The stage is set for Superbowl XLII: the New York Giants will face the undefeated New England Patriots to vie for football's ultimate prize.
Tynes Field Goal Sends Giants to Super Bowl
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin—Lawrence Tynes booted a 47-yard field goal to give the New York Giants a shock 23-20 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, setting up a Super Bowl clash with the unbeaten New England Patriots.
After missing two winning field goal attempts in the final seven minutes of the game, including a 36-yard effort with no time remaining on the clock, Tynes redeemed himself in overtime by converting from 47 yards to seal a thrilling victory.
"I just wanted to get out of the cold," said Tynes, who raced off the field as field as the ball sailed though the uprights.
"I was gone. I think I was inside before it went through."
The NFC title win at a frigid and intimidating Lambeau Field confirmed the Giants as the NFL's ultimate road warriors, their 10th consecutive away victory sending them to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001.
New England booked their spot earlier on Sunday, battling past the San Diego Chargers 21-12 for their 18th successive win.
Now, only the Giants stand in the way of a perfect Patriots season when the teams face off in Arizona on Feb. 3.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning turned in another poised playoff performance in a Lambeau ice box where few have succeeded.
"You never know when you're going to get your opportunity, when something is going to click, when you're going to get hot," Manning told reporters.
"You're just playing your best football at certain time and that's what's happened to us.
"We like to make it tough on ourselves.
"We can't make the short one and win at home but we can win on the road, make the 47-yard field goal in overtime just to make it exciting."
The Packers had been almost unbeatable at Lambeau, having won 13-of-15 postseason contests played on the "Frozen Tundra".
Also in the Packers' favour was quarterback Brett Favre's record of 45-3 in games where the temperature was 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1C) or below.
Arctic Conditions
However, it was the Giants who better handled the Arctic-like conditions and immense pressure.
Bright sunshine had bathed Green Bay all day, taking some of the bite away from the minus-3 temperatures but as the kickoff approached and the sun sank behind the stadium, conditions deteriorated with the wind chill at minus-23.
The Giants drew first blood, taking a 6-0 lead on 29 and 37-yard field goals from Tynes.
Favre, making his 275th consecutive start, erased that advantage early in the second quarter with one throw, a 90-yard bomb to Donald Driver that brought the record Lambeau crowd of 72,740 to its feet and put the home side in front 7-6.
It marked the 18th consecutive playoff game Favre has thrown a touchdown pass, extending his own NFL record.
Mason Crosby connected on 36-yard field goal to send the Packers into the intermission with a 10-6 lead but the Giants roared out of the break
They marched 69 yards on their first possession with Brandon Jacobs diving over from the one to complete the drive.
The Packers answered right back with a 39-yard scoring drive, Favre hitting tight end Donald Lee with a 12-yard touchdown strike to retake the lead 17-13.
New York, however, refused to fold, with Manning pushing the Giants 57-yards and Ahmad Bradshaw going over from the four to once again nose in front 20-17.
After Crosby hit on 37-yard field goal early in the fourth to level the contest at 20-20, the Packers looked poised to pull off the great escape after Tynes missed two field goals.
The ball was in Favre's hands going into the overtime but the crowd fell into a stunned silence when Giants Corey Webster intercepted to set up Tynes's winning kick.
Patriots Stay Perfect, Headed to Superbowl
FOXOBOROUGH, Massachussetts—The New England Patriots kept up their pursuit of a perfect season by beating the San Diego Chargers 21-12 on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl as American Football Conference champions.
The Patriots, who extended their mark to 18-0, will meet the winner of the National Football Conference title game later on Sunday between the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3 in Arizona.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady overcame a slow start and some errant passing in windy conditions with a pair of second-quarter touchdown drives and a fourth-quarter TD strike to Wes Welker, which made up for three stunning interceptions.
"I think the difference was the players," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said on the field after hoisting the AFC trophy. "These guys played great. They played great all year and played great today."
New England are now one win away from becoming the only team other than the 1972 Miami Dolphins to cap a perfect campaign with a Super Bowl title.
Laurence Maroney rushed for 122 yards as New England relied on a running game to move the ball and grind out the clock after taking a 14-9 lead at the intermission.
San Diego, led by a gutsy performance by injured quarterback Philip Rivers and without running back LaDainian Tomlinson, failed to fully capitalise on three drives deep into Pats' territory.
The Chargers settled for field goals by Nate Kaeding of 32, 23 and 40 yards in the first half, two of the kicks coming on drives that stalled from first-and-goal from the nine yard line.
The Chargers had another golden opportunity early in the third quarter when cornerback Drayton Florence intercepted a Brady pass that deflected off the fingers of Donte Stallworth.
San Diego drove to a third-and-one from the three but failed again to get a touchdown as linebacker Junior Seau, who played 13 seasons as a Charger, knifed into the backfield to drop running back Michael Turner for a two-yard loss.
A 24-yard field goal by Kaeding made it 14-12.
Brady squandered a golden opportunity when he tossed an end zone interception on third down from the two-yard-line but came right back to engineer a 67-yard drive that culminated in Welker's sprawling TD catch and made for the winning margin.
The New England quarterback completed 22-of-33 passes for 209 yards, including eight connections to running back Kevin Faulk, and seven to Welker. Rivers was 19-of-37 for 211 yards.
Turner, filling in for Tomlinson, who retired to the sidelines with a knee injury after San Diego's second drive of the game, ran for 65 yards on 17 carries.
New England can now take aim at a fourth Super Bowl crown in seven years and a perfect 19-0 season.
"Now we have a chance," said Seau. "A chance to be part of forever."
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