| NY GIANTS HISTORY 2000 - 2009 | | | | 2000 |
●The Giants enjoyed their finest season in a decade, winning the NFC East and home-field advantage in the playoffs with a 12-4 record before defeating Philadelphia and Minnesota to advance to Super Bowl XXXV. The highlight of the season was a 41-0 victory over Minnesota in the NFC Championship game at Giants Stadium.
●In their first Super Bowl appearance in 10 years, the Giants lost to Baltimore, 34-7. The Giants took a seven-game winning streak into the Super Bowl, a surge that began after Jim Fassel issued his now-famous playoff guarantee on November 22. The Giants finished 7-1 in the division and 7-1 away from Giants Stadium. The seven road victories tied a franchise record set in 1930 (when three of the road games were in Newark, Staten Island and Brooklyn) and marked the first time since 1963 that the Giants lost just one game as visitors.
●The Giants averaged 125.6 rushing yards a game, a robust 37.5-yard gain over the 1999 average.
●Quarterback Kerry Collins was sacked 28 times; in 1999 Giants quarterbacks were sacked 42 times. Collins had the best season of his career, setting career highs in passes (529), completions (311), completion percentage (58.8) and touchdown passes (22).
●Halfback Tiki Barber set a Giants record of 2,085 all-purpose yards (1,006 rushing, 719 receiving, 332 punt returns and 28 on kickoff returns).
●Amani Toomer caught 78 passes (one less than the franchise record he set in 1999. Ike Hilliard led the team with a 14.3-yard average and eight touchdown catches. The defense was second in the NFL against the run (72.3 yards a game) and fifth in points allowed (15.4 per game). In 359 rushing attempts, opponents had an NFL-best two runs of longer than 20 yards.
●Jessie Armstead led the team with 102 tackles – his fifth consecutive season with more than a hundred tackles – and was selected to his fourth straight Pro Bowl.
●Defensive tackle Keith Hamilton had the best season of his nine-year career. He was a dominating run-stopper and he led the Giants with 10 sacks, an impressive feat for a tackle. Defensive end Michael Strahan had perhaps his finest all-around season and raised his sack total from 5.5 in 1999 to 9.5.
| | 2001 |
●After a strong 3-1 start, the Giants lost eight of their last 12 games and finished 7-9 and in third place in the NFC East, the third time in as many tries they failed to make the playoffs a season after reaching the Super Bowl. The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on Sept. 11 – the day after the Giants lost their Monday night opener in Denver – made the rest of season a minor footnote by comparison. After the attacks, many players reached out to victims’ families, firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers and their children.
●Despite the disappointing record, the season included many highlights, notably Michael Strahan setting a new NFL single-season record with 22.5 sacks.
●Kerry Collins became the first quarterback in league history to throw every one of his team’s passes in two consecutive seasons. Collins set team marks for passes (568) and completions (327).
●Tiki Barber accounted for 1,782 total yards, Mike Barrow set a team record with 135 tackles, Morten Andersen became the second-leading scorer in NFL history, Howard Cross set a new franchise record for games played (207), Amani Toomer caught more than 70 passes for the third season in a row, rookie Rodney Williams established a team record with a 90-yard punt against the Broncos and Jessie Armstead played in his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl (and was joined in Hawaii by Strahan and Ron Stone).
●Although they struggled with two three-game losing streaks, the Giants thrilled their fans with scintillating last-second victories over Dallas (in overtime), Arizona and Seattle. After the defeat in Denver – and a week off after the NFL’s decision not to play the Sunday after the attacks – the Giants won three straight, against Kansas City, New Orleans and Washington. The winning streak was followed by consecutive heartbreaking 1-point losses to St. Louis and Philadelphia, and a defeat at Washington. The Giants then rebounded with victories over Dallas and Arizona before again dropping three straight, to Minnesota, Oakland and Dallas. They played their way back into playoff contention with dramatic triumphs over Arizona and Seattle, but closed the season with losses to Philadelphia and Green Bay.
| | 2002 |
●An exciting and rewarding season concluded with the Giants winning their final four regular season games to finish 10-6 and in second place in the NFC East. More importantly, they earned a Wild Card berth in the NFC playoffs, where they lost a heartbreaking 39-38 game to the San Francisco 49ers. But the game did not diminish the season’s many team and individual achievements. The Giants made their 26th appearance in the playoffs, tying them with the Dallas Cowboys for the most postseason appearances in NFL history. They finished the regular season ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense, with 364.1 yards a game. It was their highest ranking and most yards per game since the 1985 Giants finished fifth in total offense with 367.8 yards a game.
●The Giants improved to 19-5 in regular season December games under Jim Fassel. Many individuals enjoyed outstanding seasons. Kerry Collins completed 335 passes, a Giants record, and was 1st in the NFC and 4th in the NFL with 4,073 passing yards, breaking the previous team record of 4,044, set by Phil Simms in 1984. Collins completed 61.5 percent of his passes, a career-high and the third-best percentage in team history.
●Tiki Barber was 4th in the NFL and 1st in the NFC with 1,984 yards from scrimmage (1,387 rushing and 597 receiving). He rushed for 1,387 rushing yards, the second-highest total in team history after Joe Morris’ 1,516 yards in 1986.
●Amani Toomer set team records with 82 receptions for 1,343 yards and established a career-high with eight touchdown catches.
●Pro Bowler Jeremy Shockey caught 74 passes, the fifth-highest total in Giants history, and a team record for both rookies (shattering the mark of 48 set by Bobby Johnson in 1984) and tight ends (eclipsing the 66 passes Mark Bavaro caught in 1986).
●Michael Strahan was selected to his 4th Pro Bowl in 5 years and from Sept. 22 through Dec. 1, he had at least a half-sack in 10 consecutive games, tying the NFL record set by Denver’s Simon Fletcher in 1991 and tied by Tennessee’s Jevon Kearse in 1999.
| | 2003 | ●The Giants endured one of their most unpleasant seasons in recent memory, losing their last eight games to finish 4-12. The Giants were 4-4 at midseason. In Game 9, they were tied at halftime with Atlanta, 7-7. But the Falcons scored 20 unanswered second-half points to send the Giants to a defeat from which they would never recover. The Giants finished the season 1-7 at home, the first time since 1983 they won a single home game.
●Despite their poor record, the Giants had several individual highlights. Michael Strahan led the NFL with 18.5 sacks, the second-highest total of his career, and became the first Giant to twice lead the league in sacks.
●For the second consecutive year, Strahan and tight end Jeremy Shockey were the only Giants selected to the Pro Bowl. Shockey became the first Giant to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons since Taylor in 1981-82.
●Running back Tiki Barber had team-high totals of 1,216 rushing yards (the second-highest total of his career) and 69 receptions. He became the first Giant to lead the team in both rushing and receptions since Joe Dawkins in 1974. Barber finished the season as the franchise’s all-time leader in total yards (10,746) and receptions (422) and is second in rushing (5,409 yards).
●Amani Toomer extended his own team record with his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
●Quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Jesse Palmer combined to throw a franchise-record 616 passes in 2003.
●Right guard David Diehl became the first Giants rookie to start all 16 games since Mark Bavaro in 1985. He was one of 14 NFL rookies to start all 16 games in 2003.
●The team announced with two games remaining that Jim Fassel would not return as head coach. Fassel was replaced by Tom Coughlin on January 6, 2004.
| | 2004 |
●A new era dawned in Giants Stadium in 2004 with the arrival of Tom Coughlin as the 16th head coach in franchise history. With Coughlin at the helm, the Giants revamped their roster and entered the 80th season in the organization’s history with great optimism and hope. Early in the season, the team enjoyed success, running out to records of 4-1 and 5-2. But the Giants couldn’t sustain the momentum and lost eight consecutive games before winning the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants finished in second place in the NFC East with a 6-10 record, a two-game improvement over their 2003 mark.
●Despite the sub-.500 record, the Giants had several players turn in superb performances. Running back Tiki Barber set four significant team records and was selected to his first Pro Bowl, the first Giants running back so honored since Rodney Hampton in 1993. Finished first in the NFL with a Giants-record 2,096 yards from scrimmage. He was fifth in the league and second in the conference with a team-record 1,518 rushing yards, two more than Joe Morris’ total in 1986. He set the record on a game-winning three-yard run with 11 seconds remaining in the finale against Dallas. Barber tied a career high by averaging 4.7 yards a carry, an average he also maintained in 2000. His 1,518 yards placed him second in the NFC and fifth in the NFL.
●Barber rushed for at least 100 yards in nine games, breaking the team’s previous single-season record of eight, set by Morris in 1986. Barber finished the season with 6,927 career rushing yards, eclipsing Hampton’s former team record of 6,897. Barber also has a franchise-record 474 receptions. He was second in the NFL and led the NFC with 95 first downs (77 rushing, 18 receiving). He was third among non-kickers in the NFC with 90 points (15 touchdowns, 13 rushing and two receiving).
●Barber had 19 plays of 20 or more yards and tied for the NFL high with five plays of 50 or more yards (three runs and two receptions).
●Willie Ponder’s 26.9-yard average also led the league. It was the highest kickoff return average by a Giant since Leon McQuay averaged 27.6 yards in 1974.
●The Giants finished first in the NFL with a 25.1-yard kickoff return average, the first time since 1953 they led the NFL in that statistical category. Minnesota defensive end Jim Marshall played in 282 straight games from 1960-1979. Ponder was the first Giant to lead the NFL in average kickoff return yardage since Clarence Childs in 1964 (David Meggett led the NFC in 1990).
●Jeff Feagles remained one of the most consistent and reliable punters in NFL history. For the 17th consecutive season, and second with the Giants, Feagles played in all 16 games. He has played in 272 games without ever missing one, the second-longest streak in history. Feagles’ 74 punts increased his career total to 1,364, just three behind NFL record-holder Sean Landeta. Feagles’ 23 punts inside the 20-yard line increased his NFL-record career total to 430, 56 more than runner-up Landeta.
●Michael Strahan’s four sacks increased his career total to 118.0, the highest total among active players. Strahan is 12th on the NFL’s career list. Strahan missed the final eight games of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.
●Jeremy Shockey led the Giants with 61 receptions to become the first tight end to top the team since Mark Bavaro had 55 catches in 1987. Bavaro had 55 catches that season. Shockey’s team-leading six touchdown receptions were two more than he had in his first two seasons combined.
●Amani Toomer led the team’s wide receivers with 51 catches for 747 yards. It was the sixth consecutive season Toomer had more than 50 receptions and 700 yards. Toomer is first on the team’s career list with 6,813 receiving yards. David Diehl started all 16 games at right tackle after starting every game at guard as a rookie. He is the first Giant since the introduction of the 16-game schedule in 1978 to start every game in his first two seasons.
●Eli Manning, the quarterback who was selected with the top pick in the 2004 draft and then acquired by the Giants in a trade, started the last seven games and improved markedly down the stretch. He finished the season with 95 completions in 197 attempts for 1,043 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions.
●Osi Umenyiora, a second-year defensive end, led the Giants with 7.0 sacks, six more than he had as a rookie. Linebacker Carlos Emmons led the team with 97 tackles (62 solo).
●David Tyree led the Giants with 23 special teams tackles (20 solo) and was voted as a first alternate to the Pro Bowl.
| | 2005 | ●The Giants’ 2005 season was inspirational and triumphant, we well as sad and tragic. In Tom Coughlin’s second season as head coach, they finished with an 11-5 record, winning one more game than they had in the previous two seasons combined. The Giants earned their first playoff berth since 2002 and their first NFC East championship since 2000 before losing an NFC Wild Card Game to Carolina, 23-0.
●Success on the field was coupled with sadness off of it. The Giants’ beloved owners, Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch, passed away within three weeks of each other, both from cancer. Mara, an NFL patriarch who was one of the most respected and influential figures in league history, and who had been with the Giants for their entire 81-year history, died on Oct. 25. At his funeral three days later in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, his son John, the team’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, delivered a stirring and unforgettable eulogy.
●Tisch, who purchased 50 percent of the franchise in 1991, was a business titan, renowned philanthropist and nonpareil New York City moved and shaker, died on Nov. 15. He was remembered at a two-hour celebration of his life on Dec. 9 at Avery Fisher Hall, where speakers such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the great opera singer Beverly Sills and Giants running back Tiki Barber spoke of Tisch’s successes, kindness and generosity.
●The Giants’ first-place finish was the 21st time in franchise history, breaking a tie with Green Bay and moving them atop the league’s all-time list. Their playoff appearance was the franchise’s 27th, which ties Dallas and the Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams for the most in NFL history. The Giants’ 422 points were the second-highest total in franchise history, exceeded only by the 448 points scored by the 1963 team. They scored 45 touchdowns, their highest total since the 1985 team scored 48. Their 5,787 total yards were the third-most in team history. The1985 Giants gained 5,884 yards and the 2002 team gained 5,826 yards. The Giants’ 312 first downs were the fifth-most in team history. The Giants’ offense ranked fourth in the NFL with an average of 361.7 yards a game. That is the team’s highest ranking since 1972, when the offense also ranked fourth (with an average of 320.2 yards a game).
●The Giants were only the fifth team in NFL history to have five different players scored at least seven touchdowns. Barber scored 11, and Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Brandon Jacobs scored seven apiece. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the other teams to have five players with seven or more touchdowns apiece were the 1950 Rams, 1966 Chiefs, 1985 Chargers and 2004 Chiefs.
●The Giants had five players selected to the Pro Bowl, their largest contingent since the 1990 Super Bowl champions sent seven players to Hawaii. This season’s Pro Bowlers are Barber, Shockey, Umenyiora, Strahan and David Tyree.
●Tiki Barber had the greatest season by a running back in Giants history and one of the best years anyone has ever had in the NFL. He was selected NFL Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated and a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and Pro Football Weekly. Barber was second in the NFL with a team-record 1,860 rushing yards, which shattered the franchise mark of 1,518 he set in 2004.
●Barber, 30, was the oldest player in history to rush for 1,800 yards. Barber also had 530 receiving yards to become the only player in NFL history with at least 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season. His 2,390 total yards were second-most in NFL history. St. Louis’ Marshall Faulk had 2,429 yards in 1999 (1,381 rushing, 1,048 receiving). The previous team record of 2,096 yards was set by Barber in 2004. He has all three 2,000 yards seasons in Giants history. Barber’s 263 total yards in the season finale in Oakland exceeded 200 yards rushing three times, included a Giants-record 220-yard game against Kansas City on Dec. 17. He also rushed for 206 yards vs. Washington on Oct. 30 and 203 yards at Oakland on Dec. 31. Barber was only the third player in history to have at least three 200-yard games in a season (O.J. Simpson rushed for more than 200 yards in three games in 1973 and Earl Campbell had four 200-yard games in 1980). Barber led the NFL in runs of 20 or more yards (16), 40 or more yards (seven) and 50 or more yards (five). His 263 scrimmage yards at Oakland, 220 rushing yards against Kansas City and 95-yard run against the Raiders were all NFL single-game highs in 2005. Barber’s 95-yard run at Oakland was the longest in Giants history and broke a record that stood for 75 years – Hap Moran’s 91-yard run vs. Green Bay on Nov. 23, 1930.
