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In down NFC, Giants for now stand above
ARLINGTON – You are not going to believe this when I say it.
The Giants, yes the New York Football Giants are the best team in the NFC.
I know this sounds very hard to believe. Even I wonder aloud how much I truly believe this.
However, the results speak for themselves.
Right now, the results say the following after the Giants too-close-for-comfort 41-35 victory over the Cowboys here on Monday night:
The Giants are the NFC’s best team.
Of course, this may be saying much when you consider that the conference as a whole appears to be down last season.
Dallas, Minnesota and defending New Orleans, the “heads of the class” going into the years all find themselves struggling mightily. The Cowboys now sit at 1-5, Vikings at 2-4 and Saints at 4-3 after taking an unexpected thumping from the Browns at home.
Instead of these contenders, the top of the NFC lists Seattle (4-2), Tampa Bay and Atlanta (4-2) and injury racked Green Bay (4-3).
Surely, the Giants are as good if not better than these teams.
They definitely showed that on Monday despite occasional bouts of ineptitude and mental shutdown early and late in the game was their sheer domination, moving the ball at will on the Cowboys defense to the tune of 497 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, despite spotting the Cowboys 10 early points due the turnovers on offense shut them down. You could see this coming early on and that was before the kill shot Michael Boley put on Tony Romo, sending him down and out in the second quarter and having Jon Kitna replace him, which was the equivalent of waving the white flag.
Dallas may feel the game would have turned out differently. They can think that all they want, but this is now the fifth quarterback the Giants have been able to eliminate from the game as their defense continues to be death on opposing signal callers and emerging as one of the league’s best.
Yes, there were the five turnovers. Yes, balls continue to bounce off receivers hands (though, not entirely their fault). Yes, they continue to have poor special teams coverage as a 69-yard booming directional punt by Matt Dodge turned into a 93-yard touchdown by Dez Bryant. Yes, they essentially took the last five minutes off, allowing the Cowboys make the score look a lot closer than what everyone’s viewing eyes saw.
In between all of that, there was a team that showed that whatever the NFC’s “elite” is, they should be in that discussion. Surely, no one is making reservations for a return trip back here on the first Sunday in February for Super Bowl XLV, but having lofting dreams cannot hurt.
Why not? Heading into their bye week with four straight wins, they can look at the remaining nine games of their schedule and begin to dream big at a slate that does not appear as daunting as it did when the year started.
If you are telling us the Giants can continue to have one the top defenses against the run and the pass, than success will continue as long as the offense can cut down on their season high 21 turnovers. The rotating defensive line, improved secondary play, overall health (despite the loss of Mathias Kiwanuka) and scheme of Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell has turned them into a feared unit once again.
On offense, Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks have turned into star players to go alongside Eli Manning. The offensive line that was maligned early in the season as being old and no longer productive has found the fountain of youth over the last month and resemble their past dominant selves.
When you watch them, they still appear to be a work in progress, trying to figure out their identity as a team.
They are winning while still learning.
It has been a testament to Head Coach Tom Coughlin, a man many in the (drive by) media believed had lost the locker room after their 29-10 loss to Tennessee at New Meadowlands Stadium when the Giants committed five personal foul penalties.
That afternoon feels like so long ago now.
Four wins in a row will do that for you. Yet, there is still much work to do.
In the NFC, continuing to pile up victories will lead to a return trip to the playoffs.
The clouds have turned into sun for them over the last month and now they hope for sunny days ahead.
Giants KO Romo, Cowboys to take NFC East lead
ARLINGTON – Beating the Cowboys, especially in Dallas always brings a smile to the face of the Giants.
On a wild night that saw them on the brink of disaster early and late, in between saw an incredibly dominating performance that saw them take out yet another quarterback and with it, taking their season along with it.
The Giants 41-35 shootout win may look close on the scoreboard, but make no mistake of the thorough, embarrassing beating they handed their archrivals at Cowboys stadium.
What was to be a going away win became self-inflicted nail biter as Dallas rallied in the final minutes to score two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, needing Clint Sintim to hold on to the onside kick to preserve the victory, their second straight in the Cowboys new home.
Continued problems with turnovers and special teams threatened to blow the game for the Giants before they could blink.
When they were able to catch their breath and settle in, it was never a contest. The Giants moved the ball at-will on offense and limited the Cowboys to nearly nothing on defense.
