Giants Gain Advantage After Beating Packers

The New York Giants had the home-field advantage through the playoffs virtually in their back pocket with 37 minutes left in the regular season and nearly let a Wisconsin pickpocket take it away from them.

However, the right to host the NFC title game remained with New York because Phil Simms threw three touchdown passes to spark the Giants’ biggest offensive outburst in 14 years and lead them to a 55-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers Saturday.

Despite the point total, the Giants (14-2) struggled against Green Bay. They built a 24-point first-half lead and twice saw the margin slip to seven points.

“Thank God for the 15-minute intermission,” Giant guard Bill Ard said. “We came back, readjusted and took control of the game again.

“Not much was said at halftime,” Simms said. “Coach (Bill) Parcells just said: ‘Guys, you know what’s at stake. It’s out there if you want it.’ ”

And the Giants got what they wanted, the right to play all their NFC playoff games at Giants Stadium, where they are undefeated this season in eight games.

First, the Giants would have to win the NFC semifinal game here on either Jan. 3 or 4 against either San Francisco or the Rams. New York would play the 49ers if Washington beat the Rams in next week’s wild-card game. The Rams would be the opponents if they beat the Redskins.

“The Giants are a good football team, but it’s hard to judge how good they are, based on what we did to them offensively,” Packer Coach Forrest Gregg said. “We couldn’t stop them offensively because we were hurting up front on defense.”

There was no doubt the Giants’ offense, and Simms in particular, made the difference. Simms, who was snubbed for the Pro Bowl, hit 18 of 25 passes for 245 yards, including touchdown passes of 24 and 4 yards to All-Pro tight end Mark Bavaro and a 22-yard score to reserve tight end Zeke Mowatt.

The scoring toss to Bavaro and the one to Mowatt came on the Giants’ first two possessions of the second half, and coupled with touchdown runs of 10 and 21 yards by Lee Rouson in the fourth quarter, closed the door on the Packers. Green Bay had trailed, 24-0, in the second quarter but moved to within seven points just before the half and pulled within 31-24 early in the third quarter.