Giants 20, 49ers 17
Sadly for the Harbaugh family, the only way John and Jim will be together for this year's Super Bowl is if they make plans to watch the game together from home.
Unlike Billy Cundiff just hours prior, kicker Lawrence Tynes came through at the end. His 31-yard field goal in OT sent the New York Giants to the Super Bowl. They will meet the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII.
A defensive struggle for 72 minutes and 54 seconds, it took a Kyle Williams fumble on the San Francisco 24-yard-line with nine minutes to play in overtime to give the Giants the field position they needed to sneak passed the Niners on Sunday night (see full recap).
Undoubtedly, 49ers fans will focus on Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble with two minutes remaining in regulation that would have given San Fran possession at the New York 20. Unfortunately for the Niners, Bradshaw's forward progress was ruled to have stopped prior to the fumble as a result of a quick whistle, allowing the Giants to retain possession.
For the Giants, quarterback Eli Manning finished the 32 of 56 passing for 316 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. In a year without older brother Peyton, the younger Manning asserted himself in the conversation of elite NFL quarterbacks. Two weeks from this evening, he will have the chance to win his second Super Bowl and surpass Peyton in Lucas Oil Stadium -- the building which his older brother calls home.
Of note, the 2011 Giants are now officially the worst team -- as a result of their 9-7 regular season record -- to reach the Super Bowl. They are also the first team in league history to be outscored by their opponents during the regular season and still win a conference championship. Just think, Birds fans, where one fewer turnover might have gotten the Eagles.
NFL
Patriots 23, Ravens 20
Already 2 for 2 on the day, Billy Cundiff had the game on his foot. And he missed.
With just 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Cundiff's 32-yard field goal attempt hooked wide left, securing a 23-20 win for the Patriots, over the Ravens, in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. The Patriots will move on the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the last 10 seasons (see full recap).
And though the trip has become some routine for the Patriots, their means of victory were anything but ordinary.
"Well, I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us," New England quarterback Tom Brady told reporters after the game, summarizing rather perfectly what had turned into a veritable "opposite day" at Gillette Stadium.
As the Patriots' typically dominant offense struggled against the Ravens' veteran defense, it was the unheralded Patriots D -- ranked 31st in total team defense at the end of the regular season -- who won the game in Brady's eyes.
Even more perplexing is how Brady was out-dueled by Raven quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco, who has taken his fair share of criticism from both the media and his teammates in recent weeks, finished 22 of 36 passing for 306 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Brady, by comparison, was an equal 22 for 36, but threw for only 236 yards
and was picked off twice.
The Ravens' loss immediately eliminated any possibility of a Harbaugh v. Harbaugh showdown in this year's Super Bowl. Instead, football fans will be treated (or cursed, depending on your viewpoint) to the familiar faces of Belichick and Brady.