First Quarter

Keep-away

 

     The New York Giants defense made a bold move to open Super Bowl XXV. New York played most of the first half with a two-man defensive line, three linebackers and six defensive backs. The intention was to tempt the Bills to run as a way of shortening the game and to maintain an umbrella of coverage against the Bills’ potent pass offense.

     The game plan worked to perfection, thanks also to the Giants’ ability to hold the ball on offense. New York held a time of possession advantage of 10:09 to 4:51 in the first quarter.

  Key plays: Matt Bahr kicked a 28-yard field goal to give New York a 3-0 lead. Buffalo answered with a 23-yard Scott Norwood kick, set up by a 61-yard pass to James Lofton. Lofton beat Perry Williams down the sideline and might have scored if the pass hadn’t been slightly underthrown.

  Deja vu: The Giants were executing the same kind of ball-control plan as the week before against two-time defending champion San Francisco. New York held a possession edge of 38:59 to 21:01 against the Niners, who ranked No. 2 on offense. (Buffalo ranked sixth.)

First Downs

 

Bills: 3

 

Giants: 6

 

Time of Possession

 

Bills: 4:51

 

Giants: 10:09

 

Yards Rushing

 

Bills: 14

 

Giants: 41

 

Gross Yards Passing

 

Bills: 46

 

Giants: 105

 

3rd down efficiency

 

Bills: 1/3

 

Giants: 0/2

 

Yards per completion

 

Bills: 17.5

 

Giants: 15.3

 

Second Quarter

Strong-armed

 

     The safety that could have been a touchdown highlighted the second quarter for the Bills.

     Buffalo had the Giants backed up in their own end after a good Rick Tuten punt. On second and 10 from their own 7, Jeff Hostetler dropped back to pass and tripped on the heel of Ottis Anderson, who was stepping up to block a Bills blitzer. Just as Hostetler regained his balance in the end zone, Bruce Smith swooped around left tackle and grabbed the QB’s right wrist. Somehow, Hostetler cradled the ball and was tackled for a safety. The Bills were up 12-3, but it could have been 17-3.

      Key plays: Don Smith’s 1-yard run capped an 80-yard drive and put the Bills up, 7-3. … Hostetler was knocked woozy on a wicked hit by Bills defensive end Leon Seals, which forced a third-down incompletion with 6:25 left. But he responded with a 10-play, 87-yard drive. Hostetler beat a blitz and hit Stephen Baker on a post-corner route for a 14-yard TD with 25 seconds left.

     Second guess: The Bills were too pass-heavy early, calling 21 passes and 12 runs in the first half (not counting a kneel-down).

First Downs

 

Bills: 7

 

Giants: 5

 

Time of Possession

 

Bills: 7:13

 

Giants: 7:47

 

Yards Rushing

 

Bills: 49

 

Giants: 46

 

Gross Yards Passing

 

Bills: 50

 

Giants: 59

 

 

3rd down efficiency

 

Bills: 0/3

 

Giants: 2/4

 

Sacks for safety

 

Bills: 1

 

Giants: 0

 

Third Quarter

Given the slip

     One of the big plays of the game came midway through the third quarter. The Giants faced third and 13 from the Buffalo 32. Jeff Hostetler passed over the middle to Mark Ingram at the Bills 25. He eluded Kirby Jackson. Darryl Talley had him lined up but Ingram spun out of the tackle. Mark Kelso missed him. J.D. Williams only managed to get a piece of his foot. Ingram lunged to the Bills’ 18. First down.

      The Giants went 75 yards in 14 plays and ate up 9:29 to open the second half. Ottis Anderson capped the march with a 1-yard run to put New York ahead, 17-12.

      Key plays: Bruce Smith stuffed Anderson for a 2-yard loss on fourth and 2 from the Bills’ 35 with 1:19 left.

     Third-down woes: New York converted four third downs on the drive and went 9 of 16 on third downs for the game. Buffalo’s defense ranked eighth in yards allowed but was only tied for 19th on third downs during the year, allowing foes to convert 42.8 percent.

