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AP Photo

New York Giants’ Victor Cruz catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers’ Carlos Rogers during the first half of the NFC championship game Sunday in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO - Victor Cruz dropped the first pass thrown his way this season and fans immediately took to his Twitter timeline questioning his value to the Giants.

In the biggest game of his life, with a Super Bowl trip as improbable as his sudden rise to NFL stardom on the line, Cruz made the Candlestick Park crowd chant his name.

With big catch after big catch Sunday, the Paterson, N.J., native delivered over and over again, making sure the Giants would be in position to finish an amazing run on the biggest stage in sports.

Cruz caught 10 passes for 142 yards, slicing and dicing one of the league's best defenses with Eli Manning looking his way time and again to complete a stunning 20-17 overtime victory over the 49ers for the NFC championship and a Super Bowl XLVI rematch against Tom Brady and the Patriots. "We always believed," Cruz said. "I don't even know how to put this into words as far as what this means to me. We weren't just happy to be here and it's just been an amazing ride, but we're not done yet."

Cruz watched from the sideline as Lawrence Tynes sent Big Blue to the Super Bowl with a game-winning field goal from 31 yards out Sunday, the way Matt Bahr did in the same stadium back in 1991 and Tynes did himself four years ago in Green Bay.

And now the Giants have another chance at finishing the quest to reach the sport's pinnacle, thanks to one of the best out-of-nowhere stories in which a player attains unforeseen popularity and production just by seizing an opportunity that's been written.

The undrafted free agent turned record-setting wide receiver for the Giants was once considered the third-best player at Paterson Catholic, where he was second-team All-State before earning a scholarship to the University of Massachusetts.

Cruz was named second-team All-Pro by The Associated Press after he finished the regular season with 82 catches for a franchise-record 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns.

He was also voted a Pro Bowl alternate, but after Sunday, Hawaii can wait.

"(Cruz) just keeps doing it, and thank God he does," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after Cruz's 74-yard touchdown catch against the Cowboys helped the Giants clinch the NFC East title. "I'm cheering for him, doing cartwheels on the sidelines as he's running by.

"Just ... a heck of a season by the kid."

Cruz stepped on the field looking for some payback against San Francisco cornerback Carlos Rogers, who mocked the second-year pro when the two players faced off against one another in a regular-season game Nov. 13.

After Cruz let a pass slip through his hands, Manning went back to him on a similar route and Rogers played it perfectly. He read the throw and picked it off for the first of two interceptions of Manning that day, and then Rogers did his best imitation of Cruz's "Silk City Salsa" touchdown dance.

Asked about Rogers' theatrics Wednesday, Cruz said: "It was a little disrespectful. But I understand that it's all part of the game. Things happen and guys are going to do that. He wasn't the only one to mock that dance throughout the season. When a reporter followed up by questioning whether Cruz was out for revenge, his three-word response spoke volumes: "A little bit."

Cruz actually made Rogers pay plenty, torching him for eight catches and 125 yards in the first half. The entire 49ers offense had 144 total yards.

His eight catches over the first two quarters are the most in the NFL playoffs since Shannon Sharpe had nine against the Raiders when he was with Denver in 1994.

No one could have seen Cruz's leap coming back in training camp.

So much attention was paid to the defection of slot receiver Steve Smith - one of Manning's favorite targets - to the Eagles. There was talk the Giants should resign Plaxico Burress, who eventually grabbed the guaranteed money and joined the Jets.

Manning did not go overboard in his recruitment of Burress and was criticized for it, but the former Super Bowl MVP insisted he had faith in the receivers he had. Hakeem Nicks was the rising star, the guy pegged to fill Burress' shoes since he got here. Mario Manningham was expected to be Smith's replacement. Cruz ended up being the X-factor and his emergence - especially inside - sparked the Giants.

Cruz broke through in the preseason two summers ago with two long touchdowns against the Jets, a performance that opened eyes around the league. He was so impressive, even NBA star LeBron James sent out a tweet praising the then-rookie for his play.

"A year ago I was just trying to find my way on this team," Cruz said. "I was trying to get off of IR and making sure I was healthy, getting ready for next year, watching the end of the season last year and seeing how that turned out. This year has just been a tremendous ride for me. I don't want it to end."