P) -Brandon Jacobs scored for New York on a 1-yard run with 3:21 left, and Eli Manning hit Domenik Hixon for a tying 2-point conversion, leaving the Giants and Carolina tied at 28 at the end of regulation Sunday night.
DeAngelo Williams ran for four touchdowns for Carolina. Williams tied his own team record for rushing touchdowns in a game and the four scores gave him 20 touchdowns this season, breaking the Panthers’ record of 16 that he shared with Muhsin Muhammad.
Williams’ fourth score was a 30-yard scamper 2:10 into the fourth quarter that gave the Panthers a 28-20 lead.
The Giants drove 44 yards in seven plays for the equalizer, with Kevin Boss putting New York in position with 12-yard catch to the 5. On the following play, cornerback Ken Lucas was whistled for pass interference against Hixon in the end zone.
The Giant got the ball on the 1 and Jacobs punched it in.
The Panthers had a final shot to win in regulation, but John Kasay’s 50-yard field- goal attempt was wide left with 4 seconds remaining
The Giants got the only points of the third quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Kevin Boss with 59 seconds left. Derrick Ward had the longest gain in the 12-play, 84-yard drive, a 22-yard run that moved the Giants to the Panthers 33.
tle for the top seed in the NFC and homefield advantage through the conference championship.
After Jacobs gave the Gaints a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter on a 2-yard run, the Panthers made it 14-10 lead with 8:12 remaining. Williams scored again, this time from 5 yards out.
Williams also made one of the key plays on the drive, picking up 16 yards on a reverse to take the Panthers down the 14.
The Panthers wasted no time moving into scoring position on their third possession, with Jake Delhomme connecting with Muhammad for 60 yard on the first play, setting up Carolina on the 5. Muhammad caught a 2-yard-pass on the next play. Delhomme then hit Smith with a short pass that was initially ruled a touchdown. Giants coach Tom Coughlin challenged the call and the video review confirmed that Smith’s knee touched the ground before the ball broke the plane of the goal line. The points were taken off the scoreboard with the ball placed on the half-yard line.
The successful challenge only delayed the inevitable as Williams scored on the next play to put Carolina up 21-10 with 4:45 remaining.
John Carney kicked his second field goal, this time from 35 yards, with 50 seconds remaining to cut the Panthers’ lead to eight at 21-13.
opening drive. New York had a nine-play, 61-yard drive, highlighted by Hixon’s 40-yard reception. On third-and-6 from the Giants 42, Manning eluded pressure in the pocket before rolling right to find Hixon downfield.
The Panthers answered right back, scoring with 6:16 remaining.
Steve Smith figured in the two key plays setting up the score on the seven-play, 77-yard drive. Smith took a pitch from Delhomme and scampered 23 yards down the right sideline. Two plays later, a wide-open Smith caught a 35-yard pass that moved the Panthers to the 11.
Jacobs, back in the lineup after missing the previous six quarters with a knee injury, put the Giants back in front with 13:38 left in the second quarter. His score capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive. Jacobs, showing little rust from the layoff, picked up 40 yards on his first 11 carries.
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