Hakeem Nicks Touchdown: Giants WR Breaks Game Open With 72-Yard Score Against Falcons (VIDEO)

Although the scoreboard depicts a blowout victory by the Giants over the Falcons in Sunday's NFC Wild Card matchup, New York didn't truly start to pull away from Atlanta until late in the third quarter.. thanks to Hakeem Nicks.

Sure, the Giants had been controlling the game with their running attack while the defensive line was shutting down Matt Ryan. But the score still read 10-2. Then with a little more than four minutes to go in the third quarter, Falcons coach Mike Smith decided to go for it on fourth-and 1 and Ryan failed to convert on the quarterback sneak. Eli Manning would start the next drive on New York's 21.

On just the third play of the possession, Atlanta's coverage broke down and Nicks was wide open in the middle of the field on a crossing route. Manning easily found him a few yards over the first down marker with plenty of room to run.

Nicks did the rest.

With a quick move to cut left, Nicks ended up embarrassing at least five Falcons defenders and broke free at midfield. By the time he reached the end zone the closest defender was no more than 10 yards away.

The 23-year-old celebrated his second touchdown of the game by doing the Dirty Bird! He finished the game with six catches, 115 yards and two touchdowns.