The undefeated New England Patriots and the New York Giants are on their way to Super Bowl 42, the championship game of the U.S. National Football League.
The Giants were a wild-card team and had to win three straight post-season games to reach the Super Bowl. Despite frigid temperatures in Wisconsin Sunday at the Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field, New York clawed out a 23-20 overtime victory.
The Giants are only the second National Conference team ever to advance to the Super Bowl as a wild-card pick and are returning to the championship game for the first time in seven years.
New York now faces the daunting task of playing New England, 21-12 winners over the San Diego Chargers earlier Sunday.
Frigid weather also shrouded the Patriots' home field in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and New England quarterback Tom Brady did not show his usual precision, throwing three interceptions. But Brady completed 22 of 33 passes, two of them for touchdowns, and running back Laurence Maroney plunged one yard into the end zone for a third score.
San Diego came close to the end zone four times, but the Patriots' defense stopped the Chargers, whose only scoring came on four field goals by Nate Kaeding.
New England is the first team to post an 18-0 record in a single season, and has won three of the last six Super Bowls. The Patriots will face the Giants at Super Bowl 42 on February 3 in Glendale, Arizona (near Phoenix).
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