● Plaxico Burress led the Giants with 76 receptions, the fifth-highest total in team history. His 1,214 receiving yards were the second-highest total in team history and his seven touchdowns tied him with Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey for the team lead.
● Shockey was second on the team with 65 receptions for 891 yards. He increased his career total to 248 catches, which is 10th on the franchise’s career list and third among Giants tight ends, behind Bob Tucker (327) and Mark Bavaro (266).
● Eli Manning threw 557 passes this season, the second-highest total in team history. His 294 completions place him fourth on the Giants’ career list and his 24 touchdown passes were the most by a Giant since Fran Tarkenton had 29 in 1967.
● Brandon Jacobs was the first Giants rookie to score seven touchdowns since Bobby Johnson in 1984 and the first to rush for seven touchdowns since Bill Paschal ran for 10 scores in 1943.
● Osi Umenyiora was selected to his first Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro by both the Associated Press and Pro Football Weekly. He was first in the NFC and second in the NFL with 14.5 sacks, the highest total by a Giants player other than Michael Strahan since Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had 15 in 1989.
● Strahan was third in the NFC with 11.5 sacks. He and Umenyiora combined for 26 sacks, the most by any pair of NFL teammates. Strahan’s 129.5 career sacks place him ninth on the NFL’s all-time list.
● Before suffering a season-ending ankle injury at Philadelphia on Dec. 11, Anotnio Pierce led the Giants with 96 tackles (76 solo), had two interceptions and he had scored a touchdown on a fumble return.
● Gibril Wilson led the Giants with 110 tackles (88 solo). He has two interceptions, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
●Jay Feely led all NFL kickers with a team-record and career-high 148 points, the first Giants kicker to hold the top spot since Dan Chandler in 1963 (106 points). The 148 points shattered the previous record of 127 points, set by Ali Haji-Sheikh in 1983. Feely set career highs and tied two Haji-Sheikh team records with 35 field and 42 field goal attempts. Haji-Sheikh had set those marks in 1983. His 83.3 percentage tied Haji-Sheikh for third on the team’s single-season list (minimum 14 attempts).
●Jeff Feagles played in all 16 games for the 18th consecutive season (third with the Giants). On Nov. 27 in Seattle, Feagles played in his in his 283rd consecutive game, a new NFL record. Former Minnesota defensive end Jim Marshall had held the old mark of 282 since retiring in 1979. At season’s end, Feagles had played in 288 consecutive games. Feagles is the NFL’s all-time leader in punts (1,437, 36 more than former Giant Sean Landeta) and in punts downed inside the 20 (456). His 59,830 punting yards place him second in history, 878 yards behind Landeta.
●David Tyree was selected to his first Pro Bowl despite missing three games with an elbow injury, the Giants’ first special teams player chosen since Reyna Thompson in 1990. Tyree’s 16 special teams tackles tied him with Chase Blackburn for second on the team, one behind James Butler.
| | 2006 |
●The Giants’ 2006 season was marked by both soaring victories and searing defeats. They enjoyed a successful first half that included their largest fourth-quarter comeback in 36 years and a five-game winning streak. That helped them jump out to a 6-2 record that left them with a two-game lead in the NFC East at the midway point of the season. But the Giants stumbled in the season’s second half, winning only two games. At various points during the season, they faced the largest halftime deficit in franchise history, endured their worst-ever fourth-quarter collapse and surrendered the longest run from scrimmage by a Giants opponent in their 82 years of NFL play.
● Despite those forgettable milestones, the Giants’ earned their second postseason berth in a row, the first time they accomplished that feat since 1989-1990. The postseason appearance was the 28th in franchise history, tying the Giants with the Dallas Cowboys for the most in NFL history. Dallas also qualified for its 28th playoff berth in 2006.
They Giants’ 8-8 record was incongruously fashioned with a 3-5 home record and a 5-3 mark away from Giants Stadium.
●Along the way, many individuals enjoyed outstanding seasons, games or moments. Foremost among them was Tiki Barber, who ended his remarkable career by rushing for 1,662 yards and catching 58 passes. Eli Manning was tied for fourth in the NFL with 24 touchdown passes. Tight end Jeremy Shockey led the team with 66 receptions and was voted to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his five-year career (he did not play in the game because of an ankle injury). Plaxico Burress caught 10 touchdown passes, the most by a Giant in 26 years, and was right behind Shockey with 63 catches. Linemen Chris Snee, David Diehl, Shaun O’Hara and Kareem McKenzie played solidly while missing just two games among them.
● Defensively, middle linebacker Antonio Pierce led the Giants with 159 tackles (38 more than anyone else on the team), including 93 solo. He was selected to play in his first Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Brian Urlacher. Safeties Gibril Wilson and Will Demps had 121 and 116 tackles, respectively, Osi Umenyiora led the team in sacks for the third consecutive year (despite missing five games) and tackle Fred Robbins had a solid all-around season.
Kicker Jay Feely and punter Jeff Feagles also distinguished themselves.
●On the debit side, the Giants were never at full strength in the second half of the season because several key players suffered injuries that forced them to go on injured reserve. The group included Amani Toomer, the best wide receiver in team history (knee), seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan (Lisfranc foot sprain), left tackle Luke Petitgout, three-time Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington, reserve defensive end Justin Tuck and, late in the year, return specialist Chad Morton. In addition, several players, including Umenyiora (hip flexor strain), cornerback Sam Madison (hamstring), linebacker Brandon Short (quad) and wide receiver Sinorice Moss (quad) missed multiple games.
●Tom Coughlin has led the Giants to the playoffs in two of his three seasons with the team and made his sixth postseason appearance in his 11 years as an NFL head coach. His playoff record is 4-6.
●Tiki Barber announced in October that the 2006 season, his 10th with the Giants, would be his last. Barber went on to complete another outstanding season. He finished second in the NFC and fourth in the NFL with 1,662 rushing yards, the second-highest total of his career. Barber also had 465 receiving yards and his 2,127 yards from scrimmage placed him third in the NFC and fifth in the NFL. Barber also had 101 first downs (78 rushing, 23 receiving), which left him second in the conference and fourth in the league. He was third on the team with 58 receptions and was selected for this third Pro Bowl.
●Barber holds the Giants’ record for career rushing yards with 10,449, or 3,552 yards ahead of runner-up Rodney Hampton. That is the 17th-highest total in NFL history. He owns the top three and four of the top five single-season rushing totals in Giants history. The record is 1,860 yards in 2005. Barber rushed for 1,662 yards in 2006 and 1,518 yards in 2004.
●Barber rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his final five seasons. That was the NFL’s second-longest active, behind LaDainian Tomlinson’s six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
● Barber has the first two and five of the franchise’s top six single-game rushing totals. He set the record in his final regular season game at Washington on Dec. 30, when he ran for 234 yards. That was 14 more yards than his previous best, achieved against Kansas City on Dec. 17, 2005. No Giant ever carried the ball as often as Barber. He had 2,217 rushing attempts. He also holds the single-season mark with 357 in 2005. Barber led the Giants in rushing every game from the beginning of the 2002 season through the end of the 2006 season, an NFL-record 80 consecutive games. The old record was held by Barry Sanders, who led the Detroit Lions in rushing in each of 68 straight games from 1994 to 1998.
●Barber averaged 4.7 yards-per-carry, a franchise record. Of the 20 running backs with 10,000 yards, only two Hall of Famers have a higher per-carry average: Jim Brown (5.22) and Sanders (4.99).
● Barber has the longest run in Giants history, a 95-yard touchdown at Oakland on Dec. 31, 2005.
● Barber had 38 100-yard rushing games, exactly twice as many as Giants runner-up Joe Morris. The Giants were 25-13 in the regular season when Barber rushed for at least 100 yards. Barber has the Giants last 36 100-yard rushing games.
● Barber had a team-record nine 100-yard games in 2004 and eight apiece in 2005 and 2006. The 234-yard outing in his finale was the fifth 200-yard game of his career. Barber has five of the seven 200-yard games in Giants history. It is the second-highest number of 200-yard games in NFL history. Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson had six 200-yard games.
● Barber’s career-high three touchdowns in the Washington game increased his total to 55 rushing touchdowns, extending his franchise record. Barber finished his career with 68 touchdowns (55 rushing, 12 receiving, one punt return), second in franchise history behind Frank Gifford’s 74. He scored 416 points and was the fifth Giant in history with at least 400 points, joining Pete Gogolak, Brad Daluiso, Gifford and Joe Danelo.
● Barber had 17,359 total yards (rushing, receiving, returns and fumble yardage). That is the 11th-highest total in NFL history and is 7,497 yards ahead of Gifford, who is second among all Giants. Barber owns the top five single-season total yardage marks in team history, including a record 2,390 in 2005 – the second-highest total in NFL history. He had 2,127 yards in 2006.
● Barber holds the team record with 15,632 yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving). That is the 10th-highest total in NFL history. Put another way, only nine players ever to wear NFL uniforms gained more yards from scrimmage than Barber.
● Barber played 154 regular season games. He averaged 101.5 yards from scrimmage in those games. That placed him fifth in history among players who have played at least 150 games, behind Barry Sanders (118.9), Walter Payton (111.9), Marshall Faulk (108.8) and Curtis Martin (103.8).
● The 2006 season was Barber’s fourth with at least 2,000 yards. That tied an NFL record also held by Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Dante Hall, Brian Mitchell and Walter Payton.
● Barber is one of just four players to have 2000 yards from scrimmage in three consecutive seasons, joining Faulk (who did it four years in a row, from 1998-2001), Payton (1983-85) and Priest Holmes (2001-2003).
●Barber retired as the Giants’ all-time leading receiver with 586 catches. Amani Toomer, who will play in 2007, is second with 561. Barber also holds the record for catches in a game with 13 at Dallas on Jan. 2, 2000. Just in case that’s not enough, he shares another record: most fumble recoveries in a game with three vs. Philadelphia on Oct. 29, 2000.
●When Barber became the 20th player in NFL history with at least 10,000 rushing yards he also had 5,118 receiving yards. Only two other players in history have accumulated more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards: Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (12,243 and 5,411) and likely future Hall inductee Marshall Faulk (12,279 and 6,875).
●Allen, Faulk and Barber are the only players in history with at least 2,100 rushing attempts and 575 receptions. Barber had 2,159 carries to go with his 575 catches. Allen had 3,022 rushing attempts and 587 catches, while Faulk – who sat out the 206 season but hopes to play in 2007 – has 2,836 and 767.
●Only three NFL franchises have the same player as its career leader in both rushing yards and receptions: Chicago (Hall of Famer Walter Payton); Tampa Bay (James Wilder) and Barber. Those three players, plus former Arizona Cardinal Larry Centers, are the only running backs to lead their franchises in career receptions.
●Barber rushed for 137 yards in his final game, the Giants’ 23-20 NFC Wild Card loss in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ Brian Westbrook ran for 141 yards in the game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first playoff game in NFL history in which players on both teams gained at least 137 yards rushing.
●Eli Manning threw 522 passes, the sixth-highest total in Giants history. He completed 301 of those throws topping the 294 completions he had in 2005, his first full season as a starter. Manning threw 24 touchdown passes, matching his 2005 total and leaving him tied for fourth in the NFL with St. Louis Pro Bowler Marc Bulger. Manning is the first Giants quarterback to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons since Phil Simms did it three years in a row from 1984-86.
● On Sept. 17 in Philadelphia, Manning completed 31 of 43 passes for 371 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The completions and yardage totals were career highs.
● Tight end Jeremy Shockey led the Giants with 66 receptions, the second-highest total of his career. He caught seven touchdown passes, tying the career high he set in 2005. Shockey was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his five-year career, though he was unable to play in the game because of an ankle injury.
● Shockey increased his career total to 314 catches, which places him eighth on the Giants’ all-time list. He is second among Giants tight ends, trailing only Bob Tucker (327).
● Wide receiver Plaxico Burress led the Giants with 988 receiving yards and a career-high 10 touchdown catches. He was second on the team to Shockey with 63 catches. Burress was the first Giant with double-digit touchdown receptions since Earnest Gray had 10 in 1980.
● Wide receiver Amani Toomer caught 32 passes for 360 yards and three scores before a torn knee ligament that required surgery forced him to miss the final eight games of the season.
● On Sept. 17 at Philadelphia, Toomer caught a career-high 12 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. His previous best was 10 catches at Indianapolis on Dec. 22, 2002. His 137 yards were his highest total since he had 204 that day against the Colts. Toomer temporarily held the Giants career receptions lead and finished the season second with 561 catches, 25 behind Barber. No one else in Giants history has 400 receptions. Toomer is the franchise leader in receiving yards (8,157) and 100-yard games (22). His 47 touchdown receptions leave him tied with Joe Morrison, one behind Kyle Rote.
● Offensive lineman David Diehl started every game for the Giants for the fourth consecutive season (15 at left guard and the finale at left tackle). He is one of just four members of the NFL Draft class of 2003 to start every one of his team’s games in his first four seasons. The others are Carolina tackle Jordan Gross, Dallas cornerback Terence Newman and Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis.
● Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce led the Giants with 159 tackles (93 solo), one shy of the career-high he set with Washington in 2004. Unofficially, that was the 11th-highest total in the NFL. Pierce played in the Pro Bowl for the first time after Chicago’s Brian Urlacher was unable to play because of an injury. He had three unassisted tackles and an interception of a Vince Young pass.
● Defensive end Michael Strahan was limited to nine games because of a Lisfranc sprain in his foot. Strahan’s two sacks of Drew Bledsoe at Dallas increased his career total to 132.5, tying the franchise record held by Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Strahan also tied Taylor and Leslie O’Neil for seventh place on the NFL’s career list. He leads all active players in sacks.
● Defensive tackle Fred Robbins had the finest season of his seven-year career. Robbins started every game and had career-high totals of 62 tackles (39 solo), 5.5 sacks, two interceptions and 34 quarterback hurries.
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora led the team with 6.0 sacks, despite missing five games with a strained hip flexor. It was the third season in a row that Umenyiora was the Giants’ sacks leader.
● Rookie cornerback Kevin Dockery was one of seven players to tie for the team lead with two interceptions. Dockery returned one of his picks 96 yards for a touchdown at Dallas, which was tied for the fourth-longest in Giants history and was the team’s longest since Taylor scored on a 97-yard return at Detroit on Nov. 25, 1982.
Rookie defensive tackle Barry Cofield started every game, the first Giants defensive rookie to do so since Taylor and defensive lineman Bill Neill in 1981.
