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Fact or Fiction: Debating Eli Manning's most iconic game

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The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

The most exciting conference championship game in Giants history was 2007 in Green Bay.

John Schmeelk: Fact – This is still my favorite game that I have ever covered. The combination of the weather, historic nature of Lambeau Field, and playing against Brett Favre is impossible to beat. The game went into overtime and included several dramatic field goals (makes and misses). It had a legendary offensive performance from Plaxico Burress and Eli Manning, and then the game turned in overtime on an interception by Corey Webster. This one takes the cake. I'll never forget it.

Dan Salomone: Fact – It's one of those games that still lives on outside the Giants' bubble. Take me for example. Having no idea at the time that I would ever work for or cover the Giants, I vividly remember watching that game at a place called Grizzly's Grill N' Saloon in Minnesota, where I grew up. Naturally, we took some pleasure in seeing Favre's Packers career end that way. The games that transcend fanbases are the truly special ones, and the 2007 in Green Bay still gets talked about to this day whenever the temperature drops.

Lance Medow: Fact – The 1990 and 2011 NFC Championship Games, both in Candlestick Park in San Francisco, are also strong candidates. Both those games were won on field goals (the '11 game, like the '07 game, in overtime), but I don't think either one of them tops 2007 in Green Bay. You had a little bit of everything in 2007: frigid temperatures, six lead changes, big pass plays, takeaways, and special teams highlights and mishaps. There was no shortage of drama in 2007.

Matt Citak: Fact – The 2007 Giants were known as the Road Warriors, as all three wins leading up to Super Bowl XLII were away from Giants Stadium. The NFC Championship Game in Green Bay was the ultimate test, with a temperature of one below zero at kickoff and a wind chill of 23 below zero. It was a back-and-forth game that featured a total of five field goals, including Lawrence Tynes' game-winner in overtime. The image of Tom Coughlin's red face on the sideline is one that Giants fans will never forget, and this victory set the stage for the Giants to pull off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history two weeks later. Add in the fact that Corey Webster ended Brett Favre's Green Bay career with an interception in overtime to set up the winning field goal, and this one is a no-brainer.

The best game of Eli Manning's career was the 2011 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – Dan loves to pose this question, and I will once again disagree. It was certainly Eli Manning's toughest performance, given how many times he had to peel himself off the soggy San Francisco turf after getting knocked down, but it is not even close to his best performance. Despite having 17 (not a typo) offensive possessions, the Giants managed only two drives that went for more than 40 yards. In the second half and overtime, the Giants managed just 153 yads of offense and punted 10 times. At one point they punted on 10 of 11 drives, including five three-and-outs. Their only two scores in the second half were gifted by short fields thanks to 49ers muffed punts in their own territory. The Giants' offense was almost non-functional for two quarters and overtime. Manning's game in 2007 was far more impressive given the weather conditions, and the list of other superior playoff games alone is quite long.

Dan Salomone: Fact – The toughness I showed in covering that game with water dripping down on my laptop from the old, leaky press box at Candlestick was matched by only one person that day – Eli Manning. But don't take my word for it. Team president John Mara put it best in the wake of No. 10's retirement. "His finest hour was the 2011 NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, where he took such a beating, a physical beating in that game, and just kept getting up and we end up winning that game. I think to me, that was his finest moment." P.S. He wasn't talking about me.

Lance Medow: Fact – Eli Manning's performance the previous week in Green Bay in the Divisional Round wasn't too shabby, but it's hard to top the 2011 NFC Championship in San Francisco given all the hits he took on a wet field and the 58 passes he attempted. Eli just kept on battling despite being sacked six times. He finished 32 of 58 for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the 20-17 overtime victory. It may not have been his best statistical performance, but when you combine the numbers with his toughness, nothing surpasses it.

Matt Citak: Fact – Throughout his 16 seasons with the Giants, Manning certainly had games with better stat lines. However, his performance against the 49ers in the 2011 NFC Championship Game was undoubtedly the most impressive game of his NFL career. Manning threw for 316 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against an elite San Francisco defense, one that ranked second in points and fourth in yards in the regular season. But forget the numbers – Manning took an absolute beating throughout the entire game, and yet every single time he got hit, he got back up and shrugged it off. Despite the 49ers being credited with 12 quarterback hits, Manning was not afraid to stay in the pocket and hold onto the ball an extra second or two in order to let his receivers get open, despite knowing that it would result in him absorbing a giant hit.

