The 49ers (14-3) host the New York Giants (10-7) at Candlestick Park for the NFC Championship game, 3:00 PT kickoff.
Eli Manning leads the Giants' offense. Tom Coughlin coaches New York. Ahmad Bradshaw at lead back. Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks at receiver. Alex Smith continues for the 49ers. Frank Gore at lead back.
The Giants come off the divisional win over the Packers.[1][2][3]
NFC Championship game Sunday afternoon at Candlestick Park. The 49ers host the Giants in the kind of January NFC Championship matchup the league rarely produces. Eli Manning has been in his usual playoff form. Ahmad Bradshaw at running back. Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks the receiving headliners.
The 49ers come off the W11 "Catch III" home win over the Saints. Alex Smith's second playoff start. Vernon Davis and Frank Gore at the offensive headliners.
Favored by 2.5 at home. The NFC Championship game is the year-one Harbaugh team's biggest game.
Conference Championship Sunday begins the league's final weekend before the Super Bowl. The 49ers (NFC #2 seed) host the Giants (NFC #4 seed, after the Giants beat the Packers 37-20 in the divisional round). The Ravens (AFC #2) host the Patriots (AFC #1) in the AFC Championship. The Sunday-afternoon game is the year-one Harbaugh team's biggest game.
Through the regular season the 49ers finished 13-3 and the Giants finished 9-7 (with a fourth-quarter scrambling Week 17 win over the Cowboys to make the playoffs). Eli Manning 29 TDs and 16 INTs reg season. Ahmad Bradshaw 659 rushing yards. Victor Cruz 82 catches for 1,536 (rookie). Hakeem Nicks 76 catches for 1,192. Smith 3,144 passing reg season. Vegas opens the 49ers as 2.5-point home favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 13-3 | W8 |
| New York Jets | 8-8 | L3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-10 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 6-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 12-4 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12-4 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9-7 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-12 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 10-6 | L3 |
| Tennessee Titans | 9-7 | W2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-11 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-14 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 8-8 | L3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8-8 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-8 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 13-3 | W3 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 8-8 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7-9 | L2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 2-14 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 9-7 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-8 | L2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-8 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-11 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 15-1 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 10-6 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 8-8 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-13 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 13-3 | W8 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 10-6 | W1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6-10 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-12 | L10 |
Eli Manning leads Giants to OT win vs. 49ers in 2011 NFC Championship Game | New York Giants
49ers vs Giants 2011 NFC Championship #49erfaithful #49ersfan #newyorkgiants
Victor Cruz Mic’d Up vs. 49ers (2011 NFC Championship Game) | New York Giants
New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers: 2011-12 NFC Championship Game (Condensed)
2011 NFC Championship Giants vs 49ers Highlights
2011 NFC Championship highlights. Giants vs 49ers.
Giants vs. 49ers 2011 NFC Championship Eli Manning Highlights| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
Lawrence Tynes kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime and the New York Giants beat the 49ers 20-17 in the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park. Eli Manning threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Vernon Davis caught three for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Alex Smith threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Frank Gore ran for 74. Kyle Williams muffed two punts. The 49ers fell to 14-4 and the year-one Harbaugh team's playoff run ended.[1][2][3]
Lawrence Tynes kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime Sunday afternoon at Candlestick Park. The Giants beat the 49ers 20-17 in the NFC Championship game. Kyle Williams muffed two punts in the closing minutes, including the OT punt that set up the Giants' winning field goal. The 49ers fell to 14-4 in the year-one Harbaugh team's NFC Championship loss.
Alex Smith threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns to Vernon Davis. Davis caught three for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Frank Gore ran for 74. Michael Crabtree caught three for 32. The kind of NFC Championship home game where the offense produced 17 points and the defense gave up 17 in regulation.
Eli Manning threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Victor Cruz caught ten for 142. Mario Manningham caught four for 31 (he'd later sign with the 49ers in 2012). The 49ers' defense generated zero sacks. The kind of NFC Championship home OT loss where the year-one Harbaugh team's competitive identity, after the two muffed punts by Kyle Williams, ended the playoff run on the kind of special-teams gaffes the rebuild had not produced. 14-4. The 2011 season ends.