Eli Manning threw interceptions on two of his first four passes to begin the game. The first went off the hands of Steve Smith, who saw the high pass go through his hands and intercepted by Terrence Newman, returning it all the way to the Giants 5.
Two plays later, Tony Romo found an open Jason Witten for a four-yard touchdown.
The lead would grow to ten as Manning’s pass went through the hands of Hakeem Nicks and into the arms of Gerald Sensabaugh, returning it to the Giants 18 where they would settle for a field goal after Miles Austin dropped a would-be touchdown pass at the goal line.
For Manning, it was the eighth time an intercepted pass went off the hands of an intended receiver. In fairness, both of the passes were high and both players tried to make a great effort.
The Giants would finally get going on a 79-yard drive, culminating in one of Manning’s two touchdown strikes to Nicks, this one coming from seven yards.
The key play on the drive came when Coughlin challenged an officials ruling of an 11-yard reception by Nicks along the sideline. Replays showed he dragged both feet in bounds with possession.
Brandon Jacobs would then fumble on their next possession, the third turnover in the game’s first 16 minutes. However, one play later, the entire tenor of the game changed when linebacker Michael Boley came clean on a blitz, and with no Cowboy
s lineman picking him up, Boley drove Romo down to the turf and the Dallas quarterback did not get up.
Doctors diagnosed Romo with a fractured left collarbone, sacking him for the game and potentially the season.
Dallas would take a 20-7 lead on a 93-yard punt return by Dez Bryant, running back a 69-yard booming kick by Matt Dodge, outkicking his coverage and with several gunners out of position, Bryant made several moves and was off to daylight.
Manning’s second touchdown pass to Nicks closed the lead to 20-14. His third of the half came on a beautiful touch pass to Smith, hauling in his second score of the season to give the Giants the lead.
Just before the half, Deon Grant was able to strip Jason Witten of the ball before going the ground. Initially, Witten was ruled down, but replays overturned the call, giving the Giants a chance to tack on three more points and go into the half with a 24-20 lead.
The fact they were only leading by four points on the scoreboard paled in comparison to the offensive output of the two teams, with the Giants outgaining the Cowboys 272 to 75.
With Romo out, backup veteran, Jon Kitna came into the game and you could feel the air let out of the stadium and on the sideline. Dallas was already having problems moving the ball on offense, and now things would only get worse. Their offense could not run the ball (41 yards) and with their continuous offensive line issues, few passes were even close to successful.
Keeping their offensive barrage going, the Giants took advantage of good field position and poured it on. Manning threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game on receiver screen to Mario Manningham, who used a great block from guard Chris Snee and used his shifty feet to split two defenders to stroll into the end zone.
Jacobs would follow with an impressive run of his own for a score, taking a run off right tackle 30 yards while keeping his balance to extend the lead to 38-20.
It was a run of 31 straight points for the Giants after trailing 20-7 in the second quarter. The offense appeared unstoppable as they amassed a 300-yard passing game from Manning (306), and 100-yard rushing game from Ahmad Bradshaw (106) and two 100-yard receiving games from Nicks (108) and Smith (101).
The running game, maligned early in the season appears to have come back to life as they run at will on the Cowboys to the tune of 200 yards. It was their first 200-yard output since their 44-7 thrashing over Oakland last season.
Manning is now 19-4 in the month of October.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter when things got crazy. Dallas passed on a field goal attempt down 18 to go for from the Giants 6 with 8:19 left and did not convert.
Bradshaw would cough up the ball at the Cowboys 42, but then a sack and forced fumble by Barry Cofield gave the ball back to the Giants.
Manning would then make an ill-advised pass on third-and-five at the Cowboys 47, where rather than taking a sack, he threw off his back foot and Keith Brooking intercepted the pass, taking it to the Giants 15 where Kitna would find Bryant for the 15-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion made it 38-28.
After a failed onside kick eventually led to a field goal by Lawrence Tynes rather than going for it on fourth down, the Cowboys would drive down the field for another touchdown to trim the margin to six before Sintim finally held on to another onside kick to seal the victory.
The Giants are now 5-2 going into their bye week and the only question that remains now is whether they are the best team in the NFC.
After Monday night, that answer may be a resounding “Yes”.
With Dallas reeling, Giants given golden chance
EAST RUTHERFORD – Perhaps the Giants expected to be in this position.
