Brandon Jacobs, Mathias Kiwanuka Shine in Win Over the Patriots: The Giants finished the 2006 preseason with a perfect 4-0 record with their 31-23 victory over the New England Patriots on Thursday night. It was the first time the Giants have gone undefeated in the preseason since 1990 the last season the Giants won a Super Bowl.
“It’s good to get the preseason over with and try to get started on the real season and get started on our goals our quest to get to Miami this year,” said LB Antonio Pierce.
The Giants’ starting defensive unit did not make a good showing. On the game’s opening offensive possession, the Patriots drove 67-yards in 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead, despite the fact that New England QB Tom Brady did not play. The drive culminated with a 4th-and-goal, one-yard run for the touchdown.
The Giants moved the ball well on their first offensive possession, driving from their own 16-yard line to the Patriots’ 33-yard line. But an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-4 brought out the field goal unit. Unfortunately, PK Jay Feely’s 51-yard attempt was blocked. These two initial drives took up the bulk of the first quarter. QB Eli Manning finished the game 4-of-5 for 35 yards.
“I feel we are where we need to be,” said Manning. “The (first-team) offense today got bad field position and got backed up. We ran the ball decently and had a third down that we did not convert on in the end. We had a field goal blocked, which you don’t like to see. I think everybody is in good shape because we know what we are doing. Now is the time to put it all together and go out there and play a complete game.”
After allowing a 13-yard completion, the Giants’ defense then stiffened, forcing a punt. Near the start of the second quarter, QB Jared Lorenzen then took the helm of the offense on the Giants’ second possession of the night. HB Brandon Jacobs picked up nine yards on two consecutive running plays. Lorenzen then hit WR Tim Carter for a first down on 3rd-and-1. On the very next snap, Jacobs broke off a 57-yard run for touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.
The Giants’ special teams continued to disappoint as Feely booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. But on the Patriots’ second snap of the possession, LB Chase Blackburn forced a fumble that LB Carlos Emmons recovered at the Giants’ 44-yard line. Jacobs continued to be the focal point, catching the ball for seven yards and then rushing for 15 more yards on three carries. HB James Sims also chipped in with eight yards on two carries as did WR Michael Jennings with 15 yards on an end around. However, the drive stalled at the New England 11-yard line with two incomplete passes by Lorenzen. Feely hit the 29-yard field goal for a 10-7 Giants’ advantage.
On the Patriots’ fourth possession of the second half, New England completed a 19-yard pass to start the drive. DE Mathias Kiwanuka then sacked backup QB Matt Cassel for a 10-yard sack. The Patriots managed to pick up the first down, but then the drive stalled at the Giants’ 43-yard, forcing a punt. The Giants could not move the ball on their ensuing possession, going three-and-out, with two more incomplete pass by Lorenzen. But the Patriots too were stymied, going three-and-out and being forced to punt.
After a 13-yard pass to TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Lorenzen turned the ball over by fumbling away the shotgun snap with just over a minute to go before halftime. The Patriots recovered at the Giants’ 43-yard line. New England managed to move the ball 32 yards in seven plays to set up a successful 29-yard field goal that tied the game as time expired at the end of the first half.
The Giants received the ball to start the second half. Lorenzen badly overthrew Carter deep and two plays later Lorenzen was sacked for a 6-yard loss, forcing a punt. After a 46-yard punt by Jeff Feagles and a three-yard return, New England gained possession at their own 44-yard line. The Patriots picked up 16 yards on two back-to-back eight yard runs, but then Kiwanuka made his second big play of the night by batting up a pass and intercepting it, giving the Giants the ball at their own 43-yard line. New York then regained the lead by driving 57 yards in six plays. Jacobs picked up 30 of those yards on four runs, including a 3-yard touchdown. Lorenzen also completed passes of 14 yards to WR Michael Jennings and 13 yards to FB Tony Jackson on this drive.
Jacobs finished the game with 15 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. “He’s been phenomenal,” said HB Tiki Barber of Jacobs. “He got an opportunity because I knew I wasn’t going to play a lot. He was prepared to take the entire load and he showed that he was capable. A couple people criticized him by saying he was only playing against second teamers before and a lot of that first half was against their first-team defense and he excelled. I feel good about him being my back-up.”
The Patriots managed to convert on 3rd-and-11, 3rd-and-4, and 4th-and-1 on their ensuing possession. New England then kicked a 54-yard field goal to cut the Giants’ lead to 17-13. The Giants’ third offensive possession of the second half began near the end of the third quarter. New York drove the football 74 yards in 12 plays to take a 24-13 advantage. On the drive, Lorenzen was sharp, completing all five of his pass attempts for 55 yards. HB James Sims scored from three yards out. Lorenzen finished the game 10-of-15 for 116 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The Patriots quickly cut into the lead again as CB Curtis Deloatch was burned on a 42-yard completion that gave New England a first down at the Giants’ 9-yard line. A 15-yard face mask penalty on DE Eric Moore on the play before this did not help matters. New York’s defense held and the Patriots kicked their third field goal of the game. The Giants lead was now 24-16.
But back came the Giants, now with Tim Hasselbeck at quarterback. After four HB Mike Jemison runs picked up 13 yards, Hasselbeck hit WR Willie Ponder for 27 yards. Jemison then picked up five more yards on two carries and Hasselbeck found TE Darcy Johnson for a 26-yard touchdown reception. Giants 31 New England 16. Hasselbeck finished the game 2-for-2 for 53 yards and one touchdown.
The Patriots only managed one first down on their next possession before being forced to punt with less than three minutes to go in the game – DE Adrian Awasom picked up another preseason sack. The Giants attempted to run out the clock, but on Jemison’s third straight carry of the possession, he fumbled the ball away with New England recovering at the Giants’ 19-yard line. A pass interference penalty on CB Gerrick McPhearson gave the Patriots a 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line and they scored on the next play. The Giants now lead 31 to 23.
The Patriots kicked off with less than a minute to play. The Giants picked up one first down and then kneeled on the ball to end the game.
Notes and Quotes: The Giants did not appear to suffer any significant injuries although DE Michael Strahan did leave the game after he was hit in the groin.
The following Giants did not suit up because of injuries: LB LaVar Arrington (knee), OC Shaun O’Hara (knee), LT Luke Petitgout (back), OG/OC Rich Seubert (toe), WR Sinorice Moss (quad), and HB Derrick Ward (foot).
LB Carlos Emmons saw his first action of the preseason. “It felt good to finally get back out there not having played since the Philadelphia game last year,” said Emmons. “It felt good to get back out there with my teammates and try to knock the rust off. I felt a little rusty at first, my wind wasn’t that bad. Unfortunately they scored on that first drive but we will only get better from here once everyone gets on the same page.”