THE WINNER MAKES THE NEXT-TO-LAST MISTAKE. So it often is in chess, so it was with the Packers.

Lawrence Tynes made up for his other misses with a 47-yarder to send the Giants to the NFC championship.

Great effort by the Giants, a team much improved from the rather sloppy bunch that began the season, and now on a long road winning streak and a stretch drive that probably inspired them to play for one more shot at the Patriots, which they'll have in El Alamein Arizona after prevailing at Stalingrad Green Bay.