The
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
was the franchise's 82nd season in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
.
The season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, which saw them win the NFC East. They did not win the NFC East or improve on that record, falling to 8–8 on the season after starting 6–2. However, head coach
Tom Coughlin became the first Giants head coach since
Bill Parcells to lead the team to consecutive playoff berths as the team qualified as one of two NFC wild card teams. This was Tiki Barber's final season in the NFL.
Offseason
In the 2006 off-season, the Giants acquired 3 time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
linebacker
LaVar Arrington
LaVar RaShad Arrington (born June 30, 1978) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Penn State and was drafted second overall by the Washington Re ...
as a free agent. Arrington previously played for the Redskins for six seasons. The Giants also acquired
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Sam Madison
Samuel Adolphus Madison, Jr. (born April 23, 1974) is an American football coach and former cornerback. He is the cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as th ...
as a free agent. Madison played nine seasons with the Dolphins and went to the Pro Bowl four straight times from 1999 to 2002. Other notable free agent signings for the Giants included free safety
Will Demps
William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7, 1979) is a former American football safety who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State.
Demps also played for the New York G ...
from the Ravens, cornerback
R. W. McQuarters
Robert William McQuarters, II (born December 21, 1976) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State.
College career
Mc ...
from the Lions, and linebacker
Brandon Short from the Panthers.
In the
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
, the Giants used their first pick (acquired from
the Pittsburgh Steelers) on Boston College DE
Mathias Kiwanuka
Mathias Kagimu Kiwanuka (born March 8, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was originally drafted 32nd overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football at Boston College. He earned two Super Bowl rings with the Giants ...
. They then used their next pick (acquired from
the Baltimore Ravens) on University of Miami(FL) WR
Sinorice Moss
Sinorice Travonce Moss (born December 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draf ...
. The rest of their picks included Georgia Tech LB
Gerris Wilkinson
Gerris Vernard Bowers Wilkinson (born April 5, 1983) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech.
He has also been a member ...
, Northwestern University DT
Barry Cofield
Barry Joseph Cofield, Jr. (born March 19, 1984) is a former American football defensive tackle who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the fourth round by the New York Giants in the 2006 NFL Draft and has ...
, East Carolina OT
Guy Whimper
Guy Whimper (born May 21, 1983) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Whimper played college football at East Carolina University.
W ...
, Alabama Safety
Charlie Peprah
Charles Yaw Peprah (born February 24, 1983) is a former American football safety and current football scout. He played college football at Alabama. Peprah was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also b ...
, and Maryland CB
Gerrick McPhearson
Zechariah McPhearson ( ; born March 21, 1998) is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas Tech.
Early life and education
Zech McPhearson was born on Ma ...
.
The Giants posted a 4–0 record in the preseason, their first undefeated preseason since 1990, the same season they won
Super Bowl XXV.
Draft Class
Results
The Giants opened the season with a 6–2 record, but went 2–6 in the final half, barely making the playoffs. Inconsistent play by the whole team hurt the organization all season long and fans and sports analysis became irate with coach
Tom Coughlin, calling for his firing. The team won five consecutive games following a 1–2 start to gain a two-game advantage in the NFC Eastern Division, but key injuries to the offense and defense took their toll. Tiki Barber had created controversy in the middle of the season by announcing his retirement to start a career in the media, which apparently was a distraction for many Giants players. The most embarrassing loss was a 24–21 defeat by Tennessee, in which the team surrendered a 21-point fourth quarter advantage, and which could have been averted had
Mathias Kiwanuka
Mathias Kagimu Kiwanuka (born March 8, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was originally drafted 32nd overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football at Boston College. He earned two Super Bowl rings with the Giants ...
finished tackling Titans QB
Vince Young rather than letting him go and run for a first down. Following a season ending win at Washington, the Giants claimed a wild card berth in the NFC playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by Philadelphia on a last second field goal.
Barber led the Giants with 1,662 yards and over 2,000 yards from scrimmage again, Eli Manning threw for 3,244 yards and 24 touchdowns, and Jeremy Shockey led the team in receptions. Defensively the team struggled all season long with pass defense (28th in the league).
Roster
Schedule
Standings
Regular season
Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Giants opened the regular season against
the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, September 10. In a highly anticipated matchup that was nicknamed "Manning Bowl I", quarterback
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
had to lead his Giants against his older brother, quarterback
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
, and the Colts. The Giants fell behind early as Peyton led the Colts on a 17-play, 58-yard drive that ate up 8:53, ending with kicker
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Considered one of the greatest kick ...
hitting a 26-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Colts built their lead with a 32-yard Vinatieri field goal, and after
Jay Feely missed a 40-yard field goal wide left for the Giants, Peyton Manning found tight end
Dallas Clark on a 2-yard touchdown pass. Down 13–0, and starting at their own 14-yard line with 2:18 to play in the half, the Giants' offense woke up, with Eli completing a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
with 40 seconds to play in the half. But that was a little too much time left on the clock: The Colts ended the first half with Vinatieri kicking a 48-yard field goal.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Giants continued their momentum from the first half, as Eli completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Jeremy Shockey, completing an 11-play, 69-yard drive that ate up 7:50. After the teams traded punts, Peyton Manning was intercepted by
R. W. McQuarters
Robert William McQuarters, II (born December 21, 1976) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State.
College career
Mc ...
, but Eli Manning fumbled, and the ball was recovered by
Robert Mathis
Robert Nathan Mathis (born February 26, 1981) is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker who played his entire 14-year career with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footbal ...
