Giants 31, Cardinals 27: Monday Review

Here is a brief look back at Sunday’s 31-27 victory by the New York Giants over the Arizona Cardinals.

It Was Over When …

New York defensive back Corey Webster batted a fourth-and-two pass away from Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald, giving the ball back to the Giants with 51 seconds left.

Turning Point

The ruling on Victor Cruz’s fumble/non-fumble at the Arizona 29-yard line late in the fourth quarter. The enforcement of the previously mysterious Rule 7.2.1(e) allowed the Giants to keep the ball. Calling Cruz’s apparent gaffe a fumble would have given the ball to the Cardinals and likely ended the Giants’ comeback hopes.

Three Good Stats

- Eli Manning went 27-for-40 passing for 321 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

- Hakeem Nicks recorded 10 receptions for 162 yards

- The Giants went three-for-four in the red zone, including two-for-two on first-and-goal situations.

Three Bad Stats

- New York averaged only 2.2 yards rushing per play, getting 54 yards on 24 plays.

- The Giants lost their first two fumbles of the season.

- The Giants surrendered 156 yards rushing on 32 carries by Arizona, 4.9 yards per play.

Three Stars

- Manning, Nicks and Osi Umenyiora, who returned to action with two sacks and a key forced fumble.

Next Week

The Giants host the 1-3 Seattle Seahawks.

Giants-Cardinals Play Of The Game: Rule 7.2.1(e) Helps The Giants

Rule 7.2.1(e) of the NFL Rule Book -- or at least the interpretation of said rule by the officials working Sunday's New York Giants-Arizona Cardinals game -- helped save the Giants in a 31-27 New York victory.

The rule came into play with less than four minutes to play and the Giants trailing, 27-24. Victor Cruz of the Giants caught a pass from quarterback Eli Manning and went down at the Arizona 29-yard line. It wasn't clear whether Cruz stumbled or went down on purpose. It was clear that he then placed the ball down and got up without ever being touched. 

Arizona picked up the ball for an apparent fumble recovery, but officials ruled that Cruz had "given himself up," ending the play and making it unreviewable.

From NFLFootballInfo, the rule reads as follows:

"Official shall declare ball dead...when runner declares himself down by falling to ground or kneeling & making no effort to advance."

On the next play Manning hit Hakeem Nicks down the left sideline for a 29-yard touchdown, providing the Giants with their winning 31-27 margin.

Cruz admitted to being "scared" that the play would be ruled a fumble. He later tweeted "Refs made the right call ... lesson learned though."

Giants' quarterback Eli Manning told reporters he thought the Giants had gotten a break.

"Yeah, we got a break on that one. I thought it was going to get ruled a fumble," Manning said.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt did not seem to know what to think.

"What's the understanding of that rule? I don't know. It shouldn't have come to that," Whisenhunt said after watching the Giants come back from a pair of 10-point fourth-quarter deficits.

Cardinals' safety Kerry Rhodes said the Cruz call was "crazy."

"He went down and tried to get back up. I knocked the ball out of his hands. ... I guess he gave himself up. I don't know the rule. That's the way it goes in this league."

I am sure we will hear much more about this call Monday and throughout the week. As far as the Giants are concerned, though, they escaped the desert with a victory. That, I'm sure, is all they care about.

Giants-Cardinals Score: Giants Come From Behind For 31-27 Victory

The New York Giants scored two touchdowns in the final 5:20 to overcome a 10-point deficit and defeat the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium, 31-27. The game-winning score was a 29-yard pass from Giants quarterback Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks with 2:46 remaining.

One play earlier the Giants had gotten a break when Victor Cruz had been ruled to have given himself up on a play where he caught a pass, went to the ground and appeared to simply put the ball down without being touched. That ruling is not reviewable, though the Cardinals certainly appeared to have a legitimate beef. One play later, Manning found Nicks alone down the left sideline for the eventual game-winner.

The Giants improved to 3-1, while Arizona fell to 1-3.

Arizona took a 27-17 lead with 5:20 remaining in the game when Beanie Wells ran for a two-yard touchdown, completing a six-play, 77-yard drive.

The Giants responded by going 80 yards in seven plays, with Manning hitting Jake Ballard for a two-yard touchdown pass with 3:44 remaining.

The Giants then forced a punt, and took over at Arizona's 48-yard line after an 18-yard return by Aaron Ross. The controversial Cruz catch/fumble/give himself up play was the first of the drive. The Manning-to-Nicks touchdown was the second.

Arizona drove the ball to the Giants' 30-yard line, but on fourth-and-two Giants' cornerback Corey Webster batted away a Kevin Kolb pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald with 51 seconds left, securing the win for New York.

The Giants led, 10-6, at the half and trailed, 20-10, after three quarters.

Manning completed 27-of-40 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Nicks caught 10 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown for New York. Cruz caught six passes for 98 yards. Defensively, Osi Umenyiora had two sacks and a forced fumble in his return from preseason knee surgery.

For Arizona, Kolb was 20-of-34 for 237 yards and one interception. Fitzgerald caught eight passes for 102 yards, and Wells ran 27 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns.

The Giants face the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday at MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.

Giants-Cardinals Halftime Score: New York 10, Arizona 6

The New York Giants lead the Arizona Cardinals, 10-6, at halftime of their NFL game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ar.

The Giants fell behind 6-0 on a pair of 27-yard field goals by Arizona’s Jay Feely, but rallied late in the second quarter.

Ahmad Bradshaw capped a 10-play, 69-yard drive by the Giants with a 13-yard touchdown run to give the the Giants a 7-6 lead. Near the end of the first half Lawrence Tynes kicked a 30-yard field goal to give the Giants their halftime margin.

Osi Umenyiora, playing his first game this season for the Giants, made his presence felt. With Arizona having driven into the Giants red zone Umenyiora forced a turnover with his patented strip sack of Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning finished the first half 11-of-20 for 133 yards. Hakeem Nicks has five catches for 62 yards for the Giants, who are looking for their third straight victory.

New York Giants Injury News: Justin Tuck Appears Out, Osi Umenyiora To Play

Defensive end Justin Tuck is unlikely to play today for the New York Giants due to neck and groin injuries, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That’s the bad news today for the Giants.

The good news is that Osi Umenyiora expects to start and play between 30-40 snaps, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports.

Tuck expected to play, but his injured neck apparently flared up during the five-hour flight to Arizona.

“Tuck still plans to test his injuries in pregame warm-ups and always could change his mind, but his mindset going into Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals is that he will not play,” wrote Schefter.

Umenyiora has not played yet this season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in August. The veteran defensive end tied Tuck for the team lead with 11.5 sacks a season ago. He also forced 10 fumbles.

The Giants (2-1) face the 1-2 Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium

Sports On TV: Yankees Or Giants? What Are You Going To Watch?

Giants (2-1) At Cardinals (1-2): Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora Likely To Play

Giants At Cardinals: When Arizona Has The Ball

(Sports Network) – Though they’ve yet to put it all together, the Cardinals have the makings of a becoming a dangerous and balanced offense once Kevin Kolb (812 passing yards, 5 TD, 3 INT) gets fully acclimated to his new surroundings. The fifth-year quarterback, acquired in a blockbuster offseason trade with Philadelphia, has had an up-and- down start to his Arizona career, highlighted by a 309-yard, two-touchdown display in the season opener and the low point coming in last week’s defeat in which he tossed two costly interceptions. The 27-year-old doesn’t lack quality weapons to throw to, as perennial Pro Bowl Larry Fitzgerald (15 receptions, 259 yards, 2 TD) is near the top of the league’s upper echelon of wide receivers, tight end Todd Heap (9 receptions) is an established veteran with nearly 500 career catches and young wideout Early Doucet (10 receptions, 1 TD) has shown signs of a possible breakout year over the first handful of games. Wells (183 rushing yards, 2 TD, 4 receptions) has provided a viable running threat to the mix in the two contests he’s played, with the 230-pound back averaging a healthy 5.7 yards per carry on the young season. The Cardinals will be keeping their fingers crossed he’s ready to go on Sunday, as virtual unknown Alphonso Smith (54 rushing yards, 3 receptions) and declining veteran Chester Taylor (20 rushing yards) are both serious drop-offs in talent.

