SAN FRANCISCO ? Alex Smith and Vernon Davis connected for their second touchdown pass of the game to help the San Francisco 49ers take a 14-10 lead over the New York Giants after three quarters in the NFC championship game Sunday.
Smith threw a 73-yard TD pass to Davis in the first quarter and then completed only two more passes over a span of more than two quarters before connecting again midway through the third.
One play after a 24-yard dumpoff to Frank Gore, Davis got deep down the sideline behind safety Kenny Phillips to catch another big pass from Smith.
Davis now has four touchdowns in his first two career playoff games, joining Jerry Rice as the only Niners with consecutive two-touchdown receiving games in the postseason.
Davis set a playoff record for tight ends with 180 yards receiving and the two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 9 seconds remaining, in a 36-32 victory over New Orleans last week.
The two big plays by Davis more than made up for a big first three quarters by New York's Victor Cruz, who caught 10 passes from Eli Manning for 142 yards.
His 36-yard reception set up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Bear Pascoe early in the second quarter that tied the game. Cruz then caught four passes for 56 yards after New York took over at its 36 with 1:36 to go in the half to set up Lawrence Tynes' 31-yard field goal that made it 10-7 at the break.
Manning and the Giants were unable to generate much offense in the third quarter against San Francisco's stingy defense, gaining two first downs and failing to cross midfield in four drives.
The game was played in a steady rain and with strong winds, and each team fumbled once early in the game but recovered.
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.
He did a dance after his second touchdown and was not penalized.
After the 49ers scored their first touchdown, 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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