EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pulling off the improbable, the Washington Redskins went up to MetLife Stadium and overcame an ugly start against the NFC East-leading New York Giants to come away with a 23-10 victory Sunday afternoon.

It was the Redskins’ fifth win and, in beating the Giants for a second time this season, Washington registered the first sweep of its division rival since 1999.

“The Giants, they’ve really been our nemesis around here the last five years,” said Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, whose team had fallen to New York nine of the last 10 games entering this season. “To sweep them, it means a lot, because they’re a well-coached football team.”

With quarterback Rex Grossman
turning in a shaky performance, the Redskins relied heavily on their defense. Washington intercepted Giants quarterback Eli Manning three times, winning the turnover battle for the first time all season.

And when Manning went to work in the final quarter — aiming for his seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory of the season — the Redskins twice denied the Giants in the shadow of their own end zone.

Manning finished the game 23 for 40 for 257 yards and no touchdowns. Ahmad Bradshaw led New York in rushing with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Grossman connected on 15 of 24 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown but threw two interceptions. Roy Helu’s streak of three 100-yard rushing games came to an end as the rookie picked up 53 yards on 23 carries while Evan Royster added 36 yards on 10 carries. Jabar Gaffney led Washington with six catches for 85 yards.

“You feel good about the way they played,” Coach Mike Shanahan said of his team, which had lost two straight and last week fell short in a last-second bid to upset the New England Patriots. “I was really disappointed that we couldn’t close the door last week. . . . So to finish the way we did today was nice.”

Washington’s first defining goal-line stand came three minutes into the fourth quarter. After the Redskins extended their lead to 23-3 with 14 minutes 57 seconds left, the Giants finally started showing signs of life. Manning completed four straight passes to march his team to the Redskins 13-yard line.

But on his fifth pass attempt, Manning’s fortunes changed. Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson made a leaping catch in the end zone for an interception and touchback. It was Wilson’s second interception of the season, and his second straight game with a pick.

The Redskins’ defense answered the bell again later in the fourth quarter. Wilson made a strong tackle to deny Giants running back D.J. Ware as he caught a pass and tried to cross the goal line. Initially, the officials ruled the play a touchdown. But a review showed that Ware had bobbled the ball at the line and didn’t secure possession until Wilson wrestled him back the 2.

With the Giants facing fourth and goal from there, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo rushed from the edge and drew a holding call from tackle David Diehl, backing the Giants up to the 12-yard line. New York tried for a touchdown on the next play, but rookie linebacker Ryan Kerrigan sacked Manning to deny the Giants and register Washington’s first sack of the game.

The Tim Tebow Train has left a lot of other great stories sitting on the tracks this NFL season. True, Tebow has managed to captivate the country with his improbable comebacks in leading the Broncos to six consecutive victories and into first place in the AFC West.

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But look at some of the other magic being created by quarterbacks around the league. Thanks mainly to Aaron Rodgers, who already has tied Brett Favre’s single-season touchdown record with 37, the Packers are just three wins away from a perfect 16-0 regular season.

Drew Brees of the Saints is on pace to obliterate Dan Marino’s single-season, passing yardage record of 5,084. Brees leads the NFL with 4,368 yards and needs to average just 240 yards down the stretch to break it. New England’s Tom Brady (4,373) and Rodgers (4,125) are also on pace to better Marino.

Carolina’s Cam Newton, meanwhile, needs just 167 passing yards to best Peyton Manning’s NFL rookie record (3,739).

And then we have the Giants’ Eli Manning, who has almost managed to get lost in the shuffle — and that’s nearly impossible for a quarterback playing in New York.

His 4,105 passing yards are just 20 yards fewer than Rodgers, who seems to be the unanimous lock for Most Valuable Player honors. That Manning is in position to also break Marino’s 27-year-old mark certainly puts him in some very elite company.

Even if he doesn’t catch Marino, Eli needs to average just 200 passing yards in his final three games to surpass brother Peyton’s best passing season ever — 4,700 yards just a year ago.

And say what you want about Tebow and his fourth-quarter comebacks, but no one has been better than Eli Manning this season.

He’s directed his team to six victories in the final 15 minutes and in five of those, the Giants trailed. He’s also thrown 14 fourth-quarter touchdown passes, tying the NFL record set by Johnny Unitas in 1959 and matched by his big brother in 2006.

“The great ones can do that and he has stepped up his game,” said Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, whose team meets Manning and the Giants on today. “He has eliminated his mistakes and that’s what separates the great ones.”

Eli already has a Super Bowl ring, which he won in Glendale by beating the then-undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. And he certainly had elevated his game. But when did we get to the point where we could start calling him “great?”

Manning raised some eyebrows in the preseason when he self-proclaimed himself an elite quarterback among the likes of Brady. Well, he’s backing up his words with a pretty incredible year, even though he isn’t getting enough credit for it.