● Punter Jeff Feagles continued to add to his remarkable resume. Feagles punted 77 times, increasing his record career total to 1,514. That’s 113 more than runner-up Sean Landeta. At Dallas, Feagles passed Landeta to become the league’s career leader in punting yards. He finished the season with 62,928 yards. Feagles is also the all-time leader with 483 punts inside the 20.
● Feagles remains a model of consistency and durability. He has played in an NFL-record 304 consecutive regular season games. And his 304 games played place him fourth on the all-time list, behind only Morten Andersen (365), Gary Anderson (353) and George Blanda (340).
● Kicker Jay Feely led the Giants with 107 points. It was the second season in a row he was the team’s leading scorer and it was his fourth career 100-point season, including both of his years with the Giants.
● Feely made 23 of 27 field goal attempts in 2006, an 85.2 success rate that was the third-highest single-season percentage in Giants history (minimum 14 attempts). In two seasons with the Giants, Feely made 58 of 69 field goal attempts, an 84.0 success that is easily the highest in franchise for kickers with at least 50 attempts. Daluiso previously held the record with 76.9 percent (123 of 160). Feely has also made all 81 of his extra point attempts for the Giants.
| | 2007 |  ●The Giants have competed in the NFL for 83 years, but it’s safe to say the 2007 season was one of the most successful, rewarding and memorable in franchise history.
●The year began with most prognosticators not affiliated with the team expressing either skepticism the team could do well or outright certainty it wouldn’t. When the Giants stumbled to a 0-2 start – then fell behind by two touchdowns at halftime of their third game - those dire predictions looked to be correct. But the Giants rallied to win that game, 14 of their next 18 and concluded the season with an exhilarating and unforgettable 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. It was one of the greatest upsets and most exciting championship games in the long history of the National Football League.
●Eli Manning threw the game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with just 35 seconds remaining, giving the Giants a victory over a New England team that entered the game with an 18-0 record, including a three-point win over the Giants in the regular season finale. After New England had taken a 14-10 lead with just 2:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Manning completed five passes on an 83-yard drive – including a 32-yarder on the greatest play in Super Bowl history, when he slipped the clutches of the Patriots’ pass rusher and threw down field to David Tyree, who somehow secured the ball against his helmet and away from safety Rodney Harrison.
●Two days after bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to the metropolitan area, the Giants were lauded by more than a million fans at a ticker tape parade up Manhattan’s famed Canyon of Heroes, and later at a rally in Giants Stadium.
●The Giants triumphed for the third time in four Super Bowl appearances, won their sixth title game and seventh overall championship. They won Super Bowls following the 1986, 1990 and 2007 seasons, NFL Championship Games in 1934, 1938 and 1956 and the league title in 1927, before the advent of championship games.
●But this title was the most improbable of all. The Giants were just the fourth team to start a season 0-2 and reach the Super Bowl (and the third to win it). They finished the regular season at 10-6 and became the first six-loss team to win the Super Bowl since the 1988 San Francisco 49ers. The Giants won just three home games – none after October 21 – to become the first team with a losing home record to ever make the Super Bowl. The Giants were the fifth wild card team – and first from the NFC – to win the Super Bowl. They were the third team to reach the Super Bowl by winning three road playoff games, the second such team to win the Super Bowl and the first from the NFC. Their minus-nine regular season turnover differential was the worst of the 12 teams that reached the playoffs.
●Yes, the Giants took an arduous route to Arizona and Super Bowl XLII. They lost their final four home games to finish 3-5 in Giants Stadium. But they played superbly on the road, winning everywhere they played and setting an NFL single-season record with 11 consecutive road victories (seven regular season, four postseason, including the Super Bowl). The Giants won close to home (Philadelphia), in a foreign city (London, where they faced the Miami Dolphins in the first NFL regular season game outside of North America) and where they had previously lost (Dallas, where they avenged a season-opening loss with a victory in the divisional round of the playoffs). With victories in January at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay, the Giants joined the 1985 New England Patriots and 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers as the only teams to win three road postseason games to get to the Super Bowl.
●Along the way, many individuals enjoyed outstanding seasons, games or moments. Manning started every game for the third year in a row and has now started 55 consecutive regular season games, the fourth-longest streak among active quarterbacks behind Brett Favre (253), Peyton Manning (160) and Tom Brady (110). Manning is 30-25 as a regular season starter and 4-2 in the postseason.
●Manning threw for 3,336 yards and 23 touchdowns to become the first Giants quarterback since Phil Simms (1984-86) to top 3,000 yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of three consecutive seasons. Brandon Jacobs rushed for 1,009 yards, despite missing five games and most of a sixth with injuries. Burress was unable to practice virtually the entire season because of an ankle injury, but led the team with 70 receptions for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns, the highest total by a Giants receiver since Homer Jones had 13 in 1967. Ageless Amani Toomer caught 59 passes and became the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions with 620. The offensive line – and fullback Madison Hedgecock, acquired off waivers after he was cut by St. Louis - played well throughout the year, a big reason the Giants finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, averaging 134.3 a game.
●Under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the defense ranked seventh in the NFL, allowing 305.0 yards a game. The Giants led the NFL with 53.0 sacks and set a franchise record with 12 in a victory over Philadelphia on Sept. 30. Osi Umenyiora was third in the NFC and fifth in the NFL with 13.0 sacks and was the lone Giant voted to the Pro Bowl. Justin Tuck became a force on the defensive line and had 10.0 sacks. Michael Strahan skipped training camp, but added 9.0 sacks and moved to fifth on the NFL’s career list with 141.5. Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce led the Giants with 116 tackles (63 solo). Kawika Mitchell was a valuable free agent pickup who scored touchdowns on a fumble return and interception return. Mathias Kiwanuka made a smooth transition to linebacker before suffering a season-ending injury. Safety Gibril Wilson was second on the team with 96 tackles (62 solo) and tied with cornerback Sam Madison for the team interceptions lead with four. Corey Webster stepped up to play superbly in the playoffs. R.W. McQuarters has intercepted a pass in each of the first three postseason games.
●The special teams also played well. Punter Jeff Feagles was one of the NFL’s most effective punters in the 20th season of his remarkable career. Kicker Lawrence Tynes, acquired in an offseason trade with Kansas City, succeeded on 23 of 27 field goal attempts and booted the game-winning 47-yarder in overtime in the NFC Championship Game. Domenik Hixon, acquired off waivers in October, became the primary kickoff returner late in the season and brought one back 74 yards for a touchdown in the regular season game against the Patriots.
●But the Giants also suffered serious losses due to injury. Kiwanuka, running back Derrick Ward and four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey all went down in the second half of the season – remarkably with the same injury, a fracture of the left fibula. Ward was hurt near the end of the victory in Chicago after rushing for 145 yards.
●Giants at Cowboys, Sept. 9, 2007
The season began with a nationally-televised Sunday night shootout in Dallas against the NFC East rival Cowboys. The Giants lost, 45-35, in the highest-scoring meeting in the teams’ now 92-game series.
The offense gained 448 yards, including 314 in the air, and Manning threw four touchdown passes. But the defense couldn’t stop Dallas all night, surrendering the highest opening-game point total by an opponent in Giants history, six touchdowns, 478 yards (by far the most the Giants allowed in their 20-game season). Tony Romo threw four touchdown passes and averaged 23 yards on his 15 completions as receivers ran loose before and after catching the ball.
To make matters worse, Manning suffered a shoulder injury that temporarily left his availability for Week 2 in jeopardy, and Jacobs sustained a knee injury that would sideline him for three weeks.
Despite the injury, Manning completed 28 of 41 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns – three to Burress and one to Ward, who stepped in for Jacobs and rushed for a game-high 89 yards, including a 44-yard scamper.
●Giants Vs. Packers, Sept. 16, 2007
After a week of speculation about his availability because of the shoulder injury, Manning started the home opener the following week against Green Bay – a game absolutely no one picked as the eventual matchup for the conference championship game. Manning completed 16 of 29 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown. But the Giants’ defense had trouble containing Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, who threw three touchdown passes.
The Giants trailed after three quarters, 14-13, but Green Bay outscored them in the fourth period, 21-0, and won going away, 35-13. The loss dropped the Giants to 0-2 for the first time since 1996.
●Giants at Redskins, Sept. 23, 2007
The Giants’ problems continued in the first half the following week in Washington, where they faced a 17-3 halftime deficit. At that point, a 0-3 start and a
long season seemed to be a real and unpleasant possibility. But the Giants rallied as Reuben Droughns scored on a pair of one-yard runs and Burress, despite his ongoing injury problems, caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Manning.
But it was the defense that turned the game – and the season – around with a terrific goal line stand. With 58 seconds remaining, the Redskins had a first-and-goal at the Giants’ one-yard line. The defense, criticized heavily in the season’s first two weeks, faced a huge challenge. On first down, Jason Campbell spiked the ball to stop the clock. Campbell followed with an errant pass to Mike Sellers, who was covered closely by Mitchell. The Redskins then twice had bruising running back Ladell Betts try to force his way into the end zone through their right side. He was stopped both times, first by Mitchell and then by James Butler.
●Giants Vs. Eagles, Sept. 30, 2007
The following week, the Giants’ defense validated its status as a formidable unit that would make life miserable for NFL offenses for the remainder of the season. The defense dominated Philadelphia in a 16-3 home victory over the Eagles, who had scored 56 points in a runaway win over Detroit the previous week.
The Giants tied an NFL record and set a team mark by sacking Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb 12 times – including a team-record six by Umenyiora. The previous Giants record was nine sacks, a total reached three times previously, most recently on Aug. 31, 1997 – ironically, at home against the Eagles.
Umenyiora broke the team record held by Pepper Johnson, who had 4.5 sacks at Tampa Bay on Nov. 24, 1991. Umenyiora’s six sacks left him tied for second on the NFL’s individual single-game sack list.
Strahan became the Giants’ career sack leader by tackling McNabb for a three-yard loss, increasing his career total to 133.5.
Manning threw a touchdown pass to Burress, Mitchell scored on a 17-yard fumble recovery and Tynes kicked a field goal for the Giants.
●Giants Vs. Jets, Oct. 7, 2007
The following week, the Giants continued to live dangerously - and well. For the second time in three weeks, the Giants spotted their opponents a big lead, then rallied for a dramatic and important 35-24 victory over the Jets. Among those players making key contributions were Manning, who had a 0.0 first-half quarterback rating; Burress, who was essentially no longer practicing; Shockey, who hadn’t scored a touchdown in 10 months; and rookie cornerback Aaron Ross, who didn’t play in the first half for disciplinary reasons.
None of that proved to be an impediment. The Giants trailed in the third quarter, 24-14, before Manning threw touchdown passes to Shockey and Burress and Ross intercepted two passes – the first at the goal line on what could have been a Jets touchdown, the second he returned 43 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with 3:15 remaining.
The victory enabled the Giants to climb over .500 at 3-2.
●Giants at Falcons, Oct. 15, 2007
Atlanta is 886 miles from East Rutherford, but it might as well be a second home to the Giants. On Monday night, Oct. 15, the Giants defeated the Falcons in the Georgia Dome, 31-10. The Giants won there for the second year in a row and in Georgia for the seventh time in as many visits dating back to 1981. They scored the game’s final 24 points and ran away for their fourth consecutive victory. It was the 600th regular season victory in the Giants’ 83-year history.
It was the 12th consecutive Giants-Falcons game in which the visiting team won, extending the longest streak in NFL history. The Giants haven’t lost in Atlanta since 1978.
The Giants piled up 491 yards, their largest total in almost six years, and scored 14 first-quarter points – or five more than the first five games combined. Manning threw for 303 yards, including touchdown passes to Toomer and Burress. Droughns (a game-high 90 rushing yards) scored on a one-yard run and Ward reached the end zone on a nine-yard run that prompted Giants fans to be heard throughout the Dome. Tynes added a fourth-quarter field goal.
●Giants Vs. 49ers, Oct. 21, 2007
The next victory – 33-15 at home over the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 21 - belonged to the defense.
The unit forced four San Francisco turnovers, the most by the Giants’ D since Oct. 26, 2006 at Dallas. The defense scored a touchdown on Umenyiora’s 75-yard return of a Trent Dilfer fumble – one of the Giants’ six sacks of the beleaguered quarterback. The defense also produced takeaways on back-to-back San Francisco snaps in the second quarter, leading to 10 Giants points.
The Giants also scored on a Manning touchdown pass to Toomer, who became the franchise leader with 49 career scoring passes, and Jacobs’ five-yard run. Jacobs rushed for 107 yards.
●Giants at Dolphins, Oct. 28, 2007 (Wembley Stadium)
The Giants made history for the first time in the 2007 season by becoming the first NFL team to win a regular season game outside of North America when they defeated the Miami Dolphins, 13-10, in London’s Wembley Stadium. In a sloppy game played in a persistent downpour on a muddy, chewed-up field – “The worst conditions I’ve ever played in,” Burress said - the Giants won their sixth consecutive game after a 0-2 start, their first six-game winning streak since the final six games of the 1994 season. They were just the second team since 1947 to follow a 0-2 start with six consecutive victories.
The Giants scored on Manning’s 10-yard touchdown run and field goals of 20 and 41 yards by Tynes, the first Scottish-born player in NFL history. Tynes also missed a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Brandon Jacobs set a career high for the second week in a row with 131 rushing yards. The Giants ran for 189 yards.
●Giants Vs. Cowboys, Nov. 11, 2007
On Nov. 11, the Giants returned to action at home against the Cowboys with first place in the NFC East at stake. But the showdown turned into a letdown, as the Giants dropped a 31-20 decision, snapping their six-game winning streak.
Romo threw four touchdown passes – two to Terrell Owens and one apiece to Tony Curtis and Patrick Crayton. Nick Folk kicked a 44-yard field goal for the Cowboys, who outscored the Giants, 14-3, over the last two quarters after a 17-17 halftime tie.
Manning threw a touchdown pass to Shockey, Droughns ran for another score and Tynes kicked two field goals for the Giants. Shockey established a career high with 12 catches and tied another with 129 receiving yards. Manning completed 23 of 34 passes for 236 yards, but was sacked five times. The Giants were penalized three times for delay of game.
●Giants at Lions, Nov. 18, 2007
The Dallas defeat ignited a late-season theme: the Giants struggled at home but ruled the road. They rediscovered their winning edge the next week in Detroit, where they beat the Lions, 16-10. The Giants’ defense stifled a Lions team that entered the game 4-0 with a 31-point scoring average at home. Detroit managed just 25 rushing yards on 11 carries, all by Kevin Jones. Strahan sacked Jon Kitna three times - his first three-sack game since Dec. 21, 2003 - to move into sole possession of fifth place on the NFL’ career list with 140.5. Wilson also had a second-half interception.
●Giants Vs. Vikings, Nov. 25, 2007
The Giants returned home the following week to play their worst game of the season, a 41-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. It was the Giants’ worst defeat since a 31-7 loss in Washington on Dec. 5, 2004 and their biggest loss at home since a 50-21 defeat to the Redskins on Sept. 19, 1999.
