Manning Drives Giants To 24-20 Win Over Jaguars
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Even without his two top receivers, Eli Manning got the New York Giants a much-needed win, helping big brother Peyton in the process.
Manning threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss with 3:15 to play and the Giants rallied to beat Jacksonville 24-20 on Sunday, snapping a two-game slide and ending the Jaguars' three-game winning streak.
Manning also threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, Lawrence Tynes kicked three field goals and the defense came up with three consecutive sacks and a turnover with 1:25 to go as the Giants (7-4) rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit.
David Garrard and Rashad Jennings ran for touchdowns and Josh Scobee kicked two field goal as the Jaguars (6-5) lost for only the third time in eight games.
Jacksonville was tied with Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South when the day began.
The Giants rallied from a 17-6 halftime deficit and tied it early in the fourth quarter on the touchdown pass to Manningham and a 2-point conversion run by Ahmad Bradshaw, who lost his starting job to Brandon Jacobs this week.
Garrard used runs of 6, 6 and 11 yards to set up a go-ahead 42-yard field goal with 8:26 to go.
After the teams each punted, the Giants got the ball with 5:55 to go at their 31. Manning (14 of 24 for 226 yards ) hit Manningham on an 18-yard pass and Jacobs (14 rushes for 87 yards) broke an 18-yard run to the Jags 32. On third-and-10, Manning caught Jacksonville in a blitz and hit Boss on a short pass. The tight end broke a tackle by safety Courtney Greene at the 25 and romped into the end zone.
Jacksonville had one last chance and Garrard drove the Jaguars from their 27 to the Giants 29, where they got a first down on an illegal contact penalty against Aaron Ross with 1:51 to play.
Justin Tuck and Antrel Rolle sacked Garrard for an 11-yard loss on first down. Dave Tollefson got Garrard for 5 more on second down. Cornerback Terrell Thomas, who intercepted Garrard's first pass of the second half to set up Tynes' third field goal, then sacked the quarterback and forced a fumble that the Giants recovered.
With leading receivers Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks sidelined, this was the week the Giants' defense vowed to carry the team.
Garrard and the Jaguars did a great job on not letting that happen in the first half, scoring on drives on 75, 85 and 71 yards the first three times they had the ball for a 17-6 halftime lead.
Jennings capped the Jaguars' opening drive with a 5-yard run and then slammed the ball against a blue New York Giants banner, agitating the fans.
Garrard hits passes of 12 and 16 yards on a 15-play drive that Scobee ended with a 22-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead.
The Giants appeared to tie the game on a 9-yard pass from Manning to Manningham on their next possession, but the score was nullifed by a holding penalty against Boss. Tynes, who kicked a 22-yard field goal after New York's opening drive stalled at the Jags 5, added a 29-yarder.
Garrard then led a 13-play, 71-yard scoring drive he capped with a sensational 5-yard run on which he avoided a sack by Osi Umenyiora and broke a tackle by Tuck in going from sideline to sideline for the TD.
© 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