“I don’t ever feel pressure when I’m playing football,” Manning told reporters last week. “I know my assignments. I’m reading the defense, I know my plays and I try to get the ball into my receivers’ hands. It’s exciting, it’s fun. I’m competitive and I’m out there doing what I can to get a win.”

Manning was his late-game heroic self last week in another come-from-behind win, this one at division-rival Dallas. He passed for 400 yards and led his team on two touchdown drives in the final 3:14 to help topple the Cowboys 37-34.

The victory vaulted the Giants back into the NFC East lead and snapped a nasty four-game slide that almost tore the team apart. They can’t let up now, not against a very beatable Washington team, or Manning’s impressive season won’t mean anything.

Manning knows that as well as anyone.

“We can’t relax now,” he said. “We can’t start feeling great about ourselves. We have three big games left. Washington is coming to New York and we have to win that game and go from there.”

The Redskins beat the Giants in the season opener, but Antrel Rolle, New York’s talkative safety, boldly predicted last week that the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 times out of 100.

That didn’t sit well with the Redskins and it probably didn’t make Rolle’s teammates or coaches happy, either.

“It’s the NFL and nobody is going to beat anyone 99 out of 100 times,” Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman said during a conference call.

If the Giants beat Washington, they can actually afford a loss next week at the Jets and still win the division so long as they beat the Cowboys at home in Week 17.

If they do, it likely will be because of Manning, who has managed to find himself overshadowed in this season of the quarterbacks.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. (STATS) – The New York Giants’ offensive line has done a
solid job protecting Eli Manning all season. On Sunday night, it came up with
one of its best performances to help put them in control of the NFC East.

The Miami Dolphins, on the other hand, continually saw their quarterbacks
get sacked.

One day later, their coach did too.

The Giants were the only team not to allow a sack in Week 14 and finished
second in the league with a 98.5 rating in the New York Life Protection Index,
while Miami matched an ignominious franchise record by giving up nine of them to
finish with a week-worst minus-36.3.

Oakland finished first with a 103.1 score, thanks mostly to a big early
deficit against Green Bay, which was able to play more conservatively with leads
of 31-0 going into halftime and 43-7 entering the fourth quarter.

The NYLPI is a proprietary formula created by STATS LLC which measures pass
protection by using metrics such as length of passes, penalties by offensive
linemen, sacks allowed and quarterback hurries and knockdowns.

New York, which ranks fifth for the season with a 75.7 NYLPI rating, ended a
four-game losing streak with a 37-34 victory over Dallas, gaining the tiebreaker
over the Cowboys for the division lead. They trailed by 12 points in the fourth
quarter before Manning threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:14.

Manning finished 27 for 47 with 400 yards behind a line that has allowed 21
sacks this season, and his front five stepped up when he needed it most.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve had that winning feeling,” Manning said. “It’s
good to have excited guys with a lot of smiles in the locker room.”

The Giants’ NYLPI rating was their best of the year, and the line play seems
to be coming together just in time: The unit has allowed just two sacks in the
last three games – the fewest in the NFL over that span.

Manning was hurried 11 times, but knocked down only twice.

“I don’t think it mattered how we did it, I think bottom line was about just
getting a win,” center Kevin Boothe said. “We haven’t won in a long time and our
opportunities are getting short. So, it didn’t matter who we were playing and
how much we won by. We always would like to win by a lot more but just getting
back in the win column and putting ourselves in the position to have an
opportunity.

“That is what we play for – to have meaningful games in December, and here
we are with everything in front of us. We just have to take advantage of it.”

While New York boosted its playoff chances, Miami’s already disappointing
season took another hit just as it was showing signs of life, having won four of
five – it’s lone loss being by just one point at Dallas on a last-second field
goal.

On Sunday, however, it was a different story. The Dolphins watched Matt
Moore and J.P. Losman go down nine times in the 26-10 loss to Philadelphia,
dropping them to 4-9 and prompting the team to fire Tony Sparano on Monday.

The number of sacks equaled the franchise record, set Oct. 17, 1999, in a
31-30 win over New England.

“The results speak for themselves,” said owner Stephen Ross, who named
assistant Todd Bowles interim coach. “We’re looking to becoming a winning
organization, and I thought this was the best time to make the change and let us
go in a direction that will allow us to become that.”

After a back injury in the first quarter to Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long,
Miami’s line collapsed. The minus-36.3 score was by far the worst of any team in
Week 14 – Chicago’s minus-3.8 was 31st – and was the second-worst of the season,
behind only a minus-52.7 by San Francisco on Thanksgiving night.

Moore was sacked four times – the fifth time this season he’s been sacked at
least that many times – before leaving the game with a slight concussion. Backup
J.P. Losman didn’t fare much better, getting dropped five times, including once
for a safety in the fourth quarter.