Minnesota’s 41 points were the most allowed by the Giants at home since the Redskins’ 50-point outburst more than eight years previously. It was the most points given up by the Giants in any game since Sept. 24, 2006, when they fell in Seattle, 42-30.
Manning endured a long afternoon, completing only 21 of 49 passes. He hit his first three passes of the game, then finished the half by hitting only three of his next 17 throws.
The Giants played without Jacobs (hamstring) and Ward (groin). In their absence, Droughns and rookie Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 75 yards on 19 attempts, a 3.9-yard average.
●Giants at Bears, Dec. 2, 2007
The following week in Chicago, the Giants played the first 50 minutes of the game as if they were on a mission to tighten up the NFC playoff race. They turned the ball over. They squandered scoring opportunities. Manning seemed to have carried the bad karma from the previous week’s loss to Minnesota to the Windy City. Because of all that, they trailed the Bears by nine points midway through the fourth quarter.
Then suddenly, everything changed. Manning got hot. Several other players came through in the clutch. The Giants scored two touchdowns within a span of 5:21 late in the final quarter, including Droughns’ game-winning two-yard run with 1:33 left. After the defense made one last stand, the Giants left Soldier Field with an inspiring and important 21-16 victory.
Manning headed a long list of Giants standouts. Ward returned after a four-game absence to rush for a career-high 154 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. But he fractured his left fibula in the fourth quarter, ending his season. Toomer caught six passes for 69 yards and a score. Six different players participated in the six sacks of Rex Grossman. Mitchell had a team-high 12 tackles (eight solo). Rookie defensive backs Michael Johnson and Craig Dahl played well when called upon.
●Giants at Eagles, Dec. 9, 2007
The road show continued the next week in Philadelphia, where the Giants came from behind to beat the Eagles, 16-13. The game was in many ways a repeat of the Chicago contests. The Giants surrendered a touchdown on their opponent’s first possession, then no more the remainder of the game. They again trailed at halftime. And once again, they couldn’t celebrate their triumph until the opposition failed to convert a scoring attempt on its final play. In Chicago, it had been a pass into the end zone by Rex Grossman. Against the Eagles, it was a 57-yard field goal attempt by David Akers that had the distance, but slammed off the right upright and bounced to the ground, no good. Had it been good, it would have been the longest field goal in history against the Giants.
Burress caught seven passes for 136 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, and Tynes kicked field goals of 19 and two 23-yarders for the Giants.
●Giants Vs. Redskins, Dec. 16, 2007
The Giants returned home with a chance to clinch a playoff berth, but squandered the opportunity with a 22-10 loss to the Redskins. The game was played in chilly blustery conditions, which made it difficult for both teams to pass. Manning and Washington quarterback Todd Collins completed a combined 26 of 75 passes. The Giants were plagued by an unusually high number of drops.
Manning threw 53 passes, tying his career high, and completed only 18. It was the 18th time in Giants history they threw 50 passes, the 16th time with one quarterback. They are 0-18 in those games.
The outcome wasn’t the only bad news of the night for the Giants. Shockey fractured his left fibula with 11:11 remaining in the third quarter when his leg got caught under Toomer as they blocked for Jacobs on a three-yard run
●Giants at Bills, Dec. 23, 2007
The team that never makes life easy for itself stayed true to form the next week in Buffalo, but got exactly what it wanted in the end.
Among other transgressions, the Giants spotted the Bills a 14-0 lead, committed four turnovers, watched Manning fumble five times (losing two) and failed to score a point after a getting a first-and-goal from the one. In the second half they completed one forward pass. Despite all that, the Giants played valiantly in horrible weather conditions. Battling first heavy rains, then freezing rain and finally snow, plus high winds throughout - not to mention the plucky Bills - the Giants prevailed, 38-21, in Ralph Wilson Stadium to clinch their third consecutive postseason berth.
They Giants won with two big quarters. They outscored Buffalo in the second, 17-0, behind Jacobs’ touchdowns runs of six and 43 yards and Tynes’ 42-yard field goal. After the Bills regained the lead in the third, the Giants put the game away by scoring three eye-opening touchdowns in a 21-0 fourth-quarter surge. Two came on interception returns by Mitchell and Webster, sandwiched around an 88-yard score by Bradshaw, the third-longest run in Giants history.
●Giants Vs. Patriots, Dec. 29, 2007
With the fifth seed and a game against Tampa Bay in the NFC playoffs guaranteed, the Giants prepared to face the undefeated Patriots in the regular season finale. The debate outside the locker room was whether the Giants should rest their starters for the first playoff game or go all out and try to win the game and ruin New England’s perfect season. To Tom Coughlin, it was never a question. He plays to win every time he takes the field.
The Giants gave the Patriots all they could handle, taking a 12-point lead in the third quarter before falling, 38-35 – the most points allowed by New England all season.
After the game, the Giants felt both tremendous disappointment and great pride. They were convinced they could play with the Patriots when few others did, a belief that was borne out in the Super Bowl. But to lose the lead and then the game was extremely frustrating.
Manning played an outstanding game for the Giants, tying a career high with four touchdown passes while completing 22 of 32 throws for 251 yards. Burress caught two of the scores, giving him a career-high 12 for the season, and Jacobs and Kevin Boss caught one apiece. Hixon returned a kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown.
For the Patriots, Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to Randy Moss, Laurence Maroney ran for two scores and Steve Gostkowski kicked three field goals.
●Giants at Buccaneers, Jan. 6, 2008
NFC Wildcard Game
The Giants opened postseason play at Tampa Bay against the NFC South champion Buccaneers. Carrying their season-long road success into the playoffs, the Giants prevailed, 24-14, breaking a four-game postseason losing streak that began in Super Bowl XXXV – in Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Bucs.
The Giants also won their first playoff road game since the 1990 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco. They defeated Bucs quarterback Jeff Garcia, who had beaten them in the playoffs with the 49ers in 2002 and Philadelphia last year.
Jacobs scored two touchdowns for the Giants, one on a five-yard pass, the other on an eight-yard run, Toomer caught a touchdown pass and Lawrence Tynes kicked a 25-yard field goal for the Giants. Jacobs is the first Giants player in history with a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same postseason game.
Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 185 yards, the two touchdowns and no interceptions as the Giants won a postseason game for the first time with him taking the snaps.
McQuarters clinched the victory by intercepting Garcia with 1:53 left.
●Giants at Cowboys, Jan. 13, 2008
NFC Divisional Playoff Game
The next week the Giants were back in Dallas, where they had lost their season opener, to face a Cowboys team that had twice beaten them. Not this time. The Giants defeated Dallas, 21-17, to become the first team to beat the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the divisional round since the current postseason format (six teams from each conference) was adopted in 1990.
Jacobs’ one-yard touchdown run with 13:29 remaining provided the Giants with the game-winning points. But the victory was not assured until McQuarters intercepted Romo’s pass for Terry Glenn in the end zone with nine seconds remaining. It was the game’s only takeaway.
Manning, who had a career-high 132.4 passer rating after completing 12 of 18 passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns (to Toomer, including a career playoff-long 52-yarder) and no interceptions.
●Giants at Packers, Jan. 20, 2008
NFC Championship Game
A week later, the Giants journeyed to Lambeau Field to face the Packers in the NFC Championship game; the Giants had not played for the conference title since 2000.
The temperature at game time was minus-one degree with winds of 12 miles-an-hour – a numbing wind chill of minus-23. That made it the coldest game in Giants history. The previous coldest game was the 1962 NFL Championship Game – played in Yankee Stadium on Dec. 30, 1962 – when the temperature was 13 degrees with 40 mile-per-hour winds, creating a wind chill of minus-11.
In terms of temperature alone, this was the third-coldest NFL game on record. At the famed Ice Bowl between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys in Lambeau on Dec. 31, 1967, it was 13 below zero at kickoff. In the 1981 Chargers-Bengals AFC Championship Game in Cincinnati, it was nine below.
But the Giants put all that aside to play a splendid, inspired game, winning 23-20 in overtime – their second victory in as many weeks over a team that had defeated them in the 0-2, 80-points-allowed start to the season.
Tynes – who had missed his previous two attempts, including one on the final play of regulation – kicked the game-winning 47-yarder 2:35 into the extra period. It was the first time in the history of Lambeau that a visiting player had kicked a field goal of more than 40 yards in a postseason game. The score was set up by Webster’s interception on the second play of overtime of a Favre pass for Donald Driver, who earlier had burned Webster for a 90-yard touchdown.
“Well, that was some game,” said Coughlin, who had lost his two previous conference championship games with the Jacksonville Jaguars. “I think the thing that I'm most proud of about this team is the way they hang together, the way they played hard. They never say die. It doesn't matter what the odds are. They just keep scrapping and believing and working to find a way to win.”
Jacobs (one-yard run) and Bradshaw (four-yard run) scored touchdowns. Manning threw a career postseason high 40 passes, completing 21 for 251 yards. Burress set a franchise postseason record with 11 catches, for 154 yards. The old mark of 10 was set by Ike Hilliard in the 2000 NFC Championship Game victory over Minnesota.
Defensively, the Giants held Green Bay to 28 rushing yards, forced Favre into two late interceptions and limited the Packers to one successful third down conversion on 10 tries. The Giants dominated the game statistically, outgaining Green Bay (380-264), rolling up 11 more first downs (24-13) owning the ball for 40:01 to just 22:34 for the Packers.
The victory advanced the Giants to their fourth Super Bowl and their first since a loss to Baltimore in Super Bowl XXXV seven years before. There they faced the Patriots, who had defeated them five weeks earlier and who were trying to become the second unbeaten and untied team in NFL history (joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins). Many NFL experts had already anointed 18-0 New England as the best team in history. Most oddsmakers had installed the Patriots as 12 to 14-point favorites over the Giants. But it was the 14-6 Giants who prevailed in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played.
| | 2008 | When the 2008 NFL season began, the Giants had the Vince Lombardi Trophy on display in their lobby and legions of skeptics and doubters who were convinced they had won it more through luck and timing than skill. A popular refrain was that the Giants had simply become a hot team at the right time in the 2007 playoffs. For evidence, the disbelievers cited the Giants’ stirring Super Bowl XLII victory over the previously-undefeated New England Patriots. When it was time to make predictions for the 2008 season, most prognosticators placed the Giants second or third in the NFC East. But the Giants proved them all wrong. No, they didn’t win another Super Bowl. But they did capture the division title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. They started the season 11-1 and winning 12 regular season games, they became only the fifth defending Super Bowl champion to win more games the season following a championship than they did on their way to winning the title (not counting the strike-shortened 1982 season). The Giants achieved their success despite losing several key players from the 2007 championship team, including seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan (retirement), two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee injury suffered in the preseason), four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey (traded to New Orleans) and wide receiver Plaxico Burress, (who did not play in the season’s final month after he was wounded in an accidental shooting). The day after the season ended with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game, Coach Tom Coughlin addressed many of the issues that had been raised in training camp. “What I thought I would start with this morning is to think back to last spring and last summer when all of your questions concerned how this team would respond to winning the Super Bowl,” Coughlin said. “Would they be, for lack of a better word, satisfied? Would they be as hungry coming into training camp and beyond training camp as they were in working our way to a Super Bowl championship? I think that our team responded and answered that question. I think we came out, we transitioned, we bridged from the Super Bowl year to the next season very well. Our competitiveness was there, our fire, our attempt to take the success of the Super Bowl season on into the next season was very successful. We were 11-1 and we did come out of camp and play very, very well for a very long time. We, of course, played well and the record stood for that. We didn’t finish the season as well as we would have liked to, but I think we answered the questions of what this team was about.” “Twelve and five is not a bad season,” general manager Jerry Reese said. “When you set the bar high like that and then all of sudden you get eliminated in the second round it stings. Overall, we had a real good season. It’s not where we want it to be, but we said we wanted to be the organization that put our team in position to win the Super Bowl every year. For the last couple of years we have been able to put our team in position to do that. We fell short this time.” The loss to Philadelphia did not mitigate the achievements of a successful regular season. The Giants were one of only two teams to finish in the top nine in both the NFL’s offensive and defensive rankings. They rushed for an NFL-leading and franchise record 2,518 yards and also topped the league with a Giants-best 5.0 yards per carry. The Giants were the first team since 1985 to have two running backs rush for 1,000 yards each (Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward). Seven Giants were selected to the NFC Pro Bowl team: Quarterback Eli Manning, center Shaun O’Hara, guard Chris Snee, defensive end Justin Tuck, punter Jeff Feagles and kicker John Carney. Two weeks before the game, long-snapper Zak DeOssie was added as the NFC’s need player. Snee and Tuck were named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and fullback Madison Hedgecock, O’Hara and Carney finished second in the voting at their positions. O’Hara, Hedgecock and defensive tackle Fred Robbins were named first-team All-Pro by Sports Illustrated and O’Hara and Snee were selected to The Sporting News’ All-Pro first team. The Giants opened their season at home against NFC East rival Washington in the traditional Thursday night opener showcasing the previous season’s Super Bowl champions. Before the game, the Giants’ three Super Bowl championship teams were honored during an inspiring and exciting pre-game ceremony that featured a surprise appearance by Michael Strahan. A huge inflatable replica of the Lombardi Trophy was wheeled out to midfield as the stadium video boards showed highlights from Super Bowls XXI and XXV. Bob Papa, the voice of the Giants, then introduced the players from those teams that were in attendance: Hall of Famer Harry Carson, Stacy Robinson, Karl Nelson, Brad Benson, Bill Ard, Howard Cross, Rodney Hampton, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks and Mark Bavaro. Then a short video appeared with several players talking about the resilience and toughness of the 2007 Super Bowl XLII champions. When the screens went dark, the front panel of the trophy was lowered and out stepped Strahan – wearing his familiar blue No. 92 jersey and holding the real Lombardi Trophy – to thunderous applause. “Giants Stadium, you thought I was never coming back,” said Strahan, who had announced his retirement three months previously after 15 stellar seasons with the team. “But I had to come back to celebrate the championship with the greatest fans in all of sports. And for one final time, salute my teammates for an incredible championship