NFL playoffs 2012: New York Giants crush Atlanta Falcons, 24-2
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/nfl-playoffs-2012-new-york-giants-crush.html
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —The New York Giants began the postseason just as they ended the regular season, with a solid performance — and a victory — under win-or-else circumstances.
They used three touchdown passes by quarterback Eli Manning, a significant contribution by their running game and dominant defense to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-2, in a first-round NFC playoff game here Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“I think today we played outstanding defense,” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said, “and that set the tone for everything else that happened in the game. . . . If we can continue to play defense like that, we can make ourselves heard in this tournament.”
The fourth-seeded Giants advanced to a conference semifinal next Sunday in Green Bay against the top-seeded Packers. It will be a rematch of a Dec. 4 game here in which the Giants pushed the then-undefeated Packers to the limit before quarterback Aaron Rodgers directed Green Bay to a last-second field goal to prevail, 38-35.
There was no such drama in this one. Manning gave the fifth-seeded Falcons an early safety but rebounded to throw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and another to wideout Mario Manningham.
The Giants moved the ball effectively on the ground with running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, a rarity for them this season, and the defense stuffed Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan on two key fourth down quarterback sneaks.
“They won the line of scrimmage,” said Falcons Coach Mike Smith.
The defeat dropped Ryan’s career playoff record to 0-3 and left Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez still without a postseason triumph in his 15 NFL seasons.
The Giants were coming off consecutive wins over the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the regular season to capture the NFC East title. That had produced talk that the Giants, even with their modest 9-7 regular season record, might be about to go on the same kind of postseason run that led to their Super Bowl title at the end of the 2007 season.
The weather was mild Sunday by typical postseason standards at the Meadowlands. The Falcons had to play without cornerback Brent Grimes, who was on the inactive list because of a knee injury. That seemed to be a promising combination for Manning and his two 1,000-yard receivers, Nicks and Victor Cruz.
But both teams struggled on offense in the early going. Neither managed a first down until its third drive of the game. Soon after getting their initial first down, the Giants tried a third-and-nine running play and had to punt.
The Falcons finally crafted a promising drive but reserve running back Jason Snelling was stopped a yard shy of a first down on a third-and-two carry. Smith gambled and left his offense on the field on fourth down at the New York 24-yard line, but Ryan got nowhere on a quarterback sneak on the opening play of the second quarter.
“The fourth-down stops were huge,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. “We always talk about, ‘Just give us a stand.’ ”
The Giants took over but promptly committed a holding penalty, lost a yard on a running play and then surrendered a safety when Manning was called for an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone.
They used three touchdown passes by quarterback Eli Manning, a significant contribution by their running game and dominant defense to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-2, in a first-round NFC playoff game here Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
“I think today we played outstanding defense,” Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said, “and that set the tone for everything else that happened in the game. . . . If we can continue to play defense like that, we can make ourselves heard in this tournament.”
The fourth-seeded Giants advanced to a conference semifinal next Sunday in Green Bay against the top-seeded Packers. It will be a rematch of a Dec. 4 game here in which the Giants pushed the then-undefeated Packers to the limit before quarterback Aaron Rodgers directed Green Bay to a last-second field goal to prevail, 38-35.
There was no such drama in this one. Manning gave the fifth-seeded Falcons an early safety but rebounded to throw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and another to wideout Mario Manningham.
The Giants moved the ball effectively on the ground with running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, a rarity for them this season, and the defense stuffed Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan on two key fourth down quarterback sneaks.
“They won the line of scrimmage,” said Falcons Coach Mike Smith.
The defeat dropped Ryan’s career playoff record to 0-3 and left Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez still without a postseason triumph in his 15 NFL seasons.
The Giants were coming off consecutive wins over the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the regular season to capture the NFC East title. That had produced talk that the Giants, even with their modest 9-7 regular season record, might be about to go on the same kind of postseason run that led to their Super Bowl title at the end of the 2007 season.
The weather was mild Sunday by typical postseason standards at the Meadowlands. The Falcons had to play without cornerback Brent Grimes, who was on the inactive list because of a knee injury. That seemed to be a promising combination for Manning and his two 1,000-yard receivers, Nicks and Victor Cruz.
But both teams struggled on offense in the early going. Neither managed a first down until its third drive of the game. Soon after getting their initial first down, the Giants tried a third-and-nine running play and had to punt.
The Falcons finally crafted a promising drive but reserve running back Jason Snelling was stopped a yard shy of a first down on a third-and-two carry. Smith gambled and left his offense on the field on fourth down at the New York 24-yard line, but Ryan got nowhere on a quarterback sneak on the opening play of the second quarter.
“The fourth-down stops were huge,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. “We always talk about, ‘Just give us a stand.’ ”
The Giants took over but promptly committed a holding penalty, lost a yard on a running play and then surrendered a safety when Manning was called for an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone.