Not surprisingly, Miami’s signal-callers were knocked down a league-most 11
times while attempting to elude oncoming defenders throughout the day.

Moore’s status for next week’s contest against Buffalo is uncertain, while
Losman – a former Bill – waits to find out if he’ll make his first start since
Dec. 7, 2008.

“All the blame is squarely on our shoulders,” said guard Richie Incognito,
who is part of a line that ranks 30th for the season with a 44.1 NYLPI rating.
“We got Matt hurt. They’re a physical group. They just beat us one on one.”

The Packers were similarly dominant over the Raiders, just not in the area
of quarterback pressure. Oakland’s offensive line allowed only one sack and
didn’t commit a single false start or holding penalty, but Carson Palmer’s four
interceptions and the team’s otherwise sloppy play wiped out the effort.

“I’m not going to let this team keep going backwards,” coach Hue Jackson
said. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close to playing or looking like the
football team we’ve been.”

That statement can certainly be echoed by the Bears, who lost their third
straight game – 13-10 in overtime to Denver – after finishing with a negative
rating in the NYLPI for the second straight week. A week ago, they graded out at
minus-2.7 in a 10-3 loss to Kansas City.

Caleb Hanie, making his third straight start in place of the injured Jay
Cutler, was sacked four times and knocked down six overall, while the offensive
line committed three false start penalties.

The Bears rank third in the league with 24 false starts this season and 25th
with an overall NYLPI grade of 49.9.

“I hate to say it, but we gave this one to them,” Hanie said after Chicago
blew a 10-0 fourth-quarter lead.

New Orleans continues to sit on top of the cumulative year-to-date index
with a score of 86.2. The Saints finished fifth for the week at 83.0 following a
22-17 win at Tennessee.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The gloom of four straight losses has been lifted and for the first time in more than a month, the New York Giants can see the finish line in this injury-riddled season.

With their 37-34 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, the Giants (7-6) are in control of their postseason hopes.

Believe it or not.

It was hard feeling that way coming off losses to San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Green Bay over the past month, but pulling one out in Dallas with yet another fourth-quarter rally has made the picture clear.

“I don’t think it mattered how we did it, I think bottom line was about just getting a win,” center Kevin Boothe said. “We haven’t won in a long time and our opportunities are getting short. So, it didn’t matter who we were playing and how much we won by. We always would like to win by a lot more but just getting back in the win column and putting ourselves in the position to have an opportunity. That is what we play for, to have meaningful games in December and here we are with everything in front of us. We just have to take advantage of it.”

If the Giants beat the Redskins, Jets and Cowboys, they are heading back to the playoffs for the first time since after the 2008 season.

Remarkably, Tom Coughlin spent most of this season talking to his team about the importance of finishing after second-half collapses led to missing the postseason the last two years.

Doing it this year would be special since the team lost cornerback Terrell Thomas, linebacker Jonathan Goff and second-round draft pick Marvin Austin to injuries in training camp and starting left tackle Will Beatty to an eye injury during the season. In all, New York has 12 players on injured reserve.

“I’m pleased that they’re fighting and working their tails off and I’m happy that they were reinforced last night, but it certainly doesn’t stop here,” Coughlin said. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”

The Giants are also going to have to deal with more injuries. Defensive captain Justin Tuck, who has missed four games with neck and groin injuries, has been slowed by a toe problem the past two games and he told WFAN in his weekly interview that he does not know whether he’ll be able to play against the Redskins at MetLife Stadium.

Coughlin also disclosed that left tackle David Diehl (hand), tight end Jake Ballard (wrist) and backup tight end Travis Beckum (bruised chest) might miss a little practice this week but they are expected to play against the Redskins, a team that beat the Giants to open the season.

The Giants don’t have to win their final three games to make the playoffs. If they finish at 9-7 and sweep the season series with Dallas, they will capture the division.

“It is not about style points, it is about having the opportunity to accomplish what we set out to accomplish at the beginning of the season, which was win the division,” defensive tackle Chris Canty said. “Now we are in a pretty good position, but we have three tough ballgames ahead of us. We know that we are going to have to finish. Coach Coughlin started it in training camp with the motto of ‘finish’ and that is the mentality.

“That is the mentality of our football team for the next few weeks.”

Eli Manning and the offense have carried the team, posting six fourth-quarter wins this season. The defense has struggled and that didn’t change in Dallas, where they blew a coverage on 50-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Dez Bryant to fall behind 34-22 with 5:41 to play.

Manning, however, hit Ballard on an 8-yard scoring pass with 3:14 left and Brandon Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run with 46 seconds to go after the Giants defense forced a three-and-out by Tony Romo and the Cowboys.

