Giants Win in Overtime 34-31: The Giants may have saved their season with a 34-31 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons earlier today at the Meadowlands. The Giants improved their record to 6-4, one game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
The Giants won, but no thanks to a defense that could not stop the Falcons in the second half of the game. Atlanta scored 24 points on four second-half drives, including the game-tying touchdown with 28 seconds left in regulation. The Giants gave up 352 yards of offense and 27 first downs to an Atlanta team missing its best offensive football player – HB Michael Turner. It is becoming increasingly clear that Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan is over his head.
The real hero for the Giants was QB Eli Manning, who completed 25-of-39 passes for 384 yards (a career high) and three touchdowns. The Giants rushing game was limited to 88 yards on 26 carries – a disappointing 3.4 yards-per-carry average. WR Mario Manningham caught six passes for 126 yards and TE Kevin Boss caught five passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
The Giants led 17-7 at the half as the Giants scored three times on six first-half offensive possessions. The game did not start out well for the Giants offensively as Manning was intercepted on the seventh play of the opening drive. The defense did force a three-and-out however.
The Giants went up 3-0 on their second drive as New York drove 64 yards in 12 plays to set up PK Lawrence Tynes from 39 yards out. Atlanta responded however by driving 65 yards in nine plays to take a 7-3 lead. The Giants then drove 54 yards in eight plays, but Tynes missed a 31-yard field goal.
New York’s defense forced their second three-and-out. The Giants regained the lead by driving 52 yards in three plays. After an offensive holding penalty, Manning found WR Hakeem Nicks for 30 yards and then Boss for the 28-yard score. Giants 10 – Falcons 7.
Atlanta had a chance to tie the game on their fourth drive of the game but missed a 35-yard field goal. The Giants went three-and-out. But New York quickly got the ball back when the Giants’ defense forced a turnover on 3rd-and-8 when DE Justin Tuck sacked QB Matt Ryan, forcing a fumble that DE Osi Umenyiora recovered at Atlanta’s 34-yard line. Six plays later, the Giants went up 17-7 when Manning hit Boss for a 4-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left before halftime.
In the second half, the Giants’ defense simply could not stop the Falcons. Atlanta drove 63 yards in eight plays (touchdown), 70 yards in 18 (field goal), 65 yards in 12 plays (touchdown), and 76 yards in 12 plays (touchdown).
The Giants’ offense was productive but could not keep up with that torrid pace as New York scored touchdowns on their first two offensive drives of the second half, but punted twice on their final two possessions of regulation. The two touchdown drives went for 74 yards in five plays, with HB Brandon Jacobs scoring from two yards out; and 79 yards in nine plays, with FB Madison Hedgecock catching a three-yard touchdown pass from Manning.
Atlanta tied the game with 28 seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime. Luckily, the Giants won the overtime coin toss. New York then drove 49 yards in eight plays to set up the game-winning 36-yard field goal by Tynes. The big play on the drive was a 29-yard strike from Manning to Manningham.
Highlights of the game are available at NFL.com.
Post-Game Notes: Inactive for the Giants were HB Gartrell Johnson, WR Ramses Barden, WR Sinorice Moss, OT Guy Whimper, OC Adam Koets, LB Antonio Pierce (neck), CB Kevin Dockey, and CB/S D.J. Johnson.
The Giants won their fifth consecutive regular season overtime game. They also won in overtime in the 2007 NFC Championship.
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