Dominated. That’s exactly what the New York Giants were Monday evening, and the team’s once bright playoff hopes are quickly fading away.

The New Orleans Saints crushed the Giants 49-24 on Monday. A full game recap and box score can be found here.

The game changed: When two moments cost the Giants what could have been two game-defining touchdowns. After thwarting the Saints on a fake field goal attempt, New York drove right down the field and into the New Orleans red zone. Eli Manning(notes) looked for tight end Jake Ballard(notes) in the end zone, but Will Herring(notes) made an impressive play to intercept the pass. Manning could have thrown a better ball in that scenario, and Ballard probably should have been a bit more physical in trying to prevent the interception. Herring’s highlight reel play kept the game scoreless, and also provided quite the momentum shift.

The Giants drove down the field again during the second quarter, this time trailing 7-0. A silly false start penalty inside the New Orleans 30-yard line slowed down New York’s drive, however, and the Giants were forced to settle for three points. Failing to find the end zone on those two occasions prevented the Giants from ever obtaining a grip on the game, and the Saints, as any championship contender would, made Big Blue pay.

The game was over: When New York CB Corey Webster(notes) misplayed a Drew Brees(notes) pass near the end of the first half. Webster’s minor misstep allowed Marques Colston(notes) to make a 50-yard jaunt down the left sideline, one that eventually resulted in the Saints’ third touchdown of the game. New Orleans took a 21-3 lead into halftime, and New York would never again get within ten points of the Saints.

Corey Webster was quietly having a Pro Bowl year heading into the month of November. He, along with several other members of the team’s defense, just hasn’t been good enough over the past few weeks. Webster was burned several times in New York’s loss to Philadelphia, and the same happened Monday night. Without a real pass rush, Webster and others have failed to make plays in the secondary, and it’s one big reason the Giants have lost three straight.

Zero: Zero sacks. The Giants finished Monday’s game with zero sacks. Quarterback Drew Brees had all day to find open wide receivers time and time again Monday night, as New York’s often-discussed pass rush was practically non-existent against the Saints. Mathias Kiwanuka(notes), Jason Pierre-Paul(notes) and Osi Umenyiora(notes) found their way into the New Orleans backfield only a few times. Justin Tuck’s(notes) most memorable moments came when the ESPN camera crew focused in on his pregame stretching routine. The Giants are now consistently giving up an average of over 250+ yards per game through the air. As of the writing of this sentence, New York has the worst pass defense in the NFC East.

Overall: Here we go again. The once 6-2 New York Giants have lost three straight heading into December, and the undefeated and seemingly unbeatable Green Bay Packers are coming to town this Sunday. New York’s defense is currently in shambles, and the Giants have the worst rushing attack in all of pro football. The Giants team that took the field Monday night will be lucky to finish the 2011 NFL regular season at 8-8.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)—Even with a week to heal some wounds to key
players, the Buffalo Bills are still hurting.

After enjoying the bye following a disappointing loss to the New York Giants
in Week 6, the Bills returned to practice on Monday to begin preparations for
their annual “home” game in Toronto against the Washington Redskins Sunday.
But hopes that the time off would help linebacker Shawne Merriman’s(notes) right
Achilles and left tackle Demetrius Bell’s(notes) shoulder ailment faded when the two
were unable to participate in the workout.

Merriman tweaked his Achilles in practice the Thursday before the Giants
game, and couldn’t play. At the time, Merriman said he didn’t think the injury
was bad enough to keep him from missing a significant amount of time, but coach
Chan Gailey said the Achilles isn’t making as much progress as everyone had
thought.

“We’re going to try and continue to work with him and see where this
goes,” Gailey said. “If we get to Wednesday or Thursday and things haven’t
gotten a lot better, then we may have to rule him out for the weekend.”

The Bills were also hopeful that starting left tackle Demetrius Bell would
be able to play against the Redskins after he missed the past two games because
of a shoulder injury sustained against Cincinnati in Week 4. But Bell’s still
not 100 percent, and likely won’t be ready.

“If we get him, that’s great,” Gailey said. “But we’re planning on him.”

Making matters worse is Bell’s replacement, rookie Chris Hairston(notes), who has a
right ankle injury that will keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. If
Bell can’t play, starting left guard Andy Levitre(notes) will slide over to tackle, and
backup Chad Rinehart(notes) will take over at left guard.

Levitre took some reps in training camp at left tackle, which should assist
with the transition.

“They pay great dividends now,” Gailey said about the preseason snaps
Levitre had at left tackle. “He got to work on a little technique, but the
communication aspect of it helped greatly.”

Buffalo did get some good news regarding linebacker Chris Kelsay(notes). The
veteran has missed the past two games because of a calf injury, but was able to
practice on Monday and could be ready to play against the Redskins.

