New York Giants 24 – Washington Redskins 17

Down 17-3 at Halftime, Giants Come From Behind to Defeat Skins 24-17: The Giants may have saved their season with a dramatic 24-17 victory over the Washington Redskins in Maryland.  The Giants trailed 17-3 at halftime, but scored the game’s final 21 points in the second half.  The exclamation point was provided by a heart-pounding goal line stand at the end of the contest as the Skins were denied from the end zone on three successive plays from the 1-yard line.

The story of the game for the Giants was a much improved defensive performance as the Redskins were limited to 166 net yards passing and 82 net yards running.  The defense shut the Redskins out in the second half and didn’t allow a second-half first down until there was under six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Giants scored the game’s first points after a 9-play, 54-yard drive on New York’s first offensive possession enabled PK Lawrence Tynes to connect on a 34-yard field goal.  The Giants’ defense held the Skins to a 3-and-out, but the Giants gave the ball right back to Washington as QB Eli Manning was sacked.  Manning fumbled the ball on the play and the Redskins recovered at the Giants’ 6-yard line.  Two plays later, HB Clinton Portis scored and Washington took a 7-3 lead.

The Giants were unable to mount successful drives on their next two possessions.  In the second quarter, Washington put together an impressive 7-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a QB Jason Campbell-to-TE Chris Cooley touchdown pass on 3rd-and-goal from the 8-yard line.  The big play on this drive was a 49-yard pass to WR Santana Moss.

Things got worse for the Giants late in the first half as Manning was intercepted by LB London Fletcher with under two minutes to play.  The ball was returned to the New York 34-yard line, setting up a successful 47-yard field goal.  At the break, the Redskins led 17-3.

The Giants would not quit.  New York received the ball to start the second-half and the Giants put together a 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown run by HB/FB Reuben Droughns.  This drive was kept alive with Manning completing passes to WR Plaxico Burress for 15 yards on 3rd-and-6 and 3rd-and-7, and then finding TE Jeremy Shockey for 21 yards on 3rd-and-8.

Meanwhile the Redskins went nowhere on their first four offensive possessions of the second half.  The Giants’ defense forced three 3-and-outs and then LB Antonio Pierce recovered a fumble on Washington’s fourth drive.

On the Giants’ third possession of the second half, New York managed an 11-play, 62-yard drive that tied the game at 17-17 as Droughns scored again from 1-yard out.  There was a 23-yard completion to Burress, a 7-yard completion to Shockey on 3rd-and-6, and then HB Derrick Ward picked up six yards on 3rd-and-5.

After Pierce recovered the fumbled handoff midway through the fourth quarter, the Giants took the lead for good.  Manning hit Burress on a short pass and Burress’ impressive run-after-the-catch performance resulted in a 33-yard touchdown play.

The Redskins picked up their first 1st down of the second half on the ensuing drive and reached the Giants’ 35-yard line.  But a sack by LB/DE Mathias Kiwanuka on 3rd down ended that threat.

The Giants were unable to pick up a first down and the Skins got the ball back with just over two minutes to play at the Giants’ 35-yard line as the Giants gave up a 27-yard punt return.  Unfortunately for New York, the Skins were able to pick up a first down after facing a 3rd-and-21 and then 4th-and-8 on the same series of downs.  Then a 20-yard completion on 3rd-and-13 gave Washington a 1st-and-goal from the Giants’ 1-yard line.  QB Jason Campbell spiked the ball to stop the clock with under a minute to play.  After an incomplete pass intended for FB/H-Back Mike Sellers, HB Ladell Betts was stuffed on two consecutive carries off left tackle to preserve the victory for the Giants.

“Just the jubilation you feel when you’re running off the field after making a big stop like that, in the division, on the road,” said DT Barry Cofield. “I’ll never forget it.”

“Amazing way to win a game,” said Manning. “Give a lot of credit to our defense for hanging in tough. To get a goal line stand to win a game, you can’t beat that.”

Manning finished the game 21-of-36 for 232 yards, 1 touchdown, and two interceptions.  Ward gained 94 yards on 26 carries and another 26 yards on six receptions.  Doughns scored twice.  Burress had five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown while Shockey had five catches for 79 yards.  Defensively, Kiwanuka led the Giants with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, and one forced fumble.

Post Game Notes:  Inactive for the Giants were WR Steve Smith (scapula), HB Brandon Jacobs (knee), QB Jared Lorenzen (ankle),  TE Kevin Boss, LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee) ,S Craig Dahl, OT Adam Koets, OG Kevin Boothe.