Sep 5, 2008 - 2:23 PM
0 shoutsBy Kevin Pedersen PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
From the game's opening play, the New York Giants showed Thursday that despite some personnel losses, they still have a championship-caliber defense.
Justin Tuck sacked Jason Campbell on the Washington Redskins' first possession and the defending Super Bowl champion Giants held the Redskins to just 209 total yards in their season-opening 16-7 victory at the Meadowlands.
With the losses of defensive ends Michael Strahan (retirement) and 2007 sack leader Osi Umenyiora (knee), there were questions on whether New York would be able to generate the same menacing pass rush that keyed its improbable run to the Super Bowl last season.
But Tuck answered those questions on the Giants' first defensive series as he fought through a double team and sacked Campbell, who was rolling out to his right, for an eight-yard loss.
"I don't think it set the tone for the game, I think it set the tone for the first half," first-year Washington coach Jim Zorn said. "We sputtered from the first play. We sputtered around for too many minutes and too many plays for the first half."
Other than a roughing the punter penalty midway through the first quarter, Washington did not gain a first down on its own until there were 70 seconds left in the first half when Campbell completed his first pass of the game.
On the other hand, New York's offense did not have such problems, marching 84 yards on its first possession and scoring all 16 of its points in the first half.
"We wanted to start fast, we did start fast," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Our defense played well. Our defense kept the opponent out of the end zone. Their only score came off starting a drive at midfield."
The Giants did not record another sack during the rest of the game but New York limited Washington to just 133 yards passing, forcing the Redskins to complete only short underneath throws. New York also outgained Washington, 138-76, on the ground.
"That is one of the things that we wanted to do tonight is take away their run game," Tuck said. "We felt that they would try to run to take pressure off their quarterback. We kept their running game at bay tonight."
New York's defense did not perform well at the start of last season, allowing 40.0 points over its first two games as the team fell into an 0-2 hole.
But the Giants eventually turned things around and established one of the most dominant front sevens in the league as they pressured the quarterback better than anyone on their path to the Super Bowl.
That front seven, without the two key defensive ends from last year, showed Thursday that they will still be a force during the Giants' title defense.
"Anytime when you're at home and you allow only seven points, the defense is doing a pretty good job," New York linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "That is championship defense."
