NFLPlayoffs

Sunday's results:

NY Giants 41, Minnesota 0

Baltimore 16, Raiders 3

Giants ease into Super Bowl

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Not even Jim Fassel would have guaranteed this shocker.

Led by Kerry Collins' career-high five touchdown passes, the New York Giants reached their first Super Bowl in a decade with a 41-0 romp Sunday past the hapless Minnesota Vikings - the biggest rout in NFC championship history.

While Collins was tying a playoff TD passing record set in 1943 by Sid Luckman, his teammates were having their way with the Vikings despite being underdogs. Minnesota, which rarely plays well outdoors, was a 2-point favorite.

The Vikings became the first NFC championship shutout victim since the Giants beat Washington 17-0 en route to winning the Super Bowl following the 1986 season. It was their first shutout loss since Dennis Green became coach in 1992.

For the Giants, however, it was the seventh straight victory since their coach promised the team would make the playoffs. They did him one better.

"I think we shocked a lot of people, but we didn't shock ourselves," Fassel said.

The Giants will next face the Baltimore Ravens. The Super Bowl will be played Jan. 28 in Tampa, site of the Giants' 1990 championship victory.

Collins, whose career was revived when he joined the Giants in 1999 following controversial stops in Carolina and New Orleans and bouts with alcoholism, was remarkable from the outset.

He threw for four touchdowns and 338 yards in the first half, then added a fifth TD pass just 2:54 into the third period. He finished 28-for-39 for 381 yards and waved to the crowd from the sideline when his stats were announced.

With Collins and receivers Ike Hilliard (10 catches, 155 yards) and Amani Toomer (six for 81) dominating, Minnesota's fearsome trio of Daunte Culpepper, Randy Moss and Cris Carter was rendered invisible by New York's stingy defense.

Culpepper was held to 78 yards passing and threw three interceptions. Moss had two receptions for 18 yards; Carter had three for 24.