Their record stands at 4-2 and most observers felt that they had the potential to be exactly that.
I predicted 5-1, and if it were not for some ill-timed turnovers and penalties in that loss at home to Tennessee, they would have the best record in the NFC.
What no one could expect was to see the Dallas Cowboys where they stand right now, at 1-4 and seeing their season quickly slipping away.
Enter Monday night.
All of a sudden, what would have been a normal edition of this hyped matchup now has significant ramifications for each side.
For the Giants, this game presents an enormously opportunity. With a three game winning streak and playing in front of a national audience, they have a chance to become a serious NFC contender in the minds of many by going to down to Cowboys Stadium and getting a win.
For the Cowboys, the math has become very simple. Lose this game, and not only will they fall to 1-5, but they will be 3 1/2 games behind the Giants in the NFC East. With tough divisional games to follow including several treacherous road games, their season will likely be over.
A win however gives the Cowboys life. They would pull to within 1 1/2 of the Giants, and with Jacksonville the following week at home. Dallas can crawl to within one game of the division with nine games to play.
Not a bad position to be in, now is it? 
Since 1990, 70 NFL teams have begun their season 1-5. Not one has ever made the playoffs.
This is what sits in front of both teams.
The Cowboys have found ways throughout their four losses to self-destruct. Statistically speaking, their record should be better than 1-4.
However, the game is not played on a stat sheet.
They rank in the top five in both offense and defense, but rank only 17th in points. The combination of penalties, poor decisions and turnovers has caused breakdowns on both sides of the ball leading the Cowboys to their own mutilation.
Dallas’ inability to sustain a running game has put the game in the hands of Tony Romo. No offense to Romo, but he is no Peyton Manning or Tom Brady where you can give him the ball over 41 times a game and not think he is not going to turn the ball over several times.
Poor pass protection due to a porous offensive line has Romo scramble for his life at times and under duress, sacks and interceptions have followed. Blame Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett for either not believing they can run the ball or putting too much faith in Romo to bail out the offense with the right arm when even he has his own limitations.
This then brings Head Coach Wade Phillips squarely into the fire. His team has come under fire for being undisciplined and suffering from a severe lack of intelligence with each game that falls squarely on his shoulders.
There is no doubting their talent. Arguably, they have the most in the league. Right now, they are severely underperforming and running out of time to turn around their season.
The Giants are the team that potentially ends their season before Halloween.
It is an opportunity they cannot allow to slip through their fingers. They never thought they would be in this situation where they were 1-2 after losing to Tennessee at home and questions were abound as to whether Head Coach Tom Coughlin had lost control of his team.
Those questions don’t exist now after three straight wins and a chance this week to stamp themselves as an improbable NFC contender.
To do it against the Cowboys in Dallas would make it that much sweeter.
Giants proficient in third straight win over Lions 
EAST RUTHERFORD – Perhaps winning ugly is going to be the theme of this Giants season.
Not every game is going to be a polished and dominating as their victory over Houston the previous week, but they will certainly take the win at the end of 60 minutes.
The Giants appeared to be in full control throughout, but yet needed their defense to make a final stand with under a minute left, forcing the Lions into a turnover to seal a 28-20 victory at New Meadowlands Stadium to nail their third consecutive victory and a share of the NFC East lead alongside Philadelphia.
“We came in looking to be 4-2 and we are,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin.
One look at the score would suggest the Lions were in the game the entire way.
However, this was only the case because the Giants were unable to put them away until late in the fourth quarter, sending many fans to the exits.
Brandon Jacobs’ second touchdown of the game made it a 28-17 game, but after a field goal by Jason Hanson and a three-and-out by the Giants offense, the Lions had the ball with a chance to tie the game, but an interception by Antrel Rolle sealed the win.
“Guys are coming together,” Rolle said. “We went out there and played a great game together, and that’s what it’s all about.”
The game started inauspiciously on the Giants opening possession when the continuing problems of Matt Dodge continued the plague the team when twice he was unable to handle an exchange on a punt, eventually fumbling the ball that the Lions would recover at the Giants 43.
“I need to catch the ball obviously,” said Dodge. I can’t give them that kind of field position.”
Seven plays later, the Lions would convert the turnover into points when quarterback Shaun Hill connected with Nate Burleson for a 14-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead.
A 56-yard punt by Dodge pinned the Lions deep in their own territory, the Giants defense forced a three-and-out giving their offense the ball at the Lions 40 and five plays later, Jacobs scored from four yards out to tie the game.
