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Week 3 Game Recap: Cincinnati Bengals 23, New York Giants 26
What you need to know
| Cincinnati Bengals |
The Cincinnati Bengals took the field in search of their first victory of the year against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. In what was a game that came down to the wire, Carson Palmer and the Bengals came up short in a heartbreaking overtime defeat.
Palmer, who did all that he could to keep the Bengals in the game, completed 27 of 39 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Chris Perry was able to make an impact, rushing for 74 yards and a score on an even 20 carries. Adding a couple catches through the air, Perry's day was far overshadowed by T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati's leading receiver on the day. Houshmandzadeh caught a team high 12 passes for 146 yards and a fourth quarter touchdown.
In the end it was not in the cards for Cincinnati as the defense gave way, allowing a game winning field goal on the first possession of overtime. They allowed over 400 yards of total offense as they kept Eli Manning upright, not recording a sack or forcing a turnover. The final nail in the coffin occurred early in overtime as Eli Manning stepped up against blitz and hit Amani Toomer with a 31 yard strike, setting up the game winning field goal and sending Cincinnati to 0-3.
| New York Giants |
The Giants looked for their first 3-0 start since 2000 and had to fight tooth and nail to get there as Cincinnati gave them all that they could for 60 plus minutes. Eli Manning had another solid September day playing mistake free football while throwing for 289 yards and a key touchdown.
Manning was aided by the power rushing attack that was again present in a big way at the Meadowlands. The two headed rushing attack, looking similar to the old "Thunder and Lightning" tandem of 2000, managed to move the ball, amassing 115 yards on the ground and pounding in the first Giants score of the game. Giants' running back Brandon Jacobs wore down the Bengals front on 14 carries as he made way for Derrick Ward who helped by contributing 80 yards on only nine carries. The success came just as easy through the air as Manning hit eight different targets, with four receivers gaining over 40 yards or more. Amani Toomer led the way as he grabbed five balls for a team high 64 yards.
The New York defense was again asked to deliver pressure on the defensive side of the ball. Deliver they did as they caused havoc for Palmer and the Bengals, using various blitzes to record six sacks against an overmatched offensive front. In the end the defense bent but didn't break as they made a red zone stand, forcing a game tying field goal and not letting up the go ahead score as time expired in regulation. After one more crucial stop in overtime, the Giants offense took control, orchestrating a drive that saw John Carney connect on his fourth field goal of the day and give their Giants their first 3-0 start in eight years.
What you ought to know
| QB Carson Palmer, Pass: 27 - 39 - 286 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 23 - 0 |
Carson Palmer put in a great effort on the road, completing 69 percent of his passes for 286 yards and a touchdown. He relied heavily on T.J. Houshmandzadeh, looking his way early and often to move the chains and find the rhythm the Bengals offense has lacked early in the season. Palmer was able to engineer two fourth quarter drives, one that put them ahead late in the fourth quarter while the other allowed them to kick a field goal and force overtime.
| RB Chris Perry, Rush: 20 - 74 - 1, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) |
Perry put in another solid effort, leading the way on the ground for the Bengals by gaining 93 total yards and finding the end zone on a 25 yard scamper. He ran well against the physical front and worked both inside and outside of the hash marks. He was able to bring in two of his three targets but gained a meager 19 yards as he was mostly utilized on his 20 rushing attempts.
| WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 12 - 146 - 1 (15 targets) |
Houshmandzadeh and Palmer had no trouble getting in synch as Houshmandzadeh saw a team high 15 targets and was able to haul in 12 of them for 142 yards and a score. He was everywhere downfield as his speed caused a major mismatch for the Giants secondary unit. He was hit multiple times on underneath hot routes where he was able to show off his quick feet and elusiveness gaining big yards after the catch. In the fourth quarter, he found a seam and was able to bring in an 11 yard catch for his first receiving touchdown of the year.
| WR Antonio Chatman, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 6 - 70 - 0 (6 targets) |
Chatman was a very vital possession receiver, providing a safe outlet for Carson Palmer who targeted him six times. Chatman made the most of his looks hauling in all six targets for 70 yards and was often matched up on a linebacker as most of his routes were run within five yards from the line of scrimmage. On the last offensive play of the game, Chatman was hit on a short pass but was unable to get into the end zone for the win.
| WR Chad Johnson, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (7 targets) |
Johnson saw seven looks go his way but was only able to bring in three of them for 29 yards through the air. There were times where Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer looked seemingly frustrated as they were unable to get on the same page with their routes.
| TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 4 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) |
Kelly was a consistent safety valve downfield for Carson Palmer. He brought in four of his five targets for 22 yards. He caught the on mostly short routes and put his size to use as he fought for tough yards after the catch.
| TE Dan Coats (2 targets) |
Coats saw two targets and was unable to record a reception.
| PK Shayne Graham 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points |
Graham was good on all three of his field goal attempts while he also was able to add 2 PAT conversions.
