The New York Giants are NFC Champions after outlasting the San Francisco 49ers, 20-17 in overtime. The Giants are now 5-0 in conference title games. Eli Manning survived a fierce 49ers pass rush, getting sacked six times. He completed 32 of 58 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns.
San Francisco, which led the league with a +28 turnover margin during the regular season, was done in by two crucial fumbles on punt returns by Kyle Williams.
Here's how the second half played out.
10:33 p.m.: Lawrence Tynes splits the uprights on a 31-yard field goal to send the New York Giants to Indianapolis for meeting with the New England Patriots.
10:32 p.m.: Three Bradshaw runs puts the ball on the 49ers' 6-yard line.
10:28 p.m.: Kyle Williams turns it over for the second time on a punt return. New York's Devin Thomas makes the recovery again. Giants already in field goal position at the 49ers' 24-yard line.
10:26 p.m.: And on the 86th play, Justin Smith sacks Eli Manning. Six sacks on the day for San Francisco.
10:25 p.m.: 3rd-and-3 coming up for Giants. 49ers defense has been on the field for 85 plays.
10:23 p.m. : San Francisco calls a timeout with the Giants at their 49 facing 2nd-and-9.
10:21 p.m.: Aaron Ross provides a 14-yard return of Andy Lee's 47-yard punt. Giants ball at their 36.
10:20 p.m.: Alex Smith finds Vernon Davis for 11 yards on 3rd down, but the 49ers need 12 for the first.
10:17 p.m.: Niners start at their 22 after a 48-yard punt by Weatherford and 4-yard return by Williams.
10:16 p.m.: Giants forced to punt after just four plays. Next score wins.
10:13 p.m.: Giants start at their 20 after a touchback.
10:10 p.m.: Giants win the toss. Remember, overtime rules are different in postseason. Unless the Giants score a touchdown on their first possession, the 49ers will get a chance for a possession. If the 49ers pull off an offsides kick, the Giants would not entitled to a possession anymore.
10:08 p.m.: We're going to overtime. Smith finds Delanie Walker for 29 yards down to the Giants' 29. (End of 4th quarter. Giants 17, 49ers 17)
10:07 p.m.: Looks like Hail Mary time. San Francisco calls timeout with four ticks left at their 38.
10:05 p.m.: The 49ers have two timeouts with 19 seconds left and are starting from their 36.
10:04 p.m.: On 3rd-and-4 from the San Francisco 46, Manning just misses Victor Cruz, who almost makes a catch that would remind every Giants fan of David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII.
10:02 p.m.: Eli Manning hits Ahmad Bradshaw down the sideline for a 30-yard gain on 2nd down.
10:00 p.m.: A 59-yard punt by Andy Lee gives New York the ball at their 18 with 1:29 left.
9:58 p.m.: Smith throws three consecutive inconpletions. The 49ers are 0-11 on 3rd down.
9:55 p.m.: Niners get the ball back at their own 29 after Manning can't connect with Victor Cruz deep down the middle on 3rd down. Weatherford drilled a 51-yard punt.
9:51 p.m.: Two-minute warning: Giants face a 3rd-and-15 at their 21. 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis sacks Manning for an 11-yard loss on first down.
9:49 p.m.: Manning bring the Giants offense on with 3:04 left with the ball on the New York 26.
9:48 p.m.: Giants sack Smith on 3rd down and call a timeout with 3:12 left.
9:45 p.m.: San Francisco quickly denies New York, forcing a punt. 49ers start on their own 35 with 4:01 on the clock.
9:40 p.m.: San Francisco rumbles down the field on the strength of 17-yard run by Alex Smith and a 18-yard run by Kendall Hunter. The 49ers came up two yards short of a first down at the 7-yard line and settled for a David Akers field goal.(49ers, 17, Giants 17).
9:33 p.m.: Williams tries to make up for his turnover with a 40-yard kickoff return that give San Francisco the ball at their own 45.
9:30 p.m.: On 3rd-and-15, Manning fires a strike to Mario Manningham for a 17-yard touchdown. (Giants 17, 49ers 14)
Note: Williams was returning kicks in place of the injured Ted Ginn Jr.
9:22 p.m.: Giants get a huge break as Niners returner Kyle Williams lets the punt skip off his knee and Giants receiver Devin Thomas recovered. Officials originally ruled the ball went untouched, but Tom Coughlin successfully challenged the play. New York ball at the San Francisco 29.
9:20 p.m.: Tarell Brown has head/thigh injuries. His return questionable.
9:19 p.m.: Another weak effort as the Giants fail to convert on 3rd down for the seventh consecutive time.
9:16 p.m.: Giants begin their fifth drive of the second half at their own 20 after a 49ers' drive stalls at the New York 46-yard line. The Giants' longest drive of the third quarter was a 5-play, 22-yard effort.
9:08 p.m.: Third quarter ends with the Niners having 1st-and-10 and their own 45.
9:06 p.m.: With a minute left in the third quarter, 49ers starting cornerback Tarell Brown takes a huge hit from teammate Dashon Goldson while breaking up an Eli Manning pass intended for Hakeen Nicks. Brown was helped off the field after being down for several minutes.
8:55 p.m.: After forcing a three-and-out of the Giants, the 49ers takeover at their 22. Niners defensive tackle Ray McDonald registered the team's third sack of Eli Manning to bring the punt team on.
8:46 p.m.: Alex Smith delivers a beautiful ball to Vernon Davis for a 28-yard touchdown down the left sideline. Davis manages to celebrate without drawing a penalty. (49ers 14, Giants 10)
8:43 p.m.: Giants earn some breathing room by moving the ball out to their 29, but a 24-yard punt return by Kyle Williams set the 49ers up at their 46.
8:40 p.m.: After an exchange of punts, the Giants take over on their own 7-yard line.
8:27 p.m.: The rain is no longer coming down, but the Giants are no longer moving the ball to start the third quarter. New York goes three-and-out after gaining 9 yards on first down and punt. Niners take over at their 32 with 13:25 to go.
8:07 p.m.: Another Manning-Cruz hookup gives Tynes a 31-yard chance with 6 seconds to go ... and he converts. Two ticks left in the half. Giants 10, 49ers 7 (HALFTIME)
8:05 p.m.: Cruz extends to beat Rogers for a 17-yard game to the SF 21. Giants definitely in Tynes range now with 20 seconds left in the half.
8:04 p.m.: Manning to Cruz gets Giants to SF 38 before a Cruz drop. Giants probably need at least another 10 yard for a viable FG attempt for Tynes.
8:01 p.m.: Lee drills a 57-yarder that Blackmon returns 13. Still a pretty good fild flipper.
7:52 p.m.: Rain is letting up a bit. Nice punt by Giants' Steve Weatherford, 43 yards no return after the Giants stalled in their end. Note: Baas returned to the O-line for New York.
7:45 p.m.: Nothing hurt there on the fake fourth-down attempt. May as well give all-pro P Andy Lee, who set a single-season record with a 44-yard net average in 2011, more room to work. However he didn't get much on that one ... yet Will Blackmon's faux fair catch ends up pushing the Giants back to the 19. Lee's punt only covers 24 yards.
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