“I’ve always been a huge believer in you have to take care of your own business,” Coughlin said. “Whenever you start to drift and to think that perhaps other people are going to help you out, I think you get in trouble. You have to take care of your own business.

“We realize how difficult each one of these games will be, but we put ourselves in position where if we can take care of our own business then what we’ve wanted all along will present itself as an opportunity for us.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz(notes) is humbled to be enjoying the success that eluded him in 2010. The 25-year-old landed on the injured reserve list last year after injuring his hamstring.

Three-quarters into the 2011-12 campaign, though, Cruz has 62 receptions for 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns. The explosive play-maker had another standout performance on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, adding 119 yards to his 2011 tally on seven catches in a thriller vs. the Green Bay Packers (12-0), who won the game 38-35 on kicker Mason Crosby’s(notes) 31-yard field goal.

Cruz, 43 yards short of the 1,000-yard threshold entering Week 13, cruised past the mark in the opening quarter after two catches—the second of which counted for 42 yards.

When Yahoo! Contributor Network asked Cruz after New York (6-6) lost to Green Bay if he expected to have this big a year coming out of training camp, he admitted, “Not really, man.

“To be honest, I was just trying to come in and do my part and try to work my way into the lineup and do certain things and capitalize on what I can do well,” Cruz said. “To have this type of success is just mind-blowing. I’m just grateful for every opportunity that I’ve been given here with the Giants. It’s definitely all glory be to God for me to be here right now.”

Thanks to social networking, the Paterson, N.J. native was thoroughly aware of the statistical milestone on which he was knocking as New York prepared to play Green Bay.

“The fans on Twitter keep me really addressed on how many yards I have every week,” Cruz said. “I definitely knew how many I had and everything like that. When I had a few catches, I kind of knew I was over the mark. But I just had to keep plugging away and keep playing football.”

Sunday may have ended unhappily for the Giants and Cruz—who’ve lost four straight games and face the Dallas Cowboys (7-5) at Cowboys Stadium this weekend—but reaching 1,000 receiving yards on the season, he said, “means a lot.

“It means a lot, man,” he told YCN. “It’s just a testament to all my hard work. To come in relatively unknown and not get a start or not play until about Week 3 or 4 and to really make a big impact and get the guys to trust me on this team is just amazing. I thank every guy on this team, and I love everyone like they were brothers.”

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

Defensive linemen and pass rushers don’t need a constant reminder about the lofty expectations inherent with playing for the New York Giants.

It’s there anyway.

Alumni who built Hall of Fame careers on crushing quarterbacks are among the Big Blue legends celebrated across the top of the team’s oval-shaped locker room. This homage provides a constant reminder of the high standard set for those following in their footsteps.

“You look up and they’re sitting there,” said Giants defensive end Dave Tollefson, nodding his head Friday in the direction of names like Lawrence Taylor and the late Andy Robustelli.

“The legacy of pass-rushing here is huge. That’s why we have the guys we have here. They expect it out of us.”

That puts even more pressure on the Giants to rebound from a dreadful performance and make their predecessors proud in Sunday’s home game against Green Bay on Fox.

New York is coming off a 49-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints that was even more disheartening than the score. It wasn’t just failing to register a sack for the first time since Week 10 of last season. The lack of second-half effort is what should truly outrage ex-Giants and embarrass the current ones.

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka astutely described the outing as “all-around bad.” The inability to stop a 577-yard bludgeoning by the Saints — the most yardage allowed by the Giants since 1943 — and confusion with defensive substitutions led to sideline bickering and half-hearted tackle attempts.

“You’ve got to take your hat off to the Saints for doing a hell of a job by taking us out of the game,” Tollefson said. “But damn, we let them, too. A couple bad things happen here and there and we’re on the sideline complaining about coulda, woulda, shoulda. You can’t be like that.

“Next thing you know, they get the ball back and we’ve got to be out there. We ain’t figured anything out being on the sideline bitching at each other about what wasn’t going our way.”

Little has gone New York’s way recently. While the Packers (11-0) can clinch a postseason spot with a win Sunday, the Giants (6-5) are on the outs in the playoff race following three straight losses.

Two of New York’s hallmarks — a strong running game and pass rush — are being hindered by injuries and poor execution. The latest casualty is defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who is second on the team in sacks with seven. He won’t play Sunday because of a sprained ankle.

New York has registered only three sacks in the past three games after leading the NFL in that category through the season’s first nine weeks. Teams like the Saints were able to use more maximum-protection blocking schemes because of New York’s inconsistent pass coverage.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers showed first-hand the damage he can cause when given time to pass in last December’s 45-17 rout of the Giants. Sacked only once, Rodgers butchered the Giants for 404 four yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell acknowledges the lineup shuffling has hurt his unit. Fewell, though, isn’t using that as an excuse for the defense being what he described as “outplayed,” “outhustled,” and “out-coached” in New Orleans.