. On the ensuing drive, running back
Dominic Rhodes scored from 1 yard out to open up a 23–14 lead with 13:21 to play. Undaunted, the Giants responded with a 1-yard touchdown run of their own from running back
Brandon Jacobs. The Giants forced a punt on the next possession, but longtime Indianapolis punter
Hunter Smith
Hunter Dwight Smith (born August 9, 1977) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
Smith earned a Super Bowl ring ...
pinned the Giants at their own 7 with 4:58 to go. On that drive,
Tim Carter was whistled for a questionable pass-interference call, negating a 19-yard reception for a first down. On the next play, Eli Manning was picked off by
Nick Harper
Nick Harper (born 22 June 1965) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the son of English folk musician Roy Harper.
Early life
Harper was born in London, England, to the folk singer-songwriter Roy Harper. Nick tells of how he ...
. Vinatieri kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1:16 to play to cap the scoring.
With the loss, the Giants started the season at 0–1.
Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles
In a Week 2 road matchup that pitted the Giants against
the Philadelphia Eagles (the former NFC East champs), this game turned out to be a close one. The Giants drew first blood when
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Amani Toomer
Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
. The Eagles tied the game up when running back
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...
ran 12 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by a 20-yard touchdown pass to
Donte' Stallworth and a 37-yard field goal by kicker
David Akers, and the Giants trailed 17–7 at halftime. The Eagles' offense continued to pound the Giants as quarterback
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...
threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Reggie Brown Reggie Brown may refer to:
*Reggie Brown (American football coach) (1876–1961), American college football coach at Boston University from 1926–1929
*Reginald J. Brown (1940–2005), U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affa ...
to open up a 24–7 lead with 10:55 to play in the third quarter.
However, the momentum suddenly turned in the Giants' favor in the fourth quarter. It started with Manning completing a 23-yard pass to wide receiver
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
, who fumbled the ball after being hit by
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr. (born October 13, 1973) is an American former football safety who played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted b ...
; fortunately, wide receiver
Tim Carter recovered the ball in the Eagles' end zone for a touchdown. The teams traded possessions, with Manning being intercepted by
Jeremiah Trotter
Jeremiah Trotter (born January 20, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and was ...
, and then the Giants' defense made a huge stop when they stopped
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter (; born October 6, 1978) is a former American football running back who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Nebraska, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in th ...
on a 4th-and-1 from the New York 38-yard line with 8:49 to play.
Gibril Wilson made the stop there, and after the Giants punted, Wilson came up big again, forcing a fumble from Westbrook that was snatched up by
Will Demps
William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7, 1979) is a former American football safety who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State.
Demps also played for the New York G ...
.
Manning then completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Toomer with 3:33 to play, cutting the deficit to 24–21. After the Giants forced the Eagles to punt two minutes later, the Giants got the ball back at their own 20-yard line with 58 seconds left in regulation. With 15 seconds to play and the Giants on the Philadelphia 40-yard line, Manning completed a pass to
Jeremy Shockey, who was run out of bounds at the Eagles' 32 for an eight-yard gain. However, after the play, Eagles lineman
Trent Cole
Trent James Cole Jr. (born October 5, 1982) is a retired American football defensive end and outside linebacker. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles as well his final two with ...
drew a personal foul for kneeing Giants tackle
Kareem McKenzie
Kareem Michael McKenzie (born May 24, 1979) is a former American football offensive tackle. As a member of the New York Giants, he won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, twice against the New England Patriots.
High school and college career
M ...
in the groin, moving the ball to the Philadelphia 17.
Jay Feely was sent in to tie the game, 24–24, with a 35-yard field goal. The Giants had completed an amazing comeback, scoring 17 points in under fourteen minutes to tie the game.
After the teams traded punts, the Giants took over at their own 15 with 9:55 to play in overtime. Manning completed a 13-play, 85-yard drive with a 31-yard strike to Burress with 3:18 to play, and the Giants had the miracle victory.
Manning completed 31 of 43 passes for 371 yards, three
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s and one
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
. He completed 21 of his last 26 passes in the fourth quarter and in overtime, including all eight of his passes in overtime. Manning was selected the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance against the Eagles.
With the win, the Giants improved to 1–1.
Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks
In a rematch of a bitter 2005 loss for the Giants, when kicker
Jay Feely missed three game-winning field goal attempts at the end of regulation and overtime in a 24–21 loss, the Seahawks made sure this game wasn't as close. After trading interceptions, with
Corey Webster
Corey Jonas Webster (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football cornerback who played for the New York Giants. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft and later won two Super Bowls with the team, both over ...
picking
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the sixth round ...
and
Ken Hamlin
Ken Hamlin (born January 20, 1981) is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft and also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens an ...
intercepting Manning, the Seahawks jumped out to a 7–0 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by
Shaun Alexander. After forcing a punt, Hasselbeck tossed a 12-yard touchdown to
Nate Burleson. Manning was intercepted again by Hamlin on the ensuing drive, leading to a 4-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson (born December 6, 1978) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 2000s. Jackson played college football for ...
, and in eleven minutes, Seattle had a 21–0 lead.
Manning had the ball on his own 43 with 10:43 left in the half when he threw his third pick of the game, this time to
Michael Boulware
Michael Boulware (born September 17, 1981) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft and also played for the Houston Texans. He p ...