run. So what I want you to do is, I want you to get on your feet, I want you to make some noise and I want you to be ready to stomp somebody out and welcome the New York Giants Super Bowl champions.” With that, the 79,742 fans in attendance screamed in delight as the 2008 Giants took the field for the first time. At the other end of the stadium, a championship banner was raised. The Giants continued to thrill their fans when the game started as they defeated the Redskins, 16-7, for their first season-opening victory since 2005. All of the scoring was in the first half, making it the first Giants game in which both teams were shutout in the second half since Dec. 1, 1996, when the Giants lost to the Eagles, 24-0. Manning scored on a one-yard run and Carney, the 44-year-old kicker signed just five days before the game, had a successful Giants debut with field goals of 24, 25 and 47 yards. The Giants also benefitted from big performances by Jacobs (116 rushing yards) and Plaxico Burress (10 receptions for 133 yards). Manning completed 19 of 35 passes for 216 yards and an interception. But it was the defense that powered the victory. Washington gained just 209 yards, including 51 in the first half and 93 in their final two possessions, when they were in desperation mode. The Redskins had 11 first downs, 84 rushing yards and owned the ball for only 24:17. They went three-and-out on four of their seven possessions in the first three quarters. Washington’s only score was a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Santana Moss with 13 seconds remaining in the first half. The following week, the Giants carried over their 2007 success on the road into a new season with a resounding 41-13 triumph over the St. Louis Rams in the Edward Jones Dome. The Giants scored 21 unanswered points in the final 7:18 to break open a close game and secure their most one-sided game road victory in a dozen years (35-7 at Detroit on Oct. 27, 1996). The victory was the Giants’ 11th in a row on the road (eight in the regular season and three in the postseason). Including their neutral site victory in Super Bowl XLII, it was their 12th consecutive triumph away from home. The Giants had a lengthy list of big contributors. Manning compiled a regular season career-high passer rating of 131.4 by completing 20 of 29 passes for 260 yards for three touchdowns and no interceptions. The scoring throws went to Burress, Amani Toomer and Ahmad Bradshaw and the latter also closed the scoring with a 31-yard run. The offense rolled up 441 yards and 25 first downs. Jacobs (93), Ward (58) and Bradshaw (52) became the first Giants trio to each rush for more than 50 yards in a game in 30 years. Tuck retuned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown and had two sacks. Robbins also had a pair of sacks. After the Rams pulled to within 20-13 on Marc Bulger’s 45-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt – on a throw that safety Kenny Phillips almost knocked down – the Giants responded by driving 82 yards in only six plays, including a short Manning pass that Bradshaw turned into an 18-yard touchdown. Bradshaw did not play a down from scrimmage in the season’s first seven quarters. Domenik Hixon set up the score with a terrific 32-yard reception down the left sideline. On the Rams’ next possession, Bulger threw a pass for Dante Hall. Tuck, who was engaged with tackle Adam Goldberg, threw his hands up, somehow secured the ball and ran 41 yards for the touchdown that made it 34-13 with 5:30 remaining. The Giants forced the Rams into a punt that Hixon returned 50 yards to the St. Louis 39-yard line. Three plays later, Bradshaw zipped around left end and didn’t stop until he was in the end zone 31 yards away for the final score of the game. Manning had earlier thrown touchdown passes of 33 yards to Burress and 10 yards to Toomer. The Giants returned home on Sept. 21 and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in an exciting overtime game, 26-23. The win gave the Giants their first 3-0 start since 2000. Carney’s 22-yard field goal 6:21 into the extra period ended a wild game that included four lead changes and three ties. The teams scored three times in the final 4:39 of regulation, including a touchdown by the Giants with 1:50 remaining and Shayne Graham’s game-tying field goal with as time expired in the fourth quarter. A game Manning called “a fun one” turned heart-stopping in the fourth quarter when T.J. Houshmandzadeh (12 catches for 146 yards) caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to give the Bengals a 20-16 lead with 4:39 remaining. Manning and the offense responded with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss and a 23-20 advantage with only 1:50 remaining. Ward started the series with a 22-yard run and Steve Smith made the key play when he turned a short Manning pass into a 15-yard gain on third-and-10. Boss, who did not catch a pass in the first two games, jumped for the ball and held on despite getting blasted as he caught the ball. Carson Palmer then led the Bengals down the field against the strong Giants defense and with the crowd roaring. Houshmandzadeh caught four passes for 53 yards on the drive and Antonio Chatman was stopped at the three-yard line after an 11-yard catch with only four seconds remaining. Graham then kicked his third field goal to send the game into overtime. The teams traded punts in the extra period before the Giants took possession on their own 34–yard line with 10:28 remaining. On second down, Manning threw a pass up the left sideline for Burress, who hauled it in for a 28-yard gain. Three plays later, on third-and-10, Manning went back to the same side of the field for Toomer, who gained 31 yards to the Cincinnati seven. Ward ran for three yards before Carney – who earlier had kicked field goals of 24, 46 and 22 yards – made it a perfect foursome for the game. Carney’s outstanding performance was one of many that pushed the Giants along against Cincinnati. Manning completed 26 of 43 passes for 289 yards and did not throw an interception for the second week in a row. Smith had career-high totals of seven receptions for 60 yards. Ward was the leading rusher with 80 yards. Jacobs scored the Giants’ other touchdown. The defense sacked Palmer six times, including two by Robbins. Antonio Pierce had 13 tackles (10 solo) and Kevin Dockery had nine (eight solo). The Giants, who had their bye after the Cincinnati game, had traditionally struggled the week following a week off in the regular season. But they had no trouble when they returned to action against the Seattle Seahawks, rolling to a 44-6 rout of the visitors. The 38-point margin of victory was the Giants’ largest in a regular season game since a 62-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 26, 1972 and their largest in any game since a 41-0 rout of Minnesota in the 2000 NFC Championship Game on Jan. 14, 2001. The Giants improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1990. They won their third home game, matching their Giants Stadium victory total in each of the previous two seasons. The Giants also improved to 5-15 in games following a bye. Although Burress did not play (suspended for one game for violating a team rule), the Giants scored on their first six possessions and did not punt until the third quarter. They gained 523 yards (254 on the ground), the eighth-highest total in franchise history. The Giants had 12 plays that gained 15 or more yards. Carney continued his perfect season with three field goals. Manning completed 19 of 25 passes for 267 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a career-high 136.6 passer rating. Hixon, Toomer and Sinorice Moss caught four passes apiece. Hixon and Moss got their first career touchdown receptions on passes from Manning, while Moss – who didn’t get off the sideline in either of the previous two games - added a second score from David Carr. Jacobs rushed for two touchdowns. The Giants were just as dominant defensively, limiting the Seahawks to a pair of Olindo Mare field goals, 187 total yards (74 on the ground) and one success in 11 third down opportunities. The Giants took control almost immediately. After forcing Seattle to punt on the game’s first series, the Giants needed only four plays to travel 91 yards. Jacobs touched the ball on each of the first three plays – a nine-yard catch, six-yard run and then a career-long 44-yard jaunt up the left side that gave the Giants a first down on the Seattle 32-yard line. The Giants immediately went for the jugular, as Manning threw deep left for Hixon, who got a step on cornerback Kelly Jennings and secured the ball for his first career touchdown reception. After a Mare field goal, the Giants again traveled a long distance in a short time, needing only six plays to go 75 yards. The big plays were Manning passes Toomer for 22 and 29 yards, plus Hixon’s 15-yard run on an end-around. Jacobs powered his way through the right side of the line for the touchdown that gave the Giants a 14-3 lead. Carney’s 29-yard field goal 10 seconds into the second quarter increased the Giants’ lead to 17-3. Jacobs’ second touchdown of the game, on a one-yard run with 7:23 remaining, had given the Giants a 24-3 lead. Manning led the offense on an 11-play, 73-yard drive that began with a 19-yard pass to Smith and included a 13-yarder to Hixon immediately before Jacobs’ touchdown. Carney’s 33-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in the half extended the Giants’ lead to 27-3. Ward’s 21-yard run up the middle and Hixon’s 16-yard reception were the drive’s big gainers. Mare’s 29-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the second quarter cut the Giants’ halftime lead to 21 points. The Giants didn’t cool off during the break. They took the second-half kickoff and marched 80 yards in just six plays, including Manning’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Moss. Jacobs ran for 50 yards on the series, including a 38-yarder that put the Giants on the Seattle 30-yard line. After Ward gained seven yards, a wide-open Moss hauled in Manning’s pass in the end zone for a four-touchdown advantage. Carney’s third field goal pushed the Giants’ lead to 37-6 with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter. The score was set up by Kevin Dockery’s interception and 44-yard return of a Matt Hasselbeck pass. Carr’s five-yard pass to Moss accounted for the Giants’ final score with 9:25 remaining in the game. The Giants’ reign of success away from home hit a roadblock the following week. In their lone Monday night appearance of the season, the Giants suffered their first defeat of the year to the Browns in Cleveland, 35-14. The loss was the Giants’ first since the 2007 regular season finale against New England and dropped their record to 4-1. It also ended their road winning streak at 11 games (eight regular season, three postseason), which was tied for the second-longest in NFL history. Including Super Bowl XLII, the Giants had won 12 consecutive games away from their home field. The Giants were outscored in the second half, 18-0. The offense committed three turnovers (all on Manning interceptions, including one that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown by Eric Wright midway through the fourth quarter) and scored just two touchdowns despite four trips inside the Cleveland 10-yard line. The defense surrendered 454 yards, had neither a sack nor a takeaway, never forced a punt and enabled the Browns to convert nine of 13 third-down opportunities, a 69 percent success rate. Derek Anderson threw touchdown passes to Darnell Dinkins and Braylon Edwards, Jamal Lewis ran in for another score and Phil Dawson kicked two field goals for the Browns, who improved to 2-3. Anderson threw for 310 yards and Edwards caught five passes for 154 yards. Jacobs scored on a seven-yard run and Manning threw a short touchdown pass to Burress for the Giants. After Dawson opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal, the Giants went up, 7-3, on Jacobs’ seven-yard touchdown run. Safety Mike Adams stepped in front of Jacobs at the three and was absolutely steamrolled for his trouble, as Jacobs ran right over him on his way to the end zone. The Browns regained the advantage on Lewis’ four-yard touchdown run, then increased their lead to 17-7 on Anderson’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Dinkins, a former Giant. Manning again demonstrated he has few peers in running a hurry-up offense in leading the Giants on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in 2:03. He completed six of eight passes for 65 yards on the series, including his first four for 56 yards, all to Smith. Ward’s seven-yard run and Manning’s six-yard pass to Hixon gave the Giants a first down at the three. After the Giants used their final timeout, Manning threw to Burress for the score. The second half belonged to the Browns. Dawson’s 28-yard field goal made it 20-14 entering the fourth quarter. Anderson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Edwards. The Giants then drove 77 yards to the Cleveland nine-yard line and were in position to climb to within six points. But Manning’s pass for Toomer was intercepted by Wright, who returned it for the clinching touchdown. Edwards’ two-point conversion catch accounted for the final margin. The Giants rebounded the following week with a 29-17 victory at home over the San Francisco 49ers. The defense turned in an outstanding game. The unit had three takeaways (including safety Michael Johnson’s first two career interceptions), sacked J.T. O’Sullivan six times (one of which resulted in a safety) and forced five punts. And it did so despite the absence of starting linebackers Pierce and Gerris Wilkinson, who missed the game with injuries. They were replaced in the starting lineup by Chase Blackburn and rookie Bryan Kehl, respectively, who helped limit the 49ers to 35 rushing yards, including 11 on 11 carries by star running back Frank Gore. Blackburn led the Giants with 10 tackles (eight solo), including his first career sack. The Giants scored on two Jacobs touchdown runs, Manning’s scoring pass to Burress, a pair of Carney field goals and a safety. San Francisco scored touchdowns on O’Sullivan’s 30-yard pass to rookie Josh Morgan and Nate Clements’ 74-yard return of a blocked field goal attempt. Joe Nedney added a field goal for the 49ers. The 49ers trailed by 10 points and were trying desperately to get back into the game when they took possession at their own 20 following a Feagles punt with 5:08 remaining. But on first down, O’Sullivan was sacked by Tuck and fumbled. The ball bounced around before Morgan kicked it out of bounds for a safety, the first for the Giants since Oct. 23, 2006, when LaVarr Arrington tackled Dallas’ Drew Bledsoe in the end zone. Carney’s 48-yard field goal gave the Giants a 27-17 lead with 12:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 29-yard drive was set up by Bradshaw’s 29-yard kickoff return and bolstered by two 10-yard receptions by Smith. The Niners pulled to within seven points on Clements’ return touchdown with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter. Carney, who had made 19 attempts in a row dating back to 2007, tried a 35-yard kick. But Manny Lawson leapfrogged over the Giants’ blockers and got his hands on the ball, which bounced back to Clements, who ran far ahead of the field for the touchdown. Instead of owning commanding 27-10 advantage, the Giants’ lead was a precarious 24-17. Manning’s six-yard touchdown pass to Burress extended the Giants’ lead to 24-10 with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter. On first-and-goal from the six, Manning faked a handoff to Ward, then fired a strike into the end zone for Burress, who shielded Clements away from the ball. The 18-yard scoring drive was set up by the Giants’ first fumble recovery of the season. O’Sullivan and Gore never completed the exchange on an attempted handoff and Mathias Kiwanuka recovered the ball. Manning passes to Smith and Toomer preceded the touchdown throw to Burress. Carney’s 21-yard field goal increased the Giants’ lead to 17-10 with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. The score was set up by Johnson’s interception of an O’Sullivan pass for Morgan. Johnson returned the ball 18 yards to the 49ers’ nine-yard line. Jacobs scored the Giants’ first two touchdowns on runs of 26 and two yards. The Giants returned to the road the following week in Pittsburgh, where the fans were treated to a game befitting two of the NFL’s storied franchises – hard-hitting, fiercely fought, thrilling and played before an emotional, raucous crowd – a playoff-type game at the end of October. But it was the Giants who went home happy after Manning’s two-yard touchdown pass to Boss with 3:07 remaining enabled the visitors to take advantage of another splendid performance by the defense and defeat the Steelers in Heinz Field, 21-14. The Giants improved to 6-1. Although they had a common point total, they reached it via unconventional means – Carney field goals of 26, 35, 25 and 24 yards, a safety on an errant snap by a backup snapper and Boss’ touchdown. The Steelers scored on Mewelde Moore’s 32-yard run in the first quarter and Ben Roethlisberger’s 65-yard pass to Nate Washington in the third. Pittsburgh entered the game with the NFL’s No. 1 defense and a league-high 25 sacks. But the Giants had no