The New York Giants are heading to the Super Bowl following their 20-17 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Awaiting them, of course, is a rematch with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
With a full two weeks before that showdown, before looking ahead, there's plenty of time to rehash what just happened. In that vein, last week, I wrote an article on 5 reasons the Giants would beat the 49ers, much to the dismay of the angry 49ers fans who commented on it. This week then, it's time to update the list with 5 reasons we did end up beating the 49ers.
1. Manning Proved to be the Superior Quarterback
Eli Manning once again proved himself to be in the elite class of NFL quarterbacks, as he avoided big mistakes, calmly made big plays in key moments, and ultimately helped to lead the team to victory. Alex Smith actually had a solid game, particularly when he took to the ground and rushed for 42 yards on six carries. However, he completed less than 50% of his passes, going just 12 of 26 passing for the day for 196 yards. Take away the Vernon Davis 73 yard TD, and the numbers look much worse, 11 of 25 for 123 yards. He was unable to generate a first down, or any points, on the 49ers last four offensive drives.
2. Giants Offense More Versatile
The 49ers offense boiled down to two big plays from Vernon Davis, and Frank Gore toting the rock. Only two players on the team had more than two catches. The Giants had five players with three or more grabs, and the skillful group of wide outs led by Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks took turns getting open and making plays. Ahmad Bradshaw didn't put up huge numbers, but he was effective enough to keep the attack balanced, and finished with more total yards than Gore did. Ultimately, Manning was able to spread the ball out effectively to more weapons, which helped the G-Men win the game.
3. Special Teams
Of course, the huge mistakes from the 49ers came on special teams, with the two blunders by returner Kyle Williams turning into 10 points, including the game-winning field goal in overtime. However, it also should be noted that the Giants punter, Steve Weatherford, went toe-to-toe with Andy Lee, the All Pro 49ers punter. Weatherford averaged 46.4 yards on 12 punts, while Lee averaged 45.5 yards on 10 punts. Unlike Baltimore Ravens scapegoat Billy Cundiff earlier in the day, Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes remained clutch, and calmly stroked home the 31-yard winner in OT.
4. Giants Experience Paid Off
Tom Coughlin is now tied for the most road playoff wins by any coach in league history. Manning holds the record for road playoff wins by a quarterback. This team has been there, and done that, and their experience paid off. From the big name players like Manning and Justin Tuck, to special teams contributors making key plays at key moments, the entire roster thrived from the play of one another, and the experience they could all rely on. Going down 7-0 on the road after a monster 70 yard touchdown could have sank other teams, but the Giants stuck to the game plan and came out on top.
5. The Defensive Line
Make no mistake about, the San Francisco defense played great, particularly their front seven. They sacked Manning six times, abused him all night long, kept the running game in check, and more. But the Giants defensive line held up their end of the bargain as well, sacking Smith three times, all in the second half, and holding Gore back from having a big game. Did Jason Pierre Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck outplay the likes of Justin Smith, Aldon Smith and the dynamic 49ers linebackers, Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman? No, but they made their presence felt just the same, and didn't allow Smith to beat them late, as he did to the New Orleans Saints the week prior.
Sources: Fox NFL Coverage; Yahoo! Sports, Giants.com, ESPN
Jake Emen is a lifelong Giants fan from New Jersey. He also runs the boxing news website ProBoxing-Fans.com. You can find more of his writing, along with interviews, rankings and breaking news stories at the site, or you can follow ProBoxing-Fans.com on Twitter, @ProBoxingFans.