. The Seahawks converted, going on a 12-play, 63-yard drive, capped off by a ten-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to
Will Heller. The game got worse for the Giants, as
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
fumbled following a reception, with
Leroy Hill
Leroy Hill Jr. (born September 14, 1982) is a former American football linebacker. He played high school football in Milledgeville, Georgia for the Baldwin High School Braves. He was selected with the 34th pick of the third round of the 2005 NFL ...
recovering for Seattle. Hasselbeck then threw his fourth touchdown pass of the first half, this one going 21 yards to
Bobby Engram
Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III (born January 7, 1973) is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.
Engram also played for the ...
. The Giants finally got on the board with a 46-yard field goal by Jay Feely as time expired.
Seattle pushed the lead to 42–3 in the third quarter with a 17-play, 70-yard drive that ate up 9:58, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to Jackson. The Giants' offense, dormant all game, finally sprang to life in the fourth quarter. Manning found
Amani Toomer
Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
on a 13-yard touchdown strike. After
Fred Robbins
Fred Robbins (born March 25, 1977) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest.
Robbins also played for the New Y ...
intercepted Hasselbeck, Manning wasted no time finding
Tim Carter on a 25-yard touchdown pass. When
R. W. McQuarters
Robert William McQuarters, II (born December 21, 1976) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State.
College career
Mc ...
intercepted Hasselbeck for a 27-yard touchdown return, the once-enormous Seattle lead was suddenly cut to 42–24, with 9:30 to play. The Giants inched closer after forcing a punt, and Manning found
David Tyree
David Mikel Tyree (born January 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver and executive who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football at Syracuse and ...
on a 9-yard touchdown pass, cutting the lead down to 42–30. The two-point conversion failed, however, and Seattle recovered the ensuing onside kick with less than three minutes remaining, effectively ending the game.
With the loss, the Giants fell to 1–2.
Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins
The Giants' defense was trashed by the media during Week 4, their bye week, as they had allowed a whopping 92 points in their first three games. After forcing a punt, the Giants drove to the Washington 29, but
Jay Feely was wide left on a 47-yard attempt. Aided by a
William Joseph roughing-the-passer penalty on a 3rd-and-11 pass that was incomplete,
Mark Brunell drove the Redskins to the Giants' 21, where
John Hall John Hall may refer to:
Academics
* John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic
* John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal
* John F. Hall (born 1951), professor of classics at Brigham Young Unive ...
nailed a 39-yard field goal. Manning was unfazed, finding
Amani Toomer
Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
on a 44-yard completion to move the ball to the Washington 10, and apparently finding him for a touchdown pass of 5 yards three plays later, but the score was nullified by a
Jeremy Shockey pass-interference penalty. Feely knocked in a chip shot of 24 yards to tie the score, 3–3, early in the second quarter.
Manning again used the big play to help the Giants to their next score, finding
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
on a 46-yard completion that gave the Giants the ball at the Redskins' 22. Soon after, Feely hit a 34-yard field goal to give the Giants their first lead since Week 2. After forcing a punt, Manning led the Giants on a 14-play, 84-yard drive, capped by a 32-yard field goal by Feely, his third of the quarter and half. The Giants' offense finally ground into gear on the first possession of the second half, going on a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ate up 8:05 of the clock, capped by a 2-yard touchdown toss from Manning to Burress. The Redskins could muster only one scoring opportunity the rest of the way (Hall missed a 42-yard field goal wide left the possession after Burress' touchdown), and Feely added a 40-yard field goal with 2:58 to play, capping the scoring.
With the win the Giants went 2–2
Week 6: at Atlanta Falcons
The Giants and Falcons got off to a rough start, as each team turned the ball over twice in the first quarter. After Atlanta punted to start the game, Manning was intercepted by
Demorrio Williams, but two minutes later,
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...
was intercepted by
Sam Madison
Samuel Adolphus Madison, Jr. (born April 23, 1974) is an American football coach and former cornerback. He is the cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as th ...
. After forcing a Giants punt, Vick fumbled, with Madison recovering. Manning threw another pick on the next drive, this time to
DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is a former American football defensive back who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth ov ...
.
Looking to break the game open in the second half, the Falcons turned to Warrick Dunn, who busted through a huge hole en route to a 90-yard touchdown run, the longest in Atlanta history. The score put the Falcons up 14–3, but Big Blue took command after that. Seizing control, the Giants used the legs of Barber and some fine passing from Manning to get back into the game. An 84-yard drive was finished with a two-yard plunge by Brandon Jacobs. After an Atlanta three and out, the Giants again drove the length of the field, with Barber leading the charge. Eli Manning finished off the 91 yard scamper with a short play-action touchdown to tight end Jeremy Shockey.
The Giants utilized a heavy pass rush to force the Falcons to punt again and after a Jay Feely field goal from 39 yards, the offense put the game away. Manning hit Shockey on another touchdown late, finishing off the Falcons. For the day, Manning was 17 of 30 for 180 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Barber rushed for 185 yards and Jacobs added 53. Shockey re-emerged in this game with six receptions, including the two touchdowns. Defensively, the Giants recorded seven sacks including two from Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Brandon Short. Cornerback Sam Madison who had a rough start to the season had the interception against Vick and recovered his fumble in the first quarter. The constant pressure and containment on Vick was the key to the Giants 27–14 victory.
* On a side note, the Giants and Falcons set an NFL record as the visitor won in the series for the 11th consecutive time.
Week 7: at Dallas Cowboys
The Giants started off hot right away against the Cowboys on
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
. Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress deep down the field for a touchdown and linebacker Lavar Arrington sacked quarterback
Drew Bledsoe for a safety and a 9–0 lead. However, Arrington was lost for the season, tearing his Achilles tendon in the 2nd quarter. The Cowboys got back into the game on a one-yard run by Bledsoe, but gave the momentum back as cornerback Sam Madison made a big play, intercepting Bledsoe at the goalline late in the half, keeping the Giants ahead 12–7.
