Giants Talk: This Won Is For Openers

Giants use second-half surge to secure victory

EAST RUTHERFORD – For the first 30 minutes, the game was sloppy by every conceivable imagination.

From a lack of a running game, to passes going through receivers hands, poor pass rush, and several abysmal special teams lapses, none of it was good.

However, the game is not 30 minutes, its 60.

In the final 30 minutes, a new Giants team emerged. The upside that many observers felt about this team before the year began all showed up in the second half as they turned a halftime deficit into a convincing 31-18 victory to christen New Meadowlands Stadium.

“With a brand-new stadium, the crowd, you want to go out there and play well,” said quarterback Eli Manning. “It was very important for us to come out and get a win.”

The last time the Giants saw the Panthers, it was last December when Carolina embarrassed them 41-9 in the final game ever played for them in old Giants Stadium. It was an effort where many questioned their heart and whether they quit.

For the last nine months, that was game weighed on the players who were on that field that afternoon determined to right the wrong of last season.

Early on, it was difficult to tell that. On the second Giants possession, Eli Manning’s pass to Hakeem Nicks deflected off his hands and Charles Godfrey picked it off, returning it to the Giants 49.

After Carolina reached the Giants 18, Panthers quarterback Matt Moore lifted a pass into the end zone that safety Deon Grant intercepted, leaping into the air, somersaulting to the ground.

It was the type of play missing from the secondary last year.

A key play early was when safety Kenny Phillips tripped up DeAngelo Williams to save a touchdown on third-and-three, forcing a field goal from John Kasay. The Giants would quickly answer when Manning found Nicks for a 26-yard touchdown strike at the end of the quarter.

Carolina lived in Giants territory for much of the first half aided in part by poor kick and punt coverage. Add to it, Manning threw two interceptions, each of them ricocheting off intended receivers hands. This led to starting field position of the Giants 49, their own 45, 48, 36 and midfield.

Giving an opponent that level would have been a problem had the Giants an offense with a higher level of potency as they will see next week at Indianapolis. But on this day, the revamped defense would stiffen, limiting the Panthers to three field goals and 9-7 lead late in the half.

“Three field goals instead of three touchdowns, nine points instead of 21,” said defensive tackle Barry Cofield. “That’s the kind of progress we need to see.”

Manning would find Nicks again for the second time in the game to go back up 14-9. However, poor kick coverage allowed the Panthers to start at midfield and five plays later Moore found “The other Steve Smith” for a 19-yard touchdown to take a 16-14 lead into the half.

The first half combination of penalties (six for 55 yards) and inability to run the ball (13 attempts for 8 yards) forced the offense into disadvantageous situations, forcing them to rely heavily on the pass. Six times Manning and the offense faced a third down of ten or more yards.

Whether there was a pep talk at the half or not, a completely different Giants team showed up at the start of the third quarter. A field goal by Lawrence Tynes gave them a 17-16 lead. DJ Ware would recover a fumble by punter Jason Baker at the Panthers 38, where the offense would drive again and Manning found Nicks for the third time in the game to extend the lead to an eight-point margin.

“Hakeem, he just happened to be in the right spot at the right time.” Manning said. Ahmad Bradshaw took a shotgun draw for a four-yard touchdown run to give them a 31-16 lead.

From there, the Giants defense, unable to get to Moore in the first half, began to take control of the game. They first shut down Williams (16 carries-62 yards) and the Panthers ground game and putting it in the hands of Moore to win the game for them.

Unfortunately, he could not do it.

The secondary, criticized all season for their inability to take the ball away came up huge.

First, Terrell Thomas came down with an interception in the end zone with 8:40 left. Then, after Godfrey intercepted another Manning pass (the ball went off the hands of Ramses Barden) at the Giants 12, Phillips made his presence felt again, giving the defense its third end zone interception.

It was a great second half for the defense, holding the Panthers offense scoreless while amassing four sacks to go along with the three interceptions. They limited their offense to only 72 total yards and knocked Moore out of the game when Osi Umenyiora sacked him, having to leave with a concussion. In all, it was a great first game display under new defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell.

“What Perry has done with this defense can’t go unsaid, said defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who finished with two sacks and a forced fumble.

“Everybody has sold in. Everybody wants to win.”

The running game got going as well. After poor run-blocking led to eight yards, ran for 110 yards and wore down the smaller Carolina defensive front.

Manning was 20-for-30 for 263 yards and three touchdowns. The numbers would have been better had it not been for five dropped passes, three of them that went off the hands of receivers resulting in interceptions.

“The really shows the confidence he has in himself,” Coughlin said. “He continued to stay focused and not let the last play determine the outcome of the next play, which is very important.”

Next Sunday bring an even greater challenge when they travel to Indianapolis to face the AFC Champion Colts in a nationally television game dubbed as Manning Bowl II. For today, the Giants will just take the win before looking ahead.