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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- This was just what the New York Giants
needed -- a cross-country trip away from their hometown critics and
a game against one of the worst teams in the NFL.
|  | | Giants tight end Dan Campbell scores easily in the first quarter Sunday night. |
Kerry Collins completed 20 of 30 passes for 232 yards and a
touchdown Sunday night as the Giants routed the depleted Arizona
Cardinals 31-7.
New York (8-4), in its most one-sided victory of the season,
snapped a two-game skid and stayed a half-game behind first-place
Philadelphia in the NFC East. Should the two teams finish tied for
the division title, the Giants own the tiebreaker because they beat
the Eagles twice.
Home losses to Detroit and St. Louis had raised the pressure in
one of the country's toughest sports cities. Arizona was the
perfect destination.
"I've never questioned this team, but I was interested in
seeing how they came out and played because they were focused this
week and they had the right mental attitude," Giants coach Jim
Fassel said. "The main thing for us is to go out with a sense of
urgency in every game."
With quarterback Jake Plummer out with bruised ribs and a
sprained left thumb, Arizona (3-9) lost its third in a row to fall
to 1-4 under interim coach Dave McGinnis.
McGinnis, whose trademark is outspoken passion, was not happy
with how flat his team came out, especially on offense. He promised
a week of serious practice.
"I'm going to tighten up," McGinnis said. "I'm not letting go
of this thing. I'm going to pull the rope tighter."
The Giants led 14-0 at the half and extended it to 21-0 when
Tiki Barber ran 23 yards for a score with 6:24 left in the third
quarter. A defensive holding penalty against Arizona's Corey
Chavous on fourth-and-6 at the Cardinals' 33 kept the scoring drive
alive.
"We were playing fast and quick and with confidence," Collins
said. "I think we came out and set the tone from the start."
Former Giants starter Dave Brown, playing in place of Plummer,
completed just six of 15 passes for 58 yards in the first half and
fumbled the ball away at the New York 15. He also failed to get a
play off in time twice early in the contest.
Brown, who won three straight when Plummer was hurt last season,
finished the game 18-for-36 for 192 yards and a touchdown. He was
intercepted once.
"I just think I was so excited to play, especially with who we
were playing," said Brown, who kept playing despite bruising his
left shoulder early in the game. "I want to beat them more than
any other team in the league, and for obvious reasons.
"I just went out there and forgot all the little things, just
stupid rookie mistakes that I shouldn't be making in my ninth
season."
With the victory, New York is 2-8 when former Giants
quarterbacks start against them.
Brown's 36-yard screen pass to Michael Pittman for Arizona's
only score cut New York's lead to 21-7 with 2:01 left in the third
quarter.
The Giants responded with an 80-yard, 12-play drive that boosted
the lead to 28-7 on Amani Toomer's 19-yard touchdown run on a
reverse.
After Pittman fumbled the ball away on the New York 46, the
Giants drove deep into Arizona territory to set up Brad Daluiso's
25-yard field goal that made it 31-7 with 6:49 to go.
Pittman gained 77 yards in 13 carries and caught 10 passes for
96 yards. No one will accuse him of going through the motions, but
he believes some of his teammates lack the necessary desire.
"I think sometimes a handful of them don't want it that bad,"
Pittman said. "You've got to want it that bad. When I ran that
screen, I could have run out of bounds. I cut it back because I
wanted that touchdown."
For the first time in three games, the Giants had no special team
breakdowns.
"They were covering kicks the way we need to cover kicks,"
Fassel said. "They were covering kicks for their jobs."
On New York's first possession, Collins completed four of five
passes, three to Joe Jurevicius, on a nine-play, 65-yard drive.
Collins threw 5 yards to a wide-open Dan Campbell for the score.
New York went 72 yards in 11 plays to make it 14-0. Ron Dayne
bulled over from the 1 with 10:15 left in the half.
The Cardinals didn't get a first down until a personal foul
penalty against the Giants' Shaun Williams with 9:25 left in the
first half. Three plays later, Brown's 32-yard pass to David Boston
gave Arizona the ball at the New York 15.
But Brown fumbled after being hit by Ryan Phillips, and the
Giants' Michael Strahan recovered.
Arizona, penalized 12 times for 99 yards, had four first downs
in the first half, two by penalty.
Game notes
Cardinals' third-string quarterback Chris Greisen made
his first NFL appearance late in the game. ... New York's Keith
Hamilton had three sacks. He had five all season going into the
game. ... Arizona quarterbacks were sacked six times, after being
sacked eight times the previous week at Philadelphia. ... The
Giants have a big game at Washington next Sunday.
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ALSO SEE
NY Giants Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
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