The New York Giants’ defensive performance at Candlestick Park Sunday night was nothing short of intrepid, limiting the San Francisco 49ers to one third-down conversion on 13 tries in a 20-17 overtime win that sent the G-Men to their second Super Bowl in four seasons.
“Obviously, they’re not built for converting [on third-and-long]; they like to be in the third-and-3s and third-and-2s,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said in an interview with WFAN radio on Monday. “It’s going to be tough to beat a football team when you can’t convert on third down like that.”
Punt returner Kyle Williams’ two fumbles–the second of which led to Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning, 31-yard field goal in OT–made him the goat, and unfortunately the recipient of death threats via Twitter, but the focus on him only directs attention away from San Francisco’s poor showing in third-down situations.
Even if Williams, who was stripped in OT by Giants rookie Jacquian Williams (ball recovered by Devin Thomas) after fielding that fateful punt on his own 19, had been less cavalier and merely tackled following a modest return, was quarterback Alex Smith (12 of 26, 196 yards, 2 TD) a guarantee to get his team within field goal range? Far from it, considering how the Giants’ defense was holding up.
Williams’ second turnover never allowed Smith such an opportunity, of course, but the two touchdown receptions tight end Vernon Davis had on the night would account for San Francisco’s only offensive highlights.
“They don’t get too much of anything in that game without those two big plays,” Tuck said.
Big Blue was relentless down the stretch, forcing three three-and-outs on three of the 49ers’ last four possessions–including their sole possession in OT–after David Akers kicked a 25-yard field goal that knotted the game at 17 with less than 6 minutes left in regulation.
“Regardless of what it took, we wasn’t going to allow them to score any more,” Tuck said. “You just had that feeling that no offense could move the ball against either one of these defenses. I love games like that.”