In the second quarter, the Giants offense started at their own seven and marched 93 yards on 11 plays, culminating in a beautiful 33-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham on a deep post for his second score of the year to go in front 14-7, eventually taking a 14-10 lead into halftime.
“It’s a play that we have been working on successfully in practice all week, said Manningham of the play leading to his second touchdown of the season. “We knew we wanted to go to it when the time was right.”
Hill had to leave the game with an arm fracture on the final drive before the half.
Detroit would commit numerous penalties to kill themselves on the afternoon. One of their worst sequences came in the third quarter when a potential first down reception by Burleson came back due to an illegal formation penalty. On the next play, Osi Umenyiora sacked new quarterback Drew Stanton, forcing a fumble that Justin Tuck would recover at the Giants 43.
The Giants would take advantage of the turnover, as Manning would find Steve Smith for 14 yards and Kevin Boss for 25. They drove all the way down to the 1 before not being able to punch the ball in with Jacobs on both first and second down. On third down, Manning used play-action and found Travis Beckum for his first career NFL touchdown to give extend the lead to 21-10.
“We got off to a slow start,” said Manning. “We had a couple really good drives and when we got down there we scored touchdowns.”
Four touchdowns to be exact.
As they have done all season, the defense set out to stop the run and they did exactly that, limiting rookie Jahvid Best to only 16 yards on 12 carries as the Giants were able to move Rolle into the box as an eighth man on early downs. The lack of success turned them into a one-dimensional team, passing on 49 of their 70 plays.
“We were going against the number one scoring offense in the NFC,” said linebacker Jonathan Goff. “We got some timely turnovers, which got them off the field. And then we were able to give our offense a chance to put points on the board.
Looking to put the game away in the fourth quarter, an unfortunate break on a third-and-10 from the Giants 13, when Terrell Thomas mistimed his jump and with Rolle falling down, receiver Calvin Johnson was able to make a catch and went the distance for an 87-yard touchdown to cut the margin to 21-17.
The Lions would force the Giants into punts on each of their next two possessions and had the ball with 8:23 remaining with a chance to take the lead. On third-and-five from midfield, Stanton found Burleson for another first down at the 42, but the ball came loose as he went to the ground. Acutely, Deon Grant quickly snatched the fumble to give the ball back to the offense at their own 42.
“I knew it was out because their sideline was yelling,” said Grant. I felt him underneath me moving, and he was already tackled so I knew he didn’t need to move, so I knew the ball was out but I couldn’t find it. When I finally saw it, I had it.” 
It would take only three plays to stick the ball into the end zone as Ahmad Bradshaw ripped a 45-yard run down to the Lions 13. Jacobs would finish the rest, gaining seven and then getting his second touchdown of the game from six yards out.
Manning was not great, but efficient, going 20-of-30 for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns.
It was another good performance by the defense, limiting the Lions for most of the afternoon and made their only gaffe with the Johnson play and being in disadvantageous field position after the fumble on the punt by Dodge.
At 4-2, a trip to Dallas awaits the Giants, who by virtue of their loss to the Vikings, can go 3 1/2 games ahead in the division with a win.
“We’ve earned it,” said Coughlin. We’ve earned the 4-2. We battled our way back and let’s hope it keeps going.”
They would definitely love to shove dirt into the Cowboys grave.
Giants defense emerging as force early in season
HOUSTON - The Giants desperately needed an attitude adjustment after last year.
There is no need to recite the ugly numbers from a season ago because everyone can recite and recall them as if it were the alphabet.
Before the year, the defense insisted things would be different, determined to exterminate all of those bad memories and reestablish themselves as the strong unit that carried the team to a Super Bowl victory.
The results from the first three games were inconclusive. However, the last two games have presented sufficient evidence that this may defense may be a force.
“Talent is potential and potential means you haven't done anything,” said Justin Tuck. “We're learning that. In 2007, we were a dummy defense. We're getting away from that and trying to make our own identity now."
After sacking Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler 10 times in their 17-3 victory over the Bears, the Giants defense played its most complete game of the season, dismantling the Texans 34-10.
"When the offense is playing well, the defense is playing well and we just feed off of each other,” said Osi Umenyiora. “That's the whole team concept."
