The third "Tynes" the charm for Giants

I know the Green Bay Packers fans are in a stupor now. I mean, how did Green Bay's "FAVRE ET" son let this one get away? Say it isn't so, Vince Lombardi.

Two missed field goals by Lawrence Tynes, one with four seconds left in regulation, gave the Packers life as they won the coin toss in overtime. As a hapless Jets fan, I told my son, a die hard G-Men fan, that this is all she wrote. The Giants were dead. All Favre had to do was hook up with Donald Driver on a long-pass play and they were in Super Bowl XLII.

The Giants weren't even supposed to get this far. They weren't fit to beat the Buccaneers, the Cowboys and certainly not the Packers. Eli Manning was supposed to choke on his own inept play and lack of leadership. The experts even predicted it.

But here they were, in overtime, giving the Packers fits. Yet, as Favre wound up and tossed a spiral in the direction of Driver, the Giants faithful sensed it was over. Until, that is, Cory Webster stepped in front of Driver and snagged the ball.

Awesome. What jubilation in the hearts of New York fans. But wait. Manning could only advance the ball to the Packers' 30-yard line, right on the edge of Tynes' field goal range. Except that he missed two fourth quarter attempts, one from 43 yards, another from 37 yards. So who on earth expected Tynes to deliver this one? Not I. Not my son. Certainly not the majority of the Packers fans jammed into frigid Lambeau Field.

This time the snap was sturdy and level, the hold was firm and Tynes tried to envision driving the ball as straight as he could. There would be no shanking the ball this time. The ball split the uprights with plenty to spare and the Giants punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.

So, what happened Green Bay? You were 13-3 during the regular season and had every reason to believe you would go to the Super Bowl after disposing of the Seattle Seahawks a week earlier in a heavy snowstorm.

What happened is that Al Harris, the talented, outspoken cornerback for the Packers, couldn't contain Plaxico Burress, who caught 10 passes for 154 yards. What happened is that the Packers' running game could only account for 29 yards.

What happened is that Favre, other than the 90-yarder to Driver in the second quarter, was stale and was picked off twice. What happened is that Eli Manning was 21 for 40 for 254 yards, no interceptions with pinpoint control.

For once, Eli Manning showed big brother Peyton and dad Archie that he could play champion caliber football and wasn't going to crack under pressure.

For once, Brett Favre showed every bit of his 38 years. He looked tired, uneasy, even perplexed. The Giant D, led by Osi Uminura and Michael Strahan, showed why it was the stingiest defense in the NFL.

For 16 regular season games, the Packers were the better team. But, for one frigid Sunday on Jan. 20, 2008, the Giants played harder, better and seemingly wanted it more.

Now they get to dance with the baddest asses in the league, the undefeated New England Patriots. That's a story for anotther day.

So what will be written on the Packers' epitaph for the 2007-2008 season? That Favre had a magical season which fell one pass short? That the running game and defense let him down? No. I don't think that's fair. Favre's too good to believe that crap.

The Giants simply came more prepared to play, like the Steelers did two years ago when they parlayed a 11-5 season into a Super Bowl championship.

In the end, Favre showed why he is a class act when he greeted Eli Manning, a fellow "Ol Miss graduate, and congratulated him.

Learn more about this author, David Skolnik.
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