turnovers and allowed no sacks. The Giants’ defense, meanwhile, intercepted four Roethlisberger passes and sacked him five times – three by Kiwanuka, and one apiece by Tuck and Dave Tollefson. Roethlisberger completed only 13 of 29 passes for 189 yards. But he wasn’t the only Steeler who was harassed by the defense all day. Pittsburgh gained only 249 yards, totaled 12 first downs and owned the ball for only 25:36. Take away Moore’s touchdown and he rushed for 52 yards on 18 carries, a 2.9-yard average. The defense needed to stand tall, because Pittsburgh’s D was at its best when the Giants got close to the goal line. Six Giants trips inside the 20-yard line resulted in the four field goals and one touchdown – the game-winner to Boss. Manning completed 19 of 32 passes for 199 yards on a day when the Giants rushed for only 83 yards on 35 carries, a 2.4-yard average. His favorite receiver was Ward, who caught five passes for 43 yards. Boss added four receptions for 34 yards. The Giants earned the victory with a dominating fourth quarter in which they outscored the Steelers, 12-0. The Giants entered the final quarter trailing, 14-9, following a third quarter that Coach Tom Coughlin admitted “did not look real good.” But on the third play of the fourth, Corey Webster intercepted a Roethlisberger pass intended for Hines Ward and returned it to the Giants’ 32-yard line. Four minutes later, they faced a fourth-and-one at the Steelers’ 29-yard line and used their first timeout. When Manning returned to the field, he didn’t like what he saw from Pittsburgh’s defense and tried to call another timeout – which is illegal. So he took a five-yard delay-of-game penalty to make it fourth-and-six. When play resumed, Manning lofted a perfect pass down the right side for 30 yards to Toomer, who made a terrific catch to give the Giants a first down at the four. That led to a Carney field goal that closed the gap to 14-12. The defense forced Pittsburgh into a three-and-out and the Steelers had to punt from their 18-yard line. Linebacker James Harrison – pressed into punt-snapping duties because of a knee injury suffered by Greg Warren – sailed the ball over the head of Mitch Berger and out of the end zone. It was the second week in a row the Giants scored on a safety. More importantly, it tied the score at 14-14 with 6:48 remaining. After the free kick, the Giants took possession at their own 47-yard line. On third-and-seven, Manning fired a 25-yard pass down the middle to Smith, giving the Giants a first down on the Pittsburgh 25. Runs by Jacobs and Ward and a pass to Burress left the Giants with a second-and-goal at the two. Manning then faked a handoff and threw to Boss, who stood by himself in the end zone and caught the game-winning touchdown pass. The Steelers had taken a 14-9 lead on Rothlisberger’s long touchdown pass to Washington with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. On a series-opening snap, Roethlisberger threw down the left side for Washington, who caught the ball at the Giants’ 25-yard line, used a couple of moves to get past James Butler, and crossed the goal line untouched. On Nov. 2, the Giants closed out the first half of their season with a one-sided 35-14 victory over their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. The victory improved the Giants’ record to 7-1, including 5-0 in Giants Stadium, their best midseason mark and their longest home winning streak since 1990, when they were 8-0 and they won their first seven home games. Manning completed 16 of 27 passes for 147 yards and threw touchdown passes to Boss, Smith and Toomer in the first half. Jacobs (117 yards on 17 carries) and Ward (63 yards on 12 attempts) ran in for second-half scores. The Giants scored 21 points off turnovers – two interceptions by Webster in the first half off Brad Johnson and another by Butler in the third quarter off Brooks Bollinger. The offense scored touchdowns all five times it ventured inside Dallas’ 20-yard line, a marked improvement over the previous week’s one-for-six showing in Pittsburgh. The defense was in control all day, keeping the Dallas offense out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, neutralizing Marion Barber (54 yards on 19 carries), Terrell Owens (five catches for 36 yards and a touchdown) and harassing Johnson and Bollinger with four sacks and constant pressure. The Giants had four takeaways for the second week in a row and held the Cowboys to 183 total yards, 102 passing yards and 11 first downs. But the Giants were far from flawless. They lost their first two fumbles of the season and a Manning misfire resulted in Dallas scoring its first touchdown on a 23-yard interception return by rookie cornerback Mike Jenkins. The Cowboys also scored on Bollinger’s eight-yard touchdown pass to Owens early in the fourth quarter. The Giants seized control of the game immediately, taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards in 11 plays, the last Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Boss. On second-and-10, the second-year tight end caught the ball in the right front corner of the end zone and used some nifty footwork to stay inbounds. Boss caught an eight-yard pass on the game’s first play. Moments later, Toomer made an outstanding catch on the left side for a 15-yard gain. On the next play, Burress’ catch picked up 22 more yards to the Cowboys’ 26-yard line. After runs by Jacobs and Ward brought the ball to the 13, Manning hooked up with Boss for the score. The Giants’ defense came up with its first big play late in the quarter when Webster grabbed an overthrown Johnson pass for Owens at the Giants’ 16-yard line and returned it 57 yards to the Cowboys’ 27. Two Dallas penalties, two Ward runs and Manning’s pass to Smith advanced the ball to the five. On third-and-three, Smith caught another Manning throw at the one-yard line and stepped into the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 41 seconds left in the quarter. Jenkins’ interception return on a pass intended for Burress pulled Dallas to within 14-7. But Manning’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Toomer with 1:28 remaining in the second quarter increased the Giants’ lead to 14 points. On third-and-six, Toomer found a small opening just past the goal line and Manning found him for his third touchdown pass of the game. The score capped a six-play, 52-yard drive that was set up by Webster’s second interception of a Johnson pass. On the first play of the drive, Jacobs sidestepped several potential tacklers on his way to a 25-yard gain. Ward gained eight yards on a pair of runs before Toomer scored. Jacobs’ 12-yard run on the fourth play of the third quarter increased the Giants’ lead to 28-7. The score was set up by Butler’s interception of Bollinger’s pass on the second snap of the half. It was Butler’s second interception in as many weeks. Butler’s pick gave the Giants the ball at the Dallas 18-yard line. The drive was simple: Jacobs for six yards, then Jacobs off left tackle for 12 yards and the score. Owens’ touchdown reception made it 28-14. The Giants responded with a nine-play, 67-yard drive that took 5:47 to complete and was highlighted by Jacobs’ 31-yard run. All but 10 of the yards on the drive were gained on the ground. Ward scored his first touchdown of the season on a 17-yard run. The Giants cleared another tall hurdle on Nov. 9 with an entertaining 36-31 Sunday Night victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Giants’ fourth victory in a row improved their record to 8-1, including 3-0 in division games. They won their fourth consecutive regular season game in Lincoln Financial Field. The Giants dominated the game statistically, outgaining the Eagles, 401-300, including 219-106 on the ground, and owning sizeable advantages in first downs (26-17) and time of possession (39:10-20:50). The game’s key moments were three replay challenges, all of which went the Giants’ way, and Blackburn’s tackle of Brian Westbrook on fourth-and-one with 1:47 remaining, which effectively clinched the game. Manning threw touchdown passes to Burress and Boss, Jacobs ran for two more scores and Carney kicked field goals of 27, 26 and 28 yards for the Giants. For Philadelphia, rookie DeSean Jackson scored on a nine-yard run, Donovan McNabb threw touchdown passes of 10 yards to Jason Avant, seven yards Hank Baskett and two yards to Kevin Curtis and David Akers kicked a 29-yard field goal. The game turned in the Giants’ favor with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter and the visitors trailing, 24-20, following an Eagles touchdown. The Giants had moved from their own 31 to the Philadelphia 20, where they faced a third-and-10. Eli Manning completed a 17-yard pass to Kevin Boss that appeared to give the Giants a first-and-goal at the three. But Manning was penalized for an illegal forward pass, because an official ruled he had released the ball beyond the line of scrimmage. The infraction would have pushed the Giants back and forced them to attempt a field goal. But Coughlin, with his coaches upstairs and Manning urging him on, challenged the call. After review, referee Terry McAulay said Manning’s back foot was behind the line of scrimmage and upheld the completion. Two plays later, Jacobs scored a touchdown on a three-yard run that gave the Giants a lead they would never relinquish at 27-24. Carney’s 28-yard field goal with 13:28 remaining in the game increased the Giants’ advantage to 30-24. The Giants traveled 57 yards in 11 plays prior to the field goal, including a 13-yard Boss reception that saw him leap over safety Quintin Mikell to pick up five extra yards on his way to a first down at the Eagles’ 22-yard line. Two runs for 15 yards gave the Giants a first-and-goal. Bradshaw gained two more yards to the five. But Manning overthrew Burress in the end zone and Ward was stopped for a five-yard loss, so Carney trotted out to kick his third field goal. After the defense forced Philly into a three-and-out, the Giants’ offense again went to work and thanks to two unsuccessful Eagles challenges, added to their lead. Jacobs’ second touchdown on a three-yard run gave the Giants a 36-24 lead with 9:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion try failed. It was Jacobs’ ninth rushing touchdown of the season, tying the career high he set in 2006. The Giants drove 40 yards in five plays following Hixon’s 43-yard punt return – which would have been a 73-yard touchdown if Johnson hadn’t been penalized for holding. On the first play of the drive, Bradshaw ran for 23 yards. After a loss of two yards and a defensive offside penalty, things got weird as Philadelphia coach Andy Reid lost replay challenges on consecutive plays – including Jacobs’ touchdown. First, Jacobs ran six yards up the middle to the three before fumbling. The officials said he was down by contact. Reid challenged, but after review, McAulay said Jacobs’ elbow was down before he fumbled and upheld the call on the field. On the next play, Jacobs’ run was ruled a touchdown. But he again lost the ball, this time very close to the goal line. Reid again challenged, saying Jacobs fumbled before reaching the end zone. McAulay again upheld the ball on the field and the touchdown stood. But on the two-point conversion try, Manning’s pass to Burress sailed incomplete. The Eagles responded with a 10-play, 71-yard drive that ended with McNabb’s touchdown pass to Curtis, which pulled the Eagles to within 36-31 with 5:30 remaining in the game. On fourth-and-goal from the two, McNabb moved right, the fired a strike to Curtis, who found an opening in the back of the end zone. The Giants then came up a yard short of a first down and had to punt. Philly took possession at its own 14 with 3:14 remaining and a chance to win the game. On third-and-three from the 43 they gave the ball to their terrific back, Brian Westbrook. He gained two yards, setting up a fourth-and-one. Again they handed the ball to Westbrook. But Blackburn came charging through the line and stopped Westbrook for no gain. The Eagles never again saw the ball. On Nov. 16, the irresistible force overcame the seemingly immovable object in the Giants’ 30-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants entered the game with the NFL’s No. 1 rushing attack, while Baltimore had the league’s top-ranked run defense. The collision was no contest. The Giants rushed for 207 yards, averaged 6.3 yards a carry and rolled to their first-ever victory over the Ravens. It was the Giants’ third consecutive 200-yard rushing game – the first time they did that since 1952 – and their franchise-record fifth of the season. Baltimore had allowed an average of only 65.4 rushing yards a game. No team had run for more than 76 and no back for more than 73. The Ravens had not given up a 200-yard rushing game since Oct. 5, 1997 against Pittsburgh. But Jacobs had 70 yards – in the first quarter. That included a 36-yard run. Bradshaw ripped off a 77-yard fourth-quarter run on his way to a team-high 96 yards. Ward chipped in with 41yards on 11 carries, including a 22-yarder, and led the team with four catches for 54 yards. In addition to the running backs’ heroics, Manning threw a touchdown pass to tight end Darcy Johnson, Aaron Ross returned an interception 50 yards for another score and Lawrence Tynes, doing all the kicking for the only time in 2008, booted a 19-yard field goal. The Giants’ run defense was also outstanding. Running backs Willis McGahee (nine carries for 18 yards), Ray Rice (8-19) and Le’Ron McClain (2-10) combined for 47 yards on 19 attempts. Baltimore’s leading rusher was rookie quarterback Joe Flacco with 57 yards on six carries. Flacco threw 10-yard touchdown pass to McClain and Matt Stover kicked a 38-yard field goal. The Giants seized control of the game almost immediately and never let go. The defense forced Baltimore into a three-and-out on the game’s first possession. The Giants took the ball at their 32 and eight plays and 68 yards later, Jacobs forced his way over the goal line for a 7-0 lead. On the offense’s second snap of the game, Jacobs appeared to be stopped at the line up scrimmage before spinning out of danger and running up the left side for a 36-yard gain. Moments later, on third-and-15, Manning and Burress hooked up for a 21-yard gain to the Baltimore 16-yard line. The rest was all Jacobs – well, him and a five-yard offsides penalty on Haloti Ngata. Jacobs carried on four consecutive plays, including a 10-yarder and the one-yard score off left tackle. The Ravens marched from their own 32-yard line to the Giants’ 13 on their next series. But Robbins blocked Stover’s 32-yard field goal attempt. Sam Madison tried to pick up the ball, but it bounced off several players until it was finally downed at the Baltimore 33-yard line. The Giants – again helped by an offsides penalty, one that nullified an interception – traveled the distance in five plays. Jacobs did the bulk of the work, carrying for 15, two and one yards on the drive’s final three plays. A bad snap doomed the extra point attempt after the second touchdown and the Giants’ lead remained 13-0. After forcing another Baltimore punt, the Giants embarked on a 90-yard, 12-play drive that ended with Manning’s short touchdown pass to Johnson, who made his first career catch one to remember. Johnson, who spent the 2007 season on injured reserve with a knee injury suffered in training camp, became the first Giant to score a touchdown on his initial career reception since another tight end, Marcellus Rivers, did it on Sept. 10, 2001 at Denver. On the drive, Ward ran for 28 yards, including a 22-yarder, and caught two passes for 27 more yards. Burress caught a 15-yard pass. Samari Rolle was flagged for pass interference on Burress in the end zone, giving the Giants a first down at the Ravens’ one-yard line. After Ward was twice stopped short of the goal line, Johnson got open in the front of the end zone and caught Manning’s short pass for a 20-0 lead with 7:14 remaining in the second quarter. Stover’s field goal made it 20-3 with 4:08 left in the second quarter. Baltimore pulled to within 20-10 on Flacco’s 10-yard touchdown pass to McClain with 4:26 remaining in the third quarter. The Giants seemed to be losing momentum when they were forced to punt again on their next offensive series. But Ross seized it back for them and effectively clinched the game with his interception return for a touchdown, which increased the Giants lead to 27-10 with 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Flacco threw to the left side for Derrick Mason. The receiver was unable to hold the ball, which caromed in the air to Ross, who sprinted down the right sideline for the score. It was his second interception of the game and the second touchdown of his career. Ross scored on a 43-yard return of a pick against the Jets on Oct. 7, 2007. Jacobs was not in uniform the following Sunday against the Cardinals in Arizona because of the knee injury he suffered in the victory over Baltimore. Burress tried to go with his sore hamstring, but last just one series. But not even the loss of their leading ground-gainer and most dangerous receiver could derail the Giants. With players on offense, defense and special teams making significant contributions, the Giants defeated the Cardinals, 37-29, in University of Phoenix Stadium – the site of their epic victory over New England in Super Bowl XLII. Manning threw