The New York Giants won in convincing fashion, beating NFC East Rivals the Philadelphia Eagles 42-7. Yet they will not be heading to the playoffs because of the Chicago Bears’ victory over the Detroit Lions.

The Eagles started the game off with trickery, recovering an onside kick to gain possession. Five plays later, quarterback Michael Vick dropped back, threw the ball deep down the middle and was intercepted by Giants safety Stevie Brown. Brown’s interception was his eighth of the season.

Vick started in his first game since Week 10 because rookie quarterback Nick Foles was placed on injured reserve after suffering a hairline fracture of his hand.

Eli Manning and the Giants offense were on point early, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions in the first quarter. Manning connected with Rueben Randle on a three yard pass to begin the scoring spree. On the following possession, Manning and Randle connected again on a 38 yard pass.

Rookie back David Wilson caught a 15 yard pass towards the end of the first quarter to give the Giants an early 21-0 lead.  Wilson finished the game with 15 carries for 75 yards.

The Eagles scored their one and only touchdown in the second quarter. Vick connected with wideout Jeremy Maclin on a seven yard pass. Vick finished the game completing 19 of 35 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball 16 times for 107 yards and punched in a one yard touchdown in the second quarter. This was Bradshaw’s fourth game, surpassing the 100 yard mark in a game. Seconds before the end of the first half, Manning connected with wideout Victor Cruz on a 24 yard pass to take a 35-7 lead into the half.

Fullback Henry Hynoski caught his first touchdown of the season and Eli’s fifth touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter to put the icing on the cake.

Manning finished the game completing 13 of 21 passes for 208 yards and five touchdowns. Manning’s 134.5 passer rating was a season best. His five touchdowns is a career best.

Both the Eagles and Giants will look to make offseason improvements with hopes of  making a playoff run next season.

Image Courtesy : Philadelphia Eagles

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New York, U.S.A. — WhyHunger’s annual Hungerthon campaign raised a record$825,000 for the fight against hunger and poverty through their radiothon and online auction with partners SiriusXM and CBS Radio Group.

“It’s been a tough year, our economy is still struggling and many of our neighbors and community-based partners were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy,” said WhyHunger Co-Founder and Executive Director Bill Ayres. “But we never underestimate the power of our supporters, partners and the radio community to defend the rights of all people to have access to good food – both in times of crisis and 365 days a year.”

Funds raised by this year’s Hungerthon support WhyHunger’s work with grassroots organizations across the country, including many of their long time partners in the Tri-State area that have been on the front lines, providing food, water and critical services to their neighbors in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and working on long-term recovery.

With over 150 auctions on charitybuzz.com, this year’s top earners included:

• One Direction meet and greet
• Bruce Springsteen-autographed guitar
• Kenny Chesney meet and greet
• A road trip and game with the New York Giants

Items still available for bidding on charitybuzz.com/hungerthon, include a singed guitar from Billy Joel and tickets to the 47th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, TN. Donations will continue to be accepted at Hungerthon.org for the rest of the year, where donors can receive signature Hard Rock John Lennon “Imagine There’s No Hunger” holiday gifts or a limited edition Bruce Springsteen ”Born To Run” t-shirt featuring a never before released Eric Meola photo from the Born to Run photo sessions. Donations are also being accepted by texting “Imagine” to 50555 to make a $10 donation.

If you know someone who is hungry, call WhyHunger’s National Hunger Hotline to connect the person to emergency food in their neighborhood and all federal nutrition programs.

Special thanks to Hungerthon 2012 Radio Partners: CBS Radio Group (WCBS Newsradio 880, Sports Radio 660 WFAN, 1010 WINS, 101.1 WCBS-FM); SiriusXM Satellite Radio; Clear Channel Radio Group; Univision; WFUV, 95.5 WPLJ and our sponsors at Hard Rock International, Boar’s Head Provisions and Clif Bar Family Foundation.

Image Courtesy : Zeber / Shutterstock.com

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The Atlanta Falcons demolished the New York Giants 34-0, to improve to 12-2 and 7-0 at the Georgia Dome.

Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan completed 23 of 28 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. His 82.1 completion percentage and 142.6 quarterback rating were both season highs for the five-year starter. This was also Ryan’s sixth game this season throwing at least three touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Julio Jones was tied for a game-high six receptions for 74 yards and hauled in two touchdown catches. Jones has surpassed his eight touchdown rookie season, catching nine with for over 1,000 yards and still two games to go.

Veteran tight-end Tony Gonzalez also caught six receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown. Gonzalez leads the Falcons with 87 receptions.

As for the run game, Michael Turner carried the ball 16 times for 52 yards and punched in a one-yard run on the Falcons first offensive drive.

The Giants were out of sync from the start, opening their first drive with Eli Manning throwing an interception on 2 and 7 from their own 16 yard-line. Manning threw his second interception in the second quarter, resulting in a Falcons field goal.

Manning only completed 13 of 25 passes for 161 yards. His favorite target was wide receiver Domenik Hixon, who caught five passes for 80 yards.

The Giants were without running back Ahmad Bradshaw because of a foot-and-knee injury. Instead, rookie David Wilson got the nod for the start but was not nearly as explosive as last week. Wilson carried the ball 12 times for 55 yards.

With the loss, the Giants have fallen to 8-6 along with four other teams in the NFC. The Giants are currently third in the NFC East division at 8-6 behind the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, who are all 8-6. However, the Giants still control their own destiny and by winning out they will earn a wildcard playoff position. As for the Falcons, they will head to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions and control their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

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Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Merril Hoge and Ron Jaworski will preview week 15 games on Sunday NFL Countdown Presented by IBM on December 16, at 10 a.m. NFL Insider Adam Schefter and senior analyst Chris Mortensen will report the day’s news.

The three-hour program will focus on Sunday’s six marquee matchups between teams with winning records, a rare occurrence on NFL Sundays this late in the season.  Countdown correspondents –  Josina Anderson (Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears) Sal Paolantonio (Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens), Rachel Nichols (New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons), Bob Holtzman (Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans), Ed Werder (Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys) and Colleen Dominguez (San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots) – will report from each one of the games. The last time a NFL Sunday included six games between teams with winning records was Sunday, Dec. 7, 2003. Other highlights:

• A Conversation with Big Ben: Last Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger returned from a shoulder injury to quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers in a surprising home loss to the San Diego Chargers in a game symbolic of the team’s roller coaster season.Countdown’s Merril Hoge sits for a one-on-one conversation with Roethlisberger.
• Von Miller Interview: The Denver Broncos defense, led by second year linebacker Von Miller, deserves as much credit as quarterback Peyton Manning and the offense for the Broncos’ eight-game win streak. Countdown’s Tom Jackson, a former Broncos linebacker, travelled to Denver for a sit-down interview with the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in November.
• Frank Caliendo: The humorous segment has Caliendo playing ESPN host Bob Ley and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Countdown will also feature a live look-ins at quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan, running backs Arian Foster and Ray Rice, and linebacker Ray Lewis in their pre-game routines leading into the 1 p.m. games; Kenny Mayne in his self-titled segment – the Mayne Event; Cris Carter’s “Where You At?”; and Jaworski and Hoge’s Xs and Os “Eye in the Sky” segment.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football: Tennessee Titans Host New York Jets

The Tennessee Titans host the New York Jets on Monday Night Football on December 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Since moving to Tennessee in 1997, the Titans are 9-5 on MNF and have won their last three games. Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden will call the action with sideline reporter Lisa Salters.

Televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, MNF will also be available at WatchESPN.com(computers) and via the WatchESPN app (tablets) for those who receive video subscriptions from an affiliated provider.

Providing pre-game news and information, Chris Berman hosts the two-hour Monday Night Countdown at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jacksonand Keyshawn Johnson and NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter. On-site host Stuart Scott, analysts Trent Dilfer and Steve Young, columnist Rick Reilly and Salters will join the studio crew from the stadium. Highlights:

• “Showdown Sunday” Recap: Countdown will recap Sunday’s NFL games with highlights, in-depth analysis, the latest news and reactions focusing primarily on the six matchups between teams with winning records.
• “Gruden Extra” with Jake Locker:  Second-year Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker, who participated in Gruden’s QB Camp before the 2011 NFL Draft, joins Jon Gruden in the MNF bus to discuss his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
• Soundtracks – Jets Season:  In this week’s “Soundtracks,” Countdown will feature key in-game audio from head coach Rex Ryan and the New York Jets throughout the 2012 season.

