Thomas, Williams make it special day

SAN FRANCISCO -- After a week of hype naturally dominated by the big names from both teams, Tom Coughlin said he saw this coming.

He had a feeling the NFC Championship Game would be determined by "someone that did not necessarily get the kudos and wasn't someone that everyone's familiar with as a guy that's a difference-maker."

Bingo! Only avid fans are familiar with the likes of Jacquian Williams and Devin Thomas, but there they were at the game's biggest moments Sunday night.

It was Thomas who recovered the punt that bounced off the knee of 49ers return man Kyle Williams in the fourth quarter, a turnover that led to the Giants' second touchdown.

Then, in overtime, Jacquian Williams poked the ball away from Kyle Williams and Thomas again made the recovery, setting up Lawrence Tynes' 31-yard field goal for a 20-17 victory.

"I was going for the tackle, but he made a move and I saw the ball and I just stuck my hand out for it," Jacquian Williams said.

Said Thomas: "It was like, 'I can't believe he just fumbled.' . . . I saw the ball and I said, 'Let me get on top of this thing.' "

Kyle Williams was serving as the 49ers' returner in the absence of injured Ted Ginn Jr.

"It was just one of those situations where I caught the ball, tried to head up the field, tried to make a play, and it ended up for the worse," he said.

Williams said the wet weather was not a factor.

Entering the game, the 49ers were perceived to have an edge in special teams, including perhaps the league's best pair of kickers in placekicker David Akers and punter Andy Lee.

But it was the Giants who made the big plays, including the final one. The snap from Zak DeOssie was low, but there would be no repeat of the infamous Trey Junkin snap that cost the Giants a chance at a winning field goal the last time they played a postseason game in San Francisco, in January 2003.

This time Steve Weatherford steadied the ball and Tynes blasted it through.

"I was about to go on the field and I saw Jacquian make that play,'' defensive end Osi Umenyiora said. "As soon as he made that play, I knew it was over. I knew Lawrence wasn't going to miss a kick from that distance.''