A look back at the Giants 34-28 overtime victory over the Panthers
PLAY OF THE GAME:
A punt as the play of the game? Yup.
Eli Manning was sacked by Julius Peppers in the fourth quarter with the Giants trailing 28-20. That forced the Giants to punt the ball away from near midfield. Jeff Feagles hit the ball 37 yards and it dropped and drifted out of bounds on the 1-yard line, with rookie Terrell Thomas keeping the ball out of the end zone. The Giants defense forced a three-and-out, the Giants got the ball back in Carolina territory and went on to tie the game in regulation and win it in overtime.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“You always dream about stuff like this when you are a little kid. And for it to happen, it is so surreal right now.”
Giants RB Derrick Ward after rushing for a career-high 215 yards on only 15 carries, including 82 yards on three runs in overtime.
BREAKDOWN:
This game tested the resolve of the Giants, especially their defense. They trailed 21-10 in the second quarter and could not stop the Panthers. DeAngelo Williams scored touchdowns on the first three Carolina offensive series, Jake Delhomme did what he pleased in the passing game, and the Giants could not get a handle on receiver Steve Smith. But after halftime and through OT, the Giants limited the Panthers to only seven points and stopped Smith cold with no receptions.
“We started off slow in the beginning and then we got the wheels rolling and we got our charisma back and the defense started playing fast,” safety Michael Johnson said.
UP NEXT:
The Giants head to chilly Minneapolis for a game with the Vikings, who remain alive for a wild card playoff berth but must in. It’s the regular-season finale for the Giants and it means nothing for them from a tangible standpoint. Their victory over the Panthers locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a first-round bye and the home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how Tom Coughlin plays this one. No doubt, he will play most of his starters but it’s likely he will rest anyone who has any sort of medical issue or concern.