In the second half, Bill Parcells relieved Bledsoe with young backup Tony Romo. The Giants intercepted Romo right away as linebacker Antonio Pierce caught a deflected ball. The Giants cashed in as Manning hooked up with Jeremy Shockey for a short touchdown. Following a Brandon Jacobs touchdown run on 4th down, the Giants opened up a 26–7 lead. Although the Cowboys threatened, the defense preserved the victory as reserve cornerback Kevin Dockery intercepted Romo and ran 96 yards for the clinching score. The Giants also held Terrell Owens to under 100 yards receiving.
The Giants defense was the story however, notching six more sacks including two from Strahan, and one apiece from Arrington and Osi Umenyiora. On offense, Tiki Barber shined again, rushing for 114 yards, while Brandon Jacobs added 40 yards. Quarterback Eli Manning maintained his poise to overcome a shaky game to throw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The win moves the Giants to 4–2 and one half a game ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The game drew the biggest audience in the history of cable television with an average viewership of 16,028,000, besting the previous high-water mark set during a 1993 the
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...
(NAFTA) debate between vice president
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
and presidential hopeful
H. Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot (; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American business magnate, billionaire, politician and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an inde ...
. Also notably, DE
Michael Strahan managed to tie with the legendary LB
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959), nicknamed "L.T.", is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as an outside linebacker for the New York Giants ( 1981–1993) in the National Football League (NF ...
for the most official sacks in franchise history (132.5).
Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Giants and Bucs were confronted with winds greater than 40 mph at the Meadowlands, but the Giants' defense dominated early and often. The Giants were able to hold the Bucs to six three and outs in their first seven possessions. On offense, Eli Manning and Tiki Barber were effective if not spectacular. Near the end of the first quarter, the Giants started a 54-yard drive, culminating on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Plaxico Burress.
Midway through the second quarter, the defense struck again as Cadillac Williams fumbled a pitch and tackle Fred Robbins recovered for New York at the Bucs' 28. The Giants then used a deep pass to Burress and hard-nosed running to extend their lead to 14–0. The touchdown was scored on a one-yard plunge by Brandon Jacobs. Tampa Bay had chances to get back into the game over the next 20 minutes, but several dropped passes and questionable fourth down plays doomed them. Overall, rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski played well for Tampa Bay, but it wasn't enough. The Giants clinched the win late in the fourth quarter with some power running from Jacobs and Barber. Jay Feely added a 31-yard field goal to provide the final points in the 17–3 win.
Rookie defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka had his first ever sack and six tackles, middle linebacker Reggie Torbor added a sack, and Fred Robbins continued his fine season with the fumble recovery. On offense, Barber and Jacobs rushed for over 100 yards combined, Burress notched seven receptions, and Manning completed 16 of 31 passes for 154 yards and the touchdown to Burress. The key was his ability to avoid the mistakes in the blustery conditions.
Note: The two offensive touchdowns scored by the Giants in this game were the first two offensive touchdowns scored against the Bucs since Tiki and Ronde Barber met for the first time during the 1997 season.
Week 9: vs. Houston Texans
The New York Giants defeated
the Houston Texans 14–10 at
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
, despite a lackluster performance on both sides of the ball. The Giants got a break early as Texans place-kicker Kris Brown missed a 42-yard field goal. The Giants responded with a methodical 68-yard drive. RB
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
scored his first touchdown of the season on a 16-yard scamper. He finished the game with 115 rushing yards and 155 total yards from scrimmage.
Houston fought back in the second quarter with a long drive culminating in a Brown field goal. The Giants put together an excellent drive at the end of the first half, but a holding penalty and two sacks forced them to punt. In the third quarter, Houston continued its fine play, putting together an 18-play scoring drive finished by a
David Carr quarterback draw. Carr was outstanding on the day completing 21 of 30 passes for 176 yards. He was not pressured all day, due to injuries to
Osi Umenyiora
Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a ...
,
Justin Tuck, and
Michael Strahan (the star defensive ends).
Trailing 10–7 in the fourth, the Giants offense finally came alive as QB
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
led an outstanding 66-yard scoring drive utilizing the two-minute offense. Tight end
Jeremy Shockey finished the drive on a three-yard play-action toss from Manning putting New York ahead 14–10. The defense preserved the lead by forcing a Houston fumble late in the game. The running game then gained two first downs and WR
Amani Toomer
Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
caught an Eli Manning third down pass to end the game.
Jeremy Shockey led the Giants with eight receptions for 66 yards and Manning threw for 179 yards and one touchdown, along with an interception (at the end of the first half). Mathias Kiwanuka had the only sack of the day for New York.
Week 10: vs. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears met the Giants in a highly anticipated showdown of NFC powerhouses. Since both teams were leading their respective divisions at the time, NBC took advantage of the NFL's new
flexible scheduling policy and made this matchup the first to ever be moved to primetime from Sunday afternoon.
The Giants got off to a good start when Bears quarterback
Rex Grossman was intercepted by
Mathias Kiwanuka
Mathias Kagimu Kiwanuka (born March 8, 1983) is a former American football defensive end. He was originally drafted 32nd overall in the 2006 NFL draft. He played college football at Boston College. He earned two Super Bowl rings with the Giants ...