Snickers NFL Matchup – Patriots Play-Action Passing; Giants Red Zone Offense; Broncos Blitz Schemes; and More

NFL Matchup host Sal Paolantonio and analysts Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge will preview the weekend’s key matchups by taking viewers inside the film room with X’s and O’s analysis Sunday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 a.m. on ESPN (ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.).  Highlights:

• Blitz Breakdown – Roethlisberger Pressured:  Hoge shows two blitz concepts by the San Diego Chargers from last week that overwhelmed the Pittsburgh Steelers pass protection and forced a sack on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
• “X and O Files” – Tony Romo Interception: The Cowboys battle to make the playoffs continues at home against the Steelers, who have the best defense in the NFL. Jaworski uses an interception quarterback Tony Romo threw against the Washington Redskins to show how Romo was confused by a disguised coverage.
• “Between the Lines” – Giants Red Zone, Manning to Bennett:  Jaworski uses the telestrator to show how the New York Giants dictate successful one-on-one matchups between tight end Martellus Bennett and opposing linebackers in the Red Zone.
• Hoge Breakdown – Kaepernick 50-yard Touchdown: Hoge explains how the San Francisco 49ers have added the read-option into their offense to create extra dimensions to their run game.
• “Coaches Clicker” – Bears’ Struggles in Run Defense: After allowing 141 rushing yards per game in the last five games, Hoge shows how the Chicago Bears defensive struggles result from poor linebacker play.
• Shot Play – Patriots Play Action Pass: Jaworski describes how the New England Patriots use multiple tight ends and run action to influence the safeties on a play-action that resulted in a touchdown to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.
• “Game Changer” – Broncos Blitz Sack:  The Denver Broncos have 15 sacks from blitzes this season.  Jaworski shows a successful blitz with linebacker Von Miller coming off the edge to get to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
• “The Money Down” – Andrew Luck to Reggie Wayne on Third and 17: The Indianapolis Colts lead the league in third and 10-plus yards conversions. Jaworski explains how Andrew Luck’s quarterbacking attributes allow him to move in the pocket and convert downfield throws on crucial third-down situations.

Image Courtesy : Baltimore Ravens

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After last weeks pivotal divisional loss over the Washington Redskins, the New York Giants bounced back strong, demolishing the New Orleans Saints 52-27.

Giants’ rookie running back and returner, David Wilson had a career day, single-handily becoming the Saints worse nightmare. Wilson compiled 327 all purpose yards, third-highest total for a rookie since the NFL-AFL merger.

Right after the Saints intercepted Eli Manning and went ahead 7-0, Wilson’s day started. On the ensuing kick-off Wilson jolted past the Saints special team unit and returned the the kick, 97-yards to the tie the game back up.

Wilson punched in a six yard run in the third quarter to give the Giants a 28-13 lead and then put the Saints to sleep with a career long 52 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to seal off the victory. Wilson averaged 7.7 yards per carry rushing for 100 yards on 13 carries, the rookie’s first 100 yard game of his career.

Manning quickly bounced back after throwing an interception on the Giants second offensive drive of the game. On the Giants’ next drive, Manning connected with tight-end Martellus Bennett on a six yard touchdown. Bennett caught five passes for 32 yards along with his touchdown.

Right before the half, Manning connected with wideout Domenik Hixon to take a 21-13 lead into the third quarter.

Manning also connected with wideout Hakeem Nicks for a 25 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Nicks caught four passes for 67 yards along with his touchdown. Nicks has been suffering through injury all season long and after the win over the Saints was re-examined. Coach Tom Coughlin expects Nicks to continue to play however it is unlikely he will be at 100% for the rest of the year.

Manning threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game at the start of the fourth quarter to wideout Victor Cruz. Cruz led the Giants in receiving hauling in eight catches for 121 yards along with his touchdown catch.

The Giants’ defense was on point, limiting Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees. Brees completed 26-of-43 passes for 354 yards one touchdown and two interceptions.

Brees lone touchdown came towards the end of the third quarter, connecting with speedster Darren Sproles. Sproles caught four passes for 28 yards along with his touchdown reception. He also had five carries for 56 yards and punched in 13 yard run in the third quarter.

Brees was picked off twice by Giants’ safety, Stevie Brown.

With the victory, the Giants remain atop the NFC East at 8-5 with both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins breathing down their neck at 7-6. The Giants have a tough match-up next week on the road against the NFC’s current number one seed the Atlanta Falcons. As for the Saints, who have now dropped to 5-8,  they will face NFC South division rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins kept their playoff hopes alive with an important 17-16 victory over NFC East rivals, the New York Giants.

RGIII led the Redskins completing 13-of-21 passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. He also contributed on the ground with five carries for 72 yards. The Redskins took a 7-3 lead in the first quarter, after RGIII fumbled and the ball landed directly into wide receiver, Joshua Morgan’s, hands and he burst into the end-zone.

Wide Receiver, Pierre Garcon, hauled in an 8 yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to put the Redskins ahead 17-16. Garcon caught eight passes for 106 yards along with his touchdown.

Rookie running back, Alfred Morris, continued his dominance over the Giants’ defense in Monday night’s match-up. Morris carried the ball 22 times for 124 yards. In both games against the Giants this season, Morris ran for a combined 224 yards.

As for the Giants, they were led by quarterback Eli Manning. Manning completed 20-of-33 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown. His lone touchdown pass came in the second quarter to tight-end Martellus Bennett.

Wide-out Victor Cruz contributed with 5 receptions for 104 but was unable to get into the end- zone. Running back, Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball 24 times for 103 yards, eclipsing the 100 yard mark for the third time this season.

Unfortunately, the Giants were unable to capitalize and settled for three-field goals. In addition, the Giants finished the game with nine penalties, accumulating 73 yards. Costly penalties down the stretch helped the Redskins hold onto the victory.

With the victory, the Redskins are now 6-6 and in the playoff mix. The Skins are tied with NFC East Rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, at 6-6, both just a game away from becoming closer to the top of the NFC East division.  The Redskins will have a tough match-up next week at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Also, before the end of the season they have two crucial match-ups against the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants are hanging onto the division lead by a thread and also face tough competition in the ensuing weeks. The Giants will welcome the Saints to MetLife next Sunday. The Giants still need to travel to Atlanta and Baltimore before they end the season against the Eagles.

Image Courtesy : Washington Redskins

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On a chilly Sunday evening at MetLife stadium, the New York Giants pummeled the Green Bay Packers on offense and defense to earn a well-deserved 38-10 victory.

Eli Manning, completed 16-of-30 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Manning finally threw a touchdown pass after being held to none in the previous three weeks. He also passed Giants’ great Phil Simms for the most touchdown passes in Giants history.

Hakeem Nicks led the Giants receiving core with five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Wide-outs, Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle each had a touchdown.

Andre Brown led the Giants rushing with 13 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he exited the game in the fourth quarter and has officially been diagnosed with a broken left fibula. Brown could possibly miss the remainder of the season. Ahmad Bradshaw also contributed to the run game, with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The Giants defense was aggressive and on point containing Green Bay’s high powered offense. They were able to break through the Packers fragile offensive line and record five sacks. Cornerback, Corey Webster recorded his fourth interception and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had a fumble recovery.

A 31 point first half performance for the Giants was more than enough to put the Packers away.

Aaron Rodgers was flustered the entire night with no time to throw the ball. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 219 yards for one touchdown, one interception and a fumble. His 61-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver, Jordy Nelson to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter was the Packers best offensive play of the night.

Green Bay’s running attack continues to be very ineffective and trailing the entire evening did not help. James Starks had eight carries for 35 yards and Alex Green had 10 carries for 30 yards. The Packers are at the bottom of the NFL with only two rushing touchdowns.

With the loss, the Packers are now 7-4 and have fell back to second place in the NFC North Division. Green Bay will be home next week against NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings. As for the Giants they remain atop the NFC East Division and will head to FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins.

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The New York Giants’ defense forced six turnovers and held off the Dallas Cowboys 29-24 after blowing a 23 point lead to improve to 6-2 on the season.

On 2nd and 6 at the Giants 37 yard-line Dallas quarterback, Tony Romo dropped back and threw the ball to wideout Dez Bryant in the end-zone. Bryant caught the ball and the play was initially called a touchdown. The play was reviewed and overturned because Bryant’s hand touched out of bounds. Romo converted a first down to tight-end Jason Witten to move up to the 27 yard-line.

Romo, threw an incomplete pass to Miles Austin and was left with one second on the clock. On the final play Romo scrambled out of the pocket and threw the ball out of the back of the end-zone handing the Giants the victory.

Romo struggled early and often against the Giants. Romo completed 36-of-62 yards for a career high 437 yards one touchdown, one rushing touchdown and four interceptions. Dallas’ first four drives resulted in three interceptions. Romo’s third interception was intercepted by defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul who took it back 28 yards for seven.

Tight-end Jason Witten had a career day catching 18 passes for 167 yards. Witten’s 18 catches broke his previous team record. In addition, his 18 catches was the most by an NFL tight-end. Austin also caught nine passes for 133 yards and Bryant caught five receptions for 110 yards.

The Cowboys were unable to run the ball against the Giants front seven. They compiled 19 yards on 17 carries.

As for Eli Manning and the Giants offense they were unable to move the ball very effectively. Manning completed 15-of-29 passes for 192 yards and one interception. Wideout Ruben Randle led the receiving crew with 68 yards. Both Hakeem Nicks and tight-end Martellus Bennett caught four passes. The Cowboys secondary contained Victor Cruz limiting him to two catches for 23 yards.

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, carried the ball 22 times for 78 yards and one fumble. Also running back Andre Brown carried the ball three times for 21 yards and punched in a touchdown towards the end of the first quarter.

