New York Giants: from a defeat in the first game to winning the playoff game – NFL Special Part III
Continued from part II
At Dallas
It was a must-win game for the Giants as the Dallas Cowboys were leading the NFC East division and were to host New York.
In a game between the two rivals, the Giants’ defence again failed to support the offence, but the team did manage to display the performance for which it had been hailed throughout the season.
In the final quarter, the Giants were 12 points behind the opponent, but a late outburst of aggressive play, led by none other than Manning, completely overpowered the Cowboys.
During the last five minutes of the game, Manning initiated two successful drives.
At 3:14, Jake Ballard collected an eight-yard touchdown pass from Manning to reduce the deficit.
Later when there were only 46 seconds left in the game, they scored another touchdown, which was followed by a two-point conversion, to snap their four-game losing streak.
Against Washington Redskins
After beating the Cowboys, the Giants hosted the lowly Redskins.
A surprising performance was yet again on the cards and that is exactly what happened!
The Redskins defeated Giants for the second time in the season and almost eliminated them from playoff contention.
Manning failed miserably and did not send a single touchdown pass. Contrarily, he threw three interceptions, which played a major role in Giants’ loss.
Thankfully for the Giants, Dallas lost their game as well, providing the Giants some breathing space.
Against New York Jets
The matchup between the two New York teams certainly grabbed the attention of all the sport lovers.
With each team claiming to be the city’s best time, the Giants proved that they were better.
Giants maintained dominance over Jets right from the start to emerge victorious and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Against Dallas Cowboys
Everything filtered down to this game, which was a do-or-die for both the teams, which shared an 8-7 record.
The Giants built on the momentum set up during the previous victory and capitalised on it.
Right from the start, they dominated the Cowboys, who groped on the field as the Giants continued to score.
Cowboys' quarterback, Tony Romo, was brilliantly contained by the Giants’ defence.
The Cowboys failed to score any point until the halftime mark.
Their first scoring move came in the third quarter when the Giants were already leading by 21 points.
The Cowboys tried to reduce the deficit in the final quarter and scored a touchdown, but the Giants added up two more touchdowns in the quarter and eliminated the Cowboys from the playoff race to get their ninth game of the season to lead the division.
Manning was once again the star for the Giants by completing 24 passes of 33 attempts for 346 yards in the game, with three touchdowns to his credit.
He received a quarterback rating of 136.7.
Heading forward
That was the New York Giants’ story of the regular season.
Now after winning the first game of the postseason, they are going to be facing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 15, 2012.
The winner of the game will qualify for the NFC championship final and the Giants are surely seeking revenge of the defeat they were handed down by Packers earlier in the regular season.
The Giants have also won a Super Bowl, but that was back in 2007, and will surely want to regain that lost glory, but it will not be smooth sailing for them.
However, considering their ability to make a comeback, make upsets and improving defence and passing game, no possibility can be ignored.
Disclaimer: The views expressed do not reflect the editorial policy of bettor.com
Tags: