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Giants trounce Redskins to keep pace in NFC East

Dec 5, 2010 - 11:20 PM East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns to become a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time in his career and Brandon Jacobs added 103 yards and a pair of scores on eight totes as the New York Giants grinded out a 31-7 win over Washington at New Meadowlands Stadium.

Bradshaw pushed his season total to 1,013 yards to become the eighth back in team history to reach the plateau for the Giants (8-4), who retained their share of the lead, along with Philadelphia, in the NFC East.

Eli Manning completed 15-of-25 throws for 161 yards for the hosts, who took advantage of six turnovers and four sacks to beat their division rivals for a fifth straight meeting.

Donovan McNabb threw for 296 yards on 26-of-44 efficiency with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Redskins (5-7), who have lost two in a row and four of their last five.

"It's frustrating," McNabb said about the inability to score because of mistakes. "I thought all game we had opportunities moving the ball, moving the chains, getting ourselves in position but with six turnovers you don't win too many games."

New York moved 59 yards on seven plays on the game's first series to take a 7-0 lead on Jacobs' eight-yard scoring run up the middle just 3 1/2 minutes in. Jacobs had a 39-yard run earlier in the march to lead the Giants to their first opening drive TD this season.

"That's a big help, it sets the tempo for the game," Manning said about how important it is to score on the first drive. "When you get the ball and go down and score a touchdown, it gets the defense fired up and the offense is feeling great, especially the way we ran the ball."

Following a Washington punt, the Giants put together another seven-play, 59- yard drive that was capped by Bradshaw's four-yard scoring run over the right side.

After their previous second quarter drive ended with a London Fletcher interception in the end zone, the Giants recovered an Anthony Armstrong fumble -- upheld after review -- with 4:19 left in the first half.

The hosts cashed in on the turnover, driving 39 yards in five plays to take a 21-0 advantage on Bradshaw's 10-yard scoring jaunt with 1:55 left before the break.

New York recovered a McNabb fumble halfway through the third quarter and needed only three plays to increase the margin to 28-0 just shy of a minute later.

On first down from the Redskins' 28, Jacobs shed a tackle inside the 20 and covered the rest of the distance untouched for his second TD of the day.

Washington finally got on the board on the ensuing possession, as McNabb fired a 33-yard strike to a wide open Armstrong in the end zone with 4:35 to go in the quarter.

Former Redskins wide receiver Devin Thomas partially blocked a Hunter Smith punt that led to a 28-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal that increased the margin to 31-7 with nine minutes to go in the game.

Game Notes

New York has also won eight of the last nine meetings...Sunday was the fifth straight game that Manning has not been sacked...Osi Umenyiora's sack in the third quarter was the 11th time he has dropped McNabb, the second most McNabb has been sacked by any player behind only his former Giant Michael Strahan...Derek Hagan was New York's leading receiver with seven catches for 65 yards...Armstrong had six catches for a game-high 97 yards in defeat...Redskins tight end Chris Cooley also caught six balls for 61 yards...James Davis led Washington with 40 yards on nine carries and also made three catches for 41.