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Burress, defense lift Giants over Redskins

Sep 24, 2007 - 2:33 AM LANDOVER, Maryland (Ticker) -- The New York Giants' much-maligned defense took a stand Sunday afternoon. So did Plaxico Burress.

The defense had a stirring goal-line stand on the final possession of the game and the hobbled Burress caught the go-ahead touchdown as the Giants held on for a 24-17 victory over the Washington Redskins.

Reuben Droughns had two TDs for New York (1-2), which scored 21 unanswered points after halftime to secure the victory.

The Giants' defense held the Redskins, who had a first down inside New York's 2-yard line in the final minute. Ladell Betts was stopped on both third and fourth down, getting stuffed by Giants safety James Butler as he tried to run off left tackle on the game's final play.

"That's what you call 'want to,' man, that's all that's called is 'want to,'" Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said. "We knew they were going to run the football. They brought the offensive lineman as a tight end over to my side, and I was just like, I just have to knock him back. I just have to. I was able to do that and get penetration.

"I don't think I've ever been in a game like that before in my whole career - never. To win it like that, man, you couldn't have written a better script than that."

It had been an embarrassing start to the campaign for the porous Giants' defensive unit, which had allowed a league-high 80 points entering Sunday's play. The astronomical total was the most New York has surrendered in its first two games since giving up 86 to start the 1966 season - when it finished 1-12-1.

To make matters worse for New York, linebacker Antonio Pierce made sarcastic remarks about his group's struggles, imploring the fans and media to come up with solutions if they could.

Ironically, it was Pierce who recovered a fumble by Redskins running back Clinton Portis on a botched exchange with 7:46 left in the final period to set up the go-ahead score.

"Antonio played for the Redskins, so the air horn or whatever he was using, I didn't really think twice about that," Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said in reference to Pierce toying with the New York media earlier in the week. "I was just more or less thinking that he said he has never lost a game that he's played in against the Redskins since he's been with the Giants. I'm glad we could help him keep that streak alive."

Giants quarterback Eli Manning found Burress on a short hitch, and the lanky wide receiver broke free and ran in for a 33-yard score with 5:32 left - absorbing a crushing hit by Washington safety LaRon Landry as he scored.

"It was an all-out blitz, and I was the hot guy on that play," Burress said. "Eli made the throw, and I kind of cut in front of Carlos (Rogers) and snatched the ball and he missed the tackle and I got up to Sean Taylor and made a move and scored.

"I didn't even see Landry. He literally took my feet off the ground - I was in the air horizontally. He really laid a hit on me, but I didn't feel it."

Burress also spoke about his juke to break into the open field. "I gave him one of those old backyard Virginia Beach moves and he fell for it," Burress said.

Burress, who rebounded from three first-half drops to finish with 86 yards on five receptions, was slowed by a sore ankle.

"I felt about 80 percent, but I felt good enough to play," he said. "I feel that my 80 percent is good enough to go out and compete. I chose to go out there and play so I wasn't going to let it be an excuse."

Excuses aside, Burress knew he had amends to make in the second half.

"When we came in at halftime, there was nobody more disappointed than myself," he said. "I felt bad because I was letting my team down. The defense was playing great, and I was out there just stinking it up, basically. It was just one thing after another - just seemed like I couldn't get a handle on the ball early.

"I just had to keep fighting. I've never played like that in the first half. If we would have lost that game, I would have felt horrible. But in the end, we finished strong and won the game."

New York's defense did the rest, thwarting two attempts by Washington at a game-tying scoring drive in the final minutes.

"That's what we wanted to do today was win the fourth quarter," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We rose up on the goal line and were able to make a couple of plays there with them running at our left side."

Coughlin was impressed with his team's resolve to rise from the winless ranks.

"Other than pride? That was about it," he said. "Our theme all week was one of winning the fourth quarter. We made some nice adjustments and kept swinging, kept battling away."

Derrick Ward ran for 96 yards on 26 carries and Manning threw for 232 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Giants, who face off with the rival Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday night.

Quarterback Jason Campbell was 16-of-34 for 190 yards and one touchdown for the Redskins, who failed to post a surprising 3-0 start after being picked to finish last in NFC East in the preseason.

"We let one get away and this is really tough because we had the opportunity to go 3-0 and go three games up on the Giants and be at the top of the division with the (Dallas) Cowboys," Campbell said. "For us to drop one today at our own field really hurts."

Especially when the Redskins had four chances to gain one yard that could have sent the game into overtime.

"When you get that close and lose the game, it really feels bad," Campbell said. "We had a couple of plays that we felt we could get it in the the end zone, and we just couldn't get the job done."

"We felt like that was our two best shots to try and get in the end zone there," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "We like those two plays that we ran."

So did the Giants, who were ready and waiting both times.

"When it comes down to one last play, it's time to man up and that's football at the basics," Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said.