Another exciting game, after watching the battle for the lead of the AFC, it was the NFC turn to tell us which team, with a win in this game, will have homefield advantage during the whole postseason in this conference.
The Carolina Panthers which visited, the defending champs New York Giants' house, the Giants Stadium.
Good news for the Giants, Brandon Jacobs is back. Even if he's not at 100% physically, The powerfull Jacobs (photo #27) tired Carolina's defense by running for short gains in the middle of the defense, he carries the ball 24 times for 87 yards, he also scored 3 touchdowns!
Panthers' halfback DeAngelo Williams had a huge first half, he scored 3 touchdowns and 4 in the game.
Williams (photo #34) carries the ball 24 times for 108 yards and scored 4 touchdowns.
If Smash was solid, Dash, Jonhatan Stewart, could carry the ball only 9 times for a gain 28 yards.
Carolina's Steve Smith was great once again, he performed 2 big catches for medium gains, he had 3 receptions for 47 yards.
Quarterback Jake Delhomme found his other wide reciever Mushin Muhammad for bigger gains. Delhomme (photo #17) completed 11 of his 19 pass attempts for 185 yards.
New York had some difficulties to get its rythm offensively and defensively too.
Giants' quarterback Eli Manning found most of all Dominic Hixon and his tight end Kevin Boss and one of his receptions was a touchdown catch.
If Brandon Jacobs, Earth, was diminished, he was so well replaced, as primary running back, byDerrick Ward.
Ward (photo #34) ran for 215 yards, only 15 carrieswere necessary!
His longest was for a total gain of 51 yards but it was not unusual to see him gaining 30 yards a carry. 
This game was clearly a playoff preview because running game was solid and dominant for both teams, big defense, attempting to pass only when it's required. And it could be a NFC Championship game preview.
I think the return of Brandon Jacobs has its impact, I really do, because every member of Giants' halfback triplet, Earth Wind and Fire, has its own profile. Jacobs is very powerful, Ward is more fast and can get the outside and Bradshaw is the most explosive.
So it demands the defense to adapt.
Closing middle spaces for Jacobs and concerning the two others, the defense has to try to avoid huge gains on the outside but must be aware that these guys, Ward & Bradshaw, can also run successfully in the middle between tackles. And believe me, it's really wearing for a defense to adjust to different running styles.