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We have now reached the point of the 2011 NFL season where things began to turn ugly for the New York Giants. They traveled to San Francisco with a 6-2 record, the lead in the NFC East and the belief after their victory over New England that they could avoid another November melt-down.
It wasn't to be.
The Giants followed their tried-and-true formula in this game, playing to the level of the competition and playing a game that would be decided in the closing minutes. In this game, that meant the Giants played well. Still, it was going to take last-minute heroics to beat the 49ers, and this time the Giants could not come up with them, falling, 27-20.
The Giants had a chance in the closing minutes. New York began a drive at its own 20-yard line with 6:35 left, and the Giants converted a pair of fourth downs while moving to the 49ers 10-yard line with 37 seconds left. Facing a fourth-and-two, Eli Manning had his pass for Victor Cruz batted down by San Francisco defensive end Justin Smith, securing the victory for the 8-1 49ers. The Giants fell to 6-3.