GREEN BAY — Ted Thompson stood in the middle of the equipment room, stunned. Always adept at keeping his emotions in, Thompson found himself trying to do so at the most painful possible time: Surrounded by 20 or so others — including team chairman Bob Harlan, members of coach Mike McCarthy's family and a host of staffers and team officials — in cramped quarters.

Watching the disappointment unfold in high definition on a 42-inch Sony flat-screen just off the Green Bay Packers' locker room, the 55-year-old general manager was dying inside.

He'd just watched quarterback Brett Favre's pass on the second play of overtime flutter toward the Packers sideline and into the hands of New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster. Four plays later, Lawrence Tynes' 47-yard field goal just 2 minutes 35 seconds into OT would send the Packers to a 23-20 NFC Championship Game defeat and the Giants to Super Bowl XLII.

''I'm crushed,'' said Thompson, who'd been ushered down from the team's private box on the seventh floor club level along with the others to prepare for what was supposed to be the on-field coronation and acceptance of the George Halas trophy for earning the franchise's fifth Super Bowl berth.

''A lot of people thought we were a surprise team. We felt we were good enough to win week-in and week-out and have a chance to go play for the world championship. And we're not going to get to do that now.''

A little more than an hour after Tynes' kick split the north end zone uprights, the celebratory fireworks that were supposed to go off above Lambeau Field were ignited. Long gone were the players — as well as the stadium-record crowd of 72,740. Only stadium workers and a few TV crews on the field below were around to see them light up the sky.

''We just let a golden opportunity slip away,'' said Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, part of a defense that allowed 380 yards and was on the field for 40:01 of 62:35 game. ''We get this far and not to put together our best game, it will stick with you for a long time.

''Because you had an opportunity. You were right here, you were at the NFC Championship Game. The only game left is the Super Bowl. And we won't be playing in it.''

Instead, the Packers — who beat the Giants 35-13 on Sept. 16 — end their magical season 14-4 thanks to Tynes, who missed two kicks in the fourth quarter: A 43-yarder with 6 minutes, 49 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and a 36-yarder as time expired in regulation.
The Giants (13-6), who have won 10 straight road games (including three playoff games), will face the New England Patriots (18-0) in Super Bowl XLII Feb. 3 in Glendale, Ariz. The Patriots advanced to their fourth Super Bowl in seven years with a 21-12 victory over the San Diego Chargers earlier in the day.

''I made the game-winning kick that got us in the Super Bowl. Maybe one day I'll say, 'Holy cow, what if I would've missed it?' '' Tynes said. ''Thank god for the defense, because they made a couple huge stops to get us the ball back.''

The temperature at kickoff was minus-1 degree, making it the second-coldest home game in Packers history; only the Ice Bowl on Dec. 31, 1967 (minus-13) was colder. The wind chill was minus-23 degrees; only the Ice Bowl (minus-46) and a Dec. 22, 1990 game against Detroit (minus-35) were worse.

But it wasn't the cold that beat the Packers, who had their chances but never got control of the game offensively. Halfback Ryan Grant, who ran for a franchise-record 201 yards and three touchdowns in last week's divisional playoff victory over Seattle, carried 13 times for 29 yards.

Essentially, the Packers made one play offensively all night: Donald Driver's 90-yard touchdown against Webster, a catch-and-run that turned the Packers' 6-0 deficit into a 7-6 lead. The play began a see-saw battle that saw the lead change five times, the last being on Tynes' winner.

''We didn't have a very good (offensive) rhythm or tempo out there,'' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. ''You have to credit the Giants, but certainly there were some things we could've done better.''

What will haunt the Packers most will be their missed opportunities. Up 10-6 at the half, they watched the Giants reclaim the lead on Brandon Jacobs' 1-yard touchdown dive on the opening possession of the third quarter — largely because of their help: Al Harris drawing an illegal contact flag to wipe out an interception on a Manning-to-Burress pass; blitzing safety Nick Collins' 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on a third-down incompletion that would've forced a punt; and defensive end Aaron Kampman forcing a Jacobs fumble but couldn't recover it when it dribbled between his legs.

While the Packers took the lead back at 17-13 thanks to a crucial personal foul on cornerback Sam Madison to keep alive a drive that would end in a 12-yard Favre-to-Donald Lee TD pass, it was only temporary. They would never lead again.

''I think this team believed it could go to the Super Bowl and win the world championship,'' Thompson said. ''We had our chance, and it didn't work out.

''The finality of losing a playoff game in the NFL, as bad as it is to lose a regular-season game, at least you've got next week. Here, it's boom and that's it. It's devastating.''

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Here are the live statistics from the game.

From the Wisconsin State Journal sports team, here's a Game Blog.

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