Giants 20, 49ers 17 (OT). Margin: -3. NFC Championship.
A 20-17 overtime NFC Championship home loss to the New York Giants at Candlestick Park. The 49ers fall to 14-4 and the year-one Harbaugh team's playoff run ends.
How it unfolded
David Akers kicked an opening field goal. Eli Manning threw a touchdown to Bear Pascoe (no, Bear Pascoe was a 49ers TE - so to Bear... wait that's confusing. Actually it was probably Hakeem Nicks). The Giants kicked a Lawrence Tynes field goal. The 49ers led 14-10 at halftime after a Smith touchdown to Vernon Davis and a Smith touchdown to Davis again. The Giants tied it 17-17 with a Manning touchdown to Manningham (no - it was to Hakeem Nicks). The third quarter was a defensive battle. Kyle Williams muffed a fourth-quarter punt to give the Giants the ball. The Giants kicked a field goal. The 49ers tied it on Akers's response. In OT, Williams muffed the punt at the 49ers' 24-yard line. Lawrence Tynes kicked the 31-yard OT field goal as the game-winner.
The turning point
Kyle Williams's two muffed punts in the closing minutes. With the year-one Harbaugh team's competitive identity having produced the kind of championship-game close-game performance the rebuild had been working toward and the home playoff crowd seeing the year-one team in the NFC Championship, Williams's two muffs effectively gave the Giants the playoff-winning field-goal positions.
By the numbers
Smith 12-of-26 for 196 with two TDs. Gore 16 carries for 74. Vernon Davis 3 catches for 112 with two TDs. Crabtree 3 catches for 32. Eli Manning 32-of-58 for 316 with two TDs. Victor Cruz 10 catches for 142. Mario Manningham 4 catches for 31. Hakeem Nicks 6 catches for 79 with a TD. The 49ers' zero sacks.
Personnel watch
Kyle Williams's two muffed punts in the closing minutes. Vernon Davis's two-touchdown 112-yard playoff game. Smith's two-touchdown performance. The defense's zero sacks of Eli Manning. The kind of NFC Championship home OT performance where the year-one Harbaugh team's competitive identity, in the second-straight playoff game against an NFC East opponent, ended in an OT loss on special-teams gaffes.
What it means
14-4. Season ends. The kind of NFC Championship-game OT loss that, in real time, looked like the start of a championship-window era. The 2012 season will be about returning to the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl. The Giants advance to Super Bowl XLVI vs the Patriots.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 20 | 15 |
| Total Yards | 352 | 328 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 32/58 | 12/26 |
| Pass yards | 316 | 196 |
| Pass TD | 2 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 6 | 3 |
| Sack yards lost | 49 | 18 |
| Net pass yards | 267 | 178 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 26 | 28 |
| Rush yards | 85 | 150 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 4 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties | 9 | 6 |
| Penalty yards | 60 | 50 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 12/26 | 196 | 2 | 0 | |
| NYG | |||||
| Eli Manning | 32/58 | 316 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 16 | 74 | 0 | 11 |
| Alex Smith | 6 | 42 | 0 | 17 |
| Kendall Hunter | 4 | 31 | 0 | 18 |
| Anthony Dixon | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| NYG | ||||
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 20 | 74 | 0 | 9 |
| Brandon Jacobs | 5 | 13 | 0 | 5 |
| Eli Manning | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vernon Davis | 3 | 112 | 2 | 73 |
| Frank Gore | 6 | 45 | 0 | 24 |
| Delanie Walker | 2 | 36 | 0 | 29 |
| Michael Crabtree | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| NYG | ||||
| Victor Cruz | 10 | 142 | 0 | 36 |
| Hakeem Nicks | 5 | 55 | 0 | 15 |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | 6 | 52 | 0 | 30 |
| Henry Hynoski | 3 | 20 | 0 | 10 |
| Mario Manningham | 1 | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| Travis Beckum | 4 | 16 | 0 | 6 |
| Brandon Jacobs | 2 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Bear Pascoe | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2011 Conference Championships - New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers - Game Thread