Giants send Green Bay packing

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- With their own star quarterback and a dominating defense, the New York Giants exposed the Green Bay Packers for what they now are -- former Super Bowl champions.

The Packers dropped passes, fumbled the ball and simply couldn't stop Eli Manning and his receivers in the Giants' shocking 37-20 divisional playoff win Sunday.

To the Giants' delight, a Green Bay team that had a real shot at an undefeated season less than a month ago is heading home.

That the win came at Lambeau Field, well, that was just as sweet. The site has become a familiar launching pad for the New Yorkers. After beating the Packers (15-2) at home for the second time in four years, they only hope this trip ends the same way -- in the Super Bowl.

The Giants play the 49ers in San Francisco for the NFC championship on Sunday.

"I think we're a dangerous team," coach Tom Coughlin said. "I like where we are and how we're playing."

The Giants (11-7) have been on a roll since beating the rival Jets on Dec. 24, beating the Dallas Cowboys to get into the playoffs and then routing Atlanta in the wild-card round last week.

They took down the Packers on Sunday, as Manning threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Hakeem Nicks.

The Giants are 3-4 against the 49ers in the playoffs, including their memorable collapse in a wild-card game at San Francisco on Jan. 5, 2003. New York led 38-14 in the third quarter but fell apart and lost 39-38.

That probably won't be much of a worry for this year's Giants, who were oozing confidence even before they beat the Packers.

"This team knows how to win on the road," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "It seems like right now, it's our time."

The Giants stunned the Packers with a touchdown off a long heave from Manning to Nicks just before halftime, then knocked them out with a late touchdown off a turnover.

Lambeau Field fell silent as the Giants swarmed the field in celebration, with a handful of New York fans chanting, "Let's go, Giants!"

"I knew we were going to beat them on Wednesday, to be honest with you," running back Brandon Jacobs said.

The win came four years after the Giants beat a Brett Favre-led Packers team in the NFC title game. It wasn't nearly as frigid this time around, and the Packers' vulnerable defense seemed to be waiting to get sliced up.

Manning found six receivers against a porous Packers defense. But he did the most damage with his throws to Nicks, who caught seven passes for 165 yards.

Nicks' biggest play was a 66-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. His score at the end of the half came on a 37-yard pass into the end zone with defenders all around.

"It was a big momentum play for them, but we were not deflated as a football team," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

The Giants' defense also was able to defuse the big-play abilities of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense.

Rodgers was 26 of 46 for 264 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He also was the Packers' leading rusher with 66 yards on seven carries.

The Packers fully expected to go back to the Super Bowl, but the reality hit Rodgers quickly.

"Oh, it's real," he said. "We got beat by a team that played better tonight.

"We play to win championships. You win a championship and you're kind of at the top of the mountain, and you forget kind of how bad this feeling is. We had a championship-caliber regular season and didn't play well today."

The Packers' past problems with dropped passes by their talented group of wide receivers returned at the worst time. And while Green Bay's defense has been vulnerable all season, giving up far too many yards and big plays, the unit has typically made up for it by forcing turnovers.

This time, the Packers were the ones giving away the ball. Green Bay lost three fumbles, including one on a rare giveaway by Rodgers. The Giants also sacked Rodgers four times.

With the Packers trailing 20-10 at halftime but finally beginning to look like themselves on offense to start the second half, Osi Umenyiora swatted the ball away from Rodgers, and Deon Grant recovered the fumble.

"With a 10-point lead, we're going to get after you," Umenyiora said. "And that's what we did."

But the mistake didn't cost the Packers points, and Green Bay cut the lead to seven points on a 35-yard field goal by Mason Crosby late in the third quarter.

The Packers put together another drive early in the fourth, but Michael Boley and Umenyiora combined to sack Rodgers on fourth down in Giants territory.

After carving up the Packers in the first half, the Giants' offense hit a lull in the second half. But they broke out of it to drive for a 35-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes to take a 23-13 lead with 7:48 left to play.

Packers running back Ryan Grant then fumbled after catching a pass, and the Giants recovered, taking the ball back deep into Green Bay territory.

Manning then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, and the Giants took a 30-13 lead. Rodgers rallied the Packers for a 16-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver, cutting the lead to 30-20 with 4:46 left.

The Packers then tried on onside kick, but the Giants' Victor Cruz recovered.

Jacobs scored on a 14-yard run with 2:36 remaining to put the game away.

It was an emotional day for the Packers, who welcomed offensive coordinator Joe Philbin two days after the funeral service for his 21-year-old son, Michael.

Philbin had been away from the team all week after Michael Philbin's body was recovered from an icy river in Oshkosh, Wis., on Jan. 9. A preliminary autopsy showed that he drowned.

"I think deep down, a lot of us wanted to kind of get this one for him," Rodgers said.