It was so complete it was stunning. No one could really know what to make of the result except to wonder aloud as to whether this group can play anywhere close to the level that they would display on Sunday.
The numbers did not lie. Averaging 31.5 points per game going into the contest and putting up big numbers in terms of passing and rushing yardage, the Texans were a big offensive team.
Said Head Coach Tom Coughlin, "The key thing is that we've talked about having to be a smarter football team and I think our defense did a good job of that.
As the Giants scored quickly to begin the game, taking a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, Houston had to change plans quickly in order to get back into the game. However, part of the reason they were down three touchdowns was because of the play of the defense.
The Texans first two drives of the game netted only one first down, coming on the opening play of the game, leading to two punts.
After Eli Manning connected with Hakeem Nicks for a touchdown, Corey Webster intercepted Matt Schaub’s pass by stepping in front of Andre Johnson to pick it off at the Texans 40 and four plays later, the Giants had a 14-0 lead.
Another three and out gave the Giants great field position and before the Texans knew it, they were down 21 points and unable to get gain yards on offense.
The first half domination was complete from start to finish. The defense held them to only 74 yards and four first downs as they saw themselves down 24-3 on the scoreboard.
Much like Cutler the week before, Schaub was under pressure from this suddenly resurgent defensive line. Sacking him several times, batting down passes at the line of scrimmage to negate the tendency of their offense to utilize many three step drops.
"The guys up front, when they couldn't get there, put their hands up to knock the ball down and that's great,” said Corey Webster. “We'd like to get our hands on some of those tipped balls but they did a great job of putting pressure on him and getting their hands up when they needed to."
Give Giants Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell credit for studying the tendencies of the Texans and relaying the message to his players.
Their main goal was to slow down Arian Foster, one the league’s leading running backs. To a man, they all felt that their offense started with him before they unleashed their passing game.
Foster only gained 25 yards on 11 carries as the Giants played in control, staying in their gaps and not allowing any cutback lanes, something the Colts and the Raiders could not do where Foster had his two best games of the season.
"We didn't over penetrate,” said Coughlin. “We didn't give them the big cutback lanes; we stayed at home. We seemed to always have an extra guy hanging over on the back side. The safeties did a good job coming down and attacking."
With nothing in the running game and trailing by hefty margin, the game was on Schaub to win it with his arm. This time, the defensive line was able to dial up pressure and with numerous bodies in the secondary to flood passing lanes, he had very few places to go with the ball and few of their passing attempts could be considered successful.
Schaub finished the game only 16-of-34 for 196 yards, a down performance for one of the NFL’s top statistical quarterbacks.
Said Umenyiora, "Our offense put them in a situation where they had to pass the ball.”
Umenyiora was part of the reason for the Texans lack of success passing, who despite battling knee problems during the week, continues to play exceptional on Sunday. He was able to follow up his three sack, two forced fumble effort against Chicago with a two-sack, two forced fumble game against the Texans, wreaking havoc on their game plan.
If the Giants are going to get this type of play from Umenyiora to go along with Justin Tuck and the continued inside production from Barry Cofield and Chris Canty, than this becomes a defense to contend with.
Jonathan Goff continues his development, showcased by an impressive play blowing up a gap and taking down Foster for a three-yard loss early on.
The back end of the secondary has been tremendous as Fewell has taken to using a three-safety alignment with Kenny Phillips, Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant with the results so far being tremendous as the defense now ranks number one in the league in pass defense.
With great coverage play and the line creating penetration shutting down the run and forcing opponents to pass, perhaps the Giants can become that top defense again.
"Anytime you win a game it feels good,” said Tuck. “Hopefully we can make it three next week."
If they can, perhaps they can have lofty dreams this season.
Giants dominate in win over Texans
HOUSTON – What a difference two weeks make?
After their embarrassing loss to Tennessee, there were many questioning the Giants leadership and whether the season was about to unravel.
Now, the question becomes whether they may be the best team in the NFC.
Such is the crazy world week-to-week in the NFL, and right now, the Giants are riding high. It was never more so than their stunning wire-to-wire 34-10 victory over the Texans at Reliant Stadium.
The win was the first time since last October where they won two consecutive games, and the win vaults them into first place in the NFC along with the Redskins.
"Two wins in a row,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “Let's keep it going."
“We talked about having to play better,” we talked about having to improve. We talked about this being a very important game, that we did rise in our performance.