Even if sacks aren’t being registered, Fewell wants to see the defensive line setting the tempo once again.

“They know that they lead this team because we all gain from their energy,” Fewell said. “We play better when they are on their game and hustling, hitting and sacking the quarterback. They take a lot of pride in setting the tone of our football team.”

Ex-Giants defensive end and FOX analyst Michael Strahan was concerned enough about what happened against the Saints that he spoke Wednesday at a defensive line meeting.

“You just see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice when talking about it like, ‘This is the New York Giants. I don’t give a damn if we’re 0-16. We’re getting after the quarterback,’ ” said Tollefson, who keeps in regular contact with Strahan.

“That’s the legacy of the Giants. When you play us, you have to protect your quarterback.

“Last week, the Saints did that and we were kind of like, ‘Ohhh,’ rather than, ‘Let’s go! Let’s be the spark that energizes us.’”

Against a team as talented as the Packers, New York will need the type of effort from its front four that led to an upset of another previously undefeated team four seasons ago — the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

“There’s an extreme sense of pride and a lot of pressure that comes with playing for the Giants’ (defense),” said Kiwanuka, a key part of New York’s pass-rush and blitz packages.

“We know what it’s about and how important it is to have a strong showing up front, because that’s what this team is built on.

“You go back in history, and there have been some great ones that played there. That includes recent history.”

New York’s pass rush needs to start carving its own place in franchise lore. Otherwise, the 2011 Giants may be history.

Where have I seen this before?

The 2011 New York Giants looked like true title contenders just weeks ago. Now, as the first weekend in December approaches, that victory over the New England Patriots seems like nothing more than a pleasant dream. The season turned into a recurring nightmare after that win, as the Giants are now just one game away from being a .500 football team. Even worse, the undefeated and seemingly unstoppable Green Bay Packers come to town this coming Sunday.

If only we could end every NFL season after eight weeks.

2011 New York Giants November review: MVP

Quarterback Eli Manning(notes) was hardly perfect in November. With his rushing attack non-existent, Manning put the New York offense on his back and carried the Giants to a victory at New England back on November 6. He rallied back from a few mistakes on the road the following week before falling just a bit short against the San Francisco 49ers. Manning also cannot be blamed for the team’s losses to the Philadelphia Eagles or New Orleans Saints. If the Giants somehow manage to rally and win the NFC East, Manning will have to be considered a league MVP candidate.

2011 New York Giants November review: LVP

Running back Brandon Jacobs(notes) quickly made fans forget about his 4.0 yards per carry performance against the Patriots. In New York’s last three games, Jacobs has rushed for a total of 122 yards on 43 carries. That’s an average of under three yards per carry with starting RB Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) out with a broken foot. His inability to locate and/or lack of desire to hit holes in the offensive line has infuriated many a Giants fan, and Jacobs is one miscue away from being booed off the field at home.

2011 New York Giants November review: Different year, same result

It just never fails. The Giants enter mid-November as a strong squad before falling apart in every conceivable way. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has publicly called his players out for not showing enough heart against the Saints, injuries are affecting the team on both sides of the football and fans are already expecting the worst over the team’s next five contests. The Giants play Green Bay, Washington, the Jets and the Cowboys (twice) between December 4 and January 1. The team that got blown out by the Saints could go 1-4 or even 0-5 against that schedule of opponents.

2011 New York Giants November review: Standout star

Some have wondered if wide receiver Victor Cruz(notes) would slow down as the season progressed. He’s actually gotten better. Cruz caught 27 total passes in November, and he found the end zone thrice during the month. Cruz currently leads the Giants in total receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown grabs. He is good for a drop or two a game, something which must change sooner rather than later. Cruz has more than replaced Steve Smith in the New York lineup, evolving into New York’s number two wide receiver during the regular season.

2011 New York Giants November review: Overall grade

Beating New England doesn’t really mean a whole lot if you lose three straight conference games. After starting 6-2, the Giants may very well have to go 4-1 in the team’s final five games to clinch a playoff berth. New York needed a .500 November to help avoid yet another late-season collapse. They failed in that mission, and thus get the deserving grade.

Grade: F

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Where have I seen this before?

The 2011 New York Giants looked like true title contenders just weeks ago. Now, as the first weekend in December approaches, that victory over the New England Patriots seems like nothing more than a pleasant dream. The season turned into a recurring nightmare after that win, as the Giants are now just one game away from being a .500 football team. Even worse, the undefeated and seemingly unstoppable Green Bay Packers come to town this coming Sunday.

If only we could end every NFL season after eight weeks.