After encountering trouble attempting to contain the pass in games against Washington and St. Louis, the Giants’ defense came through with an improved effort in that aspect during last weekend’s win, limiting the explosive Eagles to few big plays and cornerback Aaron Ross (11 tackles, 2 INT, 6 PD) garnering a pair of interceptions of Michael Vick. Emerging star defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (17 tackles, 4.5 sacks) added two sacks of the Philadelphia quarterback and is one of several high-caliber pass rushers on the New York roster, with both Tuck (6 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and Umenyiora owning three seasons of double-digit sack totals during their Big Blue careers. The Giants gave up 177 rushing yards to the speedy Eagles last week but have been mostly solid against the run, with outside linebackers Michael Boley (16 tackles) and Mathias Kiwanuka (12 tackles) heading a front seven that held the opposition to 3.6 yards per rush attempt. The team’s leading tackler is safety Antrel Rolle (23 tackles), a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2005 who spent his first five seasons in Arizona before signing a lucrative free-agent contract with the Giants last year.

Giants At Cardinals: When New York Has The Ball

(Sports Network) – Though the New York Giants enter Sunday’s tussle ranked just 20th in total offense (324.0 ypg), they’ve done a good job capitalizing on opportunities and keeping mistakes to a minimum. New York committed a league-worst 42 turnovers in 2010 but has just two through the first three weeks, while the team has scored touchdowns on five of its six red-zone trips so far this season. Eli Manning’s (745 passing yards, 6 TD, 2 INT) improved efficiency and decision-making have certainly been contributing factors to that success, and the veteran quarterback has put together some excellent games at University of Phoenix Stadium in the past. He’ll be working with close to a full complement of receivers this week with wideout Mario Manningham (7 receptions) slated to return after sitting out the Philadelphia game with a concussion, though the sparingly-used Cruz (5 receptions, 2 TD) filled the void nicely by accumulating a career-best 110 yards and two scores on only three catches. Manning also made good use of running backs Ahmad Bradshaw (189 rushing yards, 11 receptions, 2 total TD) and Brandon Jacobs (98 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 2 total TD), with the diverse duo compiling 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns on a combined seven catches last week. Bradshaw added a season-high 86 rushing yards on just 15 carries against the Eagles, and the hard-nosed back has improved his ball security as well after fumbling seven times in 2010.

Count on both Bradshaw and Jacobs getting plenty of work against an Arizona defense that comes in just 27th against the run (122.7 ypg) and permitted 122 yards on the ground to the rushing-deficient Seahawks last week. The Cardinals did a better job stifling Seattle’s non-threatening passing game, limiting their divisional foe to 139 net yards through the air and coming up with four sacks, with talented end Calais Campbell (18 tackles, 2.5 sacks) credited with 2 1/2 takedowns on the quarterback in addition to racking up 10 tackles in a monster game. Fellow lineman Darnell Dockett (9 tackles, 0.5 sacks) and veteran outside linebacker Clark Haggans (10 tackles) are two other proven pass rushers on a unit that’s registered a total of nine sacks thus far. The secondary is green at the cornerback spots, with intriguing rookie Patrick Peterson (14 tackles, 1 INT) manning one side and former practice-squad member A.J. Jefferson (16 tackles, 5 PD) the other, but safeties Adrian Wilson (14 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD) and Kerry Rhodes (18 tackles, 2 sacks) are an experienced tandem with five Pro Bowl citations between them.

Giants At Cardinals: Friday Injury Report

Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who had arthroscopic knee surgery during the preseason, hopes to make his season debut Sunday when the New York Giants face the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium.

“We’re going to have to wait and see what Coach Coughlin says,” said Umenyiora. “I feel like I can, but depending on what he says and however they decide to use me, we’ll just go from there.”

