Giants Continue To Roll In Win Over Arizona
POSTED: 11:36 pm EST November 23,
2008
Glendale, AZ -- (Sports Network) - Eli Manning completed 26-of-33 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns as the New York Giants kept rolling with a 37-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.Kevin Boss, Amani Toomer and Madison Hedgecock were on the receiving end of TD passes from Manning for the Giants (10-1), who have won six consecutive games. Derrick Ward added 69 yards and a score on 20 carries while kicker John Carney was perfect on four extra points and three field goals. Giants wideout Plaxico Burress aggravated a hamstring injury in the second quarter and did not return. New York also played without running back Brandon Jacobs because of a knee injury. "We had two of our normal starters out of the game tonight, but the guys rose up and played very well," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. "Eli played very, very well. We took advantage of some opportunities. We were plus-two in the turnover area. We knew we had to be that way." Kurt Warner threw for 351 yards, one touchdown and an interception on 32-of-52 completions for the Cardinals (7-4), whose three-game win streak was halted. Tim Hightower scored two rushing TDs and Anquan Boldin caught 11 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown in defeat. "That's a well-coached football team that has a tremendous amount of depth -- that doesn't make many mistakes," said Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt. "To me, that was the key today. We just made too many mistakes." Manning connected with Boss on a 10-yard touchdown 45 seconds into the fourth which gave the Giants a 31-19 advantage, and Carney hit from 27 yards out with 6:17 remaining for a 15-point New York edge. However, the Cards snuck back within 34-26 as Boldin hauled in a five-yard pass from Warner a little more than two minutes later. The Giants recovered the onsides kick and Carney was good from 33 yards out right after the two-minute warning for a 37-26 game. Rackers countered from 44 yards to make it 37-29 after Arizona went 43 yards in eight plays. New York made a clean recovery of Rackers' onside kick and Manning took a knee to run off the remaining seconds. "Guys stepped up and made crucial plays for us at crucial times," said Manning. "It was a good game to come back out and get our passing game going a little bit." Arizona's first possession of the contest yielded a 34-yard field goal from Rackers. Warner went 6-for-7 during the 63-yard drive. Ward's one-yard TD run put the Giants ahead 7-3 early in the second quarter, but the Cards went up 9-7 on the next drive after a failed conversion pass followed Hightower's four-yard run. Hixon returned the kickoff 83 yards deep into Cardinals territory, and Carney ended New York's series with a 33-yard make. The following Arizona drive stalled inside the five, and Rackers made a 20- yarder to put the home team up 12-10. Hixon returned that kick 68 yards and Toomer's 12-yard catch for a score put the Giants up 17-12 with 1:08 left in the half. Hedgecock's two-yard reception early in the third pushed the Big Blue lead to 24-12. A pass interference penalty in the end zone aided Arizona's next scoring drive, as Hightower plunged in from the one with 49 seconds left in the third quarter. Game Notes Hixon racked up 200 total return yards...Arizona outgained New York 371-321...The Giants head to the nation's capital to face division rival Washington next Sunday, while the Cardinals travel to Philadelphia on Thanksgiving.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.