2011 New York Giants November review: MVP

Quarterback Eli Manning(notes) was hardly perfect in November. With his rushing attack non-existent, Manning put the New York offense on his back and carried the Giants to a victory at New England back on November 6. He rallied back from a few mistakes on the road the following week before falling just a bit short against the San Francisco 49ers. Manning also cannot be blamed for the team’s losses to the Philadelphia Eagles or New Orleans Saints. If the Giants somehow manage to rally and win the NFC East, Manning will have to be considered a league MVP candidate.

2011 New York Giants November review: LVP

Running back Brandon Jacobs(notes) quickly made fans forget about his 4.0 yards per carry performance against the Patriots. In New York’s last three games, Jacobs has rushed for a total of 122 yards on 43 carries. That’s an average of under three yards per carry with starting RB Ahmad Bradshaw(notes) out with a broken foot. His inability to locate and/or lack of desire to hit holes in the offensive line has infuriated many a Giants fan, and Jacobs is one miscue away from being booed off the field at home.

2011 New York Giants November review: Different year, same result

It just never fails. The Giants enter mid-November as a strong squad before falling apart in every conceivable way. Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has publicly called his players out for not showing enough heart against the Saints, injuries are affecting the team on both sides of the football and fans are already expecting the worst over the team’s next five contests. The Giants play Green Bay, Washington, the Jets and the Cowboys (twice) between December 4 and January 1. The team that got blown out by the Saints could go 1-4 or even 0-5 against that schedule of opponents.

2011 New York Giants November review: Standout star

Some have wondered if wide receiver Victor Cruz(notes) would slow down as the season progressed. He’s actually gotten better. Cruz caught 27 total passes in November, and he found the end zone thrice during the month. Cruz currently leads the Giants in total receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown grabs. He is good for a drop or two a game, something which must change sooner rather than later. Cruz has more than replaced Steve Smith in the New York lineup, evolving into New York’s number two wide receiver during the regular season.

2011 New York Giants November review: Overall grade

Beating New England doesn’t really mean a whole lot if you lose three straight conference games. After starting 6-2, the Giants may very well have to go 4-1 in the team’s final five games to clinch a playoff berth. New York needed a .500 November to help avoid yet another late-season collapse. They failed in that mission, and thus get the deserving grade.

Grade: F

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The New York Giants are in the midst of a losing streak and still have plenty of tough games left. The Giants face the Green Bay Packers on December 4. They also have a couple of games against the Dallas Cowboys, the team currently sitting one game in front of them in the NFC East standings. At 6-5, the Giants don’t have a lot of room for error if they want to reach the playoffs and save Tom Coughlin’s job. Unfortunately, the Giants will have to try and win games without Osi Umenyiora(notes) again. The defensive end is slated to miss at least two weeks with a sprained ankle.

Umenyiora went down early during the 49-24 loss his team suffered against the New Orleans Saints. He did not return in the second half. There is a possibility that Umenyiora could miss up to a month because of the bad sprain. However, the hope is that he can return to the field on December 18 when the Giants face the Washington Redskins. By then, the season could be lost for New York. Umenyiora has already missed three games this season. He didn’t play the first three games because of a knee issue. These injuries are unrelated and that is good for his long term prognosis. But any time a player has multiple injuries in a season, a team and its fans have to be concerned.

Despite missing three starts, Umenyiora has had a pretty solid season. He has seven sacks and has helped the defensive line perform at a pretty decent level for much of the season. However, his loss could be damaging for the Giants. New York still has Jason Peirre-Paul, a sack machine that has thrived while filling in for several players on the defensive line. However, the loss of Umenyiora severely drains the depth on the defense. The Giants are coming off of one of the worst defensive performance in recent memory. Without Umenyiora, it is hard to imagine things looking better against the Green Bay Packers.

New York is fortunate to be 6-5 considering all of the injuries. Key players on both sides of the ball have really hurt the Giants. That has been evident during this three game slide. The Giants are in the midst of the toughest part of their schedule. This isn’t the ideal time to lose a player like Umenyiora.

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49-24.

The final score of Monday night’s New York Giants at New Orleans Saints game tells the story. The once unbeatable New York defense was absolutely incapable of stopping Drew Brees and company after the first quarter of play, and the Saints had a double-digit lead during the game’s final 32 minutes. One team on the field of play Monday evening looked like a playoff squad capable of winning a championship. It certainly wasn’t the one sporting the red, white and blue unis.

