NFC Championship Preview: Giants @ 49ers
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Ezra Shaw/Scott Boehm/Getty Images(SAN FRANCISCO) — A ticket to Super Bowl 46 will be on the line this Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers play host to the New York Giants at Candlestick Park in the NFC Championship Game.
These two teams met in Week 10 of the regular season, with San Francisco holding on for a 27-20 victory. Justin Smith and the Niners defense secured the win when they stopped Eli Manning and the Giants offense on fourth-and-2 from San Francisco’s 10-yard line with 34 seconds left in the game.
“They were playing really good at that time and they are playing really good now,” 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “I think they are a healthy team then when we played them. This is a Super Bowl-contending team. That’s who they are.”
49ers quarterback Alex Smith was drafted with the overall number-one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the same draft in which the Green Bay Packers selected quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the 24th overall pick. After years of mediocre play, Smith has been on fire, winning 15 of his last 18 starts. In his playoff debut against New Orleans last week, Smith tossed for 299 yards and three touchdowns.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has won four straight road playoff games. Last week in Green Bay, he torched the Packers defense for 330 yards and three touchdowns.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Pacific time.
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