GAME 1
Cowboys 45, Giants 35
IRVING, Texas (AP) -Marion Barber got things rolling with an 18-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1, Terrell Owens added two highlight-reel touchdown catches and Tony Romo made up for an interception with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Sam Hurd.
Romo threw for a career-high 345 yards and four touchdowns, plus ran for another, helping the Cowboys match the most points they ever scored in four years under Bill Parcells. Jason Witten had six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown for Dallas.
However, Phillips’ supposedly improved defense gave up 438 yards and lots of big plays, turning a potential blowout into a nail-biter.
Eli Manning was 28-of-41 for 312 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, but was sidelined late in the game with a bruised right throwing shoulder.
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GAME 2
Packers 35, Giants 13
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Brett Favre picked a near-perfect way to become the winningest quarterback in NFL history.
Favre completed his first 14 passes of the second half and threw three touchdown passes to rally the Green Bay Packers over Eli Manning and the New York Giants. The victory was the 149th of Favre’s 17-year career, giving him one more win than Hall of Famer John Elway.
It also gave the Packers their first 2-0 start since they won their first three in 2001.
The loss was the second straight for the undisciplined and error-prone Giants, something that hasn’t happened at the start of a season since 1996.
Favre was 29-of-38 for 286 yards, including 18-of-21 for 147 yards in the second half. Rookie DeShawn Wynn added touchdown runs of 6 and 38 yards.
Manning, whose playing status was uncertain all week because of a sprained shoulder, was 16-of-29 for 211 yards and a touchdown.
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GAME 3
Giants 24, Redskins 17
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) – A Giants defense that had allowed 80 points in its first two games allowed only 81 yards after halftime, and stopped Washington on four plays from first-and-goal at the 1 in the final minute.
New York scored the game’s final 21 points and rallied from a two-touchdown deficit.
Plaxico Burress, who had three drops and no catches in the first half, had five receptions for 86 yards in the second for the Giants – including a 33-yard catch-and-run in which he put a move on Carlos Rogers before outrunning Sean Taylor to the end zone.
The Redskins drove for a chance to tie in the final minutes. A 27-yard punt return by Antwaan Randle El put the ball at New York’s 35 with 2:19 to play. Jason Campbell kept the drive alive with a 15-yard pass to Santana Moss on fourth-and-8, and a 20-yard strike to Randle El put the ball at the 1. But the Redskins couldn’t finish the job.
Reuben Droughns scored on a pair of 1-yard runs – New York’s first rushing touchdowns of the season – and Mathias Kiwanuka had a pair of sacks – doubling the defense’s output for the year. Eli Manning completed 21 of 26 passes for 232 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
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GAME 4
Giants 16, Eagles 3
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Osi Umenyiora had a team-record six sacks and the Giants set a franchise record and tied a league mark by sacking Donovan McNabb 12 times.
Mathias Kiwanuka added three sacks, Justin Tuck two and Michael Strahan one in an awesome display by a defense that was ranked as the worst in the league after giving up 80 points in its first two games.
Kawika Mitchell returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown and Eli Manning threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, a score that, of course, was set up by a sack.
Strahan’s sacks gave him 133 1/2 in his career, breaking Taylor’s franchise record.
The undermanned Eagles, missing stars Brian Westbrook and Brian Dawkins, had 15 penalties for 132 yards.
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GAME 5
Giants 35, Jets 24
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Giants rookie Aaron Ross returned the second of his first two NFL interceptions 43 yards for a touchdown with just over 3 minutes remaining to seal the victory over the Jets in the latest Battle of New York.
A week after getting 12 sacks against Philadelphia, the Giants had only one, by Osi Umenyiora with less than 3 minutes left. But they intercepted Chad Pennington three times. The last was the most costly as the Jets were driving for a potential go-ahead score.
Pennington, who had good protection all game, threw a pass to Jerricho Cotchery, but Ross stepped in front of it and took off down the left sideline and into the end zone.
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GAME 6
Giants 31, Falcons 10
ATLANTA (AP) – Eli Manning made enough good throws to overcome some glaring mistakes. Manning threw a pair of touchdown passes and set up another New York TD with three straight completions, leading the New York Giants to their fourth straight win over the hapless Falcons.
Manning hooked up with Amani Toomer on a 5-yard scoring pass during a wild first quarter in which the teams combined for 24 points.
Before the half was done, Manning went deep for a 43-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress that gave the Giants a 21-10 lead.