We did show the quality of our team in all three phases, the way we might be able to operate together. So hopefully were in that direction."
What we saw was a team with incredible energy and control. It was a coming out party for wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, as he dissected a porous Texans secondary.
For the defense, their performance against a high-powered Texans offense was arguably their best in several seasons.
The first half saw the Giants play their most complete game in recent memory, jumping up to a 21-0 lead in the game’s first 17 minutes, eventually take a 24-3 lead into the half.
An eight play, 85-yard drive early in the first quarter ended with an Eli Manning six-yard touchdown pass to Nicks, who was able to get his feet over the pile-on for the first score of the game.
“We stayed in good rhythm,” said Manning, who is now 18-4 in October. “We didn't have a whole lot of negative plays, moving backwards and penalties.
On the Texans ensuing drive, cornerback Corey Webster had great coverage and stepped in front to intercept the pass from quarterback Matt Schaub intended for Andre Johnson at the Texans 40.
Nicks nearly scored on catch-and-run from 28 yards, but the officials marked him down at the Texans 1. Brandon Jacobs would score on the next play to make it 14-0.
Another three-and-out deep in their own territory gave the Giants the ball at their own 45. It took only six plays to stick it in the end zone as it became apparent that they had a mismatch with Nicks against both of the Texans starting corners Brice McCain and rookie Kareem Jackson. On a third-and-four from the 12, Manning found Nicks all alone in the end zone to increase the margin to 21.
"We just went out there and played to the game plan,” said Nicks. “Coach (Kevin Gilbride) put together a very good game plan for us and we just wanted to go out there and execute."
In all phases, the Giants dominated the first half, outgaining them in yards 254 to 74 in addition to having 17 first downs to the Texans 4.
For whatever reason, leading by 21 points, the Giants began to go away from a running game that they had some success running the ball and began to throw incessantly. Manning had one pass intercepted by Sherrick McManis and on the next drive on a third-and-15 deep in their own end, threw an inexplicably interception to Jackson that led to a touchdown by Derrick Ward to make it 24-10.
At one point in the third quarter, the Giants threw the ball eight consecutive times despite the sizable lead. Many of them came with Manning checking out of running plays due to coverage matchups they had with the Texans secondary.
Said Manning, “We've got to stay out of those situations.”
There was no need to do it considering the way the defense was playing. From the outset, they set out to systematically break down an offense averaging 31.5 points per game coming in and they did that, limiting them to only 195 total yards and only 2-for-11 on third down.
Counting the win over Chicago, opponents are now 2-for-24 the last two games.
Of the 11 drives Houston had, the Giants defense forced them into seven punts, six of them coming in five plays or less. Arian Foster, the NFL’s leading rusher had nowhere to run, gaining only 25 yards on 11 carries and was not on the field for most of the second half.
“I think the thing we did was we squared up on them a little bit more,” said Justin Tuck. “We took away their angles as far as him cutting back. We just made a flat line."
Schaub was under pressure from the Giants defense, sacking him three times, forcing two fumbles, and recovering one. They also did a great job of disrupting their timing by batting down numerous passes at the line of scrimmage and make Johnson, the league’s best receiver, a non-factor.
Johnson had only five catches for 95 yards, but Webster had great coverage on him the entire afternoon when you consider he was targeted 13 times.
“We're doing a great job of taking steps in the right direction,” said Corey Webster. “We're going to go back Monday, keep working hard and hopefully we can build off of this."
The Giants would finish off the Texans in the fourth quarter, completing a nine-play, 73 yard drive, ending with Manning’s third touchdown pass of the day, this time a four-yard pass to Steve Smith (his first of the season) for the game’s final margin.
It was their fourth red zone touchdown of the game in four attempts. They also seized full control of time of possession, having the ball for nearly 39 minutes.
Despite his two third quarter interceptions, Manning finished the day 27-of-42 for 297 yards. Twelve of those completions went to Nicks, who finished with his career high 130 yards.
Next Sunday, the Giants are back at home to take on the Detroit Lions, losers of their last 23 road games. It is important that they do not suffer a letdown.
Right now, things may be going too well for that to happen.
Big Blue dominates again, KO’s Cutler
EAST RUTHERFORD – There are some games when a team and a particular player are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Enter the Chicago Bears offensive line and Jay Cutler.
The New Meadowlands Stadium was not the right place to be for them on Sunday night against the Giants defensive line that seemed to be coming in waves on every play.