Giants kicker, Lawrence Tynes was a perfect 5/5 scoring 17 of the Giants 29 points. Tynes play was essential considering the Giants offense was unable to produce anything inside Cowboys territory.

Giants safety, Stevie Brown, was the defensive MVP for New York. Brown, led the team with eight tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

The victory gives the Giants an early NFC East lead with the second place Eagles and Cowboys sitting at 3-4. The Giants will look to expand their winning streak to five games next week as they welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to MetLife Stadium. As for the Cowboys they will have another tough match-up against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons.

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The New York Giants were able to hold off divisional rivals the Washington Redskins, and their impressive running attack, 27-23 to earn their first divisional win of the season.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning waited till the end of the game to show how elite he truly is. After the Redskins pulled ahead 23-20 thanks to quarterback Robert Griffin III connecting with veteran wideout Santana Moss, Eli Manning and the New York Giants had one last opportunity.

Manning and the Giants offense started their drive on their own 23 yard-line. Manning started off the drive  with an incomplete pass to running back Ahmad Bradshaw. On 2nd and 10, in Shotgun Manning dropped back and connected with wideout Victor Cruz down the middle of the field for a 77 yard touchdown to regain the lead.

On the ensuing drive, with just over a minute left, the Redskins began their final drive of the game on their own 20 yard-line. Robert Griffin III, RGIII, connected with wideout Josh Morgan, who fumbled and recovered the ball for a 12 yard gain. RGIII looked over the middle for Moss but they couldn’t connect. On 2nd and 10 from their own 32 yard-line, RGIII hit Moss over the middle but Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn forced a fumble and it was recovered by cornerback Jayron Hosley. The Giants offense kneeled their way to a much needed divisional victory.

Manning finished the game, completing 26-of-40 completions for 337 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw struggled running the ball, compiling only 43 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown. Back-up running back Andre Brown also had one touchdown on five carries for 17 yards.

RGIII competed 20-of-28 passes for 258 yards two touchdowns and one interception. RGIII  also ran nine times for 89 yards. Redskins running back, Alfred Morris ran the ball 22 times for 120 yards. Morris has ran for over 100 yards in three of the last four games. Back-up tight-end Logan Paulsen had four receptions for 76 yards. Paulsen entered the game after starting tight-end Fred Davis left the game with an apparent achilles injury. Wideout Santana Moss was the recipient to both of RGIII’s touchdown passes.

The Redskins struggled protecting the ball on offense. The Redskins turned the ball over four times; meanwhile, they turned the ball over five times all season prior to this game. Safety Stevie Brown had one interception; defensive tackle Linval Joseph, cornerback Jayron Hosley and linebacker Michael Boley all recovered fumbles for the Giants.

The Giants will be back in action next week against divisional rivals the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Giants are atop of the NFC East Division and their remaining schedule will continue to get tougher as the season progresses.

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The New York Giants defense dominated against the 49ers, earning them a 26-3 victory in a NFC Championship rematch.

The 49ers scored first in the first quarter, and that was their only score of the day. Alex Smith struggled completing 19-of-30 passes for 200 yards and threw three interceptions. Smith threw three interceptions for the fifth time in his eight year career. Smith has thrown interceptions in both losses this season for the 49ers. Back-up quarterback Collin Kaepernick completed four of seven passes for 82 yards.

San Francisco struggled running the ball as well. Running back Frank Gore carried the ball eight times for 36 yards. The rest of the running back core complied for nine carries for 44 yards. Randy Moss had two catches for 75 yards. Ex-Giant Mario Manningham caught five passes for 72 yards.

Eli Manning played mistake-free football, completing 15-of-28 yards for 193 yards for one touchdown. Manning’s one touchdown came in the second quarter to Victor Cruz. Cruz caught six passes for 58 yards. In Hakeem Nicks’ first game back from injury, he caught three passes for 44 yards. Wideout Domenik Hixon also caught four passes for 78 yards.

The New York Giants were able to open up the run game against a tough 49ers defense. Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball 27 times for 116 yards and one touchdown. Bradshaw has ran for 100+ yards for two consecutive weeks.

The Giants had Smith on his heels, sacking him four times. Jason Pierre-Paul had two sacks, Adrian Tracy and Linval Joseph both had one sack. Antrel Rolle led the Giants defense with six tackles. Rolle also had two interceptions, his first two of the season. Prince Amukamara also caught his first interception of the season.

New York is now atop the the NFC East Division with a 4-2 record with Philadelphia and Washington right behind them at 3-3. The Giants have a tough road ahead of them as they head into the heart of their schedule. The next two match-ups will be against divisional rivals the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants will be up against six teams who made the playoffs last year in their final 10 games.

For additional player or game statistics click here. 

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After an early 14-0 lead for the Cleveland Browns, the New York Giants prevailed to rout the winless Browns  41-27.

It was a shaky start at MetLife Stadium for the Giants after running back Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled on the first play of the game. The Browns capitalized on the ensuing play with a 15 yard touchdown run by rookie running back Trent Richardson. Bradshaw regained his composure after his fumble, and rushed for a career high 200 yards on a career high 30 carries, along with one touchdown. The Giants were without backup; Andre Brown was ruled out with a concussion. Giants rookie running back David Wilson stepped up and punched in his first career NFL touchdown on two carries for 44 yards.

The Giants were depleted at wide receiver, missing Hakeem Nicks for a third straight week with a knee and foot injury. Furthermore, the Giants were without wide receiver Ramses Barden because of a concussion. This didn’t stop Eli Manning from having a field day against the Browns. Manning threw 259 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Rookie Rueben Randle stepped up, catching a career high six passes for 82 yards. Victor Cruz caught five passes for 50 yards and all three of Manning’s touchdown passes. Cruz’s three touchdown passes is a career high in a single game.

Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden completed 22-of-35 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Richardson finished off  the game with 17 carries for 81 yards and one touchdown.

Two year wideout Jordan Norwood led the Browns receiving core with nine receptions for 82 yards. In addition, rookie Josh Gordon caught his first career touchdown pass on a 62 yard bomb early in the first quarter. Gordon caught his second touchdown pass in the 4th quarter.

The Browns are 0-5 for the first time since the 1999 NFL season. Additionally, the Browns matched a franchise record 11th straight loss.

The Giants improved to 3-2 on the season, a much needed victory after last weeks gut wrenching loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Luckily, the Eagles lost against the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-13, the Washington Redskins lost against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons 24-17 and the Dallas Cowboys were on their bye week. The Giants victory keeps them in second behind the Eagles.

New York will have a tough task next week on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. As for the Cleveland Browns, they will be home against division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, and hope to snap their losing streak.

For additional player and game statistics click here. 

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The New York Giants came up short against division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles 19-17, and dropped to 2-2 on the season.

The Giants started their final drive on their own 35 yard-line without any timeouts, hoping Eli Manning would lead them to another 4^th quarter comeback victory. Eli slowly began picking apart the Eagles’ defense. However, time was not on the Giants’ side. On 3^rd and 10, on Philadelphia’s 35 yard-line, Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was flagged for defensive pass interference, putting the Giants in a much easier field goal situation.

Two plays later, Manning attempted to go deep against Ramses Barden, but he was flagged for offensive pass interference, pushing the Giants back to the Eagles’ 36 yard-line. Lawrence Tynes lined up for a game-winning field goal, and missed. Tynes was able to re-kick because the Eagles called timeout. On the retry, Tynes lined up for the 54-yard field goal, and came up just short.

Michael Vick and the Eagles kneeled their way to victory on the following play. Vick led the Eagles, with 241 passing yards and one touchdown. The Eagles’ offensive line was able to protect Vick from giving up two sacks. Vick also scrambled six times for 49 yards. He recorded a quarterback rating of 99.4, a season best for the veteran. Vick’s lone touchdown pass was to the electrifying receiver, DeSean Jackson, in the 2^nd quarter. Jackson led Philly with six receptions and 99 yards. The Eagles were able to open up running holes for star running back LeSean McCoy, who compiled 123 yards on the ground on 23 carries, and had three receptions for 17 yards.

Eli Manning threw for 309 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the tough loss. Manning was intercepted inside the Eagles’ 10 yard-line at the start of the 4^th quarter. Giants’ running back Ahmad Bradshaw returned from injury but was not very effective, rushing for 39 yards on 13 carries. In addition, Andre Brown struggled against the Eagles, only rushing for 14 yards on five carries. The Giants’ receiving core was without Hakeem Nicks once again.  Domenik Hixon carried the load for the Giants, catching six receptions for 114 yards. Victor Cruz also had a big game, catching nine passes for 109 yards. Manning threw his second touchdown pass to tight end Bear Pascoe in the 4^th quarter.

The Giants have now dropped to 0-2 in the division, suffering losses against the Cowboys and Eagles. New York will be back in action next week at MetLife Stadium, against the winless Cleveland Browns, looking to get back on the winning track.

For additional game or player statistics, click here. 

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In what was expected to be a tough match-up on the road for the New York Giants, especially while missing key members on offense such as Hakeem Nicks, Ahmad Bradshaw, David Diehl and Domenik Hixon, turned into the Giants defeating the Carolina Panthers 36-7.

