DETROIT – After 48 hours of hanging out in airport gates, airplanes and hotel rooms in different cities, the Giants finally got on the field Monday night.
No one could have blamed them for being sluggish or a bit off their game considering everything the events of the past weekend. Yet, as evidenced on the field, this is as tough group in between the ears as any you will see.
The depleted Vikings were the victims in the Giants 21-3 victory at Ford Field, who with the win, stay tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East lead setting up the division game of the year on Sunday at New Meadowlands Stadium.
“We’re pleased with the win,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “I was proud of the way our guy’s handled the inconvenience.”
If you were looking for style points, this was not the game for it. It was a workmanlike effort once they were able to find their running game and put the clamps down defensively, rendering the Vikings offense useless.
“It would’ve been easy for us to come in here and be distracted and not be focused at the task at hand,” said Justin Tuck. “But we did a good job. We did show the mental toughness this football team has.”
The combination of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and offensive line had their way with the normally stout Minnesota run defense, which came into the game ranked fourth in the league.
Both running backs gained over 100 yards for the first time in December 23, 2007 in Buffalo and gained over 200 yards for the second time this season to bail out the skittish performance of their quarterback.
“We know we’re a good running team,” Jacobs said after his second straight 100 yard game, finishing with 116 yards on 14 carries. “Ahmad and I just go out do what we have to do to help the team no matter what it is.”
“We have a (offensive) line that wants to run the ball, and that’s what we do best.”
Most notable from this game was the absence of quarterback Brett Favre, whose shoulder injury was too severe even with the extra day of rest to allow him to play, ending his streak of 297 straight consecutive starts.
“I’m kind of upset that he had to end (the streak) against us,” Tuck would say. “I wanted the opportunity to hit him one more time.”
Instead, Tavaris Jackson was behind center and it did not take long to see that if Favre was in the game, he likely would not have made it through with the relentless pressure put on from the Giants defense.
The Giants gave Jackson and the Vikings several chances early in the game. Early in the first quarter, the turnover bug continued as Frank Walker stepped in front of Hakeem Nicks to intercept an Eli Manning pass, returning it to their 34 but was only able to get a field goal.
In the second quarter, Manning threw his second interception of the game, this time to Asher Allen, returning it to the Vikings 41.
For Manning, it was his 19th interception of the season and 11th against the Vikings in his seven game career. However, Minnesota only got three points out of the two turnovers as the first three Giants possessions yielded only one first down.
Jacobs would provide the spark the offense needed when he exploded for a 73-yard run down to the Vikings 13. Four plays later, he would score on a one-yard touchdown to give the Giants the lead.
“Our defense was playing outstanding,” said Manning. We just played kind of smart and didn’t give them any more chances.”
Late in the half, Manning would find his rhythm, completing six-of-eight passes on a 71 yard drive ending with a six yard touchdown strike to Kevin Boss in the back middle of the end zone to make it 14-3.
The Giants run defense, showing leaks the last several weeks, closed up all of the holes and there was nowhere to run for All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. He would finish the game with only 26 yards on 14 carries.
“We just had to make sure he had no cutback lanes,” said Justin Tuck. “We played physical upfront, the linebackers filled hold and our secondary tackled well when he tried to bounce outside.
“We just played an all-around great game against him.”
Bradshaw effectively put the game away when he found daylight off the left side of the line and took it 48 yards for the touchdown, increasing the lead to 21-3.
Without a running game, the loss of receiver Percy Harvin (migraine) and guard Steve Hutchinson (thumb) in addition to Favre, Jackson had little place to turn to with the ball and became prey to a swarming defense.
“We wanted to have at least 11 men at football,” said safety Deon Grant.
The Vikings gaining only one first down in the second half until less than two minutes remained evidenced this. Jackson’s scrambling ability and elusiveness was to be a help, but it was not, sacked four times and hit 10 more on a night where he completed only 15-of-30 passes for 118 yards and an interception, eventually having to leave the game for a brief period.
Finally with 0:16 left, Jackson would become the sixth quarterback knocked out of the game by the Giants defense in a truly dominant effort that limited the Vikings to only 165 yards, the fourth time they have held an opponent to less than 200 yards this season.
In all, it was a resilient performance given the circumstances.
“I think they handled this in a very professional manner,” Coughlin said. “There wasn’t any complaining. No nothing. We didn’t have any frustration.”
With the win and the Eagles looming on Sunday, they probably said to themselves, “There’s no place like home.”
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