, returning the ball to the Chicago one-yard line. Running back
Brandon Jacobs plowed in for a 7–0 lead. After forcing two Chicago turnovers, kicker
Jay Feely atoned for an early miss (33 yards) with two long field goals giving New York a 13–3 lead late in the first half.
The Bears responded making the first of several game-turning plays. On third and 22, with the Giants likely to get another possession before half's end, running back
Thomas Jones ran practically untouched for a first down. A few plays later, Grossman hit
Mark Bradley
Mark Anthony Bradley (born January 29, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played five seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. ...
on a 29-yard strike putting the Bears within three. At the start of the second half, the Bears used excellent field position and soft coverage to make big plays, getting inside the Giants 10-yard line. Grossman hit a strike to
Muhsin Muhammad for a 17–13 lead. Following a forced fumble, the Bears broke the game open on a Grossman two-yard pass to tight end
Desmond Clark
Desmond Darice Clark (born April 20, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Fore ...
.
The Giants did not fold; running back
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
(19 carries, 141 yards) broke a 46-yard run to put the Giants inside the Chicago 10. Jacobs capped off the drive with his second touchdown run, getting New York within four. After a Bears punt, kick return star
Devin Hester broke the Giants' backs. Facing a long 51-yard field goal into swirling winds, Jay Feely's kick fell well short and into Hester's hands in the end zone. Seeing the Giants' players not paying attention, Hester scampered up the sideline with the ball for a 108-yard touchdown return to put their lead back to eleven and effectively put the game out of reach. A late touchdown run by Thomas Jones closed the scoring and gave the Bears a 38–20 victory.
For the Giants,
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
and
David Tyree
David Mikel Tyree (born January 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver and executive who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football at Syracuse and ...
finished with four catches, and
Fred Robbins
Fred Robbins (born March 25, 1977) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest.
Robbins also played for the New Y ...
and
R. W. McQuarters
Robert William McQuarters, II (born December 21, 1976) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State.
College career
Mc ...
had sacks.
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
in his worst performance of the season, threw for 121 yards and two interceptions in the defeat.
Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Former head coach Tom Coughlin returned to
Alltel Stadium on Monday night to play against the Jaguars, the team that he led to two conference title games in his tenure there, but it did not go well as the Giants laid an egg, losing 26–10. After Jacksonville muffed a handoff and punted, the Giants had the ball at the Jacksonville 30 but could only muster a field goal. Jacksonville answered with a Josh Scobie field goal near the quarter's end.
The Jaguars then moved ahead for good with a 10-play, 57-yard drive capped off by a Fred Taylor touchdown run. Taylor however fumbled at the Giants goalline near the half's end and the score remained 10–3. Meanwhile, the Giants offense was held to two first downs in the first half and could not generate any threats. Utilizing a short field in the second half, the Jaguars went ahead 13–3 on a Scobie field goal. After a forced fumble was overturned by a penalty, Eli Manning and the Giants finally awakened, going 70 yards in 11 plays culminating on a 24-yard catch and run by Plaxico Burress.
The Giants were in a great position to stop the Jaguars but David Garrard spun out of a sure sack and rushed for a first down, leading to another Scobie field goal. On their next possession, the Giants defense got burned again, as wideout Matt Jones caught a pass from Garrard on third and long for 49 yards.
Maurice Jones-Drew
Maurice Christopher Jones-Drew (born March 23, 1985), often called "MJD", is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and earned unan ...
scored from three yards out and the Giants were done.
Garrard was outstanding on the day completing 19 of 32 passes for over 240 yards and the Jaguars rushed for better than 150 yards. For the Giants, Jeremy Shockey led the team with seven catches and Tiki Barber was held to only 20 yards rushing in the defeat. New York's second straight defeat moves them into a first place tie in the tough NFC East with the resurgent Dallas Cowboys and their quarterback Tony Romo. The loss was the Giants' second consecutive.
Week 12: at Tennessee Titans
What started as a dominating performance ended with one of the most monumental collapses in franchise history as the Giants lost to
the Tennessee Titans 24–21 after leading 21–0 with nine minutes remaining. After stopping the Titans early in the first quarter, the Giants drove 52 yards in nine plays, mixing up the run and pass. The drive culminated in a three-yard touchdown from
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
to
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
. After a second Titans fumble, the Giants extended the margin with a 10-yard touchdown run by
Brandon Jacobs. The Giants opened up a 21-point lead when Jacobs scored again on a short run, late in the first half.
The Giants continued to lead 21–0 until midway through the fourth quarter. With the running game and short passing game moving the ball well, the Giants made the first of several mistakes. Manning threw long to Burress and was intercepted. After
Vince Young was stopped on fourth down, the Giants committed a personal foul that kept the drive alive. Young then threw a score to Bo Scaife bringing the Titans within 14. After a Giants punt and big punt return from
Adam "Pacman" Jones
Adam Bernard Jones (born September 30, 1983) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, most notably with the Cincinnati Bengals. Nicknamed "Pacman", he was dra ...
, Young struck again, this time on a one-yard bootleg. New York was forced to punt again. After the defense held on the first three plays, Young got away on a fluke after Giants' pass rusher Mathias Kiwanuka, thinking the play was dead, unbelievably let go of Vince Young on a sack-to-be, leading to a first down. Six plays later, the Titans were back in the end zone when
Brandon Jones caught a Young pass to tie the game with less than a minute remaining.
