The New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins 27-23 on Sunday, thanks to some late-game heroics from Eli Manning and Victory Cruz. Moments after Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III gave the Redskins a 23-20 lead with 1:32 left in the game, Manning found Cruz for a 77-yard score that proved to be the game-winner.
Redskins vs. Giants, Week 7: New York ‘fortunate’ to get victory
New York has seen plenty of these late game comebacks from Manning before, but Ed Valentine of SB Nation’s Giants blog Big Blue View says that the Giants were fortunate to escape with a victory. Valentine lamented some questionable play-calling in the fourth quarter that helped the Redskins get back in the game:
The Giants' play-calling with a lead in the final few minutes was highly questionable. When Robert Griffin III fumbled and Linval Joseph recovered at the Giants' 30-yard line with the Giants lead 20-13 and 7:18 left to play it seemed like a perfect opportunity to run some clock.
The Giants chose to pass, however, and a terrible throw from Manning was intercepted, leading to a Washington field goal.
On the following drive the Giants faced a third-and-one at their own 38 and again disdained the run despite the short yardage and the Redskins being down to their final timeout. A pass for Hakeem Nicks fell incomplete and a punt gave the ball back to Washington with 2:59 to play.
Manning had a pretty poor day overall despite throwing for 337 yards and the late score. Both of his interceptions were terribly thrown balls, and one was deep in Redskin territory. Ultimately, though, he came up big when it counted most, and that’s all that really matters.
New York is now 5-2 and faces a big matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
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