| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Giants own the
Philadelphia Eagles, and even their problems in games after a bye
week couldn't change that fact.
|  | | New York Giants receiver Amani Toomer responded from his benching with nine catches for 108 yards and a TD. |
Ron Dayne ran for 93 yards and a touchdown, and the Giants held
the ball for all but 16 minutes, 19 seconds in defeating the Eagles
for the eighth straight time, 24-7 on Sunday.
"We know we got their number," safety Sam Garnes said after
the Giants defense limited Philadelphia to 192 total yards.
"There's no question about that. There is no other reason we're
8-0 against them. It's not that we're that much better than them.
We've just got their number."
Kerry Collins threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer,
and Joe Montgomery scored on a short run as the Giants (6-2)
embarrassed the Eagles (5-4) for the second time this season.
"For some reason, it seems like we have an answer for
everything they do," said Collins, who completed 22 of 37 for 253
yards and no interceptions. "We always feel like we have a good
game plan and we pick up their blitz packages, which is big."
The win was only the Giants' third in 12 games after a bye week,
and this one put them into a tie for first place in the NFC East
with Washington. The Redskins play the Tennessee Titans on Monday
night.
|
TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
|
The Giants jumped out to a two-touchdown lead, sparked primarily by the
running of Ron Dayne (93
yards) and the pass receiving of Amani Toomer (nine catches, 108
yards, one touchdown).
Key for the Giants in this game was their ability to control the ball for
more than 43 minutes. They didn't give Philadelphia's offense and Donovan McNabb many
opportunities.
This was certainly not one of McNabb's better efforts (10-for-31, 129 yards,
sacked four times)
The Eagles were only 1-for-11 on third-down conversions, and McNabb was
their leading rusher (three carries, 42 yards). It is apparent that
Philadelphia misses running back Duce Staley.
Defensively for the Giants, linebacker Micheal Barrow had a strong game
(two sacks, three tackles).
It's difficult to evaluate the Eagles' offensively in this game, because
they never had the football.
The Giants have now beaten the Eagles eight consecutive times. This was the
Giants' first victory coming off a bye since Jim Fassel became their head coach.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
|
The Giants defense didn't let the Eagles score until Donovan
McNabb threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Charles Johnson with 5:12
to play.
Earlier this season, New York beat Philadelphia 33-18, holding
the ball for 38:44.
Sunday's possession time of 43:41 was the most by the Giants
since Nov. 20, 1983, when they held the ball for 45:43 against the
Eagles.
McNabb finished 10-of-31 for 129 yards and an interception on a
cold, blustery late fall afternoon at Giants Stadium.
"It was windy and there was a little snow, but there were plays
to be made and I didn't make them," McNabb said. "But no matter
how things were going I felt we were just one big play away from
getting back into it."
The Eagles never made that play, and coach Andy Reid took the
blame for that, in both games with New York this season.
"Obviously we have to go back to the drawing board and work
something out," Reid said. "We are a better football team than we
showed in both of these games."
After failing on a fourth-and-7 at the Eagles 29 on the opening
series of the game, the Giants took the lead for good on their next
possession, going 74 yards in five plays.
Collins made three big plays to set up Dayne's 1-yard smash up
the middle. He completed a 36-yard pass play to Tiki Barber on a
short crossing pattern and then found Toomer for 13 yards on the
next play. A 6-yard scramble got the ball to the 1.
The Giants increased the lead to 14-0 with 1:31 left in the half
on a 27-yard pass from Collins to Toomer on a play in which the
Eagles didn't reach the quarterback with a maximum blitz. The drive
capped a three-play, 32-yard drive that was set up when the Giants
defense forced Philadelphia to punt from its own end zone after
three-and-out series in which the Eagles held the ball for 23
seconds.
Toomer, benched two weeks ago against Dallas in the Giants' last
game before their bye, matched his career best with nine catches
for 108 yards.
The closest the Eagles came to scoring in the first half came in
the final seconds when David Akers missed a 48-yard field-goal
attempt into a wind that gusted to 22 mph.
The Giants put the game away in the fourth quarter with a
31-yard field goal by Brad Daluiso and Montgomery's short TD run.
Game notes
Brian Mitchell set an NFL record for punt return yards,
collecting 57 and pushing his career total to 3,717, breaking the
mark of 3,708 set by Dave Meggett. ... After missing his first
seven attempts, Giants coach Jim Fassel had his first successful
challenge of an officials call, overturning a 9-yard pass
completion to Na Brown in the third quarter. ... Defensive tackle
Corey Simon set an Eagles rookie record, posting his sixth sack,
breaking the mark of 5.5 set by Mike Mamula in 1995. ... The Giants
used all three of their second-half timeouts in the third quarter.
| |
ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
NY Giants Clubhouse
|