Although the game appeared to be headed to overtime, Manning attempted to lead a furious drive into field goal range. Instead, he threw an ill-advised sideline pass, which was intercepted at the 50-yard line. Two passes from Young was enough to set up a 49-yard field goal, which kicker Rob Bironas connected on as time expired, giving the Titans the improbable victory. Manning finished 18 for 28 for 143 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Tiki Barber had 85 yards rushing and Jeremy Shockey had five catches in the devastating defeat.
Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Giants have been victims of their own self-inflicted wounds during the past three games and today's game against the Cowboys yielded no exception as the Giants made crucial mistakes at the worst times, leading to their defeat.
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...
threw to tight end
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten (born May 6, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 17 seasons, primarily for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Univers ...
for a big play with only about 50 seconds remaining. Newly acquired kicker
Martin Gramatica then hit a 46-yard field goal to give Dallas a 23–20 win and a two-game lead in the NFC Eastern Division. It was a hard-fought game from start to finish, but several mental mistakes by the Giants, including four personal foul penalties, a fumble after an interception, terrible play calling in the redzone and questionable timeout with 1:43 remaining, cost the team dearly.
The Giants began well with Eli Manning playing one of his best games in weeks. The Giants traveled 66 yards in 10 plays. Using a combination of good running and pass mixture, Eli Manning hit an open Jeremy Shockey for a 17-yard touchdown. Romo then threw his first of two interceptions, to defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who fumbled the ball as he ran, leading to a Dallas recovery. Three plays later, Dallas was in the endzone as Marion Barber scored. Late in the first half with the Giants moving, New York made another critical mistake. With fourth and inches at the Dallas 21, the Giants called a long handoff that was stuffed. Dallas then went ahead with a field goal for a 10–7 halftime lead.
New York had several opportunities to put the Cowboys on the ropes in the second half, but poor play-calling following long drives hurt them. After traveling to the Dallas five late in the period, a poor pass by Manning, a run for nothing, and another dangerous pass forced the Giants to tie the game with a field goal. After Dallas made a field goal to take a 13–10 lead, Manning again led the Giants downfield. This time, while inside the 10, running back Brandon Jacobs was unthinkably removed from the ball game despite his ability to pound the football. The Giants had to tie the game at 13.
With nine minutes left, Romo led the Cowboys to a 20–13 lead by converting on several crucial first downs on a 12-play, 66-yard drive. On one third down, safety Gibril Wilson nearly intercepted Romo. However, in a trend of mistakes, he did not make the play, and the pass was complete for a first down. Down by seven with minutes to play, Eli Manning led the Giants downfield using a no-huddle offense. Following a long screen pass to Tiki Barber, the Giants committed another mistake; they called a timeout to keep an additional 40 seconds on the clock. Manning capped off the 63 yard march with a seven-yard strike to Plaxico Burress to tie it at 20–20.
But the Giants had no answer on defense for Tony Romo's confidence or late game heroics. The bad timeout came back to haunt the Giants as Romo found Jason Witten open downfield and Gramatica kicked the game-winner. Manning was 24–36 for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and Tiki Barber rushed for 90 yards. Shockey led the Giants with six receptions. The differences in the game were once again the questionable playcalls and poor execution at crucial times in the game. Romo for the day was exceptional, finishing 20 of 34 for 257 passing yards, with two interceptions.
Week 14: at Carolina Panthers
A 27–13 victory over the Carolina Panthers boosted New York to 7–6 and an inside track to an NFC Wildcard spot. In a refreshing change of pace, the Giants did not make any major mistakes and the defense forced three second half turnovers to hold off a potential Panther rally. With RB
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
running well early, the Giants jumped out to a 10–0 lead, courtesy of a
Jay Feely 32-yard field goal and a 28-yard touchdown from QB
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
to WR
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
. The Giants surrendered the lead however as Panthers' backup quarterback
Chris Weinke hit WR
Drew Carter
Christopher Drew Carter (born September 5, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college footba ...
on a 36-yard strike and
John Kasay
John David Kasay (born October 27, 1969) is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the Se ...
kicked a field goal. Right before halftime, Manning and the Giants went to the two-minute drill, driving right down the field. The drive included an important third down completion from Manning to TE
Jeremy Shockey. Shockey then caught a two-yard rollout from Manning for a 17–10 halftime lead.
The Giants took control in the third quarter as Weinke was intercepted for the first of three times, two by safety
Gibril Wilson. Feely added his second field goal making it 20–10. After Wilson's second forced interception, the Giants extended the lead with some excellent running from Barber and RB
Brandon Jacobs. A slip-screen to Barber from Manning, pushed the ball inside the five and Manning then hit WR
David Tyree
David Mikel Tyree (born January 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver and executive who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football at Syracuse and ...
on a three-yard touchdown to put Big Blue up 17. Although Weinke threw for over 400 yards, the defense made the key plays in critical moments. Rookie DB
Kevin Dockery
Kevin Dockery (born January 8, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Mississippi State.
Dockery has also been a member of the St. L ...
recorded his second interception of the season late in the game. Tiki Barber rushed for 112 yards on 20 carries, Burress led the Giants with 77 yards receiving on four catches, and Manning despite a shaky start, finished 17 of 33 for 172 yards while throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Giants win. The win also saw the potential emergence of rookie wide receiver
Sinorice Moss
Sinorice Travonce Moss (born December 28, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draf ...
who showed good speed on catching quick-outs from Manning. Moss had two receptions on the day. With the win, the G-Men also snapped their four-game losing skid.
Tiki Barber became the first Giant running back in franchise history to gain over 10,000 career rushing yards and also became the third player in NFL history to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in an NFL career, joining
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
and
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-y ...
