It's been awhile since I've put up a ratings post, mainly because nothing's jumped out at me, but this one is worth noting. The Giants-Cowboys game this last Sunday night, is officially SNF's largest broadcast, and the largest primetime audience since 1997. Via SBD....

NBC earned a 15.1 final Nielsen rating and 24.817 million viewers for its "SNF" telecast featuring Giants-Cowboys from 8:31-11:50pm ET, marking the most-viewed "SNF" telecast ever. The first regular-season game ever at Cowboys Stadium also marked the most-watched NFL regular-season primetime game since Broncos-49ers earned 27 million viewers in December '97. Compared to the same week last year, Giants-Cowboys was up 39.8% and 39.2%, respectively, from a 10.8 rating and 17.834 million viewers for Steelers-Browns. The Giants-Cowboys audience was also up 84.2% over the Emmy Awards on CBS (13.471 million viewers). "SNF" was the No. 1 program of the week among broadcast networks in HHs and viewers.

It's truly amazing how much the NFL runs the world these days. So much so in fact, that CBS is moving the Emmy Awards up a full week due to a combination of NFL games on Sunday, September 20th. CBS has a double header that they're worried will run into the program, but the real reason is the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Giants and Cowboys on NBC. The 20th would also be the television debut of the new Cowboys' stadium, and a move a week up would put the Emmys up against the Bears and Packers, a much better matchup for the network. Via The Hollywood Reporter....

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards will air a week earlier than previously scheduled.

Originally slated for Sept. 20, the awards show will take place Sept. 13.

The reason: CBS, which carries the Emmys this year, has an NFL doubleheader Sept. 20, which could bleed into primetime and delay the start of the show.

"This is better for the live event, the broadcast and our audience at home," said Jack Sussman, CBS' executive vp specials, music and live events.

The original date for the broadcast was set before the NFL released its 2009 TV schedule.

In addition to preventing a possible delay, the move to Sept. 13 also will pit the primetime Emmys against the lower-profile Bears-Packers NFL game on NBC. Had the Emmys aired Sept. 20, the show would've faced the marquee Giants-Cowboys showdown.

I honestly don't know what a network like FOX sees in Michael Strahan as a comedian, but the former NFLer is all set to star in his own sitcom next fall. "Brothers" will start out on Fridays at 8pm, and will feature Strahan as a former NFL player (surprise!) called back home to help out his family. Wanna learn more? Of course you do. Via Newsday....

"Starring Michael Strahan (“FOX NFL Sunday”) and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (“Ed,” “Veronica’s Closet”), BROTHERS is a new half-hour comedy about a former NFL hot shot who learns that even though you can always go home again, the trip back might be tougher than you think. MIKE TRAINOR (Strahan) seemingly has it all – he’s a good-looking, wealthy and recently retired NFL player living the high-life in New York City, but he’s about to get sidelined. When Mike gets a phone call from his MOM (CCH Pounder, “The Shield”) who orders him home to Houston, he quickly realizes the more his life has changed, the more his family has stayed the same. His brother CHILL (Daryl “Chill” Mitchell), whose life was altered drastically after a car accident left him in a wheelchair, is struggling to keep his restaurant afloat with the help of his loudmouth associate, ROSCOE (Colton Dunn, “MADtv”). The dynamics between Mike and Chill are the same as when they were kids, and their sibling rivalry hasn’t lessened with age. If they can stop their bickering, put aside their differences and learn to be teammates, the brothers might just turn out to be each other’s biggest asset. Wedged between Mike and Chill are their parents. Their father, whom everyone refers to as COACH (Carl Weathers, “Rocky”), is the local high school football coach and the conservative, opinionated alpha male of his clan. Coach thinks he runs the show, but really it’s Mom who calls the shots. