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Giants look to wrap up playoff spot

Dec 16, 2007 - 1:06 PM Washington (6-7) at NY Giants (9-4) 8:15 pm EST

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New York Giants have felt more at home on the road than at Giants Stadium.

The Giants hope to duplicate that road success and clinch a playoff spot Sunday when they host the Washington Redskins in an NFC East battle.

New York is coming off a 16-13 victory at Philadelphia, the second straight game in which it erased a second-half deficit to post a road win.

New York overcame two fumbles by Brandon Jacobs, who rushed for 70 yards after missing a pair of games with a knee injury.

Oddly enough, the Giants are 6-1 away from home but just 3-3 at Giants Stadium. They were awful in their previous home appearance, suffering a 41-17 loss to the Minnesota in a game in which the Vikings returned three interceptions for touchdowns.

A victory this week will give the Giants their third straight playoff berth under coach Tom Coughlin.

While the Giants have a seemingly comfortable two-game cushion in the playoff race, they would like to get the clinching out of the way because they finish with a pair of tough tests - at Buffalo and home for the undefeated New England Patriots.

The Giants also are hoping for a better start. In the last two games, they have sputtered in the opening 30 minutes before responding in the second half.

Still, New York relied on that comeback theme in the earlier meeting with the Redskins, a 24-17 victory in Week Three.

After yielding 80 points in season-opening losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, the Giants were looking at an 0-3 start as they trailed the Redskins at halftime, 17-3.

But New York responded with 21 unanswered points in the second half and preserved the win with a goal-line stand in the final minute after the Redskins had a 1st-and-goal at the 1.

The defensive stand turned around the season as the Giants reeled off six straight wins to emerge as playoff contenders.

The Redskins have had an emotional stretch while dealing with the shooting death of safety Sean Taylor two weeks ago.

Trailing Minnesota by one game for the NFC's second wild card spot, they likely need a win to stay in playoff contention.

Last Thursday, Washington snapped a four-game losing streak with a 24-16 victory over the Chicago Bears in a game played just three days after Taylor's funeral.

But the Redskins will have to continue their playoff push without starting quarterback Jason Campbell, who was knocked out of last week's game with a dislocated left kneecap and could miss the remainder of the season.

Journeyman Todd Collins will start against the Giants. He played well against the Bears, completing 15-of-20 passes for 224 yards and two TDs after taking over for Campbell.