't.

The Packers certainly helped. After Green Bay tied the game, Packers coach Mike McCarthy decided to attempt an onside kick. It turned out to be a bad decision; Big Blue recovered it at the Packers 40. The Giants settled for a field goal to take a 13-10, but, at this point, the momentum had shifted back to the Giants.

Then, with time running out in the second quarter, Manning put the exclamation point on this game when he heaved a Hail Mary pass into the endzone, and Nicks came down with it in helmet catch fashion, as he first trapped the ball against the top of his helmet, then came down with it for the touchdown and a 20-10 lead. WATCH HERE!

In the second half, the Giants took full advantage of each Green Bay mistake. With Green Bay trailing 20-13, and the ball on the Giants 39 yard line, McCarthy once again gambled and came up snake eyes. The Packers were facing a fourth and five. The logical decision was to punt the football and pin the Giants inside their own goal line; instead, McCarthy decided to go for it on fourth down, and the Giants sacked Rodgers forcing a turnover on downs.

The Giants took advantage as Manning pushed the Giants to the Packers 17 yard line, before settling for a Lawrence Tynes kick to give Big Blue a 10 point lead with 7:56 to go in the game.

On the next Packers possession, Green Bay put the ball on the ground again when Ryan Grant was upended and fumbled the football at the Packer 44 yard line. Chase Blackburn picked up the loose ball and rumbled 40 yards to the Packer four yard line. Manning wasted little time; he found Mario Manningham in the back of the endzone for the touchdown,giving the Giants a 30-13 lead.

With 6:56 to go, this game was over.

The Giants would add one more score, a Brandon Jacobs 14 yard run to ice it, but the competitve balance of this game had long ago been determined.

The Giants are heading to the NFC title game for the second time in five seasons to face the San Francisco 49ers, who have gotten to this point because of a fantastic defense. The 49ers beat the Giants 27-20 earlier in the year, but that was a game the Giants let slip away. No team is hotter than the Giants, and it is hard to envisage mediocre quarterback Alex Smith handling that Giants pass rush. Should be a heck of a game.

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