The New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 on Sunday to advance to the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers - one step away from the Super Bowl.
The Giants turned away a last, desperate drive by top-seeded Dallas when defensive back R.W. McQuarters intercepted Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo’s fourth-down pass in the endzone intended for Terry Glenn with nine seconds left.
That was the only turnover of the game and it gave the Giants a ticket to Green Bay for a Sunday showdown against the Packers, who advanced with a 42-20 divisional playoff win over the Seattle Seahawks a day earlier.
The AFC title match pits unbeaten New England Patriots against the San Diego Chargers, who upset last year’s Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts 28-24 on Sunday. The Pats advanced with a 31-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Next week’s winners will meet in the Super Bowl in Arizona on Feb. 3.
New York (12-6), who had lost twice in the regular season to NFC East rival Cowboys (13-4), took an early 7-0 lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to Amani Toomer but Dallas surged back with two long touchdown drives.
The Cowboys travelled 96 yards on their first long march that ended with a five-yard fade pattern to Terrell Owens, returning to action after being sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
Dallas went on another brilliant second-quarter drive that covered 90 yards on 20 plays and ate up 10 minutes, 28 seconds ending on one-yard plunge by Marion Barber, who rumbled to 101 yards in the first half.
The marathon drive left only 53 seconds on the clock before the intermission but that was enough time for the Giants.
New York pushed the ball swiftly downfield with Manning connecting twice with rookie receiver Steve Smith before hitting Toomer with a four-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left on the clock for a 14-14 tie.
A 34-yard third-quarter field goal by Nick Folk pushed Dallas back in front 17-14 before a 25-yard punt return by McQuarters started the Giants on a go-ahead drive that ended with a one-yard, fourth-quarter plunge by Brandon Jacobs for a 21-17 lead.
The Giants defense, which led the NFL this season in sacks, then turned up the pressure on Romo and preserved the lead.
“It was a great team performance,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who completed 12-of-18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, told reporters.
“We had great belief coming in. We made plays, we made some big time plays.”
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