(Reuters) ? The New York Giants eliminated last year's Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers from the National Football League (NFL) playoffs with a 37-20 road win on Sunday to reach next week's NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Eli Manning had three touchdown passes, including two long strikes to Hakeem Nicks, and the Giants defense contained explosive Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to end Green Bay's shot at becoming the first team in seven years to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
The Giants, who won the Super Bowl four years ago with an improbable run to the title as a wild card, are now one win away from returning to the title game on February 5 in Indianapolis.
The Packers had the NFL's top-scoring offense during the regular season, averaging 35 points a game as they went 15-1, but were unable to solve a suffocating Giants defense that forced four turnovers in the game.
"Our defense has done well for us the last few weeks and that's made a huge difference for us, to be able to count on that," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. "Today, not only the outstanding play, but the turnovers."
The Giants forced three fumbles and a late interception to thwart the Green Bay attack.
New York also had four sacks, two coming late in the game, and Rodgers was victimized by eight drops from his receivers as Green Bay, who had first-round playoff bye due to their NFL-best record, looked out of synch for much of the game.
The teams battled evenly in the first half until a late surge by the Giants gave them the upper hand. A 37-yard desperation heave by Manning was hauled in by Nicks as time expired in the first half to give New York a 20-10 lead.
Nicks also scored on a 66-yard touchdown catch-and run in the first quarter.
(Reporting By Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)
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