With numerous legends that put on the blue uniform that played to the highest of levels for the franchise, its current edition would pay tribute to its trademark past.
“We need to have a Ring of Honor ceremony every week,” said Justin Tuck.
From the beginning of the game until the end, every Chicago quarterback dropping back to pass for found themselves under siege, unable to escape the onslaught.
As a result, Cutler had nowhere to go but down, time and time again.
The Giants sacked Cutler an NFL record nine times in the first half out of the Bears 27 offensive plays, an average of once every three plays.
“We were just in position tonight to rush the passer,” Umenyiora said. “We were able to rush the passer hard tonight. Sacks like that – sometimes they come in bunches.”
Chicago utilized five and seven step drops as a means to attempt to throw the ball downfield under Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz. This allowed the defensive line to focus on nothing more than going after the quarterback and with the secondary playing great in pass coverage Cutler had little place to go with the ball.
“They played very, very well,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin about the defense. “I know that it was very difficult for Chicago to get a first down (six) and we really did well against them on third down (0-for-13).”
The result was Cutler continuously finding himself on his back.
It took three plays into Chicago’s first drive for Osi Umenyiora to put him down for the first sack. Chris Canty would get the second on their next possession.
This was only the beginning of what was to come.
“That is the way we are capable of playing,” said Umenyiora.
Despite the improvement in the Giants defense under Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell, the continued issue was the lack of consistent pass rush from a defensive line that is large on bodies, talent and paychecks and short on performance. Their inability to generate pressure from their four-man line has had a trickledown effect not allowing the linebackers or the secondary to make plays.
Sunday night was a different story.
In the second quarter, it was an incredible display. The Bears would run 16 plays and the Giants would amass a record seven sacks and forcing three fumbles utilizing very few blitzes.
“We were jelling tonight,” said defensive back Terrell Thomas. “Our d-line wouldn’t let him throw the ball, and they did a great job of attacking the quarterback.”
This was as perfect of a defensive performance you could get. It brought back memories of their 12-sack performance on Donovan McNabb back in 2007 and then in the Super Bowl against Tom Brady and the Patriots.
For the most part, that rush has been missing in action since the middle of 2008. With the help of the atrocious Bears offensive line, the Giants enjoyed a blast from their past.
Every quarterback has an internal clock on when to get rid of the ball. Once that clock expires, he has three options: throw the ball away, check down for minimal yardage, or end up on the ground.
While several of the sacks came from the relentless pressure (Umenyiora and Tuck each had three sacks), there were several in which Cutler could have gotten rid of the ball and live to see another play.
Instead, Cutler waited for a receiver to get open. Problem was there was no one open. The result was the quarterback on his back.
It was a great team defensive effort.
“Our d-line did a great job,” said Thomas. “We were in a great position as a secondary, and were allowed to make great plays.”
The clock officially struck midnight late in the first half when Aaron Ross came on a blitz from his blindside and violently drove him down with his head bouncing off the ground.
It was a fitting way to end a half that saw them limit Chicago to only two first downs, 22 total yards of which due to sacks saw the passing yards at -13.
As Chicago came out on offense to begin the third quarter, backup Todd Collins entered the game as Cutler reportedly was diagnosed with a concussion.
Of course, there is a good chance had he stayed in the game, the results would have been worse.
In fact, it did get worse. With the game now out of reach late in the fourth, Michael Boley came from the front side to drill Collins, knocking him out of the game as well.
Ten sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, limiting the Bears to 0-for-13 on third down and 110 total yards.
“Tonight was perfect,” said safety Deon Grant, who had an interception and fumble recovery. “We’ll take 10 sacks any night.”
Giants fans have been waiting nearly two years for this effort. While the rest of the game was ugly until late in the third quarter, they can take solace in how the defense played and hope for more in the future.
Cutler would attest to that.
10-sack performance leads ugly Big Blue win 
EAST RUTHERFORD – There was a point in the second when the suddenly resurgent and overpowering Giants defense sacked Bears quarterback Jay Cutler for what appeared to be the 100th time when you probably felt sorry for him.
The Giants sure did not, and so they kept coming and coming some more.
By the time the carnage was complete, Cutler had to leave the game at halftime with a reported concussion. His replacement Todd Collins would fare no better, knocked out of the game late in the fourth quarter and having third stringer Caleb Hanie in to finish the mess.
