Put away the earmuffs and mittens, 49ers fans.
The road to the Super Bowl won’t go through Lambeau Field, as most expected, but rather Candlestick Park after the New York Giants knocked off the defending champion Green Bay Packers, 37-20, on Sunday.
That means the fourth-seeded Giants will fly cross-country to face the second-seeded 49ers at 3:30 p.m. Sunday for the NFC championship.
When the 49ers hosted the Giants in Week 10, New York’s Eli Manning threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions and had his last-second pass to the end zone knocked down at the line of scrimmage by defensive end Justin Smith. The 49ers won, 27-20.
The Giants’ defense stacked the line of scrimmage against Frank Gore, who had rushed for 100-plus yards in his five previous games. He finished with no yards on six carries, and backup Kendall Hunter replaced him in the second half.
The 49ers’ Alex Smith, meanwhile, had a good game, throwing for 242 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown to Vernon Davis.
The teams have met six times in the playoffs, with the 49ers holding a 4-2 advantage.
Their last postseason meeting came in January 2003, when the Giants raced to a 24-point third-quarter lead before the 49ers stormed back in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 39-38, the Giants attempted a last-second field goal, but Trey Junkin’s snap fell short of the holder. After the errant snap, a non-pass interference call on a desperation pass downfield still causes grumbling in the New York area.
The 49ers’ season-ticket holders will get the first chance at tickets to Sunday’s game. They will be able to purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
At 1 p.m., the remaining seats will go on sale to the general public through Ticketmaster.