3 final thoughts on Giants loss at Saints: Blame

Many New York Giants fans I speak with on a weekly basis are guilty of what I call “selective blaming.” For example, they blame head coach Tom Coughlin when the team loses because of a turnover or similar miscue. I can’t help but wonder when fans and/or members of the media will start calling for the head of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Fewell has been badly out-coached and his defense out-played in two of New York’s three consecutive defeats, and the Giants gave up 35 points in under two quarters against the Saints. Yes, the Saints have numerous offensive weapons, but it’s not as if New Orleans has been flawless this season. Brees has been forced into many mistakes this season, turning the ball over 11 total times. The New York pass rush barely found its way into the New Orleans backfield, however, and the team’s front four can only be blamed so much for the loss. Fewell, thought to be the “next big thing” in NFL coaching just two years ago, has hardly impressed during his tenure with the Giants.

3 final thoughts on Giants loss at Saints: Lost in the loss

Giants fans have seen more than a little of “Bad Eli” during the current campaign. Still, Eli Manning is arguably having his best season, and he was again stellar against the Saints. Manning got past both an interception that probably should have, at the very least, been broken up by tight end Jake Ballard and several dropped passes during the first half, keeping New York in the game as best he could until the Saints took a 35-10 lead in the third quarter. With his running game betraying him on a weekly basis, Manning has quietly emerged as one of the league’s most clutch, reliable quarterbacks. There are but a few QBs I would take ahead of Eli Manning heading into this December.

3 final thoughts on Giants loss at Saints: The missing piece

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, currently nursing a broken foot, is quickly becoming the ultimate “don’t know what you got ’till it’s gone” story of the 2011 season. Brandon Jacobs obviously isn’t capable of getting the job done as New York’s number one running back, and the team’s rushing attack is currently ranked last in the league. Ahmad Bradshaw being sidelined is about more than a handful of missed opportunities on offense. The New York offense has been transformed without Bradshaw, and dropped passes and other miscues have resulted in the team’s defense being forced to take the field more often than desired. This results in a tired unit taking the field during the second halves of contests. “Giants football” is a thing of the past without Bradshaw on the field, and New York’s current style of play isn’t one that’s leading to victories.

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New York Giants Coach Tom Coughlin insisted Wednesday his team will be fine at running back, even though backup D.J. Ware left the Eagles game last Sunday with a concussion. His status for the game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night is still unclear, Coughlin conceded.

Nevertheless, Coughlin was optimistic Ware would be cleared to play. He also expressed hope that Ahmad Bradshaw, the Giants best running back in 2011, would also be ready to go. Bradshaw has been hampered and occassionally sidelined this season with a stress fracture in his foot.

With Bradshaw and Ware both out against Philadelphia, Brandon Jacobs was forced to shoulder the load of the Giants running attack – long the team’s staple on offense. But New York managed only 29 yards on the ground, a figure Coughlin labeled, “pathetic,” after the 17-10 loss.

Read More: D.J. Ware (RB – NYG), Derrick Martin (S – NYG), Jimmy Kennedy (DT – NYG), Michael Coe (CB – NYG), Will Beatty (OT – NYG), Jake Ballard (TE – NYG), Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants

One day after falling to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, the New York Giants suffered another loss Monday. Cornerback Michael Coe needs season-ending surgery on his shoulder, and the team will place him on injured reserve. 

Coach Tom Coughlin said Jimmy Kennedy will be placed back on the 53-man roster. Kennedy recently ended a four-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. 

Coughlin also noted that tackle Will Beatty was sent to have his back examined. Beatty played against the Philadelphia Eagles, but experienced discomfort during the week of practices leading up to the game. 

Tight end Jake Ballard is not expected to miss any time after suffering an elbow injury, but defensive back Derrick Martin has a small tear of his hamstring.

D.J. Ware also left Sunday’s game with a concussion. There has been no update today on the running back’s condition, however.

The Giants lost to Philadelphia 17-10 on Sunday night, leaving Coughlin to steam about his team’s performance.

“As I just said to each one of the players, first start off with yourself and look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself. Because my question for them was ‘why?’ What does it take to understand what the Eagles were going to be like coming here? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that the team is 3-6 with their backs to the wall, they are going to play their butts off. To get to where we wanted to go, we had to play better and harder and we didn’t,” Coughlin said.

– For more Giants coverage, visit our team page, or our blog Big Blue View.

The Philadelphia Eagles have ruled out quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin for Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants, the team announced Saturday.

Vick was not expected to play and was listed as questionable on the team’s Friday injury report because of two broken ribs. Maclin, who missed his third consecutive practice on Friday, was also listed as questionable with shoulder and hamstring injuries.

Vick and Maclin were ruled out after Saturday’s walkthrough and did not travel with the team.

Vick didn’t practice this week because he broke his two lower ribs on the second play of the Eagles’ 21-17 loss to Arizona in Week 10. He got up slowly after taking a hard hit to the side, but didn’t tell anyone the extent of the injury and played the rest of the game. He was off target most of the game and finished 16 of 34 for 128 yards and two interceptions.

Vince Young will make his first start with the Eagles after working with the first-team offense all week.

