New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles Week 14 Highlights

New York Giants look to beat down Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night

It really doesn't get any better than this December night: Giants vs. Eagles, teams that can't stand each other, perfect NFC East bone-chilling weather and the Giants desperately trying to save their season again after the Cowboys generously administered life support last weekend.

What more could you want?

"This is what you live for," Justin Tuck said.

The Giants dialed up the emotion, reached down deep and found their pride against Dallas. They played with an attitude. Now they have to do it against the Eagles. It's the final weeks for Giants Stadium and the old joint will be jumping Sunday night.

"We know it's going to be a fistfight," David Diehl said. "They don't like us. We don't like them. They are right down the Turnpike. This is what this game is all about."

This already is the single-elimination playoff season for the Giants. If the season ended right now, they wouldn't make the postseason. But if the Cowboys lose to the Chargers at home Sunday afternoon and the Giants beat the Eagles, then the Giants will jump into first place in the NFC East. If they lose, they can forget about the NFC East title - they will be down two games and the tiebreakers to the Eagles with three games left - and then need help to make it as a wild-card.

Giants' Playoff Future Rests in Eli Manning's Hands

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning raised his play to rare heights in a postseason run two years ago that culminated in a Super Bowlupset of the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

Now, as streaky New York hosts the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants hope Sunday night's NFC East showdown inspires an encore performance not far from the lights of Broadway.

"Anytime you are in the stretch — you are in December — you are talking to your team about playing their best, (and) obviously the quarterback has to play very well," sixth-year coach Tom Coughlin says.

Manning, 28, has watched older brother Peyton make it look easy at times in guiding the Indianapolis Colts (12-0) to the AFC South crown. Meanwhile, Eli has been as inconsistent as his unpredictable team while battling a foot problem, the first significant injury of his NFL career.

New York Giants can take huge step toward NFC East crown with KO of Donovan McNabb, Eagles

The Giants' two-month slump opened the door for the Cowboys and Eagles to take control of the NFC East, but neither of them managed to pull away. The Cowboys even had a chance to finish off the Giants themselves last weekend, but blew that, too.

So now here the Giants are, still teetering on the edge of elimination, but with an unexpected last chance to thrust themselves into the thick of the NFC East title chase - maybe even the lead.

"The way the season has gone we didn't think we would have this chance," said running back Brandon Jacobs. "They couldn't kick us out when we were playing bad so now you have to live with us."

How much longer the NFC East will have to live with the Giants (7-5) will become much clearer Sunday night when they face the Eagles (8-4) at what could be a very cold and wet Giants Stadium. A loss by the Giants and they'll have all-but conceded the division race. But if they win they could wake up Monday morning locked in a first-place tie.

Flozell Adams vs Justin Tuck

NY Giants' revamped defense will face challenge against high-flying Philadelphia Eagles offense

Most of the focus was on DE Osi Umenyiora’s demotion, but DT Fred Robbins also lost his starting job.

“It was disappointing, but I still have to perform,” Robbins said after playing spot duty in Sunday’s victory over the Cowboys. “I still have to go out there and do my job to the best of my ability. That’s all I can do.”

Robbins said his surgically repaired knee “isn’t an issue” and that he knows he must prove he’s not slowing down at age 32.

“It’s going to take more than one game to get back,” he said. “I still feel like I’m capable of performing.”

New York Giants not handling tight end Kevin Boss' hits to head with care

There's a picture that was sent to Kevin Boss that summed up his season - a dramatic action shot of him making a 25-yard catch. The picture caught him just as he took a brutal, helmet-to-helmet hit from Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle in October.

He called it "funny" even though by just looking at it he could almost feel the pain.

"It was a pretty funny expression on my face, though I don't even know if you could call it an expression," Boss said. "My eyes were just closed and it looked like I was saying 'Ouch.' To say the least."

