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ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Falcons entered Monday's game with the Giants looking to hog the spotlight on the prime-time stage. Instead it was a group of players from New York -- one of the world's greatest entertainment spots -- that starred.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes, including a 48-yard strike to wide receiver Plaxico Burress as New York (4-2) defeated the home-standing Falcons 31-10 on Monday Night Football.
As in several games this season, the 1-5 Falcons had their opportunities. The defense forced three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) but the offense failed to convert them into points. Instead, the return of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Rod Coleman, who missed the first five games with a knee injury, and a stellar night by second-year running back Jerious Norwood, went for naught.
Coleman started the game on defense while Norwood rushed for 87 yards on six carries and caught four passes for 51 yards.
The Giants held the Falcons to 284 total yards and got enough pressure from the defense (four total sacks) to rattle a Falcons offense that started two new tackles in Renardo Foster and Tyson Clabo.
The loss was more frustrating considering how the Falcons handled the Giants' big-name pass rush in the early going.
Quarterback Joey Harrington led a march down the field after the opening kickoff and the team took a 3-0 lead on a 47-yard field goal by Morten Andersen that just skipped over the cross bar. The drive included some of the plays Head Coach Bobby Petrino and the offense had been searching for, including gritty running by Warrick Dunn and back-to-back first-down receptions by Roddy White, who led the team with four catches for 64 yards.
The three-point lead initially did it's job, providing a spark to a Georgia Dome crowd looking for some prime time play from their Falcons.
"It was a tough loss for us tonight, but the Giants are a very good team," Harrington said. "I think we started off fine. Then it seemed as if we hit the wall in the second quarter. We have to give them credit because they stuck to their game plan and never went away from it. As a whole, our whole team effort could’ve been better and we will work on that this week. We will get in the meeting rooms this week and focus on what we need to improve on.”
Atlanta's defense responded by taking the field after the field goal and holding the Giants short of a first down on three plays. But a roughing the kicker call on Demorrio Williams nullified a Giants punt. Manning and the Giants offense made the Falcons pay, continuing an 11-play, 73-yard drive that ended when the quarterback found veteran wide receiver Amani Toomer in the middle of the end zone with a 6-yard touchdown pass.
Giants down Falcons in prime time
Giants down Falcons in prime time
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