Kelsay’s return should help bolster a Bills defense that has dropped to 31st
in the league. They’ve allowed an average of 379 total yards, including 141 on
the ground.

It doesn’t help that Buffalo’s best defensive lineman, Kyle Williams,
continues to be sidelined because of a left foot injury. He missed the 27-24
loss to the Giants after aggravating the foot during a 31-24 win over
Philadelphia in Week 5.

Williams acknowledged on Monday that he currently doesn’t have a timetable
for his return, and added there’s a possibility that the injury may require
offseason surgery.

“Obviously this isn’t what I want to be doing right now,” he said. “It’s
one of those things. I’m disappointed that I can’t do anything about it.”

After coming up short against the Giants, the Bills (4-2) will look to
rebound against a banged-up Washington (3-3) team that will be without starting
running back Tim Hightower(notes) (torn ACL) and receiver Santana Moss(notes) (broken hand).
The Redskins lost their second straight—and third in the last four—on Sunday
with a 33-20 defeat at Carolina.

It will be the fourth regular season Bills game played in Toronto, with
Buffalo yet to win north of the border.

The Bills, who remain a game behind first-place New England (5-1) in the AFC
East, also made a roster move Monday, signing defensive tackle Jay Ross(notes) to the
practice squad and releasing receiver Tim Toone(notes).

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) runs away from St. Louis Rams defensive end James Hall (96) during the third quarter of the game Monday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Associated Press

Written by

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By Ed Valentine

– Regional Editor

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Sep 19, 2011 – The New York Giants and St. Louis Rams each enter their Monday Night Football matchup (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) 0-21, and as two of the more injury-riddled teams in the NFL. The Giants have a Week 3 showdown looming with NFC East rival Philadelphia, so this is a must-win for a team that came into the 2011 NFL season determined to end a two-year playoff drought. The Giants are currently 7-point favorites in their home opener at MetLife Stadium

The game pits Giants coach Tom Coughlin against St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants defensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008. This is the first time the two have coached against each other.

Keys to the game will include whether or not the Giants can establish and stay with the run, and whether or not they can eliminate the mistakes in the defensive secondary that plagued them in the season-opening loss to Washington.

– See Big Blue View for full Giants coverage, and Turf Show Times for Rams coverage.

Read More: monday night football, New York Giants, St. Louis Rams at New York Giants, Sep 19, 2011 8:30 PM EDT

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Running back Ahmad Bradshaw is returning to the New York Giants.

The free agent agreed to contract terms with the Giants on Monday, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced.

Contract terms were not immediately available.

Drew Rosenhaus, Bradshaw’s agent, did not return an email from The AP seeking comment. The Giants refused to comment because the deal was not signed.

Bradshaw took over as the Giants’ starting halfback last season and rushed for a career-best 1,235 yards and eight touchdowns. He had problems with fumbles, and Brandon Jacobs started the next five games. Bradshaw started the season finale against Washington.

Bradshaw lost six fumbles last season.

Coach Tom Coughlin said he has discussed the turnovers with Bradshaw, a former seventh-round draft pick.

“Ball security, ball security, ball security, even at the expense of trying to make the extra effort,” Coughlin said after practice ended Monday night. “(You) have to know where the ball is at all times and that people are coming after you. That’s the nature of our game.”

The Giants also signed quarterback David Carr and tight end Ben Patrick and waived-injured rookie running back Martell Mallard. Safety Chad Jones, the third-round draft choice in 2010 who was seriously injured in an automobile accident last year was waived/non-football injury.

Coughlin said the signing of Patrick will not influence whether the Giants re-sign Kevin Boss, who has been New York’s starting tight end for the past three seasons.

Patrick has been used mostly as a blocking tight end during his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

“He worked out very well, caught the ball, moved well. He’s in very good shape,” Coughlin said of Patrick.

Carr spent the 2008 and ’09 seasons with the Giants as the backup to Eli Manning before signing with San Francisco 49ers last year.

Coughlin said the Giants wanted four quarterbacks in camp and Carr was available and knew the system. Veteran Sage Rosenfels and free agent Ryan Perrilloux are New York’s other quarterbacks.

Rosenfels, who was Manning’s backup last season, said the decision to bring in Carr was not a surprise. He also said he has not been asked to restructure his contract at this point, although the Giants could use Carr as leverage to get him to take a pay cut.

“I only can control so much,” Rosenfels said. “What I can control is my play and how I can get the other 10 guys around me to play good football. That’s my concern right now.

Jones was at practice on Monday night and he said the leg he hurt in the crash is roughly 70 per cent healed.

“It was really nice to see him,” Coughlin said. “I looked over and saw this big guy on the sideline and said, ‘Is that Chad?’ He looks great, he sounds good.”

Centre Adam Koets has been placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list with knee tendinitis. He tore his ACL in a game against Seattle on Nov. 7.