The Giants quarterback threw two interceptions and had another turnover when John Abraham knocked the ball out of his hands just before his arm went forward on an attempted pass. Manning was 27-of-39 for 303 yards, his most since a 312-yard performance against the Cowboys in Week 1.
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GAME 7
Giants 33, 49ers 15
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Osi Umenyiora scored on a 75-yard fumble return and the New York defense helped account for 24 points as the Giants won their fifth straight.
The dynamic four-end defensive line of the Giants had a field day against the NFL’s worst offense. New York forced four turnovers by the 49ers, sacked Trent Dilfer six times and made him play with his head on a swivel while Alex Smith rested his ailing shoulder on the sideline.
Michael Strahan had his biggest sack performance since 2003 with 2 1/2 against his former defensive coordinator and current 49ers coach Mike Nolan.
Eli Manning threw touchdown passes to Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey, and Brandon Jacobs ran for 107 yards and a touchdown for the Giants.
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GAME 8
Giants 13, Dolphins 10
WEMBLEY, England (AP) – The NFL’s first regular-season trip overseas was every bit as sloppy as it was predictable.
Eli Manning threw for only 59 yards but ran for New York’s lone touchdown to lift the Giants to a mud-caked 13-10 victory over the still-winless Miami Dolphins.
The Giants allowed only 254 yards and held the Dolphins out of the end zone for the first 58 minutes for a victory that only the winners could view as anything remotely beautiful.
Miami pulled within 13-10 when Cleo Lemon hit Ted Ginn Jr. for a 21-yard score with 1:54 left. But Jay Feely’s onside kick went out of bounds and the Giants kneeled on it three times to seal the game.
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GAME 9
Cowboys 31, Giants 20
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Tony Romo hit Terrell Owens on two of his four touchdown passes and Dallas opened a three-game lead in the NFC East by ending the Giants’ six-game winning streak. Romo and Owens broke it open in the second half by combining on scoring passes of 25 and 50 yards to help Dallas (8-1) match its best start since 1995, the last time it won the Super Bowl.
Romo, who was 20-of-28 for 247 yards, also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tony Curtis and a 20-yarder to Patrick Crayton in helping the Cowboys sweep the season-series with the Giants. Nick Folk added a 44-yard field goal.
Eli Manning threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey, who tied his career high with 12 catches for 129 yards. Reuben Droughns scored on a 1-yard run and Lawrence Tynes kicked field goals of 40 and 26 yards.
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GAME 10
Giants 16, Lions 10
DETROIT (AP) – Michael Strahan had a season-high three sacks, while James Butler and Sam Madison both made victory-sealing interceptions.
Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Jacobs, who later left the game with a hamstring injury, and Lawrence Tynes kicked three field goals.
The win came at a price: Jacobs was sidelined in the third quarter and linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka broke his left leg early in the game.
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GAME 11
Vikings 41, Giants 17
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – With older brother Peyton watching in the stands, Darren Sharper, Dwight Smith and Chad Greenway picked off passes by Eli Manning and returned them for touchdowns.
Sharper scored on a 20-yard return, Smith rumbled 93 yards and Greenway followed from 37 yards just a few plays later. The Vikings set a team single-game record for interception returns for touchdowns.
The Giants were off-balance from the start. Tarvaris Jackson threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice just 41 seconds after the opening kickoff in helping Minnesota win back-to-back games for the first time this season. Ryan Longwell added two field goals.
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GAME 12
Giants 21, Bears 16
CHICAGO (AP) – Eli Manning led two late touchdown drives and Reuben Droughns scored on a 2-yard run with 1:33 remaining. Manning was awful for most of the game, but delivered in the latter stages.
The embattled quarterback threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer, which was initially ruled incomplete, with 6:54 left to cap a 75-yard drive and pull the Giants within 16-14.
After the Bears punted, the Giants launched a 77-yard drive that ended with Droughns running around right end with 1:33 left. Manning hit David Tyree with a 24-yard pass and threw a 15-yarder to Plaxico Burress that put the ball on the 2.
The Bears got the ball with 1:28 remaining and marched to the Giants 28, before Rex Grossman threw three incomplete passes.
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GAME 13
Giants 16, Eagles 13
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Eli Manning threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, Lawrence Tynes made three short field goals and the Giants moved closer to a wild-card playoff spot.
David Akers hit the right upright on a 57-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds after Donovan McNabb drove the Eagles 50 yards in the final minute.
McNabb led the Eagles into the end zone on their first possession, but they managed just a pair of field goals the rest of the game.
