Game balls
Eli Manning silenced his critics for another week with his third straight standout performance. On the day his older brother Peyton lost, Eli came through with two touchdown passes and no turnovers, while making several smart decisions amid a relentless Cowboys pass rush. Defensively for the Giants, veteran defensive end Michael Strahan gets the game ball. After mulling retirement during the preseason, Strahan finished with eight tackles and led a pass rush that pressured Romo constantly during the second half.
Key stat
The Cowboys were undone by costly penalties. They finished with 11 flags for 84 yards, many of them came at crucial times. The Giants' first touchdown drive was aided by an offsides penalty against Dallas, while their second touchdown drive was helped by a 15-yard face mask penalty. Dallas also had its final two drives hindered by a bevy of penalties, including an intentional grounding and several pre-snap infractions.
Noteworthy
The Giants clinched their first NFC Championship berth since 2000. ... It was their ninth straight road win. They avenged their only road loss of the season, which came in Week 1 at Dallas. ... Amani Toomer's two touchdown catches game him seven in his career during the playoffs, a new Giants franchise record. ... Jeff Feagles, one of the most successful punters at pinning teams inside the 20, did so twice Sunday. ... The Cowboys had a 20-play touchdown drive that spanned over 10 minutes in the second quarter. ... Dallas running back Marion Barber had 101 yards rushing and a touchdown in the first half, but only 29 yards in the second half.