Giants running back Andre Brown continues to make a name for himself  after his performance last night against the Panthers. The Giants could not have asked for more from their back up running back. Brown had 20 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

At wide receiver, four-year player Ramses Barden started in place for the injured Nicks. Barden lead all receivers, with 9 receptions for 138 yards. Barden’s performance could have landed him a spot to see the field more often.

Giants tight-end Martellus Bennett caught 6 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. This is Bennett’s third consecutive game with at least one touchdown. Astonishing enough, the last time Bennett scored a touchdown in three consecutive games was back in 2008 when he was with the Dallas Cowboys.

Eli Manning was extremely efficient Thursday night, completing 27 of 35 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown. Eli had a quarterback ratting of 110.2, his highest rating of the season. His 77.1% completion percentage was a season best thus far. Manning was able to enjoy the victory and watch the final minutes of the game from the sideline.

Another key factor in Thursday’s victory was the Giants defense. Although struggling in the secondary because of injury, they were able to force Cam Newton to throw three interceptions. In addition, the Panthers put the ball on the ground two times; both times, the Giants were able to recover and regain possession. The Giants limited Newton to 242 passing yards and only 6 carries for 6 yards on the ground. Newton had a quarterback rating of 40.6, a career worst for the 2nd year star. The Giants were also able to maintain the rest of the Panthers high powered running threats, only giving up 60 yards on 20 attempts.

Panthers back-up quarterback Derek Anderson took over when the game was out of reach, with less than a minute to play.

The Giants have some much needed rest to catch up on with their upcoming schedule. New York will be traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles Sunday September 30.

For additional player or game stats please click here. 

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Eli Manning and the New York Giants were at first down by two scores, but a 25 point 4th quarter comeback allowed the Giants to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-34.

Manning was off to an extremely shaky start and threw three interceptions in the first half, including his last interception with less than a minute left, resulting in a Buccaneers’ pick six to go ahead 24-13. However, Manning kept his composure and finished off the game, throwing for over 500 yards and three touchdowns.

Giants wideout Hakeem Nicks was questionable for today’s game because of a foot injury, but that did not seem evident in his performance. Nicks caught 10 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown. Giants receiver Victor Cruz had a big day catching 11 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.

Tampa Bay took advantage of the Giants weak secondary throughout the game. Josh Freeman completed 15 of 28 passes for 243 yards and threw two touchdowns along with two interceptions. Wideout Vincent Jackson caught 5 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown. Wideout Mike Williams caught 3 passes for 59 yards, and scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left to tie the game.

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw did not see much action after exiting the game in the 2nd quarter with a neck injury. Third year running back Andre Brown handled most of the snaps at running back for the rest of the game. Brown had 13 carries for 71 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown for the Giants with 31 seconds left.

After scoring the go ahead touchdown, the Giants kicked back off to the Buccaneers, giving them an attempt to tie the game. Tampa started their drive on their own 36 yard line, and Freeman and Jackson connected for 19 yards moving up to the Giants 45 yard line. The following play, Freeman connected with Mike Williams all the way down to the Giants’ 16. However, the play was reviewed by officials because Williams did not maintain possession and was overturned, negating the big gain. With about 12 seconds remaining, Freeman dropped back, overthrew intended receiver Dallas Clark and was intercepted by Giants linebacker Michael Boley to end the game.

Eli and the Giants offense came out for one more play to kneel it and solidify the win. At the end of the game, controversy spurred as Giants coach Tom Coughlin confronted Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano evidently upset about something.

The Giants could have easily breezed past the Buccaneers if they would have converted on their red-zone possessions. The Giants settled for four field goals in the red-zone rather than punching in touchdown scores. New York will be back in action this upcoming Thursday against the Carolina Panthers.

For additional player or game stats, click here. 

Image Courtesy of   Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Defending Super Bowl champions, the New York Giants, welcomed one of their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, to MetLife Stadium to kickoff the 2012 NFL season.

Unfortunately, the Giants did not look as good as they did last time they faced the Cowboys in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

In an early defensive gridlock, the Giants took the lead in the 2nd quarter thanks to a Lawrence Tynes 22 yard field goal. Their lead did not last long: two drives later, from their own 22 yard line, the Dallas Cowboys marched right down the field. On 2nd and 5, at the Giants 10 yard line, Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo found wide receiver Kevin Ogletree for a 10 yard touchdown to help retake the lead 7-3.

Dallas started the 2nd half right where they left off. On their first drive, once again Romo connected with Ogletree for a 40 yard touchdown to put the Cowboys up 14-3. Eli Manning and the New York Giants jumped right back into it on their first possession. Manning drove from his own 11 yard line to the Cowboys 10, where Ahmad Bradshaw punched in a 10 yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 4 points. Dallas extended their lead back to 7, toward the end of the 3rd quarter with a Dan Bailey 33 yard field goal.

Dallas extended the lead even further after the Giants failed to drive down the field and were forced to punt. Starting at their own 18, running back DeMarco Murray started picking apart the Giants defense with his quick and explosive runs. At the Giants own 34 yard line, Romo was quick to realize the defensive mismatch, and connected with wideout Miles Austin for a touchdown.

With little time left, and down by 14, the Giants converted two key 4th down attempts to stay in the game. At the Cowboys own 9 yard line, Manning dropped back and connected with ex Cowboy Martellus Bennet. However, it just was not enough after Dallas converted on 3rd and 10. Romo kneeled the Cowboys to a 24-17 victory.

Romo finished the game with 307 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, and a quarterback rating of 129.5. In what is going to be a pressure-filled season for Romo, he certainly did not let it effect him week 1. As for Dallas’ run game, Murray averaged 6.6 yards per carry and rushed for 131 yards. Ogletree led all receivers with 8 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was evident that Romo took advantage of the Giants banged up secondary.

Defensively for the Cowboys,  linebacker Sean Lee stole the show and had 12 tackles as well as one forced fumble. In addition, defensive menace DeMarcus Ware hit the 100 sack milestone and is the 28th player in NFL history to do so after his 5 tackles and two sacks against the Giants.

As for the Giants, Manning finished the game off with 213 yards and one touchdown. Bradshaw led the giants in rushing, compiling 78 yards on the ground and on touchdown. As for their receiving core, Victor Cruz led all Giants receivers with 6 receptions and 58 yards. Cruz could have easily bumped his stat sheet but dropped a few passes.

The Giants have some serious concern regarding their secondary. An already injured battered secondary became worse after: Michael Coe got injured in the 2nd half. Coe was already replacing injured corner Prince Amukamara. The Giants had no choice but to put in 5th year defensive back Justin Tryon. If the Giants do not get healthy quickly, many teams will pick them apart via passing game.

Both the Cowboys and the Giants will be back in action Sunday, September 16. The Cowboys will be on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. As for the Giants, they are hoping to bounce back next week when they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to MetLife Stadium.

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Last years Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants, are prepared to defend their title for the 2nd time in the past five years.

Quarterback Eli Manning had one of the best seasons of his career. Eli threw for a career high, 4,933 yards, 29 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 92.9. Manning showed his superior  passing ability all season long, especially in the 4th quarter. Eli’s quarterback rating in the 4th quarter was 110.0; he threw for 1,715 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Manning led the Giants to eight game winning drives this season more than any other quarterback in the NFL.

Manning had several reliable targets to throw to last season; however, New Jersey native Victor Cruz stole the show. Cruz had 82 receptions, for 1,536 yards and 9 touchdowns, all Giant highs for the season. Hakeem Nicks was Eli’s 2nd favorite target: they connected 79 times for 1,192 yards and 7 touchdowns. Although the Giants lost wideout Mario Manningham to the 49ers, they added ex-Dallas tight-end Martellus Bennett, and drafted wideout Rueben Randle from LSU.

As for New York’s run game, they were led by Ahmad Bradshaw who had a team high, 659 yards, and 9 rushing touchdowns. Also, running back Brandon Jacobs contributed with 571 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns.

Despite Jacobs’ success, he and the New York Giants parted ways this summer and also joined the San Francisco 49ers. As a result, the Giants used their 1st round pick on Virginia Tech running back David Wilson. Wilson showed positive spurts this preseason with 28 rushing attempts for 131 yards, and 5 receptions for 61 yards this preseason. Wilson’s quick explosiveness will help make him one of the elite rookies this upcoming season. With the exit of Jacobs and constant injury concern for Ahmad Bradshaw, Wilson could eventually get the majority of carries.

Defensively, the Giants had one of the most ferocious front fours in the NFL. The Giants compiled 48.0 sacks, 3rd best in the NFL. Third year defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul led the giants with 16.5 sacks.

In addition, they were 2nd in the NFL with 1,131 tackles. The Giants tackling leader was safety Antrel Rolle, who had a career high 96 tackles.

The Giants added defensive free agent, Shaun Rogers. They traded their 5th round pick to Cincinnati in exchange for linebacker Keith Rivers.  Rivers has been extremely disappointing after being drafted 9th in the 2008 draft, and has had constant injury problems. The Giants are hoping he can stay healthy and resurrect his young career.