That was the first of two helmet-to-helmet hits the Giants' tight end took in a two-week span (the other came from Chargers safety Eric Weddle), and despite the look of pain and the fact that he felt like he was in a car wreck the next mornings, Boss insists he did not suffer any concussions. The Giants' doctors agreed because Boss missed only a handful of plays in each game. Even Boss admitted that's a surprise. "Yeah, I'm definitely surprised," he said. "It's one of those things where I definitely had my bell rung a little bit. But it wasn't the type of thing where I was blacked out or was knocked out and can't remember anything."

Giants' Jacobs enjoys his part in win over Dallas Cowboys

There are Cowboy lovers and Cowboy loathers, and by now, Brandon Jacobs has rather famously planted himself among the latter.

Sunday, the New York Giants running back added some fuel to the conversation with his 74-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter to give the Giants the lead and momentum.

Jacobs, usually a target of last resort for Giants quarterback Eli Manning, took great delight in giving the Cowboys a figurative thumb in the eye.

"Oh, ... no question," Jacobs said. "This is so good. This is the first time in my five years we've beaten the Cowboys twice in one season. It makes me feel on top of the world."

Jacobs, it should be noted, has been a 1,000-yard rusher twice in his NFL career, but has rarely done much damage to the Cowboys – save for a 117-yard outing last season.

Dallas brings out best in Giants, but Big Blue will get intense test from Eagles

It took the hated Cowboys to bring back the passion and intensity in theGiants that mysteriously had been missing for almost two months.

The Giants saved their season with the 31-24 victory Sunday that had playoff intensity and implications. For at least a week, the Giants are back in business, one game behind the 'Boys and Eagles in the NFC East after sweeping Dallas for the first time since 2004.

"Dallas is a team that I just absolutely can't stand," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. "I've been hating Dallas ever since I knew anything about football. ... This feels so good."

Domenik Hixon's 79-yard punt return for touchdown a key play of NY Giants' 31-24 victory over Dallas Cowboys

Derek Hagan and Kevin Dockery were so enthused that they tumbled over. Head coach Tom Coughlin delivered a fist pump so hearty it looked more like a golf swing. Defensive end Justin Tuck joyfully flopped his 182-pound teammate over his right shoulder.

Domenik Hixon couldn’t remember all the details of the celebration following his 79-yard punt return for a touchdown Sunday night against Dallas, but there was really only one that mattered.

His score put the Giants up 14 points with just over five minutes to play, one of the decisive moments in their eventual 31-24 victory over the Cowboys.

“I wouldn’t even know how to describe it,” Hixon said of the aftermath of the play. “We knew that a big play on special teams is a momentum changer, and that’s what we tried to do.”

One big play by Brandon Jacobs just might have turned NY Giants' season around

The play that could end up saving the Giants’ season was supposed to get about 5 yards.  Hey, they had to start somewhere, right?  Brandon Jacobs caught the ball in the flat, turned upfield and figured he could get 15. Maybe 20.  Eli Manning saw him running down the sideline and thought, all right, this could be a big one.  But no one, least of all the Cowboys giving chase, figured he could go all 74 yards for a momentum-changing — maybe season changing — touchdown.

“I’ve never seen him run that fast,” head coach Tom Coughlin said after a 31-24 victory moved his team to within a game of first place in the NFC East. “I just reminded him of that, too.”

So if this rocky season takes an improbable turn to a successful run in the playoffs, we know where it started.

New York Giants Beat The Dallas Cowboys 31-24 Week 13 Game Highlights

Eli Manning, new-look defense lead Giants to Big 31-24 win over Cowboys

All week long the Giants stubbornly refused to admit the Dallas Cowboys had become the team to beat in the NFC East.

Now we know why.

With their season in danger of slipping away, the Giants came up with one of their finest performances of the year Sunday and turned the division into what could be a wild, three-team race. They got a big game from their new-look defense, a huge play from Brandon Jacobs, and a remarkable punt return for a touchdown by Domenik Hixon as they beat the Cowboys at the Meadowlands, 31-24.

