GREEN BAY, Wis. -- In something of a classic slugfest played out in frigid temperatures, the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers traded the lead back and forth in Sunday's NFC championship game before the Giants squeaked by with a field goal in overtime.

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In only the second overtime NFC championship game in league history, the Giants upset the Green Bay Packers 23-20 on kicker Lawrence Tynes' 47-yard field goal in overtime. It sends the Giants to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2000 season.

Playing in single-digit temperatures at Green Bay's Lambeau Field, the Giants got on the scoreboard early. Led by quarterback Eli Manning, they scored a pair of field goals in the first and second quarters. But in a surprising turnaround, Packers quarterback Brett Favre passed to Donald Driver, who ran for 90 yards and scored the game's first touchdown.

Packers kicker Mason Crosby increased the team's lead with a 36-yard field goal, setting the score at 10-6.

The Packers were leading the Giants 10-6 at halftime.

By the third quarter, both teams traded touchdowns. The Giants rallied and scored a touchdown, bringing the score to 13-10. On the Packers' next possession, Favre struck back, passing to Donald Lee in the end zone. The Packers recaptured the lead at 17-13.

The Giants answered back again on their next possession, scoring a touchdown to take the lead 20-17.

Packers kicker Crosby then kicked a 37-yard field goal to tie the score at 20-20.

But it was Tynes who broke that tie that continued into overtime. Tynes made a 47-yard field goal with 12:25 left in overtime, lifting New York over Green Bay, 23-20.

The overtime kick redeemed Tynes, who had two chances to win the game in regulation -- including a badly hooked, 36-yard attempt as time expired. Tynes had made two field goals early from 29 and 37 yards.

The Packers (14-4) won the toss in the extra period but any excitement for the home team was quickly tempered when Brett Favre tried to hit Driver on an out pattern. The ball was woefully underthrown and Corey Webster picked it off at the Green Bay 43. That was the second interception thrown by Favre, who also threw two TDs.

New York (13-6) was unable to move the ball and Tynes was given a second opportunity to win it with the 47-yarder. This time, the kick was perfect and split the uprights, lifting the Giants to Super Bowl XLII and a date with the New England Patriots.

"I knew it was good and I started running when I hit it," Tynes said. "I have to give a lot of credit to my defense. This team worked its butt off and we are heading to the Super Bowl."

Manning completed 21-of-40 passes for 254 yards in the game for the Giants, who won their 10th straight road game and captured their first NFC championship in seven years. Plaxico Burress had 11 receptions for 154 yards, while Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw each rushed for a touchdown.

"They are very confident in their corners and play a lot of man-to-man coverage," Manning said. "(Burress) is a hard guy to stop and he uses his body to do a great job against physical corners. He makes things a lot easier for me."

Favre connected on 19-of-35 passes for 236 yards with two TDs and two interceptions for the Packers, who were trying to win their first conference title in 11 years. Driver had five receptions for 141 yards and a score.

"It's very disappointing," Favre said. "We had numerous opportunities today and numerous opportunities this year. I give the Giants a lot of credit. They played great. No one gave them a chance and I am sure no one will give them a chance two weeks from now (in the Super Bowl), but I wouldn't put anything past them."

Cold Weather Was Factor In Game

The cold weather was a presence throughout the game. The temperature was minus-one at game time with a wind chill of minus-23, making it the third-coldest game on record in NFL history. Temperatures fell to minus -2 by the second quarter.

The contest trailed the famed "Ice Bowl" in 1967 at Lambeau Field, when it was minus-13 with a wind chill of minus -48 as the Packers won the NFL Championship by edging the Dallas Cowboys, and the 1981 AFC Championship Game in Cincinnati, where the Bengals drubbed the San Diego Chargers in minus-9 degree temps and a wind chill of minus -59.

"Well, that was some game," said New York coach Tom Coughlin. "I think the thing that I'm most proud of about this team is the way they hang together, the way they played hard. They never say die. It doesn't matter what the odds are. They just keep scrapping and believing and working to find a way to win."

The game was tied at 20 with under three minutes to go when Green Bay was forced to punt from deep in its own territory. R.W. McQuarters took the ball near midfield and looked like he would bring it back inside the Packers 40 but fumbled, his second miscue of the game. The football bounced back to the 48 before Domenik Hixon jumped on it for the Giants.

On the next play, Bradshaw broke through the middle of the Green Bay defense for what looked like a TD, but guard Chris Snee was called for a phantom holding call, giving the Packers another life.