The Giants will be facing nine opponents who had a .500 or better record last season. Seven of the nine opponents make up the Giants final eight games of the season. The NFC East Division has improved significantly, which will make each divisional game gut-wrenching. Realistically, the Giants should be optimistic; however, nothing will come easy for them in their attempt to repeat as champions.

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The Green Bay Packers traveled to the West Coast for their first preseason game of the year against the San Diego Chargers. Both teams were off to a sloppy preseason start, combining for 5 turnovers in the first quarter, however the Chargers seemed to have a bit more in them to hold off the Packers 21-13.

The Packers are coming off their best regular season year in franchise history, finishing with a record of 15-1. Unfortunately for Green Bay, their postseason ended early after defeat by Super Bowl Champions, New York Giants. Offensively the Packers were elite, averaging 35 points per game, the best in the NFL, 3rd in total offense, averaging 405.1 yards per game, and 3rd in passing yards per game, averaging 307.8.

Most of Green Bay’s offensive greatness was due to their leader under center, NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers finished last season with a passer rating of 122.5, threw for 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 68.3. Rodgers was a threat in and out of the pocket and continued to keep defenses guessing throughout the season.

Although the Packers pass game was top-notch, their run game was below mediocre. The Packers were ranked 27th in the NFL, averaging only 97.4 rush yards per game. The departure of Ryan Grant does not help the situation this upcoming season either, with the burden falling on James Starks and Alex Green to battle it out to see who will be the number one guy. With injury concerns surrounding both backs, the biggest question offensively is, can the Packers find someone to solidify the running back position consistently for 16 weeks and help them become less predictable?

Defensively Green Bay struggled all season and were last in the NFL in yard allowed per game, 411.6. Although they lead the NFL with 31 interceptions, they still allowed offense after offense to march down the field consistently. In their attempt to improve defensively, the Packers brought in some young talent via draft, USC defensive end/outside linebacker Nick Perry, and Michigan State defensive tackle, Jerel Worthy, were their first two picks. Both rookies are expected to have some type of impact in terms of applying pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

As for the San Diego Chargers, they finished last season with an 8-8 record, missing the playoffs for the 2nd straight year. Philip Rivers is coming off his 4th consecutive 4,000+ yard season, as well as his 4th consecutive 25+ touchdown season. However, Rivers’ biggest  flaw last season was his turnovers. Rivers threw a career high 20 interceptions and lost a career high 7 fumbles. Charger fans will be hoping Rivers can be a bit more patient and execute efficiently to lead the team back into the playoffs.

The Chargers’ biggest defensive flaw was their 3rd down defense. They were ranked last in the NFL, allowing opposing offenses to convert 49.2% of the time on 3rd down, and have consequently addressed this issue with free agent acquisitions and through the draft.

Rodgers only completed 2-of-8 passes for 16 yards and threw an interception in Thursday nights loss. Rodgers did not look as comfortable in the pocket last night because of the lack of protection he received from his offensive line.

As for Rivers, he completed 3-of-5 passes for 37 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Rivers was able to connect with tight end, Antonio Gates, for a 23-yard touchdown pass. Gates has been battling an ongoing foot injury but looked in good form on the night, something the Chargers will be hoping is a positive sign going into the regular season.

The Packers continued to struggle running the ball as James Starks, the player most likely to start at running back come the beginning of the season, carried the ball five times for 16 yards and fumbled once. In addition, Alex Green and Marc Tyler did not help make a name for themselves, averaging less than three yards per carry.

The Chargers run game took a big hit after Ryan Mathews exited the game following his first carry, suffering from a broken clavicle which was reported later, leaving San Diego without Mathews for 4-6 weeks. Newly acquired Charger Ronnie Brown will likely get the nod for the starting role until Mathews return.

Green Bay rookie Perry finished the game with with three tackles and one sack, an optimistic sign for the Packers ahead of the regular season. Opposing defensive rookie Melvin Ingram finished the game with two tackles, and the pressure he exerted on Rodgers helped to force an interception.

The Packers are back in action, Thursday, August 16th against the Cleveland Browns, and will be looking for a more efficient offensive display. As for the Chargers, they will be back in action, Saturday, August 18th against the Dallas Cowboys. Luckily for both teams it was only preseason, and there is still plenty of time to assemble good chemistry as well as better execution on the field.

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After his epic play in Super Bowl XLVI leading his team to a come-from-behind 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots, what is New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning going to do next? In the celebratory moments after his team captured the National Football League championship Sunday night in Indianapolis, Manning stood in front of a TV camera and shouted five words that have become ingrained in Super Bowl victory celebrations:

“I’m going to Disney World!”

Manning’s pronouncement, part of the production for one of TV’s most enduring and iconic Super Bowl commercials, was captured seconds after the final whistle. Manning – named the game’s MVP — completed 30 of 40 passes and amassed 296 yards, including his trademark fourth-quarter heroics, leading the Giants to the winning score.

Manning’s stellar performance was crucial in Sunday’s game and earned him a second “I’m going to Disney World!” accolade. In 2008, Manning was treated to a hero’s welcome at Disney after leading the Giants to an upset win over the Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII. He becomes the first Giants quarterback to win two Super Bowls.

On Monday (Feb. 6), Manning is scheduled to go to the place where millions of vacationers make memories celebrating their own personal milestone moments – Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. Manning will be joined in the Magic Kingdom by NFL Youth football players, who will participate with the Giants star in the Super Bowl celebration near Main Street, U.S.A.

This latest commercial is the 45th in a series that began in 1987 following Super Bowl XXI. The first “I’m going to Disney World” commercial, featuring Giants quarterback Phil Simms, was regarded as a groundbreaking concept – a produced national commercial involving a current event, airing on major networks within hours of its conclusion.

Manning again joins a lineup of people from sports and beyond who have celebrated milestone accomplishments in “I’m Going to Disney World” commercials.

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The New York Giants held their Superbowl celebrating parade on Tuesday after their victory over the New England Patriots on Super Bowl Sunday. The team took the Lombardi Trophy back to New York to share the experience with the fans after a ‘come from behind’ drive orchestrated by Eli Manning and their high powered offense.

After a miraculous catch by wide receiver Mario Manningham, Manning marched down the field, capping off a nine play, 88 yard drive with Ahmad Bradshaw rushing the touchdown. The New York Giants paraded through Manhattan receiving the key to the city and finishing off a memorable day with a pep rally at Met Life Stadium.

One of the most unforgettable experiences any sports fan can have is seeing their team in a parade like this. People were chanting, “Let’s go Giants!” as the head float, carrying Eli Manning, defensive end Justin Tuck and members of the coaching staff rolled on by. Fans were throwing footballs for the players to autograph and the players would throw them right back.

Coughlin, who received a phone call from President Obama on his way to the parade, said, “All things are possible for those who believe. We always believed, we always knew we could get here.”

The celebration started at 11 a.m. and continued all day with a ceremony at City Hall followed by a ceremony at Met Life Stadium. Players were leading the fans in with an “I gotta ring!” chant which was led by running back Andre Brown and continued throughout the day. Former Giants Super Bowl winner Michael Strahan helped present each Giant player a key to the city alongside Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Victor Cruz even made his signature move after receiving his key and salsa’d on stage.

Players went on to comment on the experience of celebrating their victory with the fans. Punter Steve Weatherford was quoted for saying, “It’s unbelievable, celebrating this is front of the greatest fans in the world.”

Eli even made the joke, “We needed to lose four in a row,” saying that it wasn’t tough enough. He went on to say that Coughlin reiterated, “Make it tough just make it possible.” You can say the Giants did that. Starting the season 6-2 and then losing four straight is definitely a way to make it tougher.

The Giants became the first 9-7 team to ever win a Super Bowl. Entering week 16, the Giants were 7-7 and wound up winning the last six games to reach the goal that every NFL player strives for; the Lombardi Trophy.

The Giants had a record setting eight fourth-quarter comeback victories this season, including one in the Super Bowl; so you can see why President Obama complemented Coughlin and the Giants with words like, “finishing” and “being resilient.”

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Dial Global has announced that 23.1 million people tuned in to hear the radio broadcast of Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5, 2012 featuring the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Dial Global commissioned the study from  Edison Research, designed to accurately measure the number of people that tuned in to hear Super Bowl XLVI broadcasts and make this information available within two days of the event’s conclusion.

The survey found that listeners accessed the live broadcast in multiple listening environments, including the home, while driving, at work and other locations, on over 680 stations nationwide.

The national survey was conducted via live telephone interviews on February 6, 2012, following the Giants 21-17 victory over the Patriots. The game, which wasn’t decided until the final play, marked the second time in four years that the Giants topped the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“We are again excited, but not surprised, to see that our research findings highlight the strength of the Dial Global brand and the ongoing demand for radio broadcast coverage of live sporting events,” said David Landau, Co-President CEO of Dial Global. “Dial Global is committed to showcasing the value of our content and exemplifying our commitment to being the most innovative, service focused company in the industry while supporting our affiliates and advertisers.”

Broadcasting nearly 100 NFL games, exclusive NFL primetime games, the Playoffs and the Super Bowl, Dial Global commissioned the Super Bowl study following the results of their initial research during the Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots (AFC Championship) and New York Giants vs. San FranciscoForty-Niners (NFC Championship) games on Sunday, January 22, 2012, which found that 22.9 million Americans listened to radio broadcast coverage of these two live NFL events.