Defensive end Justin Tuck did not practice due to neck and groin issues. He is listed as questionable, but indications are that he will play.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Out

CB Prince Amukamara (foot)
WR Brandon Stokley (quadricep)

Questionable

LS Zak DeOssie (back)
DE Justin Tuck (groin, neck)
DE Osi Umenyiora (knee)

Probable

WR Mario Manningham (concussion)
WR Hakeem Nicks (knee)

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Out

TE Jim Dray (pectoral)

Questionable

KR LaRod Stephens-Howling (hand)
WR Chansi Stuckey (hamstring)
RB Chris Wells (hamstring)

Probable

TE Todd Heap (ribs)
LB Paris Lenon (groin)

NFL Week 4 Giants At Cardinals: The Key Matchup

The key matchup in Sunday’s New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals NFL game (4:05 p.m. ET/CBS) is not one player vs. another or one unit of the Giants vs. it’s opposing unit from the Cardinals. In fact, it isn’t a physical matchup at all. It is a mental one.

The key matchup Sunday for the 2-1 Giants vs. the 1-2 Cardinals is the Giants against their own emotions. The Giants are coming off a monumental 29-16 victory over the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, a team that had beaten them six straight times and stood in their way for the past three seasons.

Since training camp, the focus has been on finding a way to beat the Eagles. Well, mission accomplished. Now, the Giants have to move forward and that game as what coach Tom Coughlin referred to as a “springboard,” avoiding a letdown in Arizona, where the Giants are a three-point favorite.

“We are professionals and we understand that you have to take it one game at a time. We have seen a lot of different things. Getting off to great starts
and crappy endings and vice versa,” said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. “For us it is all about taking it one game at a time.”

Easier said than done, given human nature. And an unfamiliar opponent you are expected in a road game where you won’t have your home crowd to give you a boost.

“Last Sunday was over, as far as I was concerned, Monday. We’re moving on,” said Coughlin. “We have to move on. I think our team realizes that.”

The key for the Giants on Sunday is whether or not there actions on the field reflect their promises not to let down this week.

Week 4 NFL Odds: Giants Vs. Cardinals

Oddsmakers have listed the visiting New York Giants as three-point favorites for this weekend's game at University of Phoenix Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Giants (2-1) have beaten the St. Louis Rams and Philadelphia Eagles following a season opening loss to the Washington Redskins.

The Cardinals (1-2) opened the season with a victory over the Carolina Panthers. They have lost successive games to the Redskins and Seattle Seahawks. The 13-10 loss to Seattle was particularly disappointing for the Cardinals and their fans.

The Giants might get defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who had preseason arthroscopic knee surgery, back on Sunday. The Cardinals hope running back Beanie Wells (hamstring) will be able to play.

See SB Nation's NFL Odds page for the line on every NFL game

Be sure to check SB Nation New York on Friday for our weekly NFL predictions.

-- See Big Blue View for Giants coverage, and SB Nation Arizona for Cardinals news.

Giants Vs. Cardinals Wednesday Injury Report

The New York Giants got some good news on the injury front Wednesday. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, out since preseason after athroscopic knee surgery, practiced for the first time. Wide receiver Mario Manningham, who missed Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a concussion, was cleared to return and practiced on a limited basis.

The Giants, however, might have lost wide receiver Brandon Stokley. The veteran left practice with a quadriceps injury, the severity of which is not yet known.

Prince Amukamara, the cornerback selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Giants, is still “a ways away” according to coach Tom Coughlin.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Did Not Practice

Prince Amukamara (CB) Foot
Justin Tuck (DE) Groin/Neck

Limited Participation

Mario Manningham (WR) Concussion
Brandon Stokley (WR) Quadricep
Osi Umenyiora (DE) Knee

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Did Not Practice

Jim Dray (TE) Pectoral
Chansi Stuckey (WR) Hamstring

Limited Participation

Todd Heap (TE) Ribs
Paris Lenon (LB) Groin
L. Stephens-Howling (RB) Hand
Beanie Wells (RB) Hamstring

New York Giants (2-1) At Arizona Cardinals (1-2): First Look

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