NFC Championship: Vikes vs. Giants

Jan. 14, 2001 -- New York Giants coach Jim Fassel predicted with five weeks left in the season that his team would make the playoffs. Now, having won seven straight games including a 41-0 rout of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game today, the Giants are going to the Super Bowl.

New York quarterback Kerry Collins threw for 381 yards and a franchise-record five touchdowns as the underdog Giants steamrolled a Vikings team that mustered 114 yards of total offense and looked clueless, lifeless and hopeless today at the Meadowlands.

The loss marks the Vikings' first shutout under Dennis Green as their playoff woes continue. Minnesota (12-6) last year lost to the St. Louis Rams 49-37 in the NFC divisional playoff game and was denied a trip to Super Bowl XXXIII when the Atlanta Falcons triumphed 30-27 in overtime in the 1999 NFC Championship game.

The Giants (14-4) advance to Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa and will play the Baltimore Ravens, who later today defeated Oakland 16-3 in the AFC Championship game.

Giants Scored and Scored and …

Collins' career — which included stints with New Orleans and Carolina — has been shrouded in controversy as the sixth-year passer also battled alcoholism. Sober and in his second season as the Giants' quarterback, Collins leads an offense that last week was criticized for an anemic effort that resulted in no offensive touchdowns in the 20-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional playoff game.

Collins today silenced his critics with a force.

The Collins-led squad crackled from the opening drive: a four-play, 75-yard assault that concluded with a 46-yard scoring strike to Ike Hilliard on a mild, 37 degree day at the Meadowlands. Hilliard pulled in his second touchdown pass in the second quarter as he put forth record numbers with 10 receptions for 155 yards.

Collins quickly notched his second touchdown in two minutes when the Giants recovered a Minnesota fumble on the ensuing kickoff and he connected with Greg Comella on an 18-yard touchdown pass.

The Giants quarterback continued to flaunt the vulnerability of the Minnesota secondary with his third touchdown pass, this one an 8-yard toss to former Penn State teammate Joe Jurevicius five minutes into the second quarter. That score was set up with a 43-yard heave to Ron Dixon.

Not to be left out of the offense, Amani Toomer — playing with a sprained ankle — had six receptions for 88 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. The play was set up by a Culpepper fumble on a sack by Shaun Williams and produced a career-high fifth touchdown pass for Collins, who also tied a playoff TD passing record set in 1943 by Sid Luckman.

Giants' kicker Brad Daluiso added 21- and 22-yard field goals to round out the New York scoring. He missed a 43-yarder.

Secondary Quiets Moss and Carter

Culpepper, who passed for 302 yards last week against the New Orleans Saints in their divisional playoff game, was 13-for-28 with 78 yards passing and three interceptions today. Normally a running threat, Culpepper had just 10 yards rushing on two carries today and couldn't jumpstart Minnesota against a tough, blitzing New York defense that sacked him four times.

The marquee matchup today was cornerbacks Jason Sehorn and Dave Thomas against Minnesota's playmakers Randy Moss and Cris Carter. The New York secondary took away the long ball and smothered the usually prolific Minnesota wideouts. Moss, who had two touchdown receptions for 121 yards last week, pulled in just two receptions for 18 yards.

The Giants denied Carter a catch until the start of the fourth quarter. Carter, who hinted at possibly retiring after the season, was Minnesota's leading receiver with three catches for 24 yards. New York's Emmanuel McDaniel plucked a touchdown pass out of the hands of Carter in the end zone for an interception that squelched the Vikings' most promising scoring opportunity of the day.

Even a fired-up halftime speech couldn't spark the Vikings to a turnaround. Trailing 34-0, Culpepper fumbled on the opening play of the second half, and the Giants sensed a celebration was in their midst.

The Giants last won the Super Bowl 10 years ago when they beat the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in 1991 in Tampa — the site of this year's title game.