“Given the popularity of The Super Bowl as ‘television’s ultimate event’ where people actually look forward to the commercials and the halftime show, the number of radio listeners may come as a surprise to those who are not familiar with the significant reach of broadcast radio. We are excited that our ongoing research continues to highlight the power of radio,” said Larry Rosin, Edison President.

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The Super Bowl is no ordinary game: it’s an American holiday.  Verizon, the official wireless service provider of the NFL, is making sure Verizon Wireless customers are part of the excitement during Super Bowl XLVI with NFL Mobile. This year marks the first time the Super Bowl will be streamed live to select mobile devices, providing fans with an unprecedented viewing experience.

With NFL Mobile’s game day coverage, fans can catch all the action on their smartphones. Prior to the game, customers can use NFL Mobile to keep up-to-date with breaking news, highlights, video on demand and live NFL Network coverage.

Verizon at The Big Game
With the New York Giants and the New England Patriots ready to square off on Feb. 5, the company has enhanced its network at more than 30 venues in Indianapolis, including major hotels and all of the facilities where the game and related events will take place.

The NFL Experience, which features Verizon’s Training Ground Experience on game day, and the Super Bowl XLVI Village give visitors a chance to test their athletic skills, both mentally and physically. Fans will also get the opportunity to meet, take photos with and get autographs from professional football legends. The NFL Experience is the ultimate experience for football fans in Indianapolis.

To kick off Super Bowl XLVI weekend, Verizon will participate in the 13th annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration (SBGC) on Friday, Feb. 3, an NFL sanctioned event, where legendary NFL Pro Bowl players, Super Bowl Champions and MVPs come together on one stage with Grammy Award-winning artists, A-list entertainers and special guests.

Salvation and Deliverance Church Choir, the winner of Verizon’s 2011 “How Sweet the Sound” national choir competition, will perform during the 2012 SBGC taking place at Butler University in Indianapolis. HopeLine from Verizon will also make a donation to a local domestic violence agency to help the organization increase awareness of domestic violence and further prevention efforts.

For more information about NFL Mobile, including how to purchase the application and a list of compatible devices, visit www.verizonwireless.com/nfl. Data charges may apply for download and use of the app. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

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With Super Bowl XLVI right around the corner, most fans are getting geared up for the game that will pit the New England Patriots against the New York Giants. However, a particularly large number of watchers are more excited for the Super Bowl commercials than the football game. This year’s line-up of commercials hosts a plethora of funny advertisements, not to mention several hard-hitting trailers for spring and summer blockbusters.

Joss Whedon’s ‘The Avengers’ is first on the list as it is quite possibly the most highly anticipated superhero movie of the year, next to Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. ‘The Avengers’ combines nearly all of Marvel studios’ superheroes—Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow—into one film to face a dire threat by the likes of Loki and other villains that have yet to be revealed. Marvel released a 17-second peek of the Super Bowl TV spot on Youtube on January 31, and it has already accumulated more than one million views. ‘The Avengers’ is soaring into theaters May 4, 2012.

Not far behind ‘The Avengers’ is Jon M. Chu’s ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’, thanks to a successful Twitter campaign from its new star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The sequel features vast improvements from its lukewarm, semi-faithful predecessor, including Bruce Willis as the titular Joe and a darker tone overall. ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ explodes into theaters June 29, 2012.

Disney throws its magical hat in the ring with ‘John Carter’, an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ ‘Barsoom’ series about a former Confederate captain transported to Mars right in the middle of an alien conflict. Disney hopes to generate public interest in the film as it approaches its March 9, 2012 release date.

Alongside ‘John Carter’ in the adaptation department is ‘The Hunger Games’, based on the novels by Suzanne Collins. The wildly successful series about a teenage girl and boy in a post-apocalyptic world forced into a televised battle by their oppressive government will be in theaters March 23, 2012.

Sasha Baron Cohen’s next comedy, ‘The Dictator’, a “mockumentary” and parody of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, also heads for a Super Bowl spot, hoping to tickle the funny bones of his fans. Like ‘Borat’ (2006) and ‘Bruno’ (2009), the film promises outrageous interviews, offensive humor, and plenty of jokes to keep its audience happy. ‘The Dictator’ is slated for release May 11, 2012.

Surprisingly, two other superhero titans, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and Sony’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ are staying out of the Super Bowl trailer game. However, there is a large difference between the two films as ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ made a huge splash in 2011 as a trailer in front of Brad Bird’s ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’, while ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ has not been seen since San Diego Comic Con 2011 this past July. If Sony wants the public to embrace the Spider-Man reboot by its release date, July 3, 2012, it had better have a stellar marketing plan to compensate for missing one of the most-watched television events of the year.

As the final days count down, fans can eagerly speculate about which trailer will win the coveted title of Most Talked About Trailer once the game is over. Like Super Bowl XLVI itself, the competition will be brutal, merciless, and winner-take-all.

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Someday, Tom Brady will hang up the cleats and be remembered for being one of the greatest quarterbacks we ever have and ever will see, despite being selected with the 199^th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

But when that day does come, the final score of Super Bowl XLVI may ultimately be the deciding factor in how he is remembered – win or lose.

Yes, the two time league and Super Bowl MVP has already been the man under center to lead New England to three world championships in his first four years as the starter. There’s no doubt that this is leaps and bounds above what the majority of quarterbacks in this league would ever dream of accomplishing.

However, after losing to them in Super Bowl XLII, another loss to Eli Manning and the New York Giants may eventually make a remembrance of Brady’s days in the NFL look like a tale of two careers – only if he fails to win another ring over the final years of his career, of course. Fans and analysts of the game would certainly still agree that he had an outstanding career once it’s over, but would immediately question his inability to make it back to the top after such remarkable success from the get-go.

The notion of ‘What if?’ is something to be considered with a loss in Indianapolis, as well. In the scenario that Brady once again falls short to Eli and never leads his team back to the top of the mountain, one of the first things that people will bring up during his induction into Canton is chatter about what he could have potentially accomplished. They’ll bring up points like, ‘What if he had won those two Super Bowls against Eli and won five? Would he be undoubtedly be the greatest ever?’

On the other hand, a victory in this game would at least open the door that begins comparisons to former 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana no matter what happens during the rest of Brady’s time in the league. Montana and former Steeler Terry Bradshaw are the only quarterbacks to have ever won four Super Bowls during their illustrious careers, but of the two, Montana has historically received more recognition for being a winner than Bradshaw. Brady wants nothing more than to join an exclusive class that includes the man he idolized growing up in California – Montana.

Brady is well aware of what this one game could potentially mean for him on an individual standpoint, and it will be very interesting to see how that affects his performance on Sunday.

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Are New Yorkers different? Yes, they are, according to the filmmaking team of Nick and Colin Barnicle and Matthew Davis Walker, who recently released the first of a new micro-series of documentaries about the unassuming lives of unique New Yorkers who each embody the heart and soul of what it means to be a New Yorker. Entitled “A New York Story,” the series consists of five short films that premiered this week on the Huffington Post and will reside on newyorkstory.tv.

The first in the series tells the tale of Paul Schweitzer, whose Flatiron District company was founded by his father in 1932. In an age of smart phones and social media, Schweitzer still goes out daily on calls to repair and restore vintage typewriters – and finds a new generation of typewriter aficionados who find typing and tweeting equally attractive. His story is told in a five-minute short film entitled Gramercy Typewriter Company.

“We are really interested in the people who make New York such a unique place,” said Colin Barnicle, co-founder of Prospect Productions. “There are a thousand ways to tell the New York story, and it can be told every day. In fact, our goal was to create a 21st-century version of the metro column that used to be a staple of every major newspaper, the kind of columns in which Pete Hamill, Jimmy Breslin and Joseph Mitchell told the stories of real people.”

“Many of the great urban journalists are gone or retired now, but the everyday stories they told still very much exist. This is our attempt to bring those stories to life in a new, digital era, making use of the latest in film and Web technology,” added co-director Matthew Davis Walker.

Subsequent stories to be released in the coming weeks include:

• Polo Grounds, which tells about the impact of the 1957 departure of the New York Giants baseball team from their home in Manhattan’s Polo Grounds field;
• Gleason’s Gym, a classic boxer’s gym that continues to flourish in Brooklyn’s trendy DUMBO neighborhood;
• Putnam Ladder Company, a century-old, family business that manufactures ladders in the city’s fashionable SoHo district;
• Queens County Farm, about New York City’s only working farm, a 47-acre oasis in the middle of the city’s largest borough.

The trailer for the complete “A New York Story” series is available online at http://vimeo.com/29783768.

“A New York Story” is the second in the Prospect Productions canon, following “Down the Line,” which premiered on the MLB Network in 2011, was a Baseball Hall of Fame Film Festival selection and will be available on iTunes in March 2012.

Prospect Productions co-founder Colin Barnicle, 26, is also a graduate of Georgetown University. After working for the Boston Red Sox, he interned at the Jimmy Fallon Show and later the Today Show. He is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.