The big play was a 74-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Brandon Jacobs, who ran about 70 of those yards after catching a short pass near the end of the third quarter, giving the Giants a 21-17 lead into the fourth. And Hixon's 79-yard punt return for a touchdown with 5:33 remaining put the game away.

NY Giants' playoff hopes bolstered by 31-24 victory against Dallas Cowboys

Sunday evening, the Giants took control of their critical division game against the Cowboys -- and, perhaps, their season. Bolstered by running back Brandon Jacobs' 74-yard touchdown play and a 79-yard punt return from Domenik Hixon, the Giants fought their way to a 31-24 victory against Dallas at home.

With the win, the Giants (7-5) pulled within a half-game of the Cowboys (8-4) in the division standings, if the tiebreaker is factored in. The Eagles (8-4), who come to Giants Stadium next Sunday, are tied with Dallas atop the NFC East.

The Giants had led at the half, 14-10, after a pair of touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half. They had a chance to add to that lead when they came back out for the second half, but quarterback Eli Manning threw an interception in the end zone to Dallas cornerback Mike Jenkins.

NY Giants without safety Michael Johnson vs. Dallas Cowboys

Of all the positions on their roster, the last one at which the Giants could afford to lose another player to injury is safety.

But that's exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon when starterMichael Johnson was declared inactive for the game against the Cowboys with a groin injury suffered on Thanksgiving against the Broncos. Johnson was listed as questionable but seemed a lot closer to doubtful all week. It's his first missed game in his three seasons with the Giants, snapping his consecutive games streak at 48 (including postseason).

With Johnson out, the beleaguered C.C. Brown will make his first start since Week 6, when he struggled against the Eagles. Brown also had a few miscues in the loss to Denver. Aaron Ross will play safety in nickel and dime packages.

Time to put up or shut up: With season on line, Giants need to walk the walk against surging Cowboys

The Giants have spent two months explaining how good they really are, how confident they are, and how they're sure they'll find a way out of their slump. Now, with less than a month left in the season, they're faced with this bleak reality:

They're nearly out of time.

In fact, it's now or never, at least as far as the NFC East race is concerned when the slumping Giants (6-5) mount one last divisional stand against the Dallas Cowboys (8-3) at Giants Stadium this afternoon.

A loss would put them three games back with only four games to go.

And given how poorly they've played, while losing five of their last six games, that's far too big a deficit for the Giants to overcome.

Brandon Jacobs loves to hate Dallas Cowboys

Growing up in Napoleonville, La., population 700, Brandon Jacobswas surrounded by Cowboys fans.

His family cheered for the Cowboys. So did some of his friends. It seemed that everywhere he went he ran into Cowboys fans, from community college, to Auburn and on to Southern Illinois.

So being a bruising running back for the New York Giants has been a bonus, allowing him two opportunities per season to spew anti-Cowboys venom.

"If I play for the Giants, or if I play for Buffalo, or if I play for anybody, my hatred for the Cowboys will remain the same because as a kid I just never liked the Cowboys," Jacobs said Thursday. "No one ever did anything to me. It's just that I took the team that a lot of people loved and that was the one I disliked."

AHMAD BRADSHAW WILL PLAY SUNDAY AGAINST COWBOYS

Ahmad Bradshaw sounded like he's ready to return to action tomorrow in a potentially important development for the Giants' sagging running attack.

The electric running back missed the Thanksgiving loss to the Broncos with two sprained ankles, and didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday this week. But after being able to practice yesterday, Bradshaw said he feels fantastic.

"My ankle feels 10 times better than two days ago," he said.  Bradshaw officially is listed as questionable but said he could handle his normal workload against Dallas.

"I'm ready for anything right now," he said.

Bradshaw also said he thinks his absence has hurt Brandon Jacobs.

