Palladino: Giants Put It Together For Huge Win Over Jets
By Ernie Palladino
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Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, Chris Canty, Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs.
That compendium of offense and defensive names came through amazingly well for the Giants on Christmas Eve in a 29-14 win over the Jets. For one of the few times this year, the Giants put it all together on offense and defense, and even the running game that has been a shell of itself all season.
If this kind of ball is what they're going to bring into the Meadowlands this week against Dallas, this time in a true home game, they're going to the playoffs.
It's all within their grasp now after a fine recovery from their Redskins debacle of a week ago. And if the Giants don't make it, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.
Tuck, who appears healed from his toe injury, contributed a sack on Mark Sanchez along with four tackles in the run defense. Pierre-Paul continued his Superman impersonation with two sacks, a pass breakup on a throw to tight end Dustin Keller, and four tackles. Not to mention that he was a constant visitor to the Jets' backfield even when he wasn't in sack position.
And wouldn't you know it, defensive tackle Chris Canty contributed a late safety to the effort to make the score 22-14 before Ahmad Bradshaw iced it with his 19-yard run off Nick Folk's blown onsider off his free kick following Canty's end zone tackle.
It was a different defense that showed up from previous weeks, by far.
"I think we had 93 plays on defense and it didn't seem like anybody was tired," Tuck said. "We were not going to allow ourselves to leave this stadium without a 'W' today."
Combine that with a running game that came alive in the second half, and Victor Cruz' second-quarter, 99-yard pass play on which his quick sidestep of Antonio Cromartie and his downfield leap over Eric Smith's tackle created the whole play, and the Giants handled the Jets in rough fashion.
Jacobs had seven carries for 42 yards included a 28-yarder that set up the first of Bradshaw's two touchdowns. That long run came in the middle of a standout sequence that started with Cruz' 36-yard catch, followed with Jacobs' run, and ended with Bradshaw's 14-yard touchdown run that left Brodney Pool dazed after Bradshaw dropped his shoulder and smacked him out of his way.
No wonder Jacobs didn't back away from Rex Ryan in a postgame altercation. Referencing Ryan's father Buddy's sideline fight with Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride as Houston Oiler assistants, Jacobs said, "It was Ryan who came up to me the same way his pops went at Gilbride. And he ran afterwards."
Maybe that was because Jacobs threatened him. Either way, it was a case of the Giants' flexing their often-absent muscle on both offense and defense to save their season and potentially end it for the Jets.
The strangest aspect was that Manning completed just nine of 27 pass attempts for 225 yards and the Cruz touchdown. Darrelle Revis shut down Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, holding them to one catch each. But Manning threw just one interception.
It's on to Dallas now. And the Giants have the momentum after the Cowboys lost 20-7 to the Eagles. Dallas has lost three out of four, the Giants two out of three.
The struggles of the second half are once again forgotten. For one game, at least, the 8-7 Giants put it together. And it didn't even come down to a fourth quarter comeback.
The talk of a late-season collapse will stop. Talk of the coaching lottery for Tom Coughlin's seat will be put off for now. And just in case you're curious, it's doubtful the Giants' hierarchy will fire Coughlin now that a non-losing season is ensured, even if they don't beat the 8-7 Cowboys for the division title.
The Giants gave themselves a chance on Christmas Eve.
"I think they realized the circumstances and the fact that it is a wonderful time of the year," Coughlin said. "These are young men, they have the world by the tail, and they work for a great team and a great franchise.
"If you would have said at the beginning of the season, with two games to go, we determine our own fate, we would have signed up for it."
They wrote their names all over the Jets' end zone logo. The big one went the other way Saturday.