Matthew Davis Walker, co-director of “A New York Story,” is a Brooklyn-based director and producer captivated with telling memorable stories through film. While his projects range from feature films to Web videos to network programs, the profiles in the documentary series “A New York Story” shed light on unknown New Yorkers who live astonishing and unexpected lives in the world’s greatest city. He is currently working on a major music documentary to premiere later this year.

Jeff Siegel, editor of “A New York Story,” is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he majored in Film. He has been working with Prospect  Productions since its inaugural effort and continues to provide the team with his myriad of skills. His first film, “Hooking Up,” is available on iTunes.

Prior to co-founding Prospect Productions, Nick Barnicle, 27, worked for David Milch, HBO’s In Treatment and Neistat Scott and Associates. He has studied at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the Villa LeBalze in Florence, Italy. He received his B.A. degree from Georgetown University, where he played varsity baseball.

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When the Jets and Patriots met a month ago, the Patriots handed the Jets their third straight loss and made people question whether the Jets would even make the playoffs, let along make good on Rex’s usual preseason guarantee. Now the Jets have the chance to do the same thing right back to the Patriots.

The Jets have been hot lately, and they are undefeated at home this season. They’ve won the past two meetings at home against New England and on Sunday have a great opportunity to give the suddenly vulnerable Patriots their third straight loss, which would be their first since 2002.

“Both teams are going to be humming for this one, no question,” Rex Ryan said. “You can sugarcoat it all you want, but they know they need it and we know we need it. Both teams are going to be hungry.”

During their three game losing streak the Jets gave up at least 30 points and fell two games behind the AFC East lead. Three wins later and New York is 5-3 and back into a tie for 1^st with Buffalo and New England. The defense looks like the defense of old, circa 09’ and 10’, allowing only 38 points and forcing 8 turnovers in the past three games. Their last win was a convincing one 27-11 over the Bills last week.

“We definitely have been getting better these last three weeks,” Ryan said. “But we’re going to see how much we’ve improved.” While the defense is playing better they will still face a tough task against Tom Brady and the Patriots who are ranked second in the league averaging 437.3 yards per game.

However in the Patriots past three games they’ve failed to score more than 20 points. Against Pittsburgh two weeks ago they managed only 213 yards total and didn’t score in the first half last week against the Giants. They also committed four turnovers against New York last week which is the third time they’ve done so this year compared to only 1 turnover through their final eight games last year.

Tom Brady isn’t having his best year as he already has 10 interceptions which is the third most in the league compared to only four all of last year. ”Just decision making,” Brady said. “I’ve just got to make better decisions.” The problem for the Patriots though hasn’t been the offense. There issue is the defense which is dead last in passing allowing 314.0 yards per game and is the only team allowing 300+ passing yards in the league.

“I think everybody can do a better job,” Bill Belichick said. “That includes everybody — it includes me, it includes all the coaches, it includes all the players. There’s room for improvement for all of us.” The Patriots cut Albert Haynesworth on Tuesday who they had brought in hopes that he could help improve their defensive front.

They also brought in wide receiver Chad Ochocinco hoping he could give them some sort of a vertical threat, but he hasn’t made a catch in three games. Last week Brady targeted him five times. ”He’s continued to do a great job in practice in his role that he’s really carved out for himself,” Brady said, “and he’s going to continue to be out there and, hopefully, make a bunch of plays.”

The patriots will need him to start making plays to give them a some semblance of a deep threat, because due to his lack of production the Patriots have had to rely extensively on Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski. With Welker likely being matched up against All-Pro corner back Darrelle Revis his job will be even tougher this week.

Welker had a big 73 yard reception in the last meeting against the Jets, it came when he was lined up opposite Revis. He was otherwise held to a very pedestrian day only catching four balls for 51 yards. ”Sometimes I was throwing him on the ground, sometimes he was catching some balls on me,” Revis said. “I call him the ‘Energizer Bunny’ because he never stops — it doesn’t matter what you do to him, he just keeps on coming and coming.”

The key for the Patriots last time the two met was the run game. BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns and the Patriots racked up 152 yards on the ground. The Jets defense has been playing well against the run lately, though they are still ranked 22^nd giving up 123.0 yards per game. They will be getting defensive end Mike DeVito back who is a big part of their run defense so that bodes well for the Jets.

Though the Patriots pass defense is bad, the Jets will continue to rely on their run game as they have the past few games. Shonn Greene has stepped up and the Jets are averaging 130.7 yards over the three game win streak up from 76.2 before. A lot of the resurgence has to do with All-Pro center Nick Mangold fully healing from injury.

The return to the run game has also helped the passing game as Mark Sanchez has 7 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions with a 63% completion rate over the past four games. Sanchez has done well at home against the Patriots posting a 114.5 passer rating and a 2-0 record.

With the recent struggles of the Patriots and the Jets playing well lately and at home the game will be a close one. The Jets should be able to learn from the Steelers and their New York NFC counterparts and be able to keep Brady off balance in the passing game. Unless the Patriots get another big day from the run game the Jets will be hard to beat at home.

When it’s all said and done the Jets should be able to hand the beleaguered Patriots their third straight loss and move into first place in the AFC East. Final Prediction: Patriots 24 Jets 27

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It has been a few years since the New York Giants and New England Patriots met in the unforgettable Super Bowl XLII, but the bitterness was still there. In a game that was hyped as a duel between Tom Brady and Eli Manning, fans were not disappointed.

Manning watched Brady march down the field for the score to put the Patriots up 20-17 with less than two minutes in the fourth quarter, Manning finished off a drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard with only a few ticks left on the clock to give the Giants the victory at Foxboro Stadium. The win improved their record to 6-2.

“I knew we would win,” Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. “It definitely took me back to the Super Bowl.” Just like the Super Bowl, when Manning found David Tyree over the middle for the most improbable catch by an unknown receiver, Manning found Ballard for a 28-yard gain in which he leaped up and caught it through two Patriot defenders.

“If it was thrown anywhere else, I wouldn’t have caught it,” Ballard said. “You dream about making catches like that.” And just to add to the eeriness of the drive, Ballard wears 85. That’s the same number worn by Tyree that season. ”I’d rather be down by three with a minute-thirty [left] than up by four with a minute-thirty with Tom Brady, with their offense on the field,” Manning said.

“You like those situations where you have an opportunity to go win the game.” Spoken like an elite quarterback, Manning got the chance to win it and came through. He had another good game, going 20 of 39 for 250 yards two touchdowns and one interception. This was a big win keeping the Giants two games ahead of the Dallas Cowboys who beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The Patriots fall to 5-3 and, more importantly, fall into a three-way tie for the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets, whom they face next week for AFC East supremacy. ”We’ve got half the season to go,” Brady said. “We’ll see what our team’s made of this week.”

The loss ended two very impressive streaks: 20 regular season home game wins for the Patriots and 31 straight regular season home wins for Brady. At one point, it looked like the Patriots were going to win behind a Brady comeback when he connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 14-yard score to put the Patriots up 20-17 with a minute and a half left.

The key play was a 20-yard pass interference call on Sergio Brown that put the Giants on the one-yard line with 30 seconds left. ”I was looking at the ball the whole time,” Brown said. “I was surprised. They come and tell us as long as we’re looking at the ball, we can play the ball.”

Manning found Ballard in the end zone for the win three plays after that. All points were scored in the second half as the game was deadlocked at 0-0 going into the half. The Giants took a 10-0 lead on a 10-yard Jacobs run. The Patriots responded with 13 unanswered points, and Stephen Gostkowski made a 45 yard field goal to put the Patriots up 13-10.

Manning answered that with a 85-yard drive capped by a Mario Manningham 10-yard touchdown with just over three minutes left. The Giants defense came up big and helped the offense overcome injuries to center David Bass, running back Ahmad Bradshaw, and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. They got to Brady twice, and forced two picks as well as a fumble.

Brady finished the day 28 of 49 for 342 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble. At one point the fans started booing after Brady threw an incompletion on third down. They cheered up quickly as Aaron Ross muffed a punt on the next play that the Patriots recovered.

The Patriots had scoring opportunities, but an interception by Brady and a missed 27-yard field goal left them with zero points in the first half. The Giants face another tough test as they head west to face off with the San Francisco 49ers and the Patriots travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets.

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The New York Giants repeated a comeback victory, similar to their 2008 Superbowl championship game, against the New England Patriots, scoring the final minutes to win 24-20 on Sunday.

There were no scoring drives in the first half of the game; however, the Giants where able to take the lead off a 22-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes, then a rushing touchdown from Brandon Jacobs a minute later, giving them a 10 point lead. Stephen Gostkowski was able to get the Patriots on the board with a 32-yard field goal with five minutes left in the quarter, making the score 10-3.

Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Tom Brady through the tying 5-yard pass to Aaron Hernandez for the Patriots’ first touchdown of the game. The Patriots took the lead in the third quarter off a 45-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, making the score 13-10.

The final three minutes of the game was where all the action and tension was. Eli Manning took charge in an 85-yard streak of plays that ended with a 10-yard pass to Mario Manningham and a lead for the Giants. Brady responded by leading nine plays downfield for 64-yards, finishing up with a 14 yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, which gave the Patriots a 20-17 lead with a minute left in the game.