First Downs

 

Bills: 3

 

Giants: 7

 

 

Time of Possession

 

Bills: 3:08

 

Giants: 11:52

 

 

Yards Rushing

 

Bills: 15

 

Giants: 47

 

Gross Yards Passing

 

Bills: 32

 

Giants: 60

 

3rd down efficiency

 

Bills: 0/1

 

Giants: 4/5

 

Sacked/Yds. Lost

 

Bills: 1/-7

 

Giants: 1/-1

 

Fourth Quarter

Short-lived lead

     Scott Norwood did not play many games on grass in his career. Nevertheless, he never made a kick of 47 yards or more on natural turf. He was 1 of 5 in his career from 40-plus yards on grass before Super Bowl XXV. He was 37 of 60 (60.6 percent) from 40 to 49 yards for his career. So it was asking a lot for him to make the 47-yarder on grass in Tampa with eight seconds to play.

     The Bills might not have needed Norwood if Giants cornerback Everson Walls hadn’t made a fine tackle on Thurman Thomas at the Buffalo 41. Thomas ripped off 22 yards on the shotgun draw, and Walls was the last man to beat.

     Key plays: Thomas made a great 31-yard run for a touchdown to give the Bills a 19-17 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Giants ate up 7:32 of the fourth quarter on a 74-yard drive to a 21-yard Matt Bahr field goal to go ahead, 20-19. Cornelius Bennett had a bat-down at the line to force the kick.

  Unsung hero: Giants offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt had a great game plan two weeks in a row to help New York control the game.

First Downs

 

Bills: 5

 

Giants: 6

 

Time of Possession

 

Bills: 4:15

 

Giants: 10:45

 

Yards Rushing

 

Bills: 88

 

Giants: 38

 

Gross Yards Passing

 

Bills: 25

 

Giants: 57

 

3rd down efficiency

 

Bills: 1/2

 

Giants: 2/4

 

Field goals att./made

 

Bills: 1/0

 

Giants: 1/1

 

mgaughan@buffnews.comnull

Plaxico Burress’ prison sentence isn’t over, but rumors of where he is headed upon his release already have begun.

In an interview with “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning talked about the oft-troubled wide receiver, who is currently serving a two-year sentence for criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Manning didn’t dismiss the idea of a potential reunion on the football field.

 “If he proves that he’s kind of changed his life and shows he’s committed to the Giants … to throw him in the mix would be a good thing,” Manning said of Burress.

Aside from shooting himself in the leg, Burress is most known for his touchdown reception during Super Bowl XLII that ended up being the game winning score against the Patriots. Though he has proven talent, his criminal background may be enough to scare away many potential suitors.

Published: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 2:29 PM     Updated: Thursday, January 27, 2011, 3:34 PM

FLINT, Michigan — Flint natives Carl Banks and Mark Ingram, Sr. played together for the New York Giants in perhaps one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all-time.

It was Jan. 27, 1991 — 20 years ago today — that the New York Giants edged the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, in Super Bowl XXV.

Kicker Scott Norwood had a chance to give the Bills the win as time was about to expire, but his kick sailed wide right — giving the Giants the title — and it continues to be one of the most talked about kicks in NFL history.

Banks, who starred at Flint Beecher during his prep days, punished the Bills with 14 tackles — 10 of which were solo.

Ingram, a former Flint Northwestern standout, caught a 22-yard bullet from quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the second quarter. Ingram finished with five catches for 74 yards.

Banks suited up for the Giants during their 39-20 romping of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.

Norwood’s kick

Super Bowl XXV highlights

NEW YORK (NewsCore) – Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, scheduled to be released from prison in June, will return to the NFL for the 2011 season, said his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on Wednesday.K –

The 33-year-old Burress has not played in the NFL since he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an illegal handgun in a Manhattan nightclub on Nov. 28, 2008.

He was released by the Giants on April 3, 2009, accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to two years in prison on Sept. 22, 2009.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese has said he would consider bringing Burress back once he is released from prison.

Burress has played nine NFL seasons; five with the Steelers, then four with the Giants, compiling four seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards. He caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII when the Giants upset the Patriots.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/receiver_rep_says_burress_will_get_WC5xB0gu0g7TbD7wkMLnWM#ixzz1CFJ29nMT