The frustrated Giants kept working, however. After a short pass to David Tyree netted four yards, Manning found Steve Smith over the middle for a 15-yard gain. Bradshaw then went off left tackle for eight yards and a first down at the Green Bay 31.

Manning followed that by hooking up with Smith on a 11-yard gain and Bradshaw gained two more yards on a run. Manning then spiked the ball to set up the possible game winner for Tynes with four seconds left.

The snap was high and Tynes hooked the 36-yard attempt badly, forcing overtime.

After falling behind 13-10 in the third quarter, the Packers bounced back thanks to a big return. Tramon Williams took the kickoff return back 49 yards all the way to the New York 39 and Favre then went to work on the short field. After a personal foul penalty on Sam Madison kept the drive alive, Favre hit a wide open Donald Lee for a 12-yard score to put Green Bay in front, 17-13, with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Hixon tried to match Williams by taking back the Packers' ensuing kickoff 33 yards to the Giants' 43. Manning then answered Favre by making the most of his short field. After throwing a 23-yard strike to Amani Toomer on the left sideline that put the ball at the Green Bay 12, Manning went right back to Toomer for an eight-yard gain. Bradshaw then took it in from four yards out to put the Giants back on top, 20-17, with 2:12 left in the third.

The Packers took advantage of a wild play to deadlock things. Favre was being heavily pressured when he lofted a deep pass in the vicinity of Koren Robinson inside the New York 10. McQuarters intercepted the ball but fumbled during the return and Green Bay right tackle Mark Tauscher recovered the fumble at the Giants 19. Favre wasn't able to move the ball from there but Mason Crosby banged a 37-yard field goal inside the upright to even the game at 20 with 11:46 left.

After the New York defense forced a punt to start the game, Manning and Burress went right to work. The Giants quarterback found Burress for gains of 19 and 11 yards before things bogged down at the Green Bay 11. Tynes came on and was true from 29 yards out to give New York the early 3-0 lead with 4:50 left in the opening quarter. The Giants extended their lead early in the second quarter thanks to Burress again. This time, the lanky receiver made a brilliant catch en route to a 21- yard gain to the Green Bay 17. New York couldn't find the end zone again, however, and Tynes trotted on to boot a 37-yard field goal to make it a 6-0 game with 11:41 remaining in the half.

That lead lasted all of 23 seconds. Robinson botched the ensuing kickoff giving the Packers poor field position, at their own 10. But, Driver beat Webster at the line of scrimmage, took a short Favre pass and raced 90 yards for a TD. It was the longest play in Green Bay postseason history and gave them a 7-6 edge.

The Packers extended their lead late in the half. Driver set up a field goal with a 20-yard gain to the Giants 21. Four plays later Crosby connected on a 36-yard field goal and Green Bay had a 10-6 lead with 1:30 remaining until intermission.

Burress almost stung the Packers again in the final seconds. After hauling in a 32-yard gain from Manning, the receiver almost snared a bomb inside the Green Bay five. Burress hauled the ball in but lost control as he hit the turf and the Packers took their 10-6 lead into the locker room.

The Giants took the opening kickoff in the second half and went right back to work with Burress. The former Michigan State star beat Green Bay Pro Bowl cornerback Al Harris like a drum on a 12-play, 69-yard drive and Jacobs finished things by plunging in from a yard out to see-saw the Giants back in front, 13-10, with 7:56 left in the third quarter.

The Giants have won 10 straight road games. The Giants join the 1975 Dallas Cowboys as the only NFC wild-card teams to make the Super Bowl.

The victory means back-to-back Super Bowls for the Manning family. Eli Manning, the younger brother of Peyton Manning, who struggled early in the year, was nerveless on a frigid night in Green Bay. Manning played error-free ball in rough conditions, completing 21-of-40 passes for 254 yards. Plaxico Burress had a big night, catching 11 passes for 154 yards.

Favre, the sentimental favorite, was denied another trip to the Super Bowl.

Game Notes:

This was the second NFC title game to go to overtime. Atlanta beat Minnesota, 30-27, in 1999. Madison was in the starting lineup for the Giants after missing the previous two playoff games with an abdominal injury. This is the sixth time that the Giants and Packers have met in postseason play, but the first time since 1962, when Green Bay was a 16-7 winner in the NFL Championship at Yankee Stadium. The teams also met for the league title in 1938, 1939, 1944, and 1961, with the Packers winning all but the first of those meetings. The Giants were 37-0 losers when they last appeared in a playoff game at Lambeau Field (then known as "New" City Stadium), in 1961.