Young was 30-17 as a starter and went to two Pro Bowls in five seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He was one of several high-profile players Philadelphia signed after the lockout. So far, though, Young’s only contribution was labeling the Eagles a “Dream Team” at his first news conference at training camp.

Second-year pro Riley Cooper will likely start in Maclin’s place. Cooper doesn’t have any catches this season.

The Eagles desperately need a victory over the first-place Giants to avoid being all-but-mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The defending NFC East champions began this season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have failed to live up to those enormous expectations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New York Giants had their chance to bury the Philadelphia Eagles a year ago and failed miserably.

Who can forget the Meadowlands Meltdown in December, or if you’re an Eagles fan, the Miracle at the Meadowlands?

With first place in the NFC East on the line, Eli Manning and the Giants opened a 21-point fourth-quarter lead, only to see Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson steal their crown with one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history.

Vick led the team to three touchdowns to tie the game late and Jackson won it returning a punt that was supposed to be kicked out of bounds 65 yards on the final play of regulation.

Remember either Giants coach Tom Coughlin slamming his clipboard to the turf as Jackson ran past the Giants’ bench? Or Jackson tiptoeing along the goal line to eat the final seconds on the clock before scoring.

It was uplifting and thrilling for the Eagles, and downright heartbreaking for the Giants, who missed the playoffs for the second straight year.

Less than a year later, the Giants (6-3) get another chance to bury to the Eagles (3-6), and this one seems just as improbable.

Few expected New York to have a one-game lead in the division and even fewer had any idea that Philadelphia’s ‘Dream Team’ would be this close to missing the playoffs with seven games remaining in the regular season. The comeback they need now might be even bigger than last season.

“Our mindset is just to find a way to win the game,” Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said. “We are just trying to take it one game at a time and have a chance to get in the playoffs and make some good of our season. We are just taking each game at a time. We can’t think about our record or where we are at, we just need to win a game.”

This one might be tough because Vick broke two ribs in last week’s loss to Arizona and his status for the game is uncertain. Vince Young and Mike Kafka are the backups.

Jackson also is expected back in the lineup after being benched last week for missing a team meeting.

Coming off tough 27-20 loss at San Francisco that cut their NFC East lead over Dallas to a game, the Giants are preparing for Vick.

“This has been a big rivalry as long as I have been here, and I am sure it goes on longer than that,” defensive end Dave Tollefson said. “There are two agendas on each team, us trying to get back in the win column and get some control of the NFC East, and they are trying to get the ball rolling to make a push. It’s huge. It’s always something, isn’t it? When are the Eagles and Giants even going to play and it ain’t something?”

Five of the Eagles’ six losses have been by seven points or less, including five games in which they have blown leads in the fourth quarter. One of those losses was a 29-16 defeat to the Giants in which Eli Manning threw two of his four touchdowns in the final 15 minutes.

Since the current playoff format was instituted in 1990, 15 clubs with a losing record after nine games have made the playoffs. Only three of those teams had 3-6 records, the last being Jacksonville in 1996.

The poor record has put coach Andy Reid under a microscope in a season where much was expected after the team stocked its roster by signing free agents, the most notable being cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

“I am going to tell you the same thing I told our media, I don’t worry about all that,” Reid said. “The only thing I would worry about is preparing our team to play the New York Giants. That is it. I don’t worry about anything else past that.”

Receiver Hakeem Nicks said the Giants aren’t looking at this game as a chance to bury the Eagles.

“We have to look at it like this is a hungry team coming out here,” he said. “It’s a rivalry game. We know they’re going to come out there ready to play and take everything away from us as well.”

Guard David Diehl also laughed when asked about ending the Eagles’ hopes.

“This is a team that talked about playing us again after the last game in Philadelphia and what better way for them to get their season back on track than beating us,” Diehl said. “We know it’s going to be a fight. We know everybody thinks this should be an easy one, that’s bull. We’re not falling for that. We respect them and we expect a 60-minute fight. Right now everyone is counting them out. We’re not.”

Just the memory of last year is enough to convince the Giants to never count out the Eagles.

“I am sure I said this before, but that game will stick with me for the rest of my life,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. “Yes, it does stick with me, but you can ease some of that pain by getting a win on Sunday night.”

The Eagles are having a better year than the Giants in most statistics, with their biggest problem being 21 turnovers, including seven in the red zone. They also have been outscored 74-27 in the fourth quarter.

McCoy, who has scored a touchdown in each of the Eagles’ nine games, is leading the NFC in rushing with 906 yards, and is second in the league, only 11 yards behind Fred Jackson of Buffalo. The Eagles are averaging 418.2 yards on offence.

The Giants are close to playing first-round draft pick Prince Amukamara for the first time this season. The rookie cornerback has not been limited in practice for the first time since breaking his foot in training camp.