3rd Down & 49ners

Will the Giants Hoist the Lombardi Trophy Again This Year?

The New York Giants are 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl. Believe me, it's a week later, and it's still hard to wrap my brain around this thought. After last week's dominating win over the 15-1 Packers, the Giants are looking for their fifth straight win and their third straight in the playoffs, thus completing their improbable run to Super Bowl XLVI. For those who know me, you know that I am an ardent supporter of all my teams. I live and die with my teams, feeling crushed when they lose and exuberant after a win. Yet, I'll be first to admit that I had left them for dead following a dreadful 23-10, week 15 loss to the lowly Washington Redskins. The loss dropped the Giants to a mediocre 7-7 and to second place behind the hard charging Dallas Cowboys. In order for the Giants to earn a playoff berth, they had to win out or go home. It seemed inevitable that this team would fold like a cheap suit and complete their third straight second half collapse. The first test would be the Jets, who themselves were in a tailspin and were watching their playoff hopes slip through their grasp, although you couldn't tell by the way that fat, blowhard, idiot, Rex Ryan had been running his mouth all season when he should have been running on a treadmill.

In the week leading up to the Giants/Jets, week 16, Christmas Eve matchup, fans swarmed the airwaves of WFAN, voicing their ire for Tom Coughlin, demanding that he be fired. As a team, the Giants lacked cohesiveness on both sides of the ball, playing an uninspired brand of football, while desperately searching for an identity before it was too late. The team's gritty 24-20 victory over the New England Patriots seemed like a distant memory. Those Giants were 6-2. Those Giants looked every bit like the class of the NFC East. These Giants had lost five of their last six, including a 27-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that started this losing streak. It was a game the Giants should have won. Manning continued his 4th quarter dominance, yet the Giants failed to protect a lead late. If there was one shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that Giants fans could pin their hopes to, it was the play of Eli Manning. Manning had become Captain Comeback, engineering game winning fourth quarter drives with relative impunity. Eli's shoulders had carried the extra weight all season, but he needed some help from his supporting cast. And then it happened. With the Giants trailing the Jets 7-3 in the second quarter, facing a third down and one from their own one yard line, Manning hit Victor Cruz who eluded a tackle and was off to the races. 99 yards later, Cruz gave the Giants a 10-7 lead that they would not relinquish and a shot in the arm that propelled them all the way to today's NFC Championship game.

Today's game will be a good one. I have listened to fans all week dismiss the 49ers as if it were preordained that the Giants will win today. This is not the case. The 49ers have one of the best defenses in the NFL and will not be intimidated. The Giants have not seen a defense like they will see today in quite some time. This defense plays fast and is stout in giving up points. Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and NaVarro Bowman comprise one of the best cores of linebackers in the NFL.

On offense, the 49ers rely heavily on the legs of Frank Gore. Gore had another productive season in 2011, running for 1,211 yards and 8 touchdowns. Alex Smith has finally realized his potential and has proven why he was drafted as the number one overall player taken in 2005. The Giants defense must stop the run and must contain Smith, forcing him into third and long situations. The front four must keep the pressure on Alex Smith, making him uncomfortable in the pocket and interrupting his timing.

On offense, the Giants have to get the running game going. This may prove to be a daunting task as the weather is supposed to be rainy, which could make the field a sloppy mess. The Giants only ran for 95 yards combined against the Packers last week. That is not going to cut it against this Niners defense. Eli Manning will be the best offensive player on the field today and he must assert himself as the best player. The 49ers are going to bring the blitz and are hoping to make Eli force the ball into receivers hands, causing interceptions for the Niners defense. The Giants have a huge advantage in the passing game with both Nicks and Cruz, who both possess tremendous speed and big play ability. Mario Manningham woke up from his slumber last week, catching three passes for thirty nine yards and a touchdown. Manningham also had his best game of the season in week 10 against the 49ers, catching six passes for seventy seven yards and a score. Manningham also dropped a sure touchdown that would have won the game for the Giants and completed their 4th quarter comeback. The Giants receivers drop a lot of passes and the poor field conditions do concern me as it may exacerbate the penchant for dropping passes.

If you're someone who likes stats and numbers, here's a few that will make Giants fans feel good. The Giants are 4-0 all-time in NFC Championship Games, including two wins against the 49ers in 1986 & 1990. Both times the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl, beating the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. If the Giants win this game and do advance to the Super Bowl, either of their opponents will present a rematch of past Super Bowls for the Giants. The Giants got beat down 34-7 by the Ravens in the 2000 Super Bowl, which was the Giants only Super Bowl loss. The Giants met the Patriots in the 2007 Super Bowl, upsetting the heavily favored, 18-0 New England Patriots 17-14.

PREDICTION: Giants 23 - 49ers 17