NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Super Bowl XLVI Set For Giants Vs. Patriots

The 2012 NFL Playoffs now come down to a Super Bowl XLVI matchup between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. The Patriots had beaten the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the day, 23-20, after kicker Bill Cundiff missed a field goal that would have sent the game to overtime. The Giants, though, kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime to head to the Super Bowl with a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. We will now have a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, which the Giants won, 17-14. That also marked the first game the Patriots lost that season.

But the thing about the Giants victory here is that it echoes back to the Niners-Giants matchup from 2003. In that one, Giants long snapper Trey Junkin botched the snap and the field goal was unable to be attempted. On this one, the snap was botched, but the holder was able to properly recover the ball and allow Lawrence Tynes to successfully kick the 31-yard field goal.

In regulation, tight end Vernon Davis caught two touchdown passes from Alex Smith, one being a 73-yarder. However, Eli Manning found Bear Pascoe and Mario Manningham for touchdowns. Tynes and David Akers each added a field goal to keep it an odd score of 17-17 at the end of regulation.

On Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, the Patriots and the Giants will clash at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. Game time is set for 4:29 p.m. MT and the game can be seen on NBC.

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Ravens Vs. Patriots Final Score: New England Adds Baltimore To List Of Victories On Way To Super Bowl XLVI Berth

The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2008, the year the Patriots went undefeated right up until they lost the big game. On Saturday, the Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 23-20, but they needed to sweat out the victory.

Relayed: Updated 2012 NFL Bracket

Joe Flacco led the Ravens on a two-minute drive with the chance to win the game. Flacco converted a 3rd-and-1 for a big gain to reach the 23-yard line of the Patriots. But the drive stalled. A potential touchdown catch slipped out of a receiver's hands. Then there was the Billy Cundiff field goal attempt to tie the game. It was a miss:

The Patriots kneeled the ball with seconds left and won the game. I guess the Ravens could have used Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater there. We all know that Prater is cool as ice and copacetic with kicking field goals in such pressure-filled situations.

This sets up a potential rematch in the Super Bowl with the New York Giants should they defeat the New England Patriots.

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NFL Playoff TV Schedule, Game Times For AFC, NFC Championship Games

On Sunday night, we'll learn which teams are in Super Bowl XLVI. Will we see the Baltimore Ravens, the AFC North winners, upset the New England Patriots, who throttled the Denver Broncos one week earlier? Or will Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez be too much to handle? The Ravens have one of the top defenses in the league, but will they be able to perform on the road? Yet, this game could come down to Joe Flacco's ability to perform well at Gillette, where he has had a horror show of games there. He was 4-of-10 passing two years ago in a playoff game at Gillette.

Related: A Broncos Fan's Guide To Rooting During Championship Weekend | 2012 NFL Playoff Picks

And then we have the New York Giants looking to upset the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants last saw the 49ers in the playoffs in Jan. 2003. That game, of course, ended with long snapper Trey Junkin botching the snap for the game-winning field goal for the Giants. The Niners escaped with the victory, but then a loss to the Buccaneers the next week would keep the team out of the playoffs until this season. With a revived Alex Smith leading the Niners will his team be able to knock off an Eli Manning who is playing his usual postseason game?

Baltimore Ravens (12-4) vs. New England Patriots (13-3), 1:00 p.m. MT, CBS - Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

New York Giants (9-7) vs. San Francisco 49ers (13-3), 4:30 p.m. MT, FOX - Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA

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2012 NFL Playoffs: A Denver Broncos Fan's Guide To Rooting During Conference Championship Weekend

The 2012 NFL Playoffs continue on Sunday with the AFC and NFC Championship games. For whom should Denver Broncos fans be rooting?

NFL Picks, Conference Championship Weekend: Is A Super Bowl Rematch On Tap?

It's Conference Championship Weekend in the 2012 NFL Playoffs and waiting on the other end of Sunday is the Super Bowl XLVI matchup. Out of the four teams, only the New York Giants had to play in each of the previous two weekends. They beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Round and then upset the 15-1 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. They will face the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's late game as slight underdogs, but that is the game far more likely to have an upset.

Awaiting the victor of that game will be either the Baltimore Ravens or the New England Patriots. Both teams are looking for their first Super Bowl appearances since each team played against the New York Giants in the big game (2001 for the Ravens, 2008 for the Patriots).

New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith has turned into one of the great heroes of the 2011 season, especially after leading two scoring drives against the New Orleans last week, pulling off the late upset. But Eli Manning has been too good this postseason, and the pass rushers his team has on defense should be able to get to Alex Smith often (Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times last week). PICK: GIANTS

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots: The Ravens aren't the Denver Broncos that the Patriots faced last week, which makes this a bit tougher of a contest. Tom Brady likely won't be able to throw six touchdown passes again, but Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez should still provide matchup problems for the Ravens' linebackers and safeties. Plus, Joe Flacco has plenty of issues playing against the Patriots. PICK: PATRIOTS

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NFL Playoff Schedule 2012: Patriots Look For Another Super Bowl Berth

New England ended Tim Tebow's magic last week in the second round of the NFL playoffs. Can the Patriots get by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to reach another Super Bowl?