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GIANTS: Need more production from key offensive players
• Unheralded performance: New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, a seventh-round find from Marshall, carried 17 times for 66 yards vs. Tampa Bay, a healthy 3.9-yard average.
• Second guess: Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden will be questioned throughout the offseason for resting key starters for the final two regular-season games once the NFC South was clinched. Quarterback Jeff Garcia, in particular, had significant rust to shake off after playing sparingly in December. But it may be a bit of a reach to think that made the difference in what proved to be a convincing Giants victory.
• Hot hand: Giants quarterback Eli Manning hit 20 of 27 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions against a Tampa Bay defense that had allowed a league-low 170.5 passing yards a game. He had a passer rating of 117.1, more than 40 points higher than his regular season rating of 74.0.
Need to fix: New York needs much more from two key offensive performers, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and running back Brandon Jacobs. Burress was limited to four catches for 38 yards; none of them went for more than 14 yards. Meanwhile Jacobs was held to 34 yards on 13 attempts, a paltry 2.6-yard average, but he did score two touchdowns.
• Spin ahead: The Giants have won eight consecutive road games since a season-opening 45-35 defeat against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Manning hit 28 of 41 throws for 312 yards and four touchdowns that night before leaving in the fourth quarter with a bruised shoulder. The Giants will need a big effort from him again in what looms as another shootout.
— Tom Pedulla
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• Unheralded performance: New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, a seventh-round find from Marshall, carried 17 times for 66 yards vs. Tampa Bay, a healthy 3.9-yard average.
• Second guess: Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden will be questioned throughout the offseason for resting key starters for the final two regular-season games once the NFC South was clinched. Quarterback Jeff Garcia, in particular, had significant rust to shake off after playing sparingly in December. But it may be a bit of a reach to think that made the difference in what proved to be a convincing Giants victory.
• Hot hand: Giants quarterback Eli Manning hit 20 of 27 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions against a Tampa Bay defense that had allowed a league-low 170.5 passing yards a game. He had a passer rating of 117.1, more than 40 points higher than his regular season rating of 74.0.
Need to fix: New York needs much more from two key offensive performers, wide receiver Plaxico Burress and running back Brandon Jacobs. Burress was limited to four catches for 38 yards; none of them went for more than 14 yards. Meanwhile Jacobs was held to 34 yards on 13 attempts, a paltry 2.6-yard average, but he did score two touchdowns.
• Spin ahead: The Giants have won eight consecutive road games since a season-opening 45-35 defeat against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Manning hit 28 of 41 throws for 312 yards and four touchdowns that night before leaving in the fourth quarter with a bruised shoulder. The Giants will need a big effort from him again in what looms as another shootout.
— Tom Pedulla
LINK