New York Giants 24 Washington Redskins 17 (September 24, 2007)
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0 commentsGiants defeat Redskins by only playing 2nd half
For those not paying attention, this could have seemed like two completely different teams playing in the second half than were playing in the first. The Giants, outgunned and outmanned in the first half on both sides of the ball, scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the previously unbeaten Redskins.
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The Redskins offense failed to record a first down in the second half until there were only 4:39 seconds left in the game, on a short pass from Jason Campbell (16/34, 190 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT) to running back Ladell Betts. Washington did not run the ball successfully, with Betts and Clinton Portis combining for 69 yards on 21 carries. On the other hand, the Giants' Derrek Ward, who filled in for the injured Brandon Jacobs had a solid game, with 120 all-purpose yards on 26 carries and 6 receptions. Reuben Droughns added two goal line touchdowns.
New York wideout Plaxico Burress epitomized the dichotomous nature of the game, with no catches and three drops in the first half, and five catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in the second half. Eli Manning had a solid game overall, although he looked inconsistent at times. He went 21/36 for 232 yards, 1 touchdown (to Burress, as noted above) and two interceptions. The Redskins defense had three takeaways, including its first two interceptions of the season, a good game for a unit that ranked dead last in NFL history in takeaways last year. One of the big reasons for the Giants' success was their ability to convert on 3rd down in the second half, going 9 for 11 and converting on their first seven in the half. This is a microcosm of the implosion of the Redskins defense, as they ranked first in the league on 3rd down through the first two games of the year.
Players of the Game
NYG: Derrek Ward (RB) -- 120 APY
WAS: London Fletcher (LB) -- 5 tackles, 5 assists, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery
Coming up next... The Giants host Donovan McNabb the rejeuvenated (and hopefully green-clad) Philadelphia Eagles (1-2, T-4 in NFC East) on Sunday Night Football to decide who will be in the NFC East cellar. The Redskins have a bye, and will face Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions in week 5.
Date
September 23, 2007