three touchdown passes – one each to Toomer, Hedgecock and Boss, Ward scored on a one-yard run and Carney kicked three field goals for the Giants. A long list of players had big games. Hixon had 269 total yards (180 on kickoff returns, 57 receiving, 21 on punt returns, plus an 11-yard rush), tied for the third-highest total in Giants history. Del Shofner gained 269 yards – all receiving – vs. Washington on Oct. 28, 1962 (the day Y.A. Tittle threw seven touchdown passes). The franchise record is Joe Scott’s 279 yards on Nov. 14, 1948 vs. the Los Angeles Rams (207 kickoff return yards, 35 receiving, 22 rushing and 15 yards after receiving a lateral). Tiki Barber is in second place, with 276 yards vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 28, 2002 (203 rushing, 73 receiving). Hixon returned kickoffs for the first time in 2008 and had runbacks of 83 and 68 yards in the second quarter. He also took over at split end for Burress and led the team with six catches for 57 yards. Ward started for Jacobs and rushed for 69 yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 30 yards. Manning played one of his best games of the season, completing 26 of 33 passes (a career-best 79 percent completion rate) for 240 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. It would be a stretch to say the Giants shut down the NFL’s second-ranked passing attack. Kurt Warner, after all, passed for 351 yards. But they limited the damage, allowing no throws longer than 30 yards, holding Anquan Boldin to 87 yards on his 11 catches and Larry Fitzgerald – who would later demonstrate his greatness in the playoffs – to five catches for 71 yards. The defense came up with two second-half takeaways that resulted in 10 points, the difference in a nine-point game. The special teams were also huge. Hixon’s two long kickoff returns “were probably the difference,” Coughlin said. “They were huge, big plays in the game.” Carney kicked those three field goals and scored 13 points. Arizona tried two onsides kicks in the fourth quarter and the Giants secured both of them. The Cardinals, who lost at home for the first time, scored on Tim Hightower touchdown runs of four and one yards, Warner’s five-yard touchdown pass to Boldin and three Neil Rackers field goals. Rackers’ 44-yarder with 31 seconds remaining lifted the Cardinals to within eight points at 37-29, still within striking distance if they could recover an onside kick. But Smith grabbed the ball and the victory was secured. Carney’s final field goal, a 33-yarder, increased the Giants’ lead to 11 points with 1:55 remaining. Ward was stopped about two inches short of what would have been the clinching first down, and Coughlin elected to put more points on the board. Warner’s five-yard touchdown pass to Boldin cut the Giants’ lead to 34-26 with 4:02 remaining. The Cards then tried their first onside kick, but former Giant Ralph Brown let the ball skip through his hands and Blackburn recovered. That possession ended in Carney’s field goal. Manning’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 10-yarder to Boss, extended the Giants’ lead to 31-19 with 11:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Giants responded to an Arizona touchdown by marching 80 yards in 10 plays and 4:34. Manning was superb on the drive, completing six of seven passes for 56 yards. That included a big 28-yarder to Boss down the left sideline that moved the ball to the Cardinals’ 37-yard line. Three plays later, Manning found Smith for a nine-yard gain on third-and-five. Ward’s eight-yard run and five-yard catch moved the ball to the 10 and Boss scored on the next play. The Giants quickly regained possession when rookie Terrell Thomas intercepted a Warner pass for Steve Breaston and returned it to the Arizona 29-yard line. It was Thomas’ first career pick. The Giants then moved 20 yards before Carney kicked a 37-yard field goal to increase the lead to 34-19. This was the fourth consecutive game in which the Giants scored at least 30 points. Hightower’s second touchdown pulled the Cardinals to within 24-19 with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter. On first-and-goal, Hightower went straight up the middle for his ninth touchdown of the season. The score capped a 12-play, 90-yard drive that was the longest by a Giants opponent this season. Aaron Ross was called for three penalties on the drive, including two pass interference calls that appeared to be questionable. Manning’s two-yard touchdown pass to Hedgecock increased the Giants’ lead to 24-12 with 10:35 remaining in the third quarter. On first-and-goal, Manning faked a handoff, looked to the end zone, then threw a short flare pass to Hedgecock, who caught the ball at the five. He sidestepped a tackle attempt by linebacker Monty Beisel and stepped into the end zone for the first touchdown of his four-year career. The four-play, 40-yard drive was set up by Kiwanuka’s recovery of a Warner fumble. On third-and-nine, Warner was sacked by Tuck, who forced the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. After a prolonged skirmish, Kiwanuka secured the football in his arms. The following week in Washington, the Giants proved that nothing can distract them from the completion of their mission. One day after the news broke that Burress had been wounded in an accidental shooting at a Manhattan nightclub, the Giants’ businesslike approached enabled them to win their seventh consecutive game, a 23-7 decision over the Washington Redskins in cold and rainy FedEx Field. The Giants improved to 11-1, the best 12-game start in franchise history. Including their 16-7 opening-night victory, the Giants swept the season series for the second time in three years and have won five of their last six games against Washington. Manning passed for 305 yards, his first 300-yard game since Oct. 15, 2007 at Atlanta. That included a 40-yard touchdown pass to Toomer on the first offensive series. The Giants also scored on Jacobs’ one-yard touchdown run and Carney field goals of 31, 38 and 39 yards. Defensively, the Giants held Clinton Portis, the NFL’s leading rusher entering the game, to 22 yards on 11 carries. Washington’s touchdown came on a second-quarter 29-yard reverse by rookie receiver Devin Thomas. After forcing the Redskins into a three-and-out on the game’s first series, the Giants took possession and promptly drove 71 yards in seven plays, including Manning’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Toomer. On first down, Toomer lined up on the right side, got a step in front of cornerback Fred Smoot and caught Manning’s perfectly-thrown pass just shy of the goal line and his momentum carried him into the end zone. It was Toomer’s longest regular season score since a 77-yard reception against Buffalo on Nov. 30, 2003 – exactly five years to the day. His longest previous regular season touchdown reception from Manning was a 37-yarder at Philadelphia on Sept. 17, 2006. Toomer scored on a 52-yard catch-and-run in last season’s NFC Divisional Playoff Game in Dallas. Hixon twice kept the drive moving with big third-down catches. On third-and-eight, he took Manning’s short pass over the middle and turned it into a 13-yard gain. Three plays later, on third-and-nine, he made a terrific leaping catch on the left sideline for a 15-yard gain that moved the ball to the Redskins’ 40-yard line. Toomer scored on the next play. After another Washington punt, the Giants marched 67 yards in 11 plays, but had to settle for Carney’s 31-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead. Boss made the big play on the drive, catching a short Manning pass before leaping over two defenders and turning it into a 24-yard gain. Manning’s 15-yard throw to Toomer, plus D’Angelo Hall’s penalty for a late hit, gave the Giants a first-and-goal at the eight. But Manning was sacked for a six-yard loss on third down by Anthony Montgomery and Carney came on to kick the field goal. Carney’s 38-yard field goal with 12:01 remaining in the second quarter increased the Giants’ lead to 13-0. Washington got on the scoreboard and closed to within 13-7 on Thomas’ first career touchdown on a 29-yard reverse with 8:31 remaining in the second quarter. On first down, Campbell handed the ball to Ladell Betts, who gave it to Thomas running from left to right. Because almost everyone on the Giants’ defense was moving right, Thomas had a clear path in front of him and was not touched until he was diving over the goal line. Jacobs’ short touchdown run increased the Giants’ lead to 20-7 with 8:33 remaining in the third quarter. The big back just missed scoring on first-and-goal, but on second down he took a handoff and bulled his way up the middle and into the end zone for his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. Carney’s third field goal of the game pushed the Giants’ advantage to 23-7 with 6:26 remaining in the game. The Giants moved 18 yards in five plays after Tuck stuffed Portis on a fourth-and one run at the Redskins’ 39-yard line. The Giants suffered their first home loss of the season on Dec. 7, falling to the Eagles, 20-14. But they still clinched the NFC East title when Dallas lost later that afternoon in Pittsburgh. The Giants team that faced Philadelphia didn’t look like the Giants of 2008. The NFL’s highest-scoring team couldn’t score, getting its only offensive touchdown with 15 seconds remaining. The league’s leading rushing team ran for only 88 yards, about 72 less than their per-game average. The Giants were second in the NFL in average time of possession, but owned the ball for just 25:06. And the team that hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 14 games saw an opposing back, Westbrook, run for 131 yards. The Giants had season-low totals of 211 yards and 14 first downs (they also had 14 at Pittsburgh). They converted only three of 11 third down opportunities and went zero-for-three on fourth down. Manning completed less than half of his passes (13 of 27, 48.1 percent) for the first time this year, though at least three of his throws were dropped. The Giants’ only offensive touchdown was a one-yard pass from Manning to Darcy Johnson just 15 seconds before time expired. Their other touchdown was Kevin Dockery’s 71-yard return of a blocked field goal attempt on the final play of the second quarter. Westbrook gained 203 yards from scrimmage – 131 on 33 rushing attempts and 72 on six catches. He scored both of Philadelphia’s touchdowns on a 30-yard run in the second quarter and a 40-yard reception in fourth. David Akers also kicked field goals of 51 and 34 yards for the Eagles. Akers scored the only points of the first quarter on a 51-yard field goal as time expired. Before the kick, Philadelphia drove 29 yards in five plays, the longest a 32-yard pass from McNabb to Kevin Curtis. That gave the Eagles a first down on the Giants’ 30. When the teams changed sides, the Giants had the 21-mile-per-hour wind at their backs. On the first play of the quarter, Manning threw deep down the middle to Hixon, who dropped the ball on what could have been an 85-yard touchdown pass. The series ended with Trent Cole blocking Carney’s 47-yard field goal attempt. Philadelphia increased its lead to 10-0 on Westbrook’s 30-yard touchdown run with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. On a first down immediately after the two-minute warning, Westbrook took a handoff, slipped past the line of scrimmage and found himself in the open with no Giants defender near him. It took a tremendous special teams play for the Giants to avoid their first scoreless regular season first half in four years (Dec. 4, 2004 at Washington). Akers lined up for a 32-yard field goal that would have given the Eagles a 13-0 lead at the break. But Tuck jumped high to block the kick. The ball caromed into the backfield, where it was picked up by Kevin Dockery, who sprinted 71 yards for the Giants’ first points as time expired in the half. It was their first touchdown on a blocked field goal return since Oct. 1, 1978, when George Martin brought one back 78 yards at Atlanta. The field goal block was the Giants’ second this season; Robbins blocked a 38-yard try by Stover on Nov. 16 vs. Baltimore. It was Dockery’s second career touchdown. He scored on a 96-yard interception return at Dallas on Oct. 23, 2006. Westbrook’s second touchdown increased the Eagles’ lead to 17-7 with 13:38 remaining in the third quarter. On third-and-11 from the Giants’ 40, Westbrook looped from left to right, caught Donovan McNabb’s pass at the 35 and easily outran linebacker Pierce to the end zone. Akers’ 34-yard field goal made it 20-7 with 2:09 remaining. The Giants then put together their best drive of the day, moving 70 yards in six plays and ending with Johnson’s touchdown. The Giants will not remember their last visit to Texas Stadium fondly. On Dec. 14, they lost to the Cowboys, 20-8. Instead of clinching a first-round postseason bye, the Giants lost their second game in a row for the first time since dropping the first two games of the 2007 season. For the second consecutive week, the offense sputtered. The eight points was the Giants’ lowest scoring output since a 30-7 defeat to the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 24, 2006. The Giants rushed for a season-low 72 yards and converted only three of 13 third-down opportunities. The Giants played without their leading rusher, Jacobs, who did not make the trip because of the knee injury that plagued him for several weeks. Right tackle Kareem McKenzie did not play in the second half after suffering a back injury late in the second quarter. He was replaced by Kevin Boothe. Guard Rich Seubert, who played most of the game despite suffering from a stomach virus, was replaced in the fourth quarter by Grey Ruegamer. The Giants also lost Moss (calf), Phillips (head), Reuben Droughns (burner) and Wilkinson (knee) to injuries during the game. Carney field goals from 34 and 47 yards and a safety accounted for the Giants’ only scoring. The Giants allowed eight sacks – three by NFL leader DeMarcus Ware – tying the number of times Manning has been sacked in a game (also Sept. 17, 2006). Dallas, 9-5, scored on Romo touchdown passes of 34 yards to Patrick Crayton and one yard to Deon Anderson and rookie Tashard Choice’s backbreaking 38-yard run with 2:16 remaining. The Giants had scored five points in 1:18 to pull within 14-8 with less than six minutes remaining. But Dallas made two of its three third-down conversions on a 66-yard drive that ended with Choice’s score. As the fourth quarter reached the midway point, it appeared the Giants would go down quietly. But on a third-and-12 from the Dallas six-yard line, Kiwanuka and Tuck sacked Romo in the end zone for a safety. Romo fumbled the ball, but it rolled out of bounds. That pulled the Giants to within 14-5. After the free kick, the Giants took possession at their 40 and Manning promptly hit Hixon for a 19-yard gain. Ward (who started for Jacobs and rushed for 64 yards) picked up 12 yards to the Dallas 29. But the drive stalled there and Carney came on to kick his 47-yarder, making it 14-8. If the defense could get a stop, the Giants would get the ball with a chance to win. The Cowboys took possession on their 34 and were pushed back 10 yards because of a holding penalty. But on second-and-20, Choice gained 17 yards up the right side. Barber then ran for nine yards and the first down. Another holding call left Dallas facing a second-and-23. But Romo’s throw to Choice gained 14 yards and on third-and-nine, a pass to Witten picked up 11 yards. Choice scored the clincher on the next play. Romo’s one-yard pass to Anderson had increased the Cowboys’ lead to 14-3 with 12:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. On second-and-goal, Anderson slipped out of the backfield and found himself all alone in the end zone when he caught Romo’s pass. The score concluded a nine-play, 72-yard drive that included a pair of 23-yard gains – the first on a Romo pass to Miles Austin, the second on a Choice run. Witten’s 13-yard reception gave the Cowboys a first down at the one. After Choice was stopped for no gain, Anderson scored the touchdown. The Giants trailed at halftime, 7-3, and gained only 78 yards in the first two quarters – 30 on the ground. The defense held Dallas to just nine yards on the ground in the half. It was the Giants’ lowest-scoring half since Dec. 16, 2007, when they fell behind Washington, 16-3, on their way to a 22-10 loss. It was the second game in a row the Giants failed to score an offensive touchdown in the first half. The Giants scored their first points on Carney’s 37-yard field goal with 4:52 remaining in the second quarter. Before the kick, the Giants drove 66 yards in 10 plays following a Dallas touchdown. The longest play on the drive was a short Manning pass that Boss turned into a 23-yard gain. Later in the series, the Giants faced a third-and-11, but Manning fired a pass down them middle to Smith that gained 14 yards to the Cowboys’ 19-yard line. Manning was sacked for a three-yard loss before connecting with Hixon for six yards. But Manning’s third-down pass for Boss was incomplete and Carney came on to kick the field goal. Dallas scored the game’s first points on Romo’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Crayton with 11:11 remaining in the second quarter. On second-and-four, Romo scrambled to evade the rush, then threw downfield to Crayton, who