East Rutherford, NJ – The New York Giants snapped their four-game losing streak in dramatic fashion with a 34-31 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons.
While the offense played its best ball in more than a month, the Giants defense continued to struggle as for the second time in as many games, New York failed to keep their opponent out of the end zone in the game’s final 45 seconds.
This time around, it was Atlanta QB Matt Ryan connecting with TE Tony Gonzalez for an 11-yard touchdown with 35 seconds left to tie the score at 31, capping a 12-play scoring drive.
The Giants, who won the sudden death coin toss, made quick work of the Falcons, over whom they now how the tiebreaker for a wild card spot.
QB Eli Manning, who finished 25 of 39 for 384 yards and three touchdowns, connected with receivers Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham on passes of seven and 29 yards respectively.
Four plays after the Manningham reception, K Lawrence Tynes, who earlier in the game missed a 31-yard field goal wide left, broke the tie with his 36-yarder.
“It is a really good feeling to kind of be a hero for 30 seconds and help your team win a football game,” Tynes said after the game. “I was really looking forward to overtime when we got the ball for sure.”
The Giants jumped out to a 17-7 first half lead, the first time since their game against Oakland where they led at halftime.
Following a shaky start that included an Atlanta interception of a Manning pass intended for Steve Smith and the game's lone sack, New York got on the board on Tynes’ 39-yard field goal to give his team the 3-0 lead.
After the Falcons temporarily took a 7-3 advantage on RB Jason Snelling's seven-yard touchdown run, Manning connected twice with TE Kevin Boss on touchdown passes of 28 and four yards.
In the second half, Atlanta pulled to within three after Snelling, starting for the injured Michael Turner, recorded his second touchdown of the game, this one a one-yard rush.
The Giants responded with a two-yard score by RB Brandon Jacobs and then a three-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass to FB Madison Hedgecock.
Atlanta kept chipping away at the score on a four-yard Ryan pass to WR Eric Weems prior to the tying toss to Gonzalez.
“It's nice to win; we were miserable around here for a month,” said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin.
“We did do a lot of soul searching, probably, this past two weeks just in terms of believing in each other, trusting, that type of thing. We didn’t necessarily start the game out all that well, (but) we did finish it okay. We feel really good about winning.”
The Giants won't have much time to enjoy this week's happy outcome as they head out on the road to meet the struggling Denver Broncos, who prior to this week dropped their last three games, on Thanksgiving night.