| CIN Rush Defense |
The Bengals rush defense looked hungry early but wore down late as they allowed another 100 plus yards on the ground. Derrick Ward gained 80 yards rushing while Brandon Jacobs pounded out substantially less yardage but was able to find the end zone for an early score. Late in the game Ward found success running against the Cincinnati front and played a major role in the fourth quarter drive that allowed New York to take a three point lead.
| CIN Pass Defense |
The Cincinnati pass defense was manhandled by Eli Manning and his front five. They allowed 289 yards through the air and could put no pressure on Manning as they failed to record a sack and allowed many big gains. This defense, which has yet to define themselves, had their chance to start the overtime period as Manning and the Giants won the coin toss and elected to receive. With just over nine minutes to go in overtime the Bengals brought pressure but were unable to get to Manning as they gave up a 31 yard completion to Amani Toomer and allowed New York to kick the game winning field goal.
| QB Eli Manning, Pass: 26 - 43 - 289 - 1 TD / 0 INT |
Manning had another productive game completing 60 percent of his passes and not turning the ball over once. He spread his 26 completions over eight targets, throwing for 289 yards and connecting with tight end Kevin Boss for his only passing touchdown of the day. With four and a half minutes to go and trailing by four points, Manning successfully led a nine play, 68 yard drive that included a crucial third and ten completion. He looked poised in the pocket and did not force much downfield, doing a good job of taking what the defense gave him.
| RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 14 - 35 - 1 (2 targets) |
Jacobs did not gain much yardage on the day but ran downhill with authority as he totaled 35 yards on 14 carries, finding the end zone for his first touchdown of the year. He pounded the defense most of the day and gave way to Derrick Ward late who was having much better success against a worn down Bengals front. He saw two targets on the day however he was unable to record a reception.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 9 - 80 - 0, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) |
Ward was used to spell Jacobs as a change of pace back and contributed mightily on the ground as he gained 80 yards on only 9 carries. He showed good elusiveness when getting to the second level of the defense and broke off some big runs to set up the Giants for scoring opportunities. His biggest run of the day came on the Giants go ahead fourth quarter drive as Ward took the first play from scrimmage across midfield on a 22 yard run. It was this run that set the tone and allowed the Giants to move the ball downfield for the go ahead score.
| RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 2 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) |
Bradshaw saw a limited role against the Bengals, rushing only twice for two yards and adding a five yard reception on his only target.
| RB Madison Hedgecock, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Hedgecock was used as a primary blocker and saw one target, which was good for a nine yard reception.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 7 - 60 - 0 (8 targets) |
Smith was a big possession receiver for Manning and the Giants as he brought in seven of his eight targets for 60 yards. He showed excellent hands and ran well after the catch, fighting for tough yards before being taken down. On the Giants go ahead drive in the fourth quarter, Smith snagged a short pass from Manning on a third and long and drove hard to the sticks, picking up the new set of downs and keeping the crucial drive alive.
| WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 5 - 64 - 0 (9 targets) |
Toomer was targeted nine times against the busy Bengals secondary, hauling in five balls for 64 yards. He was a great option for Eli Manning who had trouble getting the ball to his main deep threat and provided the much needed spark to get them in scoring range during overtime. With less than 10 minutes to play in overtime Toomer hauled in a 31 yard catch, toeing the sideline and getting both feet down before falling out of bounds. It was this grab that put the Giants in field goal range for the winning score.
| WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 3 - 45 - 0 (9 targets) |
Burress had his first pedestrian game of the season as he caught three of his nine targets for 45 yards. He was in a physical battle all day with the Bengals defenders and had a rare drop in open space. Cincinnati did a good job of getting to Burress right as the ball was arriving causing an incomplete pass and not letting Plaxico run after the catch.
| WR Domenik Hixon, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (4 targets) |
Hixon only saw four targets on the day and managed to bring in three of them for 29 yards. His lone incomplete was on a deep ball down the seam that would have been a big gain had it not been thrown high, and just out of his reach.
| TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 3 - 51 - 1 (5 targets) |
Boss saw more action in the passing game and was able to bring in three receptions on a season high five targets. He showed off his hands and concentration, snaring a tough sideline reception while falling out of bounds as well as brining in his first touchdown of the season on a bullet thrown through traffic by Manning.
| PK John Carney 4 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 14 points |
Carney was solid in his busiest game of the season thus far connecting on all four of his field goal attempts while adding two PAT conversions. Carney also showed off that he still has a little life left in his legs as he connected on a big 46 yard field goal in the third quarter.
| NYG Rush Defense |
The Giants rush defense was workmanlike in their effort, staying away from the big play and bottling up the Bengals on the ground. The physical play of the front four allowed less than four yards per carry against a speedy Bengal rushing attack
| NYG Pass Defense |
The New York pass defense took their lumps at times but persevered through the heat and pressure to make the big stop when it counted. They applied pressure from end to end and everywhere in between as Fred Robbins fought for two sacks of his own and was also able to contribute three tackles stuffing the middle. The only blemish on their record was on a third and four play where Palmer was able to hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh down the seam, connecting for a 17 yard score, and putting the Bengals ahead with just over four minutes in the game.