got behind the secondary and caught the ball at the goal line. Coughlin challenged the touchdown, claiming Romo was beyond the line of scrimmage when he released the ball. After review, referee Walt Anderson upheld the ruling on the field and the touchdown stood. On Dec. 21, the Giants ensured that the NFC’s path to Super Bowl XLIII would cut right through Giants Stadium, thanks to one of the Giants’ most exciting and memorable victories in memory. With the conference’s No. 1 seed on the line, the Giants overcame deficits of 11 points in the second quarter and eight points in the fourth to secure a thrilling 34-28 overtime triumph over the Carolina Panthers. Jacobs scored the winning points on his third touchdown of the game, a two-yard run with 5:03 elapsed in the extra period. “It was a heck of a football game,” Coughlin said, “and to finish and win that way was really outstanding.” The Giants improved to 12-3, their first 12-win season since 2000. They had secured a first-round bye earlier in the day when Minnesota lost to Atlanta. The Giants benefitted from a long list of outstanding performances, but the most vital were turned in by the offense line and running backs Ward and Jacobs. The Giants rushed for 301 yards, the fifth-highest total in franchise history. Ward ran for 215 yards on only 15 carries, a remarkable 14.3-yard average that was the highest in NFL history by a back with at least 15 rushing attempts. Jacobs complemented Ward by running for 87 yards and those career-high three scores, one week after missing the Dallas game with a sore knee. He scored on runs of two, one and two yards. The Giants also got Manning’s four-yard touchdown pass to Boss and two Carney field goals. DeAngelo Williams scored all of Carolina’s touchdowns, on runs of 13, five, one and 30 yards to become the first Giants opponent to score four touchdowns in a game since New Orleans receiver Joe Horn caught scoring passes of 50, 13, seven and 18 yards in the Superdome on Dec. 14, 2003. The last opponent to rush for four touchdowns was Dallas’ Emmitt Smith on Sept. 4, 1995 in Giants Stadium. Smith scored on a 60-yard run and three one-yarders. Carolina had a chance to win the game in the waning moments of regulation, but John Kasay’s 50-yard field goal attempt was wide left. Both teams punted in the overtime before the Giants took possession on their own 13 with 12:20 remaining. On the first play from scrimmage, Ward scampered for a career-long 51-yard gain to the Carolina 36-yard line. Three plays later, on a critical third-and seven from the 33 – likely outside of Carney’s field goal range – Ward ran for 14 yards. On the next play, he picked up 17 more to the two. Jacobs scored the game-winner on the next play. Ward ran for 82 yards on the deciding 87-yard drive. Jacobs’ one-yard touchdown run and Manning’s two–point conversion pass to Hixon – the Giants’ first in more than three years – tied the game at 28-28 with 3:48 remaining in the fourth quarter. The 56-yard drive was set up when Thomas downed Jeff Feagles’ punt at the one-yard line. The defense forced the Panthers into a three-and-out and after the punt, the Giants took over at their 44. Manning quickly hit Hixon for a 13-yard gain. Two plays later, Manning found Toomer on the right side for 15 yards. On third and five, Manning hooked up with Boss for a 12-yard gain to the five. Manning then threw into the end zone for Hixon, who drew a pass interference penalty by Ken Lucas. It was the first defensive pass interference penalty called on the Panthers all season. The infraction moved the ball to the one-yard line. Jacobs scored on the next play. The following two-point conversion was the Giants’ first since Nov. 27, 2005 at Seattle, where Manning threw to Shockey. Williams’ 30-yard touchdown run increased Carolina’s lead to 28-20 with 12:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. The score capped a seven-play, 63-yard drive that included Jake Delhomme’s 19-yard pass to Dwayne Jarrett on the play immediately preceding the touchdown. Manning’s pass to Boss pulled the Giants to within a point with 59 seconds remaining in the third quarter. On third-and-goal, Manning dropped back to pass and had plenty of time to survey the field before finding the tight end standing alone in the end zone. The score ended a 12-play, 84-yard drive that took 8:36 to complete and featured an 11-yard Manning pass to Boss on third-and-10, receptions by Toomer (12 yards) and Hedgecock (13 yards) and Ward’s 22-yard run. Hedgecock’s catch gave the Giants a first-and-goal at the eight. Jacobs gained six yards, then lost two before Manning and Boss hooked up for the touchdown. The Giants trailed at halftime, 21-13, the most points they had allowed in any half in 2008. Carney’s 35-yard field goal with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter lifted the Giants to within eight points. Williams’ third touchdown on a one-yard run with 4:45 remaining in the second quarter extended Carolina’s lead to 21-10. Carolina covered 65 yards in only four plays – including a 60-yard Delhomme pass to Muhsin Muhammad that was the third-longest play given up by the Giants in 2008. On the first play of the drive, Delhomme threw long down the left side for Muhammad. Ross seemed to be in position to knock down the ball, but it sailed through his hands to Muhammad, who caught it at the 25 and ran to the five. Another pass to Muhammad advanced the ball to the three. Delhomme then passed quickly to the left sideline for Steve Smith, who was credited with a touchdown. But Coughlin challenged the ruling, saying Smith’s knee was down before he reached the end zone. After review, referee Walt Coleman overturned the call on the field and spotted the ball at the half-yard line. But the Giants’ relief was only temporary, as Williams scored on the next play. The Panthers regained the lead at 14-10 on Williams’ second touchdown, on a five-yard run with 8:12 remaining in the second quarter. For the second time in as many possessions, Williams lost two yards on a first-and-goal play, then scored on second down. The Giants took a 10-7 lead on Jacobs’ two-yard touchdown run with 13:38 remaining in the second quarter. Manning’s seven-yard pass to Steve Smith – yes, each team had a Steve Smith - gave the Giants a first-and-goal at the seven. Jacobs quickly picked up five yards to the two. On second down, he took a handoff and bulled his way to the score, using a second effort to get the ball over goal line. Carolina took a 7-3 lead on Williams’ 13-yard run with 6:16 remaining in the first quarter. On second-and-13, Williams took a handoff from Delhomme, shot through a hole at the line of scrimmage and raced untouched to the end zone for the touchdown. The Giants scored on the game’s opening series on Carney’s 32-yard field goal. After taking the opening kickoff, the Giants moved 61 yards in eight plays before Carney scored with 9:24 remaining in the first quarter. The big play on the drive was Manning’s 40-yard pass to Hixon. On third-and-six from the Giants’ 42, Manning was spun around but escaped an attempted sack by defensive end Charles Johnson. He then fired a pass down the right side to Hixon, who had opened the game with a nine-yard reception. The receiver’s second catch gave the Giants a first down on the Carolina 18-yard line. Two Jacobs runs netted four yards before Manning’s third-down pass for Ward fell incomplete. Carney then opened the scoring. The Giants concluded their regular season on Dec. 28 with a 20-19 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the Metrodome. Ryan Longwell kicked a 50-yard field goal as time expired for the game-winning points for the NFC North-champion Vikings. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a crushing defeat for the Giants. But with the division title and the No. 1 postseason seed locked up, they were able to play the game on their terms. That meant keeping four starters out of uniform and letting most others play reduced minutes. Manning played only the first half. Only two defensive starters were on the field when Minnesota drove for the game-winning field goal. The inactive starters were Jacobs (knee), Ross (concussion), Boss (ankle/concussion) and defensive tackle Barry Cofield (knee). The individual highlight of the game was turned in by Ward, who rushed for 77 yards to increase his season total to 1,025. Ward and Jacobs (1,089 yards this season) became the fourth pair of running backs – and the fifth set of teammates – to run for at least 1,000 yards in the same season. The Giants fell behind, 10-0, scored 19 consecutive points to take a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, then lost it down the stretch. The Giants scored on David Carr’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Hixon and Carney field goals of 51, 30, 42 and 20 yards. It was the third time this season Carney kicked four field goals in a game and it increased his total to 35, which ties the franchise record set by Ali Haji-Sheikh in 1983 and matched by Jay Feely in 2005. The visitors might have held on had Carney not pushed a 48-yard field goal attempt wide right when it was 19-17 with 3:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. The last of Carney’s 38 field goal attempts this season was the only one that wasn’t good or blocked. His .921 percentage was easily the best in franchise history. Minnesota got a 67-yard touchdown run from Adrian Peterson, a 54-yard touchdown pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Bernard Berrian and Longwell field goals of 48 and 50 yards. Berrian’s long touchdown catch lifted the Vikings to within two points with 9:26 remaining in the game. On a second-and-10, he got loose down the left sideline, caught the ball at the Giants’ 25 and sidestepped Kenny Phillips’ tackle attempt on the way to the end zone. Clinging to their 19-17 lead, the Giants advanced from their own 25 to the Minnesota 30-yard line. But Carney’s kick was no good and the Vikings needed only a field goal of their own to win the game. The final series began on the Vikings’ 38-yard line. The only starters on the field for the Giants’ defense were linebacker Danny Clark and safety James Butler. Jackson hit Berrian for a key nine-yard gain on third-and-eight just prior to the two-minute warning. Three plays later, he converted another third down opportunity with an eight-yard pass to former Giant Visanthe Shiancoe that moved the ball to the 30. The Vikings lost two yards and threw an incomplete pass and the teams called a combined three timeouts in the final nine seconds before Longwell booted the game-winner. He hit all six of his attempts from 50 yards and beyond this season. After enjoying the bye they earned as the top seed in the NFC, the Giants picked a bad day to have a bad day and saw their season end with a 23-11 loss to the Eagles in a divisional playoff game in Giants Stadium. The Giants outgained Philly, 307-276, including 138-59 on the ground, but failed to score a touchdown, despite advancing as far as Philadelphia’s 17-yard line three times – and had a first down on the 11 on their initial possession – but settled for field goals each time. The Giants converted only three of 13 third down opportunities. Their last five possessions ended, in order, with a missed field goal, twice on downs, an interception and a fumble. The Giants, who finished 12-5, were eliminated by their NFC East rivals for the second time in three seasons. They became the first No. 1 seed in the NFC to lose to a sixth seed in 10 such meetings. “No excuses. We had an opportunity to come out and play a great game and we didn’t capitalize on it,” Tuck said. “Give their guys credit – they came in here and beat us. As tough as that is to swallow, that’s exactly what happened.” “It’s tough,” guard Rich Seubert said. “You can’t do it every year. We had it in the palm of our hands this year playing at home, but we let the fans down and we let ourselves down.” The Giants scored on Carney field goals of 22, 34 and 36 yards and a safety when Donovan McNabb was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone. Carney also missed field goal attempts of 46 and 47 yards. The Giants failed to score a touchdown for the second time in their last four games; they didn’t reach the end zone at Dallas on Dec. 14. Manning threw two interceptions. Philadelphia got a one-yard touchdown run from McNabb, a one-yard scoring pass to tight end Brent Celek and David Akers field goals of 25, 35 yards and 20 yards. Brian Westbrook was held to 36 rushing yards and 10 receiving yards (on two catches). The Giants were unable to sack McNabb for the third time this season. The game started well for the Giants, but the failure to capitalize on opportunities surfaced immediately. Bradshaw’s 65-yard return on the opening kickoff enabled the Giants to begin the game’s first offensive possession at the Eagles’ 35-yard line. But on the first snap from scrimmage, Manning failed to hook up with Steve Smith, who was open down the field. But the Giants still had a chance to score a touchdown. Jacobs’ three-yard-run on fourth-and-two kept the drive alive and Manning’s 13-yard pass to Darcy Johnson gave the Giants a first down at the Philly 11. But a third-down pass to Ward gained five yards when the Giants needed eight and Carney came on to kick a 22-yard field goal for the game’s first points. The Giants forced an Eagles punt and began the next series on their own 13-yard line. But on the first play, Manning’s overthrown pass for Hixon flew right to cornerback Asante Samuel, who returned it 25 yards to the Giants’ two. Three plays and a Giants holding penalty later, McNabb stuck the ball over the goal line on a quarterback sneak for the touchdown that gave Philadelphia a 7-3 lead. McNabb’s touchdown was the first of five lead changes. The Giants closed to within 7-5 on a safety when McNabb was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone with 12:34 remaining in the second quarter. On second-and-nine from the six, McNabb was pursued in the end zone by Tuck and Robbins. Feeling the heat, he flipped the ball to the right side, but no one in an Eagles uniform was in the area. Referee Mike Carey flagged McNabb for grounding and the Giants picked up two points. It was just the second safety in the Giants’ 44-game postseason history. The other was George Martin’s sack of Denver’s John Elway in Super Bowl XXI. After the free kick, the Giants drove from their own 32 to the Philadelphia 28, but Carney’s 46-yard field goal was wide right. On the ensuing Eagles possession, Dockery intercepted a McNabb pass intended for DeSean Jackson. The Giants drove from their own 20 to the Philadelphia 21-yard line. But Manning’s pass to Ward on third-and-five gained…four yards. Carney then kicked a 34-yard field goal to give the Giants an 8-7 lead with 1:33 remaining in the second quarter. But the slim advantage did not hold until halftime. Philadelphia used the last 1:33 of the second quarter to drive 68 yards, a possession that ended with Akers’ 25-yard field goal and 10-8 lead that Philly took into the locker room. The Eagles had to convert only one third down on the series, which included McNabb passes of 14 and nine yards to Jackson and seven yards to Westbrook, as well as the quarterback’s nine-yard scramble. The Eagles got the ball – but the Giants got a break – at the start of the third quarter. On the second play of the second half, Robbins intercepted a McNabb pass for Curtis that was tipped by Blackburn. Robbins returned the ball 17 yards to the Eagles’ 33-yard line. Jacobs picked up 16 yards on a pair of runs, setting up a second-and-five at the 17. But the Giants, as they had previously, couldn’t get the ball into the end zone from in close. Manning’s second-down pass was dropped by Ward and his third-down throw to a closely-covered Boss was incomplete. Carney then kicked a 36-yard field goal for the Giants’ third lead of the game, at 11-10. Akers’ second field goal gave Philadelphia its third lead of the game at 13-10 with 7:45 remaining in the third quarter. Before the kick, the Eagles marched 58 yards in 11 plays, the most critical being successful conversions on a third-and-20 and a third-and-10. The first of those plays began at the Giants’ 15-yard line. McNabb sidestepped onrushing ends Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka and threw to Jason Avant for a 21-yard gain, which Coughlin later called a “huge gain.” Manning’s 34-yard pass to Hixon set up Carney’s 47-yard field goal attempt, which was wide left. Carney, who missed only one field goal all season that wasn’t blocked, misfired on two in the same game for the first time since Oct. 9, 2005, when he played for New Orleans at Green Bay. The Eagles immediately drove 63 yards, capped by McNabb’s one-yard pass to Celek on the first play of the fourth quarter, which increased Philly’s lead to 20-11. The Giants thought they had a first down on their next possession on a run by Ward, but the officials spotted the ball just short. Coughlin challenged the spot, but Carey upheld the call after review. Manning then got stuffed on fourth-and-inches. The Eagles punted, but the Giants’ drive ended when Jacobs was stopped short on fourth-and-two. Manning’s interception and Smith’s fumble ended the Giants’ last two opportunities with the ball – and the season.
| | 2009 |
| |
Share this
Previous Decade: NY Giants 1990-1999 
