DON’T GET UP: Osi Umenyiora drops Robert Griffin III for a sack. The Giants made plenty of big plays against RG3, but the dynamic quarterback had an answer every time — until the very end. (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)
The kid quarterback was on his way to ruining the day for the Giants, making them feel old and slow. Robert Griffin III was not as good as advertized yesterday, he was better.
“He takes away from your enthusiasm for the game a little bit,’’ Justin Tuck said with a shake of the head.
After more than 58 minutes, Griffin had his Redskins ahead, offering a scintillating view of the future in the here and now. He ripped through the Giants. They couldn’t stop him and were about to lose to him until the other quarterback in this drama ripped out the heart of yet another opponent with an emphatic reminder that no mantles would be passed on this day at MetLife Stadium.
“We hate we let it get like that because we had opportunity to slam the door shut and we didn’t do that,’’ Osi Umenyiora said. “But that’s why Eli Manning is Eli Manning.’’
He has no fancy calling card such as RG3, but Easy Eli made sure as much as he might be upstaged he would not be outdone. His 77-yard catch-and-run connection with Victor Cruz with 1:13 remaining wrapped up a hang-wringing 27-23 victory.
Beating a division rival is always a big deal, but forgive the first-place Giants (5-2) for feeling as if they all had what Tuck said he showed co-owner John Mara after the frantic finish was complete: More gray hair. They learned all the hype about the rookie they call RG3 was actually muted compared with the in-flesh experience of chasing a quarterback who qualifies as the NFL’s newest most-exciting player.
“I’m pretty mad at the football gods for putting him in the NFC East,’’ Tuck said, sounding a bit shaken by his first up-close-and-personal look at Griffin.
“Let me tell you something, that guy’s flat-out unbelievable,’’ echoed Umenyiora. “The best quarterback we played this year, for sure. It’s unfortunate he’s a rookie because he’s gonna be around here forever doing stuff like that and that’s just crazy.’’
What was crazy was the way the Giants often could not get a handle on Griffin, then forced him into turnovers, then watched in disbelief as Manning, coughed the ball and the lead up with a deadly fourth-quarter interception when, leading 20-13, he never saw linebacker Rob Jackson drop into coverage. The Redskins gained a field goal with that turnover and with 1:32 remaining went ahead, 23-20, when Griffin floated a perfect pass to Santana Moss for a 30-yard touchdown, as Moss beat rookie Jayron Hosley one-on-one.
“I needed to make a play and help out our team,’’ Manning said.
Nineteen seconds later, he did. The Giants got the ball back with 1:27 left on their own 23-yard line. Manning on second down looked for Cruz and won the game, Cruz hauling in Manning’s pass in stride at the Redskins’ 35-yard line and cruising in the rest of the way for a 77-yard touchdown. It was the longest game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes of a fourth quarter in Giants history.
“Looking at the back of [number] 80’s heels there at the end, holy cow,’’ Tom Coughlin said. “What a great feeling at that point in time.’’
The elation was followed by reality: RG3 gets another shot. The Redskins took over with 1:13 to go, but Moss after a catch was stripped by Chase Blackburn and Hosley recovered the fumble to allow the Giants to exhale as they finally won their first NFC East game in their third try.
“We found a way to win … thank God for that,’’ Coughlin said.
The Giants won despite getting gashed for 248 rushing yards. Griffin passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 89 yards, aided and abetted by another rookie, Alfred Morris, who rushed for 120 yards — 94 in a first half that ended at 13-13 and clued the Giants in that this was going to be a possible nightmare.
In the third quarter, safety Stevie Brown picked off Griffin, returned the interception 41 yards to set up Ahmad Bradshaw’s 1-yard scoring run to make it 20-13. Griffin on the ensuing series was nailed by Pierre-Paul, fumbled and Joseph recovered as the Giants seemed to seize control.
Manning was intercepted on the next play. Griffin, trailing 20-16, on fourth-and-10 danced around Pierre-Paul, bought time and fired for 19 yards to Logan Paulson in what will be a highlight for years to come. Soon enough, RG3 found Moss, the Redskins where ahead but then came Manning and Cruz.
paul.schwartz@nypost.com