The Giants were driving to put the game away when defensive end Juqua Thomas came forced Brandon Jacobs’ fumble following a 21-yard gain. Thomas recovered at the Eagles 5 with 5:51 left. Philly drove to New York’s 44, but McNabb’s pass to Jason Avant on fourth-and-6 was incomplete and the Eagles didn’t get the ball again until the final minute.
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GAME 14
Redskins 22, Giants 10
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Clinton Portis ran for 126 yards and a touchdown and Todd Collins led the Redskins on five scoring drives in his first start in 10 years.
The loss was the third straight at home for the Giants, and this one was costly as Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey was lost for the season with a broken left leg early in the second half.
Portis scored on a 5-yard run, Ladell Betts got in from 14 yards out on a draw play and Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals on a blustery evening.
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GAME 15
Giants 38, Bills 21
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – The Giants clinched a playoff berth by overcoming a Bills team inspired by Kevin Everett’s return to the field where he was injured.
Brandon Jacobs scored twice and Ahmad Bradshaw had an 88-yard TD run in sloppy conditions as the usually pass-happy Giants leaned heavily on their running attack. Kawika Mitchell’s 20-yard interception return produced the go-ahead points and sparked a three-touchdown fourth-quarter rally.
The Giants, who reached the playoffs for a third straight season, fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, as the Bills came out fired up after Everett addressed the team before the game. It was the tight end’s first appearance in Buffalo since he sustained a serious spinal cord injury in the Bills’ season opener Sept. 9.
Buffalo forced Eli Manning to fumble five times – he lost two of them, and threw two interceptions in winds gusting over 30 mph, and the players were pelted by a persistent rain that turned into snow in the fourth quarter.
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GAME 16
Patriots 38, Giants 35
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – New England completed a perfect if somewhat joyless journey through the regular season, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over New York.
New England became the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule, and that one was only 14-0. This victory required a comeback from a 12-point deficit engineered by the brilliant Tom Brady, and smashed the Patriots’ league mark for consecutive victories.
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WILD-CARD PLAYOFF
Giants 24, Buccaneers 14
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Giants moved to 8-1 away from home with a dominating NFC-wild-card playoff victory over Tampa Bay. New York has won every away game since falling in its season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
After a lackluster first quarter, New York bullied the NFC South champions. Veteran receiver Amani Toomer had a big game, making seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. It was the first postseason win after two defeats for Eli Manning, who efficiently outplayed his counterpart, Jeff Garcia. Manning went 20-of-27 for 185 yards, with almost all the damage coming after a forgettable opening period in which New York had minus-2 yards of offense.
The defense also showed up with a superb effort in the three quarters. Cornerback Corey Webster’s interception and fumble recovery, and Michael Strahan’s nine tackles and a sack led the way. Tampa Bay gained only 166 yards before a late 88-yard drive made it 24-14.
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DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF
Giants 21, Cowboys 17
IRVING, Texas (AP) – Eli Manning and the New York Giants knocked Dallas into the offseason.
Having to wait out long, slow drives by Dallas, Manning made his few chances count, throwing two touchdown passes to Amani Toomer and getting a 1-yard touchdown run from Brandon Jacobs to put New York into the NFC championship game for the first time since the 2000 season.
Cornerback R.W. McQuarters intercepted a pass into the end zone with 9 seconds left, ending the Cowboys’ final drive and marking Tony Romo’s second straight last-minute goof to cost Dallas a playoff game. His flubbed hold of a short field goal in Seattle ended the Cowboys’ season last year.
The Cowboys became the first No. 1 seed in the NFC to lose in this round since the NFL went to the 12-team playoff format in 1990. They also became the seventh team to lose a playoff game against a team they’d beaten twice in the regular season – joining Dallas’ 1998 club.
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NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Giants 23, Packers 20, OT
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) – Lawrence Tynes, who missed a 36-yard field goal at the end of regulation following a bad snap, nailed a 47-yarder to put the Giants in the Super Bowl.
The Giants grabbed their first NFC championship in seven years, capping a monthlong surge behind a maturing quarterback in Eli Manning. Manning shook off below-zero temperatures and a wind chill and repeatedly put the Giants in position to win in the third-coldest championship game ever.
The Giants won their 10th straight on the road now at Lambeau Field, where they shut down Brett Favre nearly all game. Favre, seeking a return to the Super Bowl after a decade’s absence, struggled in the minus-3 degree temperature and wind-chills that reached minus-24. He wound up 19-for-35 for 236 yards and two interceptions. The second, by Corey Webster in overtime, set up Tynes’ winner.
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