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Defending champion Giants score early, hold on late

Sep 5, 2008 - 4:39 AM By Joe Rizzo PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Their Vince Lombardi Trophy was in the house, but the defending Super Bowl champions played like it was up for grabs.

Eli Manning and newly signed Plaxico Burress led a ball-control attack that enabled the New York Giants to unleash a ferocious defensive assault in a 16-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in the NFL season opener on Thursday.

Manning completed 19-of-35 passes for 216 yards with one interception, hitting Burress 10 times for 133 yards, and scoring the Giants' lone touchdown on a one-yard run in the first quarter.

Prior to the game, Burress inked a five-year, $35 million contract, ending a mild offseason dispute.

"I didn't even know - I walked into the situation," said Burress, whose agent met him in the parking lot at 4 p.m. EDT to tell him the news. "I was warming up with Eli by 4:30.

"I honestly felt it my heart it would take care of itself, and it did. I did not expect it to happen (Thursday)."

With New York's offense controlling the ball, its defense stuffed Washington, allowing it just seven total yards in the first quarter and 51 in the first half.

The Giants held the ball 20:35 in the first half and 35:43 for the game. New York kept Washington quarterback Jason Campbell from completing a pass for the first 28 minutes of the game and denied the Redskins a first down until 1:10 was left in the 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 key thing is we opened at home, we won at home, and that is a nice way to start."

Washington eventually scored on a 12-yard pass from Campbell to Santana Moss with 13 seconds left in the opening half, cutting the deficit to 16-7, but carried no offensive momentum into the third quarter as the teams mostly traded punts.

On their opening drive of the season, the Giants looked like Super Bowl champions, going 84 yards in 11 plays in just over five minutes, with Manning's bootleg into the end zone giving them a 7-0 lead.

Manning, who first beat defensive end Jason Taylor and then linebacker Rocky McIntosh on the scoring run, completed 4-of-7 passes for 68 yards on the drive. Burress had three catches for 60 yards on the march.

The defense, minus injured 2007 sack leader Osi Umenyiora and retired all-time team sacker Michael Strahan, looked in title form from Washington's first drive, as defensive end Justin Tuck sacked Campbell on the first play, setting up a 3rd-and-20 that preceded a punt.

"That didn't lose the game for us, but it started it horrible," Redskins first-year coach Jim Zorn said. "It was one play, but it sticks out in my head because it was the first play."

Zorn was a surprise choice to take over for Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs.

"I was excited for the game, I was up for the game," Zorn said. "No jitters. I wasn't out on the field, but I felt like I was competing."

Campbell was 10-of-18 for 87 yards with one touchdown without an interception, and Portis carried 23 times for 84 yards for Washington.

"For over half the game, they had us three-and-out," Portis said. "It's not on one individual - Jason has me, Moss, (Chris) Cooley."

"We were always a little short," Redskins guard Pete Kendall said. "We needed three (yards), we got two. We needed five, we got four."

John Carney, a 44-year-old kicker signed because of a knee injury to Lawrence Tynes, booted first-half field goals of 24, 25 and 47 yards as New York built the lead to 16-0. His holder, punter Jeff Feagles, is 42.

"I've played vs. Jeff for many, many years," said Carney, who gauged his range for the game as being around 53 yards. "The fact we're playing with one another in our 40s means we're blessed and we've done something right."

Carney was working out in San Diego during August, joining his agent in monitoring the kicking situation of every NFL team, hoping for a chance to get back into the league. He received a call from the Giants just six days before the opener.

The Redskins pressed in the closing minutes, driving into Giants' territory but sputtering and yielding the ball on downs just prior to the two-minute warning. They got it back one more time but time ran out on them as they attempted a final march downfield.

"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."

On the game's otherwise meaningless final play, Redskins tackle Chris Samuels fell on the ankle of Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, who limped off the field in an incident well behind the play.

Fred Smoot started at left cornerback due to a shin injury to Shawn Springs and had an interception, but he and right corner Carlos Rogers each dropped numerous potential interceptions.

"We wasted our opportunities," Smoot said. "You have to make those interceptions."

Smoot left late in the game after getting hit in the lower back by the left thigh of teammate Chris Horton while making a tackle and will have his kidneys checked Friday.

New York opens its road schedule September 14 against the St. Louis Rams, having won an NFL-record 13 straight away from home. Washington hosts the New Orleans Saints on the same day.