Photos from the career of two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Eli Manning

The Ravens have the most pressure heading into conference championship weekend.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – This is close between the 49ers and Ravens. The pressure is certainly mounting on Kyle Shanahan to get over the top and win a Super Bowl. He is undoubtedly a great coach and one of the best offensive minds in the NFL, but he does not yet have his ring. John Harbaugh already has his ring, but quarterback Lamar Jackson does not. He has never been to a Super Bowl, and the specter of Patrick Mahomes, which looms over every AFC team, must be overcome this week. I give the "team pressure" edge to the 49ers, but I think the quarterback with the most pressure is Lamar Jackson, who like Shanahan, is great at what he does but does not have the ultimate hardware to back it up yet.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – Making their fourth conference title game in five years is an incredible accomplishment that any franchise would take, but the 49ers have the Sisyphean pressure of getting the boulder up and over the hill.

Lance Medow: Fiction – I think the Ravens are the best team in the league when you evaluate all three facets of the squad, and they were my pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl before the season. So, I'm certainly not singing a different tune at this point. You would think the team with the best record in football has the most pressure, but I don't see it that way. If Baltimore loses, it would be disappointing, but John Harbaugh's crew is facing the defending Super Bowl champs, who have a ton of postseason experience and the Ravens haven't endured a lengthy drought as they claimed the Lombardi Trophy in 2012. In comparison, the Lions have never made the Super Bowl and just posted their first playoff victories in over 30 years. Based on that track record, it's hard to get to this point consistently, so when you do, you want to take full advantage. I'm sure Dan Campbell and that whole roster is feeling the pressure of not just the entire city of Detroit but probably the state of Michigan and then some.

Matt Citak: Fiction – Baltimore has probably been the best and most well-rounded team in the NFL throughout the entire season. However, it would not come as that big of a surprise if they wound up losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs this Sunday. That's why it's the 49ers that face the most pressure heading into conference championship weekend. Sunday's game will mark San Francisco's third consecutive trip to the NFC Championship Game, and yet they have not made the Super Bowl during this stretch. While many will point to Brock Purdy's injury in last year's game as the reason why they collapsed against the Eagles, the history books will only remember that they lost.

The Super Bowl champion will come from the NFC.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – The Ravens already beat the 49ers earlier in the season, so if they meet in the Super Bowl, it is hard to give the advantage to San Francisco. I don't feel good about betting against the Ravens and Chiefs against the 49ers and Lions. I do think whatever teams meet in the Super Bowl should give us a compelling matchup.

Dan Salomone: Fact – If the 49ers win this Sunday, they won't lose this golden opportunity. If the Lions win, they're a team of destiny that will play with house money.

Lance Medow: Fiction – As I mentioned in my response to the previous statement, I've been very high on the Ravens since the preseason, and based on what's transpired during the regular season, if they advance to the Super Bowl, I find it hard to believe the Niners or the Lions will solve that riddle given Baltimore comfortably already defeated those two teams. Even if it's the Chiefs, although the offense may not be as explosive as years prior, their defense was the No. 2 scoring unit in the league and has been a huge part of the identity of the team. With Steve Spagnuolo's group more than capable of helping solidify wins, I'd feel good about either AFC representative securing the Lombardi Trophy. Detroit's defense is concerning and the Niners' wide receiver Deebo Samuel nursing a shoulder injury fits the same bill.

Matt Citak: Fiction – If the 49ers beat the Lions on Sunday, they will provide a difficult matchup for whichever team makes it out of the AFC. Nonetheless, I'm riding with the AFC in Super Bowl LVIII, regardless of who makes it. As I mentioned in my previous answer, the Ravens were the most well-rounded team in the league this season. They have the No. 1 scoring defense along with the No. 2 offense and the likely league MVP in Lamar Jackson, and could be getting both cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tight end Mark Andrews back for this weekend's game. On the other sideline you have the Chiefs, who had the league's No. 2 defense in both points and yards allowed this season. While the Kansas City offense hasn't looked quite as dangerous as it has in previous seasons, I am smart enough to know that you can't overlook Patrick Mahomes and his ability as a play-maker. The NFL often comes down to which quarterback can put together some late magic. While Brock Purdy and Jared Goff have both enjoyed strong 2023 seasons, Mahomes is a two-time league MVP and Jackson is a soon-to-be two-time league MVP.

View photos of the previous 25 players selected with the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft.

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