.
Week 15: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants hosted
the Philadelphia Eagles in a match crucial to their playoff and divisional title hopes. The Giants started off well, stopping the Eagles quickly.
Chad Morton
Chad Akio Morton (born April 4, 1977) is a former American football running back and kick/ punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted from USC late in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. After a st ...
then returned a punt to the Eagle 21 and
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
scored from 11 yards out giving New York an early lead. After Philadelphia converted a third and 11, quarterback
Jeff Garcia drove his team the length of field and
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter (; born October 6, 1978) is a former American football running back who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Nebraska, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in th ...
tied the game. The Giants offense, although moving well, was hurt by several penalties and fumbles by
Visanthe Shiancoe and
Brandon Jacobs. The Eagles went ahead 14–7 with a one-yard run by
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...
on fourth down, and the Giants added a
Jay Feely field goal to make it 14–10 at the recess.
The Giants had several opportunities to take command in the second half, but red zone difficulties, similar to those experienced against the Cowboys in week 13, hurt their chances.
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
hit
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
in stride for a big gain to get inside the 10, but were forced to settle for a field goal. After forcing a fumble on the ensuing Eagles possession, the Giants had the ball first and goal from the seven-yard line, but two runs and a pass yielded zero yards and Feely kicked another short field goal, putting the Giants ahead 16–14.
The Eagles came right back as
Reno Mahe returned the ensuing kick 64 yards for Philadelphia. Westbrook then ran through a gaping hole 28 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles' next drive ended with an interception by Giants cornerback
Will Demps
William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7, 1979) is a former American football safety who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at San Diego State.
Demps also played for the New York G ...
. The Giants took advantage on a drive culminating with a Jacobs score from one yard out. After the score, the Giants went for the two-point conversion, but were denied on a draw play, leaving the score 22–21 with seven minutes remaining. Garcia responded swiftly by driving his squad 80 yards in eight plays; an 18-yard strike to
Reggie Brown Reggie Brown may refer to:
*Reggie Brown (American football coach) (1876–1961), American college football coach at Boston University from 1926–1929
*Reginald J. Brown (1940–2005), U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affa ...
and a conversion put the Eagles up seven. Manning was then intercepted on the following drive for an insurance touchdown by
Trent Cole
Trent James Cole Jr. (born October 5, 1982) is a retired American football defensive end and outside linebacker. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles as well his final two with ...
, ostensibly putting the game away for Philadelphia.
For the game, the Eagles 31st-ranked rush defense held the Giants to 88 net running yards, Manning threw for 282 yards on 28 of 40 passing, Burress recorded 120 receiving yards and
Jeremy Shockey had eight receptions for 70 yards.
Carlos Emmons and Will Demps recorded the only sacks for the Giants. For Philadelphia, Jeff Garcia continued his surprising rebirth, completing 19 of 28 passes for 237 yards and one touchdown (along with one interception), and Brian Westbrook gained over 140 total yards while scoring a touchdown.
Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints
In
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
's final home game as a Giant, New York seemingly (but not officially) needed a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. The game started well for the Giants with
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
throwing a 55-yard touchdown to
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
touchdown on the Giants' opening possession. After stopping the Saints, returner
Chad Morton
Chad Akio Morton (born April 4, 1977) is a former American football running back and kick/ punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted from USC late in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. After a st ...
fumbled a punt, resulting in a Saints field goal. After a second field goal, the Saints marched downfield again, orchestrating an 18-play drive for a touchdown. Twice, the Saints converted on fourth down, including a two-yard touchdown from
Drew Brees to
Marques Colston for a 13–7 lead.
In the second half, the Saints took command of the game, as the Saints running game frustrated the Giants defense.
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred Bush Jr. (born March 2, 1985) is an American former football running back who now serves as an on-air college football analyst for Fox Sports. He played college football at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors twi ...
added a one-yard touchdown to put the Saints up 20–7.
Deuce McAllister
Dulymus Jenod "Deuce" McAllister (born December 27, 1978) is an American former football running back who played eight seasons for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Ole Miss and was dr ...
later scored a nine-yard touchdown and John Carney hit his third field goal to close out the scoring in a 30–7 loss for the Giants, their sixth in seven games. In his final home game, Barber was held to 71 rushing yards, the Giants dropped eight passes, and Manning missed on 16 of his final 19 pass attempts. Towards the end of the third quarter, a chant of "Fire
Coughlin Coughlin ( , or, according to the cases, traditional Irish English: ) is a surname of Irish origin ( or ), meaning 'son of the one with the cloak'. Notable people with the surname include:
*Bill Coughlin (1878–1943), American baseball playe ...
" rained down from the rafters of Giants Stadium from fans disgruntled with the Giants' play in the second half of the season.
Amazingly, the Giants were still mathematically alive for the NFC's final wild card spot, tied with four other teams at 7–8.
Week 17: at Washington Redskins
Quarterback Coach
Kevin Gilbride
Kevin Bernard Gilbride (born August 27, 1951) is an American football head coach. He was a coach for twenty years in the NFL, spending seven of them as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, with whom he earned two Super Bowl rin ...
took over the play calling this week, and the Giants went back to what worked in 2005, the running game.
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
, in his final regular season game as a Giant, played the best game of his career, rushing for a franchise-record 234 yards on 23 carries, including three touchdowns to help spark New York to a 34–28 win over
the Washington Redskins. At 8–8, the Giants, despite a 2–6 second half of the season, were able to qualify as a wild card team in
the NFC playoffs.
