TAMPA — No last-minute
heroics for Eli Manning and the Giants this time. New York pulled a
dominant running game off the shelf to pulverize the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers from start to finish.
Manning threw for two touchdowns and
Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw led a resurgence of a strong ground
attack that was absent the previous two weeks, helping the Giants (3-0)
remain unbeaten with a 24-0 rout of the winless Bucs (0-3).
The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score.
Tampa Bay, which has lost seven
straight dating to an 0-4 December that cost it a playoff berth last
season, was outgained 397 yards to 86 and did not have a first down
until late in the third quarter.
Manning completed 14 of 24 passes for
161 yards, following up on an impressive performance in a dramatic
33-31 victory at Dallas the previous week. He led a game-winning drive
in the closing minutes, producing Lawrence Tynes‘ 37-yard field goal as
time expired.
The New York star left the game after
his 18-yard TD pass to Sinorice Moss put the Giants up 24-0 early in
the fourth quarter. Backup David Carr and an injury-depleted defense
finished up, with New York preserving a shutout by stopping the Bucs on
downs at the Giants’ 5 with five minutes to go.
Manning also threw a 4-yard TD pass
to Steve Smith in the second quarter, and Jacobs scored on a 6-yard run
to complete an 80-yard drive on New York opening possession of the
game. New York also had scoring marches of 72, 66 and 64 yards, and
wound up dominating time of possession 43 minutes, 38 seconds to 16:22.
The Giants ran for 226 yards after
gaining an even 200 in their first two games against the Cowboys and
Washington Redskins. Bradshaw gained 104 on 14 carries, and Jacobs
finished with 92 yards on 26 attempts.
For the third straight week, the Bucs
fell behind and were taken out of their game plan, which is to run the
ball in hopes of controlling the ball and wearing down opponents,
particularly on hot, humid days at home.
The Giants ran 40 plays to Tampa
Bay’s 14 in the opening half, outgaining the Bucs 215 yards to 19 and
amassing a 14-0 edge in first downs while averaging just under 6 yards
per carry on the ground.
New York’s Justin Tuck played,
despite a left shoulder injury suffered the previous week at Dallas
when tripped by the Cowboys’ Flozell Adams, although the argument could
be made that it was a day the Giants defense didn’t really need him.
Tuck replacement, Mathias Kiwanuka
hit Byron Leftwich as he released a pass that was intercepted by
Terrell Thomas — starting in place of injured cornerback Aaron Ross —
in the first quarter.
Leftwich was replaced in the fourth
quarter and going just 7-of-16 for 22 yards and one interception.
Second-year pro Josh Johnson led a drive deep into New York, but
couldn’t get the Bucs into the end zone.
The Giants, who did not do a good job of stopping the run the previous two weeks, limited the Bucs to 28 yards on 10 carries.
Derrick Ward, who rushed for 1,025
yards for the Giants last season, started against former team and was
held to 2 yards on five attempts. Johnson led the Bucs, gaining 15
yards on his only carry and Cadillac Williams had 8 yards on two
attempts.