FIVE KEYS TO BEATING THE DALLAS COWBOYS

1. Stop The Run
You may remember their week two matchup in which the Cowboys ran for 251 yards on only 29 carries, good for an embarrassing 8.7 yards per carry. Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tony Romo each had rushing touchdowns.
Simply put: if the Cowboys come even close to these numbers, the Giants will be blown out. They were lucky to come away with a victory last time, and this time all of the other pieces will not fall into place.
The Giants cannot hope that Tony Romo will have a repeat performance of his worst game of the year. If they allow the Cowboys to run wild again, it won’t matter what else they do. The Giants haven’t had a game like this since, but you can be sure the Cowboys will try to find what worked in that game and get back to it.

NFL FILMS: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants Week 13 Preview Video

New York Giants' Osi Umenyiora may head to bench as defense struggles

With the season slipping away and the beleaguered defense not getting any better, the Giants finally seem ready to shake things up.

It appears that defensive end Osi Umenyiora and defensive tackle Fred Robbins have been demoted out of the starting lineup just in time for the Giants' crucial game against the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow. Though Tom Coughlin wouldn't confirm any moves, end Mathias Kiwanuka and tackle Chris Canty were working in those spots with the first-team defense at practice Friday.
And after a six-game stretch in which the Giants have lost five games and given up an average of 31.7 points, nobody should be surprised.

"At this point, if it saves our season, Coach would try anything to get this thing right," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "I don't see why it's a big deal."

Giants need to tap into hatred of Cowboys this Sunday

Nothing has worked.

Not reminding the Giants of the urgency of the situation. Not demanding greater attention to detail. Not even questioning their pride.All the attempts to beseech the Giants into shedding their losing ways have fallen on deaf ears and been met with blank stares. Losing persists. Perhaps there might be only one motivational tool left in the shed.

Good, old-fashioned loathing of the Cowboys -- this Sunday's opponent at Giants Stadium.

"Once I signed to the Giants, I felt like that was the team to beat in our division," linebacker Danny Clark said. "Speaking to some people in this organization, they made it very, very clear that Dallas is a team we need to beat.

Giants face huge problems for remainder of season

The New York Giants' problems only seem to get bigger as the season progresses, and in what has been a frustrating 2009 campaign overall.

Plagued by injuries and the inability to play well consistently, the Giants are watching their playoff hopes slowly fade away.

The Giants have been fighting to stay healthy all season, but with the recent loss of linebacker Antonio Pierce it seems the harder the Giants fight the harder they fall. With the loss of Pierce, the Giants not only lose their Pro Bowl inside linebacker, but their team captain and the heart and soul of the defense.

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw and safety Michael Johnson out of practice again

The three Giants players who missed practice on Wednesday (Ahmad Bradshaw, Michael Johnson and DJ Ware) are out once again Thursday, though Bradshaw was doing heavy work on the side.

The Giants' running back, who missed last week's game against the Broncos with an ankle sprain, was doing full sprints and appeared to have no issues or limitations while running. I continue to hear optimism on Bradshaw, which means he might return to practice Friday and should play Sunday against the Cowboys.

Johnson (groin), however, might not be on the field against Dallas. He didn't do anything except stretch and jog very lightly during the portion of practice open to the media Thursday. We'll see if he makes any progress Friday.

The Giants have yet to make a roster move to replace linebacker Antonio Pierce. At this point, they'll wait to see what happens with Johnson and then decide if they should bring up one of the safeties from their practice squad (Sha'reff Rashad or Vince Anderson).


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New York Giants know NFC East is at stake as Dallas Cowboys come to town

The Giants know another loss would damage their playoff chances and all but eliminate them from the NFC East race. And they are sure the Dallas Cowboys would love to be the ones to put them out of their misery.

But they are refusing to go quietly. In fact, they're not ready to give up on this season at all.

"They're looking to deliver the knockout punch," said Giants guard Chris Snee. "We'll see who delivers the knockout on Sunday."

Maybe it's a just an act of defiance, but the reeling Giants expressed confidence yesterday as they began preparing for their must-win, NFC East showdown with the Cowboys at the Meadowlands on Sunday. They have lost five of their last six games and are two games behind the Cowboys (8-3) with just five games remaining.

Yet their belief still seems to be as strong as ever. The Giants (6-5) seem to have no intention of conceding the NFC East.