The defense made the first big play of the game as
Fred Robbins
Fred Robbins (born March 25, 1977) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wake Forest.
Robbins also played for the New Y ...
picked up a
Ladell Betts
Ladell Betts (born August 27, 1979) is an American football coach and former running back who is currently the running backs coach at the University of Iowa. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He ...
fumble and ran 67 yards to the Redskins' 12.
Jay Feely hit a short field goal for a 3–0 lead. After Washington took a 7–3 lead on a touchdown pass from
Antwaan Randle El to
Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss (born June 1, 1979) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami, where he earned All-American hon ...
, Barber took control. He ran straight through the Washington front four to score from 15 yards out for a 10–7, then added a 55-yard spectacular run for a 17–7 lead. Feely added another field goal for a 20–7 halftime lead.
The Giants defense set the tone for the third quarter as backup safety
Jason Bell intercepted
Jason Campbell.
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
, despite a mediocre performance, tossed a perfect six-yard play action pass to wide receiver
Tim Carter extending New York's lead to 20. However, the Giants defense, which has been susceptible to giving up leads this season allowed Washington to get back into the game. After
Osi Umenyiora
Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a ...
missed a sack on Campbell, the Redskins quarterback hit Betts on fourth down for a touchdown. After a Giants punt,
T. J. Duckett
Todd Jeffery Duckett (born February 17, 1981) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons 18th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft and also played for the Washington Redskins, D ...
closed the lead to six with a one-yard plunge.
Barber extended the lead by ripping off another big run, this time from 50 yards for a 34–21 lead. But the Redskins didn't go away. A lack of pass rush added to poor coverage in the secondary allowed the Redskins to move 68 yards in eight plays for another touchdown. At last, on fourth-and-10 late in the game, safety
Gibril Wilson broke up a pass intended for Randle El, and the Giants ran out the clock. Barber's 234 rushing yards were the most ever by a Giant in a single game. For the season, he rushed for 1,662 yards. And Tiki Barber became the third active player in NFL history to have four 2,000 total yard seasons, joining
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
and
Dante Hall. Manning, despite throwing for only 101 yards, did not make any crucial mistakes and finished the season with 3,244 passing yards with 24 touchdowns. The big improvement however was in his completion percentage. For the year, he hit on 57.7% of his passes, a near five percent improvement from 2005.
Because
the St. Louis Rams,
the Carolina Panthers and
the Houston Texans won their games the following day, the Giants clinched the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Green Bay Packers to clinch the final playoff spot in the NFC. The Giants became the eighth team in NFL history to
make the playoffs with an 8–8 record.
Playoffs
NFC Wild Card Round: at Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants were defeated on a last second, 38-yard field goal by the Philadelphia Eagles'
David Akers in their first round playoff game to finish the 2006 season. The 23–20 defeat officially ended the Giants' season and
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...
's career. Quarterback
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
, despite an 0–2 postseason record was far better this time around as compared to last year's matchup versus
the Carolina Panthers. He got off to a fast start against the Philadelphia Eagles today.
Taking the opening kickoff, Manning used some solid passes and Barber running to move right down the field. The 67-yard drive was culminated in a 17-yard strike from Manning to
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played 12 seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth ove ...
. However, after the opening drive, the offense missed several opportunities to break the game open in the first half as the defense stuffed the Eagles' attack, yielding good field position. Three separate times the Giants started at their own 47 or better, but could not get any more points. The Eagles finally got going in the second quarter as Giant killer
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...
ran 49 yards to tie the game at 7–7. Philadelphia extended their lead to 10–7 with a short Akers field goal after the defense tightened up at the goalline.
New York responded with an 11 play drive to get inside the Philadelphia 5-yard line, but in a recurring theme this season, the offense could not score a touchdown.
Brandon Jacobs was taken out of the game and the move was questioned by analysts and fans alike.
Jay Feely's field goal tied the game at 10–10, but the Eagles moved 80 yards in 10 plays to take a 17–10 halftime lead. Jeff Garcia who was held in check for most of the game, hit
Donte' Stallworth on a 28-yard pass to score the touchdown.
The Eagles extended their lead to 20–10 with a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter before the Giants responded with a 65-yard drive to cut the lead to 20–13. However, the Giants after getting inside the 10 again, could not convert and Feely was summoned for the kick. The Giants' defense, tough all day stopped Philadelphia again and then Eli Manning led a tremendous 13 play, 80 drive to tie the game at 20–20. On the drive, the Giants converted three third downs, including a 3rd 12 after the Giants had 1st and 30. Burress converted the final third down, then Manning hit him with a bullet for a touchdown to the tie the score. However, Westbrook's tough running and safe passes from Garcia got David Akers in position for the game winning kick as the clock ran out.
For the day, Manning completed 16 of 27 passes for 161 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Barber in his final game rushed for 137 tough yards and Burress led the Giants with five receptions for 89 yards in the postseason defeat as the Giants finished their season with an overall record of 8–9.
See also
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History of the New York Giants (1994-present)
The New York Giants, an American football team which currently plays in the National Football League's National Football Conference, has a history dating back more than 80 seasons. The Giants have won 4 Super Bowls and drafted, Daniel Jones, in 2 ...
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List of New York Giants seasons
The New York Giants are an American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They are a member of the National Football League (NFL) and play in the NFL's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. In 96 completed seasons, the fr ...
Footnotes and references
External links
New York Giants official website: history section
{{2006 NFL season by team
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
New York Giants seasons
New York Giants season
21st century in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Meadowlands Sports Complex