Giants Talk: Taking care of business

Manning plays, Giants dominate to go 5-0

EAST RUTHERFORD – The Giants will be facing some real competition in the coming weeks, but until that happens, they continue to pound on the dregs of the league.

Perhaps the Oakland Raiders should not count as an NFL franchise at the moment. Watching them resembles a bad junior varsity bunch, and the Giants went out and did exactly what a good is supposed to do them.

Destroy them.

The final score of 44-7 did not do justice. It is very possible if the Giants could have scored 60 if decided to make an attempt. However, trying to protect quarterback Eli Manning, who warmed up in pre-game and was ruled as good to go, the team set its objective to blowout the Raiders as quickly as possible and get him out of there to protect his injured heel that nearly kept him from continuing his consecutive game streak.

It took only 8:03 for the offense to take the ball down the field and stick it in for a touchdown. Manning led a 14 play drive, and show no ill-effects of the injury, standing in the moving, eluding some of the Raiders pass rush and finding his receivers that were running free. It took three attempts from the two-yard line to get in, but Ahmad Bradshaw finally got into the end zone to give the Giants an early lead.

After a three-and-out, just three plays were needed to make it 14-0. Steve Smith hauled in a 43-yard reception down the right sideline, followed up by a 19-yard and then a 17-yard touchdown run, all with the drive covering 79 yards in three plays.

On their third possession starting at their own 6, the Giants easily moved the ball again. Bradshaw started with a 23-yard run and after a 15-yard penalty eventually placed the offense in a third-and-24 situation, Bradshaw took a screen pass and was able to weave through the woeful Oakland defense for 55 yards. On the next Manning threw a beautiful pass to Mario Manningham in the back corner of the end zone for the Giants third touchdown in only 22 plays and 15:07 of game time.

It worsened on the Raiders next possession when Terrell Thomas sacked quarterback JaMarcus Russell on a corner blitz, causing a fumble that was recovered by Justin Tuck at the Oakland 13. Three plays later, Manning found Hakeem Nicks over the middle for a nine-yard touchdown to continue the rout that had now reached 28 points. The Giants offense had outgained the Raiders an outrageous 262-9.

Oakland was given a gift late in the second quarter when Sinorice Moss muffed a punt and the Raiders recovered at the Giants 15. They would be given another gift when running back Justin Fargas was bottled up by several defenders and as he was going to the ground, the ball came out and CC Brown was off running 95 yards to the end zone. Unfortunately, the play was ruled dead and though replays clearly showed it was a fumble and his legs not hitting the ground, referees stopped play due to forward progress. By league rule, this was not a reviewable play. Michael Bush would score from five yards out to give Oakland their first points of the game.

David Carr took over for Manning with 2:19 remaining in the half and the score 28-7. Manning went only 8-for-10, throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Carr led the team to a late field goal that was brought by another sack of Russell by Tuck and recovered by Osi Umenyiora at the Raiders 28.

Early in the third quarter, Carr contributed himself. On a third-and-seven from the Raiders 12, the Giants backup scrambled left and sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown to make it 38-7. In relief, Carr went 9-of-14 for 90 yards and added 27 yards rushing.

The final statistics bear out another complete domination. Oakland only managed 7 first downs and 124 total yards. It was the third straight game the Giants defense held a team under 200 yards in addition the Raiders to only one third down conversion.

Bradshaw was the star in the running game, carrying only 11 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns on a day when the Giants run for 220 yards and rank second in the league in total offense.

Next Sunday is a battle of the unbeatens as the Giants head to New Orleans take on the Saints in what could be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.