But a minute was all Manning needed to get the ball downfield in eight plays, and thanks to a 20-yard pass interference call on Patriots safety Sergio Brown that left the ball spotted on the one-yard line, a touchdown pass to Jake Ballard finished the game with the Giants winning 24-20.

The Giants (6-2) travel to California to face the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday, while the New England Patriots (5-3) travel to New Jersey to face the New York Jets.

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It’s been four years since one of the best Super Bowl’s ever, when Eli Manning and the New York Giants put an end to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots undefeated season in a stunning upset. Ask Manning and he’ll tell you he plays at Tom Brady’s level and this season he’s put the Giants on his back. The Giants have been suffering from injuries all season, but still find themselves at 5-2 atop the NFC East.

“Well, the question was if I thought I was an elite quarterback and basically, I was just saying that I did,” Manning said. “I’m usually not into the business of ranking and rating quarterbacks and comparing myself to other guys. Looking back, I thought I gave an honest answer, and I don’t regret anything.”

Manning’s play this season has done nothing but back up those words. He’s ranked third with a 102.1 passer rating behind only Brady who’s at 104.4 and Aaron Rodgers who is number 1 at an astounding 125.7.

“He doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” guard David Diehl said. “For us, it’s something that we see. It’s the way that he works, the way he prepares either out on the field or breaking down film or getting with the wide receivers or checking and making alerts and audibles at the line of scrimmage.”

Manning should be in for another big day as the Patriots have the worst pass defense in the league giving up 323.1 yards per game. The Patriots are looking to bounce back and keep pace with either the Bills or the Jets as they got whooped by the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. It was the worst offense performance the team has had all year.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Coach Bill Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.” The Steelers doubled New England’s yards 427-213 and Brady threw for a season low 198 yards with two TD’s. This week won’t be easier as the Giants front four have been playing good lately.

The Giants have the most sacks in the NFL with 26. The Giants are pretty banged up going into this game. Receiver Hakeem Nicks is nursing a hamstring, running back Ahmad Bradshaw has a foot injury, stud defensive end Osi Umenyioa has a shoulder issue and he alone has 6 sacks so far this season. Center David Bass is also suffering from a knee injury.

With Nicks potentially out the Giants may have to rely on WR Victor Cruz who has played well this season and is the second leading receiver on the team. ”Anytime you get an opportunity to go in there and play and have an opportunity to be the number one or two guy and make some big plays, you always want to be excited,” Cruz said.

“Myself and Mario (Manningham) and Devin Thomas and Michael Clayton are going to have to step in and fill that void.” Brady needs to see Wes Welker pick up his production. He leads the league in receptions at 57 and has racked up 824 yards and six trips to the end zone. However, the last two games he’s been virtually shut out only bringing in 12 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.

The key to this game will be the offensive line of the Patriots against the defensive line of the Giants. If Matt Light and company can protect Brady he should have no problem picking apart the Giants banged up secondary though they have only been giving up 225.1 yards per game good for 13^th in the league.

If the Giants can get pressure on Brady they should be able to give Eli Manning ample opportunity to light up the league’s worst secondary. The Giants defense will give the Patriots problems at first, but Tom Brady should be able to figure things out and the Patriots will win a high scoring affair in Foxboro Stadium. Final Prediction: Giants 27 Patriots 34.

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It’s the team that nobody saw coming. For the past few years, the Bills have been the laughing stock of the AFC East. They were the one team bringing down a division with the power house Patriots and the better than average Jets and Dolphins.

Not anymore. The Bills have quietly been putting together a good team and this year, we are finally seeing just how good this team and Harvard graduate QB Ryan Fitzpatrick can be. The Bills realize this and recently gave him a big contract extension of 6 years $59 million, locking up their franchise man for years to come. That extension is bad news for the rest of the AFC East.

He’s been worth every penny of that, having a career year, and has the Bills sitting in a 1^st place tie atop the AFC East with the New England Patriots at 5-2. He’s ranked 6^th in the league in quarter back, rating at 97.8 for the season. The Bills are third in the league, scoring 30.1 points per game this year.

While only being ranked 13^th overall in passing at 239.6 yards a game, the running game has received a boost from their QB play ranking 5^th overall at 140.6 a game. Running back Fred Jackson, who is having an MVP type season, is fourth in the league in yards with 721 and is ranked fourth among running backs in receiving with just over 350 yards.

He’s tied for first with Matt Forte of runs over 20 yards ranks second in yards per game with 103.0 and is fourth in yards per carry at 5.5, but is second in running backs to LeSean McCoy. DeMarco Murray and Michael Vick are one and two, but have half the carries of McCoy and Jackson. Jackson also has zero fumbles this season so far.

While the Bills defense isn’t one of the better in the league, they still put fear into a team as they lead the league in interceptions with 18 and three touchdowns off interceptions. This defense has potential the potential to be real solid in the coming years if they can keep everyone healthy. They showed this last week shutting out the Washington Redskins 23-0 and racking up 9 sacks in the process.

To the Bills credit, they’ve also been doing this against quality opponents. They’ve beaten Kansas City and Oakland, both who are tied for first with San Diego for the AFC West all sitting at 4-3. They’ve beaten the Patriots once already and beat a good Philadelphia Eagles team who has recently been turning things around after a horrible start.

They took care of business against an obviously weaker Washington team, shutting them out last week. The Bills only losses come at the hands of the Bengals and the Giants. Both these teams are atop of their divisions and have a 5-2 record. The Bills should have more respect than they do.

Consider that the Patriots have a worse defense in football, giving up 424.1 yards a game compared to the Bills who are 385.9, the Patriots are considered playoff contenders and potential Super Bowl threats. The same could be said for the Packers who rank below the Bills in yards per game giving up 391.0 and currently hold the 31^st spot in opponents passing yards per game, yet they’re widely regarded as being the best team in football.

These teams are led by their quarterbacks and Fitzpatrick has proven he can do that. Add to that a more potent running attack than either Brady or Rodgers has and this is a team that can go deep into the playoffs.

If that’s not enough for you, think about the New Orleans Saints team that won the Super Bowl a few years ago. They are very much like this Bills team in that they have a strong quarterback, a high scoring offense, and a defense that isn’t that great, but forces turnovers and scores points.

This Bills team is as good as they’re record and play this season has been. In a quarterback driven league they’ve found their man in Ryan Fitzpatrick. They are proving they can score points with anyone in the league and if teams with good quarterbacks and bad defenses can be in the hunt for the Super Bowl the same should be said for the Bills.

The fan base has been waiting patiently for this time to come and it has come quicker than expected, but not as a shock at all. So the next time you go to dismiss the Bills as a top team in this league, think about what they’re doing and show them some respect.

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The New York Giants were able to pull a victory on Sunday against the winless Miami Dolphins, but from watching the game, you’d think the Giants didn’t even care about the game. If it wasn’t for Eli Manning, the New York headlines would read something much different had the Dolphins gotten their first win in MetLife Stadium.

Manning’s 25-yard touchdown throw to Victor Cruz with just under six minutes left in the game helped the Giants to escape with a victory, and move to two games ahead of the Cowboys and Eagles in the NFC East, moving the team to 5-2.

“The pressure was there just to get the win,” Giants guard Chris Snee said. “No one was concerned about ‘Oh, we’re going to lose to a winless team, or we were going to lose.’ We thought we were still going to win the game and that’s just the confidence we have, and that stems from Eli.”

Manning was the lone bright spot. He ran 31 of 45 for 345 yards and two touchdowns, bringing the Giants back from 11 points down in the first half. With every passing week, he’s starting to show the leadership many thought was missing, as well as the ability to put the team on his shoulders when they aren’t there mentally. Four of the five wins the Giants have had this season have come in the fourth quarter.

“We knew coming in it would be a tough battle,” Manning said. “A lot of games have come to the fourth quarter, and we knew it would be a tough road. They did a lot of good things defensively, ran a lot of different blitzes. We didn’t run the ball real well today, and we had to throw the ball more than we wanted to. But we’re capable of doing that.”

This loss is just another notch on what is going to be coach Tony Sparano’s last season as the Dolphins head coach. It follows last week’s disastrous game when the Dolphins blew a 15-point lead and lost in overtime to Tim Tebow and the Broncos

“We went toe to toe with them, swung hard. We didn’t win. It’s not acceptable,” Sparano said. Matt Moore played a semi-decent game, going 13 of 22 for 138 yards and one interception. He also had five carries for 31 yards and a touchdown on the ground. However, he was sacked on the final two drives four times, and his one pick sealed the game for the Giants.

Steve Slaton and Moore scored on one yard runs to finish the Dolphins first two drives. After that, they were only able to get a field goal from Dan Carpenter as the Giants defense stepped things up in the second half.

Reggie Bush had his best game as a Dolphin. He rushed 103 yards on 15 carries, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Dolphins from giving away another game, and continuing the league-long winless streak.

The Dolphins head to Kansas City next week to square off with the surging Chiefs who are on the hunt for the AFC West. This is a game the Dolphins have a chance to win and finally get that first victory of the season. However, they will have to show up for the full four quarters and not just the first three.

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