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| Other Week 12 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF at KC | CAR at ATL | CHI at STL | CIN at PIT | GB at NO | HOU at CLE | IND at SD | MIN at JAX |
| NE at MIA | NYG at ARI | NYJ at TEN | OAK at DEN | PHI at BAL | SF at DAL | TB at DET | WAS at SEA |
Week 12 Game Recap: New York Giants 37, Arizona Cardinals 29
What you need to know
| New York Giants |
The Giants won their tenth game of the year utilizing a balanced offensive attack and getting great special teams play by Domenik Hixon, who had two long kickoff returns to set up Giant scores. The Giants were without two of their offensive stars RB Brandon Jacobs, who was inactive and WR Plaxico Burress who aggravated a previous hamstring injury. The team did not have a turnover in this game.
QB Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes on the afternoon and finished the game 26 of 33 for 240 yards. He completed passes to seven different receivers and most importantly didn't turn the ball over. In the second half alone, Manning was 16 for 18 for 156 yards.
RB Derrick Ward substituted for the deactivated Jacobs and had 99 total yards (69 rush, 30 receiving) from scrimmage and one touchdown.
WR Domenik Hixon had 273 all purpose yards from scrimmage and was the recipient of more work due to Burress' injury on the game's first play. Hixon finished the game with six catches for 57 yards, and had 180 yards alone on kick off returns. Hixon showed explosive speed on his routes and had good rhythm with Manning.
| Arizona Cardinals |
QB Kurt Warner's threw his fifth straight 300 yard game finishing 32 of 52 for 351 yards and one touchdown. He was pressured often and hit many times as he released the ball. He was intercepted once and had two fumbles, losing one.
RB Tim Hightower found the running tough all day long finishing with only 21 yards on 11 carries. He scored two short touchdowns (4, 1) though.
WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were kept in check all game. Neither reached the century mark, yet Boldin did have a five yard touchdown catch. Boldin finished the game with 11 catches for 87 yards. Fitzgerald had five catches for 71 yards.
What you ought to know
| QB Eli Manning, Pass: 26 - 33 - 240 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Manning had a consistent game finishing 26 for 33 for 240 yards with three touchdowns. He completed passes to seven different receivers and showed good poise when under rush. He did not turn the ball over. He was sacked once and led the Giants on touchdown drives of 62, 80, 32 and 40 yards.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 20 - 69 - 1, Rec: 4 - 30 - 0 (4 targets) |
Ward had a good game subbing for Jacobs and rushed for 69 yards on 20 attempts. He had a one yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put New York up 7-3. Ward ran hard up the middle, and also utilized his quickness catching passes out of the backfield.
| RB Madison Hedgecock, Rec: 2 - 10 - 1 (2 targets) |
Hedgecock had his first career NFL touchdown (a two yard catch) on a first and goal in the third quarter to put New York up for good.
| RB Brandon Jacobs |
Despite media reports that Jacobs was available, he was deactivated for the game due to his minor knee injury.
| WR Domenik Hixon, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0, Rec: 6 - 57 - 0 (8 targets) |
Subbing for Burress, Hixon was the game's offensive star with 273 all-purpose yards. Hixon caught six balls for 57 yards, ran a reverse for 11 yards, and had long kick off returns of 83 and 68 yards to set up New York scores.
| WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 4 - 30 - 1 (6 targets) |
Toomer caught four balls for 30 yards including a 12 yard touchdown.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 4 - 45 - 0 (5 targets) |
Smith had four grabs for 45 yards in the game. Smith was targeted deep twice, with one resulting in a 30 yard catch.
| WR Plaxico Burress (2 targets) |
Burress started the game but aggravated his hamstring injury on the Giants' first offensive possession. He did not return.
| TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 4 - 48 - 1 (6 targets) |
Boss had four catches for 48 yards including a ten yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Boss also had a 28 yard catch on that drive.
| PK John Carney 3 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 13 points |
Carney connected on field goals of 33, 33, and 27 yards. He was perfect on all four of his extra point attempts.
| NYG Rush Defense |
The Giants rush defense gave up two short touchdown runs (one and four) yards, but kept the Cardinals to a total of only 23 net yards rushing. The longest rush of the day was only five yards.
| NYG Pass Defense |
Kept Arizona's big three, Boldin, Fitzgerald and Breaston, in check all day long tackling each quickly after their individual receptions. The pressured Warner often and had one interception and one fumble recovery after a Warner sack. Although the did give up a touchdown to Boldin (5 yards) in the fourth quarter, they did an excellent job of keeping the big play out of the ball game.
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 32 - 52 - 351 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 |
Warner had his fifth consecutive 300 yard game, but it did not come without several pressures and hits on the veteran quarterback. Warner completed passes to five receivers and hit Anquan Boldin on a short five yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Arizona threw on 52 of their 68 total plays. Warner did have two fumbles (losing one) after being sacked.
| RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 11 - 21 - 2 (1 targets) |
Hightower's game stats were skewed by his two short touchdown runs of one and four yards. He had only 21 yards on 11 carries and was kept in check the entire game. His longest run was five yards. He found few holes in the Giants' defensive front.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rec: 5 - 38 - 0 (7 targets) |
Arrington did not record a rush, but did contribute with five catches for 38 yards, all short dump off passes out of the backfield. Arrington had a long kick off return of 55 yards, which led to an Arizona score.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0, Rec: 11 - 87 - 1 (18 targets) |
Boldin was busy on this afternoon logging 11 catches for 87 yards and one score, a short 5 yard slant pattern in the red zone. Boldin did line up at quarterback for his only rush that was stuffed at the line. He found the running after the catch tough against the Giants' D, and had a long catch of 17 yards.
| WR Steve Breaston, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 6 - 86 - 0 (9 targets) |
Breaston caught six balls for 86 yards with a long catch of 32 yards. He caught most of his balls over the middle, but was targeted deep twice. His rush was a direct snap from the center.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 5 - 71 - 0 (10 targets) |
Like Boldin, Fitzgerald found the running after the catch difficult, but did have five catches for 71 yards. His longest catch was 18 yards. He did cause two pass interference penalties when he was targeted deep against the Giant secondary.
| WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 5 - 69 - 0 (6 targets) |
Urban had a productive afternoon with five catches for 69 yards. He was mainly the fourth choice in the pass patterns and was a recipient of the tough coverage played against Boldin and Fitzgerald.
| PK Neil Rackers 3 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points |
Rackers connected on three field goals on the day 34, 20 and 44 yards. His lone miss was a 68 yard effort to end the first half in which the Cardinals' opted for a little used free kick to end the half. He was perfect in both extra points. However, the Cardinals did have a muffed extra point attempt in the second quarter.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Cardinals rush defense played hard and kept the Giant runners in check giving up only one short touchdown run (one yard) and only 87 net yards rushing to the NFL's #1 rush offense. The longest rush of the day was only 13 yards.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The Cardinals pass defense gave up three scores on the day, and failed to cause a turnover. They recorded one sack. Eleven of the Giants' 18 first downs came via the pass.