It was a night where with former great Giants of the past watching with smiles on their faces, the current squad played defense reminiscent of those old days, pummeling the Bears offense into the ground for a 17-3 victory at New Meadowlands Stadium.
“A great win for our team tonight,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “A win that we really needed.”
The other parts of the game were not aesthetically pleasing, specifically the offense and the continued porous play of the special teams. However, the incredible play by the defense took the spotlight.
“Those guys in the back end did an outstanding job,” said Osi Umenyiora, who played his best game in nearly three years registering three sacks and two forced fumbles while referencing the secondary. “They made the quarterback throw the ball.”
Part of that was Chicago’s own game plan to be aggressive and throw the ball on the Giants, particularly having Cutler using five and seven step drops.
This would prove to be fatal with terrible consequences. The coverage was so good all over the field, Cutler held on to the ball looking to make a play and wound up on his back.
“Our D-line did a great job,” said cornerback Terrell Thomas. “We were in a great position a secondary, and were allowed to make great plays.”
Statistics did not lie. In addition to the 10 sacks, of which nine came in the first half, the Giants held the (up to this point) potent Bears offense to only six first downs. Chicago did not convert on one third down in 13 attempts and held to only 110 yards.
It was amazing that the game was even in the balance going into the fourth quarter. Most of that was due to the ineptitude of the Giants offense and their inability to take advantage of numerous opportunities the defense gave them on turnovers deep in Bears territory.
The first half may have set back offensive football 70 years as both teams combined for six total first downs (Giants 4, Bears 2). Relentless pressure from the defensive front got to Cutler, who was sacked more times (9 – an NFL record) than he had completions (8) as the Bears were held to only 22 yards of offense (-13 yards passing) and two turnovers in the first 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, the Giants were not able to take advantage. After a 22-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes in the first quarter gave them an early lead, Terrell Thomas intercepted a Cutler pass at the Bears 28. After three plays did not yield a first down, Tynes missed a 38-yard field wide left.
“We have to find ways to take advantage when we get great field position,” said Eli Manning. “Our defense was playing outstanding, getting us turnovers.
Another Chicago turnover came when Osi Umenyiora sacked Cutler from behind and Deon Grant recovered the loose ball at the Bears 29. Once again, the Bears defense held the Giants offense to another three-and-out, forcing a punt. They were only 1-for-7 in a half where they amassed only 98 yards.
Said Manning, “We didn’t have any positive plays once we got down there.”
In the third quarter, the Giants offense got into gear for the first time in the
game. Starting at their own 10, they would march 90 yards in eight plays,
highlighted by two completions by Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks for 21 yards and Travis Beckum for 25 more. Ahmad Bradshaw sprinted down 25 yards to the Bears 3 before punching it into the end zone to take a 10-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
“We had a good mix,” Coughlin said. “We hit some passes to get the things going and we made some outstanding runs.
“It seems at times like we were a little tentative like we were trying not to make an error instead of just playing the game.”
Bradshaw would finish the game with 129 yards on 23 carries.
“We just knew we had to keep fighting,” said Bradshaw.
Without Cutler in the game and Collins in, Chicago stood little chance. Their porous offensive line could not open up any holes for their running game (59 yards total) and with Collins under siege on nearly every play, the Giants continued to bring pressure, eventually coming up with an interception by Grant on an overthrown pass at the Giants 8.
However, the offense continued to keep the Bears in the game despite the play of the defense. At their own 33, a bad exchange between Manning and Brandon Jacobs led to a fumble Chicago would recover at the Giants 29. This led to a 40-yard field goal by Robbie Gould for their first points of the night.
“That is something we have to fix,” said Manning. “(The fumble) is the last thing you can do in that situation.”
Later in the fourth, Bradshaw was on his to a 36-yard touchdown run to seal the game. Instead, he would commit his third fumble of the season as cornerback Zach Bowman stripped away the ball from him and recovered it at the Bears 1.
The defense forced a punt on three straight plays to give the offense advantageous field position at the Bears 32 where Manning would find Nicks for a diving catch at the 2 before Jacobs would pound it into the end zone to point the way the Giants second victory of the season.
“We are right back in the thick of things,” said Chris Snee. We just have to play smart football from here on out.”
It was a gut-check for this Giants team. They needed to respond after the questions surrounding their head coach and the team’s mental psyche.
At least for one week, they will not have to answer those questions.