"This division is wide open," said linebacker Michael Boley. "At this point in the year with this many games left it's up in the air. It's a crapshoot. I'm not going to say they're the team to beat. Anybody has a chance to win this division. It's all about how you finish."

Of course, at the moment, the Cowboys seem to be primed to finish strongly. They have won six of seven to seize control of the division, and they are coming off a 24-7 Thanksgiving Day win over Oakland. They seemed to fix their offensive problems after scoring just two touchdowns in the previous two games.

Meanwhile the Giants have gone in the opposite direction ever since they threatened to run away from the pack with a 5-0start that included a 33-31 win over the Cowboys in Dallas on Sept. 20. Despite that, defensive end Justin Tuck said earlier this week that, on a scale of one to 10, his confidence is an "11". And his teammates seem to feel the same way.

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With Bradshaw, Ware out, Giants need help at running back

Can anybody out there play running back?

If so, contact the Giants. You're needed this weekend.

A position that once was bursting with talented players is now almost devoid of them. Ahmad Bradshaw (two sprained ankles) and DJ Ware (concussion) did not practice today for the Giants and neither is expected to be ready in time for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

That means for the moment the running back situation is Brandon Jacobs as the starter, seldom-used Gartrell Johnson (11 career NFL rushing attempts) in reserve and no one after that.

The Giants have a roster addition to make after putting linebacker Antonio Pierce on injured reserve and it appears as if they will add a running back.

Tom Coughlin said "We're keeping out fingers crossed'' regarding Bradshaw and added the team will take a cautious approach with Ware, who suffered a concussion Thanksgiving night in Denver.

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NY Giants running back DJ Ware officially out for Dallas Cowboys game

Before Wednesday's practice, coach Tom Coughlin said the Giants' medical staff would be "very cautious" with running back DJ Ware, who suffered a concussion Thanksgiving night in Denver. Apparently, their caution is enough to keep him off the field Sunday, as Ware -- formerly known as Danny -- has already been declared "out" for the Cowboys game.

The decision ensures the Giants will be down a running back Sunday -- and they could be down two. Teammate Ahmad Bradshaw sat out the Broncos game with a new injury to his left foot, on top of battling a pair of injuries in his right foot for most of the season.

Bradshaw, like Ware, did not practice Wednesday, and his status for the weekend is uncertain. But Bradshaw was not wearing a boot on either foot and was walking around during drills, clearly an improvement from last week when he was on crutches two days before the Denver game.

"We are keeping our fingers crossed," Coughlin said.

In the meantime, fourth running back Gartrell Johson, the waiver-wire pickup whose first game with the Giants was against the Cowboys in Week 2, is preparing for the possibility of seeing ee more time this week.

"It’s part of being professional, you have to get yourself ready every week," Johnson said. "But this week, I’m more honed in. I could just get thrown in at any time, so I’m alert and I’m ready."

On the rest of the team's injury report, S Michael Johnson (groin) did not practice. WR Derek Hagan (hamstring) was limited. QB Eli Manning (foot) and LB Michael Boley (back) practiced fully.

Antonio Pierce's leadership will be tough to replace for New York Giants

Antonio Pierce is not the player he was when the Giants signed him to a six-year, $26 million contract in 2005. And now that he's 31 and has a bulging disk in his neck, he may never be that player again. So the Giants have to start thinking about their future at middle linebacker.

What they'll find, however, is that Pierce won't be so easy to replace.

Pierce may not be the play-making, impact linebacker that he always thought he was, and he wouldn't make many lists of the best middle linebackers in the game, but his value to the Giants has always been about more than just his play. He's the on-field mind that makes sure everyone's in the right position.

More importantly, he has been the Giants' heart and emotional leader for most of the last five years.

"He's certainly going to be missed," Tom Coughlin said after Pierce was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Monday. "You have a guy who's been a three-year captain. He's an outstanding leader. He rallies the troops as well as anybody we've had. He's a very strong personality, obviously."

