San Francisco 49ers' Anthony Davis (76) loses his helmet as he scuffles with New York Giants' Michael Boley (59) during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
San Francisco 49ers' Anthony Davis (76) loses his helmet as he scuffles with New York Giants' Michael Boley (59) during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
New York Giants tight end Bear Pascoe, right, celebrates with tight end Jake Ballard after scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
New York Giants' Henry Hynoski (45) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers' Tarell Brown (25) during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Eli Manning threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Bear Pascoe and expertly led New York to a field goal in the closing seconds of the first half to give the Giants a 10-7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game Sunday.
Pascoe, a former 49ers draft pick and practice squad player, caught his first career TD pass to cap a 69-yard drive early in the second quarter that included a 36-yard reception by Victor Cruz.
Cruz then caught four passes for 56 yards after New York took over at its 36 with 1:36 to go to set up Lawrence Tynes' 31-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining.
Manning was 16 for 27 for 181 yards in the first half, while Cruz had eight receptions for 125 yards.
Vernon Davis caught a 73-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith midway through the first quarter to give the Niners the early lead. But Smith didn't complete another pass in the half.
The game was played in a steady rain and with strong winds, and each team fumbled once in a first half that was controlled mostly by the defenses. New York offensive lineman Kareem McKenzie recovered a fumble by Manning, and San Francisco receiver Kyle Williams recovered his own fumble later in the quarter on a reverse.
Davis gained more than half of San Francisco's first-half yardage total on his one big play. Smith completed only one other pass the entire half, a 6-yarder to Frank Gore on the second play from scrimmage.
Davis picked up where he left off last week, when he set a playoff record for tight ends with 180 yards receiving and caught two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 9 seconds remaining in a 36-32 victory over New Orleans.
On the second play of San Francisco's second drive, Davis beat safety Antrel Rolle and got loose down the sideline. He pulled down the pass from Smith and raced into the end zone. He then jumped up onto a camera stage and posed, drawing a personal foul for excessive celebration.
Davis appeared as if he might have stepped on the sideline, but after a review, referee Ed Hochuli said there was not indisputable evidence and ruled that the touchdown would stand.
Davis got called for another personal foul in the second quarter for unnecessary roughness for jumping on Deon Grant's back after a skirmish between New York's Michael Boley and San Francisco's Anthony Davis.
After the 49ers scored, the Giants drove to the San Francisco 34 before stalling. Manning threw incomplete on third-and-1, then linebacker NaVorro Bowman stuffed Brandon Jacobs on fourth down.
The Niners were looking to make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in 17 seasons. Under rookie coach Jim Harbaugh, they won the NFC West with a 13-3 regular-season record to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
The Giants won their final two regular-season games to clinch the NFC East, then knocked off Atlanta at home and won at top-seeded Green Bay last week to make it to the conference title game.
The day got off to a bad start for the Harbaugh family, who had been hoping for a "Superbaugh" in two weeks in Indianapolis. John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens lost the AFC championship game 23-20 to the New England Patriots.
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