At this rate, the Giants will be lucky to make it back to New York before Tuesday. Even an hour after their 23-20 overtime victory over the Packers, Giants players and administrators didn't want to let go of the moment.
I watched reserve cornerback R.W. McQuarters try to leave three separate times, but he kept doubling back to celebrate with teammates. When Lawrence Tynes' 47-yard field goal sailed through the uprights, McQuarters had a tough decision to make.
Tynes raced toward the locker room because he "just wanted to get out of the cold." McQuarters chased him at first, but then thought better of it.
"I figured I'd catch him later," said McQuarters. "I needed to celebrate with the guys I've known a little longer."
Other than Tynes, McQuarters may have been the most relieved guy in the stadium. Early in the fourth quarter, he intercepted a woefully underthrown pass that Brett Favre launched in the general direction of Koren Robinson. McQuarters raced the other direction, but he was stripped by Packers running back Ryan Grant and right tackle Mark Tauscher fielded the ball on one hop.
"I saw a clear path ahead of me and I just got sloppy with the ball," McQuarters said. "I was dying after that play."
McQuarters replaced starter Sam Madison after he drew an inexcusable personal foul in the third quarter. After his fumble, McQuarters ripped off the three-quarter sleeve shirt he was wearing and changed gloves. But that didn't keep him from fumbling again during a punt return with 2:30 left in the game. Teammate Domenick Hixon bailed him out.
"I was just praying that someone on our team would recover it," McQuarters said.
McQuarters and Corey Webster have both been a huge part of the Giants' postseason success. Webster lost his starting job after the third game of the season, but he finished strong. McQuarters said he was thrilled to see Webster make the interception that led to the Giants' game-winning field goal in overtime. Earlier in the game, Webster was burned by Donald Driver for a 90-yard touchdown.
"He's had a lot of ups and downs this season," McQuarters said. "I was so happy to see him come through. He actually had a good jam on Driver on the touchdown, but it just didn't work out."
Of his interception in OT, Webster said, "I knew that Donald Driver was one of the key guys on their team, so I kind of figured that they would be looking for him. I got a good jam on him at the line of scrimmage and then I was able to jump the route a little bit."
McQuarters said the Giants' cornerbacks did a better job of jamming the Packers' receivers at the line of scrimmage in the second half. It seemed to throw off Favre's rhythm and he finished the second half 9 of 17 for 73 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Back with a Lawrence Tynes exclusive in a little bit.