So strong, in fact, that many players have said he was the true leader of the defense even when Michael Strahan was around. Strahan may have been revered, but Pierce had more of a connection with his teammates. The linebacker set the tone for the team, which usually rode the enormous chip on his shoulder, and it always looked to him when things got rough.

Who's that type of leader now? There might not be an answer. Justin Tuck, valiantly trying to play through shoulder and leg injuries, seems to prefer to lead by example. Osi Umenyiora, who once walked out on his defensive coordinator and team in a huff earlier this season, tried to fire up his team in Denver, but his effort looked more like an angry rant.

When it comes to fire and passion and commanding respect and pushing the right buttons of other players, there's no one left on the Giants' defense quite like Pierce.

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New York Giants Lose vs Denver Broncos 26-6 Week 12 Highlights

Giants must fight for playoff survival against divisional rivals

For the NY Giants, the time has come. The Gmen face the hated Cowboys this Sunday, and the dreaded Eagles the following Sunday. With their backs against the wall, the Giants must prevail in both contests if they plan to continue playing football past Week 17. Behind the Dallas Cowboys a full 2 games in the standings, the Giants do not have much wiggle room in the win/loss column.

Currently 6-5 and "on the bubble" for a wildcard spot in the NFC - the Giants have an opportunity here and now to reclaim the division they once so boldly controlled just a few weeks ago. Depending on how the Cowboys and Eagles play in the next two weeks, the potential for a 2-way or even a 3-way tie for the NFC East by Week 14. This would work in the Giants favor as they hold a majority of the divisional tie-breakers based on the wins over Washington and Dallas in the early weeks of the 2009 season.

Hosting these two vital games is a decided advantage for the Giants, and the 12/13 game against the Eagles is the NBC Sunday Night game. So the Giants will have an opportunity to prove to the entire national audience that Big Blue is still alive and kicking. Injuries are still a significant reason behind the Giants recent losses; and one of the many tests the Giants will face over the next two week stretch. Can the Giants stay healthy (as possible!) and field a team that will match the intensity and desire to win that we witnessed the first half of the 2009-10 season.

With the loss of LB Antonio Pierce injuries continue to plague the Giants; who will step up to lead the defense? It is Coach Coughlin's responsibility to send out onto the field the best team possible.

This two-week battle will define the 2009-10 NY Giants.

With Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in back-to-back games, are New York Giants done in NFC East

The Giants have turned this into a forgettable season. They've lacked their trademark resilience, don't fight through adversity, no longer impose their will. They don't look anything like the team that won the Super Bowl two years ago.

Now they face a two-week battle for playoff survival against the hatedCowboys and Eagles.

There's no indication they have it in them to reach down deep, show some of the old Giants pride and put this season back together. That means by the time they absorb the one-two punch from the Cowboys and Eagles in back-to-back home games, they will be knocked out of the NFC East race and hanging on the ropes in the wild-card fight.

The Giants have made the playoffs four straight years, the second longest current streak in league behind the Colts, who have made it seven straight. The Giants were due for one of these down years.

The unknown: Just how hurt is Eli Manning? He predictably downplayed the latest development with his right foot. It started out as plantar fasciitis in October, but two weeks ago an MRI revealed it had progressed to a stress reaction. Any further damage could lead to a stress fracture. "I'm going about my business," Manning said Monday. "It hasn't affected my practicing and my playing. Hopefully, it doesn't get worse. I feel like it's getting better."

It just doesn't sound good that the $106.9 million quarterback has a messed-up foot as the Giants try to show some heart and make a playoff run.

Manning says he's not worried about his foot. How can he not be worried about his team?

The annoying part for Manning is having to show up early and stay late for treatment sessions. But there is nothing in the trainer's room that can fix this broken season.

The surgery will come in the offseason when Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin decide who stays and who goes. One of the first casualties could be linebacker Antonio Pierce, who missed the last two games and Monday was put on season-ending injured reserve with a neck injury. Pierce wasn't having an impact season, but his leadership will be missed.

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