SAN FRANCISCO  — The New York Giants have their own Super Bowl formula: in overtime and on the road.

And with Lawrence Tynes’ foot.

Five plays after the 49ers’ Kyle Williams fumbled a punt, Tynes kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime, sending the Giants to the Super Bowl with a 20-17 victory over San Francisco in the NFC championship game Sunday.

In another tight one in this decades-old postseason rivalry, both defenses made key stops before New York capitalized on a rare mistake in San Francisco’s resurgent season. Williams’ blunder put the Giants in perfect position for another sensational finish in a season full of them.

“That was a tough game. We had to fight for every yard that we got,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. “Defense was outstanding, special teams getting us two turnovers was huge. That led to 10 points.”

The first three overtime series ended in punts before Williams fumbled. The Giants won it moments later and silenced — for good this time — the towel-waving, poncho-wearing sellout crowd at cold, rainy Candlestick Park.

“It was one of those situations where I tried to turn it upfield and it just didn’t work out,” Williams said.

Manning and the Giants (12-7) will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis as 3½-point underdogs. The last time the teams met for the NFL title, 2008, the Giants ended the Patriots’ bid for a perfect season.

 

Patriots in Super Bowl, beat Ravens 23-20

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady got all the help he needed to get the New England Patriots into the Super Bowl.

Thank you, Billy Cundiff.

The Baltimore Ravens kicker shanked a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and the Patriots escaped with a 23-20 victory in the AFC championship game on Sunday.

Usually, vintage Brady doesn’t need much assistance in championship settings, but the Patriots much-maligned defense came through, and Brady’s 1-yard touchdown dive with 11:29 left proved to be the winning points.

“Well, I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us,” Brady said after throwing for 239 yards, with two interceptions and, for the first time in 36 games, no TD passes. “I’m going to try to go out and do a better job in a couple of weeks, but I’m proud of this team, my teammates.”