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| Tynes (9) kicking his second career game- winning NFC Championship field goal. |
It was Jan. 20, 2008.
On the frozen tundra that is Lambeau Field, Tynes spilt the uprights with a 47-yard game-winning field goal in overtime, sending New York to Super Bowl XLII, where they would pull off one of the greatest upsets in NFL history, dismantling the undefeated and Tom Brady-led New England Patriots.
That kick coming not long after Tynes had squandered a chance of a lifetime. The then-29-year-old kicker missed a 36-yard field goal, wide left, at the end of regulation with the score tied at 20. Not everybody gets a second chance, Tynes did and delivered.
Sunday night in San Francisco was much of the same, but then again, far different.
This time, more than four years later, Tynes made both his field goal attempts, both coming from 31-yards out. It was just five plays after both teams each had an opportunity to possess the ball at least once and second-string punter return Kevin Williams, who was filling in for an injured Ted Ginn Jr., muffed his second punt of the game, that Tynes was kicking the second road overtime-winning NFC Championship field goal of his career.
While Tynes was the hero and Williams the goat, it was the grit of the New York field general that inspired us all.
Eli Manning was bruised and battered all night long by the hard-nosed San Francisco defense. With their stout front seven, the Niners hit Manning 20 times, knocked him down another 12 and recorded six sacks, but isn't wasn't enough to keep the former Super Bowl MVP down.
His 32 completions, along with his 58 pass attempts both set a franchise postseason record. Manning also threw his 18th fourth-quarter touchdown this season, 15 coming in the regular season, a NFL record.
That 17-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, which was his first catch of the game, for the moment gave the Giants a 17-14 advantage.
Second-year sensation, Victor Cruz, enjoyed one of his biggest games of the season, catching 10 passes for 142 yards. Cruz along with running back Ahmad Bradshaw each caught a pass from Manning that went for 30-plus yards, giving New York 12 plays of 20 yards or more this postseason.
The win is the fifth consecutive road playoff win for the Giants, another NFL record. Under center in all of those victories has been Manning, becoming the first quarterback in postseason history to win five road postseason games. His mentor and head coach Tom Coughlin recorded his seventh road postseason win, tying him for the most all-time.
As for the Niners, it was a bitter end to a very magical season.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was trying to become only the sixth first-year coach in history to lead his team to the Super Bowl, took over a 6-10 San Francisco team and overnight made them winners. They finished the regular season 13-3, good enough to secure a first-round bye as the NFC No. 2 seed.
His defense became his identity. They allowed a league-best 77.3 rushing yards per contest and were tied with the Green Bay Packers for the most takeaways (38) in the NFL this season. Despite only allowing 85 rushing yards, San Francisco's defense did not force a turnover against the Giants, while their special teams unit gave it away, twice.
On offensive, after six frustrating seasons that included three different head coaches, seven offensive coordinators and 17 starting wide receivers, quarterback Alex Smith enjoyed a career year. Playing in all 16 games for only the second time in his career, Smith completed 61.3 percent of his passes, threw for 3,144 yards and had a passer rating of 90.7, all career-highs.
Smith continued his great season, outplaying the Saints' Drew Brees and giving the Niners their first playoff win in nine years.
But it was Smith's inability to convert on third down against the Giants that ended their season. San Francisco's offense was only 1-for-13 on third down conversions Sunday.
Now, with all two teams left standing New York has a date with the Patriots in Indianapolis on Feb. 5. And while Brady is out for revenge, Manning and Co. are hoping history repeats itself.
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