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Burress, Giants rally past Jets

Oct 7, 2007 - 10:31 PM By Joe Rizzo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) - Absent for the first half for different reasons, Plaxico Burress and Aaron Ross made their presence felt when it counted most.

Burress made a highlight-reel 53-yard touchdown catch-and-run midway through the fourth quarter and Ross rebounded from a benching with two interceptions and a score to lift the New York Giants to a come-from-behind 35-24 victory over the rival New York Jets on Sunday.

Held to no catches in the first half as the Jets built a 17-7 advantage, Burress got hot in the second half, finishing with five receptions for 124 yards.

Ross, a rookie cornerback who was the Giants' first-round draft choice, was benched for the first half for violating an undisclosed team rule. But when called upon in the second half, he twice picked off Chad Pennington, the second time sealing the game with a 43-yard touchdown with 3:15 remaining.

"Aaron violated a team rule," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who earned the 100th victory of his NFL coaching career. "It was between him and me, and we're going to keep it that way. Down the road, this will be the best thing to happen to Aaron."

"It was just a mistake on my behalf and something I will have to learn from," said Ross, who had no indication when he would be slotted into the game and had never been benched at any level. "Coach wanted me to stay focused and be ready at any time. He didn't treat me like I was out of the game, I just wasn't in the game on the field."

Pennington drove the Jets to the Giants 23-yard line with 12:36 remaining and the Jets holding a 24-21 edge. His first-down lob was intercepted at the 2 by Ross.

It was one of three interceptions by the frequently maligned Pennington, who was injured and missed the second game of the season in Baltimore for the Jets (1-4). Kellen Clemens played that contest, but coach Eric Mangini did not immediately give any indication he would make a switch for next week's game here with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"It never comes down to one player, one area, one group," Mangini said. "What I'm looking at right now is a consistent fourth-quarter effort by the team and coaches, not a quarter or a half."

"It's frustrating, makes you sick to your stomach," Pennington said. "It's always disappointing when you're inconsistent and that is what causes you to lose. Two plays, really. That's what cost us the game."

Eli Manning watched running backs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward both get banged up while driving the Giants from the shadow of their own goalposts to their own 47.

But Manning gave the Giants the lead for good when he hooked up with Burress, who repeatedly stiff-armed cornerback Andre Dyson en route to a 53-yard TD. After finally shaking off Dyson at the Jets 15, Burress danced the rest of the way into the end zone to make it 28-24 with 8:07 remaining.

"It was a just a quick out," said Burress, who has not been taking repetitions at practice during the week because of an ankle injury. "I caught it, faced the guy and tried to get his feet stopped. I got (the stiff-arm move) from watching Eric Dickerson back in the day."

The teams exchanged punts on the next two possessions, and the Jets took the ball at their own 23.

After moving the Jets to their own 39, Pennington once again was intercepted by Ross, whose TD return made the final margin and was capped by a leap into the end zone with his arms and legs spread wide.

"That's my Superman," Ross said. "Once I was able to see the receiver, I made the break. One of the reasons they drafted me for was to make big plays."

"I just threw the last one behind Jerrico (Cotchery)," said Pennington, who completed 21-of-36 passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Manning completed 13-of-25 attempts for 186 yards, two TDs and one interception for the Giants (3-2), who are riding a three-game winning streak. The Giants, who were designated the home team for this game, go to Atlanta next weekend.

Manning's mediocre performance was offset by the strong running of Jacobs and Ward, who combined for 156 yards and two TDs. The defense, despite registering just one late sack after matching the NFL record with 12 last week, limited the Jets to 55 rushing yards seven in the second half.

Playing for the first time since injuring his knee in the season opener, Jacobs rumbled for 100 yards and a score on 20 carries. A change of pace to Jacobs' bruising style, Ward started and rushed for 56 yards and a TD on 17 carries.

On his second carry of the game, Jacobs was stripped by safety Kerry Rhodes, who picked up the loose ball and ran 11 uncontested yards into the end zone to make it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

The Giants got their offense in gear two possessions later, marching 67 yards in nine plays with Ward - a former Jet - bulling up the middle for an 8-yard scoring run that tied the game with 10:54 left in the second quarter.

Not known as a scrambler, Manning had 19 yards on two carries during the drive, including a 13-yard run on 3rd-and-8.

Despite bad field position that kept them pinned at their own 7, the Jets used their two-minute offense to march down the field for the go-ahead touchdown late in the first half.

Pennington capped a nine-play drive that took 1:46 with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brad Smith with 33 seconds left in the first half. It was the Jets' only offensive TD of the game.

After the kickoff, Manning was intercepted on his own 27 by linebacker Jonathan Vilma. One play later, Mike Nugent booted a 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half to push the Jets' lead to 17-7.

The Giants took the second-half kickoff and went 80 yards in six plays, including Jacobs' 19-yard scoring run around right end.

But Leon Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to restore the Jets' 10-point lead. It was Washington's second kickoff return for a TD this season.

"That's exactly how you want to respond to a touchdown," Mangini said.

Manning began to find Burress, keying a 68-yard march that culminated with his 13-yard scoring pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey. The first touchdown of the season for the Shockey shaved the deficit to 24-21.

"Their defense was bending, and we knew we could break them with a good second half," Shockey said.

Laveranues Coles finished with eight receptions for 89 yards for the Jets, who got just 36 yards on 13 carries from Thomas Jones. Acquired from the NFC champion Chicago Bears this offseason, Jones has just 290 yards over the first five games this season.

"We've been in this position before," Pennington said. "You don't worry about the record. Now it gets simplistic and basic that you just focus on the next practice. How we lost is extremely disappointing. I'm trying my best to hide it."