In what was at the time considered an upset, the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 29-16 on the road. The Eagles, favored at the time coming off a successful season in 2010 that saw quarterback Michael Vick rise into the elite class of signal-callers, came under siege from a fierce Giants defense. New York stormed out of the gates to get a 14-0 lead. After a punt on their first possession, the Giants took their next two possessions 73 and 82 yards respectively, using just nine combined plays to get a two touchdown lead.
The first touchdown was set up after the Giants intercepted Vick in the red-zone. Combining a long run with three other solid plays, the Giants used an overlooked receiving weapon — running back Brandon Jacobs — to get their first score. Jacobs caught the ball on the sideline on a 2nd and five and rumbled 40 yards for the touchdown. The Giants harassed Vick on the Eagles’ next possession, forcing a hurried throw and a sack on their final two plays of the drive. After receiving the punt, the Giants drove the ball 82 yards on just three plays. The last play, the most important of the short drive, was a 74 yard scoring strike from Eli Manning to little-known wideout Victor Cruz.
After its two consecutive explosive possessions, the Giants offense would stall for the better part of the next two quarters. With Vick, the Eagles would bounce back with two second quarter scoring drives totaling thirteen points. As it showed all year however, the Giants stiffened up in the red zone, holding three successful Eagles drives to just nine points, including their first of the second half which gave the Eagles a 16-14 lead. The Giants, unable to get anything going in the second and third quarters, finally re-discovered their groove in the fourth quarter, putting together a seven play 54 yard drive capped by a 28 yard touchdown pass from Manning to, who could have guessed, Victor Cruz.
The Giants converted the ensuing two-point conversion when Brandon Jacobs rumbled in from two yards out, giving the Giants a 22-16 lead. Perhaps the biggest play of the game occurred before the go-ahead score, as the Giants injured the oft-hurt Vick on a fourth and one missed conversion that led to the positive field position. The Giants had accumulated numerous hits on the star quarterback, and once out of the game, preyed on the Eagles green back-up — Mike Kafka.
The Giants intercepted Kafka on two straight possessions, and in-between them the Giants used a possession that started on a short field to seal the win. Manning finished the ten play drive by throwing his fourth score of the game, this time to running back Ahmad Bradshaw going 18 yards. The Giants won the game despite being out-gained by the Eagles. As it has been much of the season however, the Giants took utmost advantage of scoring opportunities and held the Eagles to field goal attempts on their best drives. Despite throwing for just 254 yards, Eli Manning had his most efficient game of the year, tossing four touchdowns while completing 16 of 23 passes. The Giants, led by Bradhsaw, also ran for over 100 yards. Second year pass rush phenomenon, Jason Pierre-Paul, finished with two sacks to lead the Giant’s defense.
