If you didn’t catch the this amazing match-up, see the NFL Network’s video recap of the entire game by clicking right here> NFL.VIDEO/Giantsvs.Panthers

The NFL deemed it the game of the week, but the New York Giants comeback, overtime victory was in many people’s minds, pro football’s game of the year. This was such a classic match-up that the NFL moved the game from an early afternoon start to 8:15pm to be the featured game of the day on NBC and football fans everywhere were treated to a tremendous match.

It was as if it were the script written in advance – the NFC’s two very best team’s meeting in the next to last week of the season to determine who would be top dog in the conference, earning home field advantage. You had the Carolina Panthers, probably the hottest team in the league coming into a frigid New Jersey Meadowlands to meet a New York Giants team who were flying high for some time, but two bad losses in back to back weeks had everyone second guessing Big Blue – all except for the players that is.

In a sparkling performance, Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams dominated with four rushing touchdowns, three in the first half to give the Panthers a commanding 21 – 10 lead as New York fans started thinking about the worst collapse their team could possibly endure. But the second half was all Blue as the Giants steamrolled, led by their running game, in particular Derrick Ward who galloped for 215 yards on just fifteen carries – only the second player EVER to run for over 200 yards on 15 carries or less in a game. Both he and Brandon Jacobs (Earth and Wind) rushed for over 300 yards on the backs of an amazing performance by the Giants offensive line – who did a sensational job protecting quarterback Eli Manning who had been sacked by Dallas a total of eight times just the week before.

Down by eight points (28-20) and a little over three minutes to play, the G-Men capped a drive with a Brandon Jacobs run, and then a successful two-point conversion sending the hard fought game into overtime. After both teams stalled on their first OT possessions, New York took over deep in their own territory on the 13 yard line when #34 Ward split up the middle, racing 51 yards to the Panthers 33. A couple more big runs by Ward were capped off by Jacobs bulldozing across the goal line to give New York the 34-28 victory, putting them atop the National Football Conference with a 12 – 3 record – giving us all the best regular season game fans have seen in many a day.

“That was an outstanding football game,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said afterwards. “We certainly played Giants football with the running game, holding them to seven points in the second half and creating opportunities for ourselves. This was a great test for us and our guys showed they are tough minded.”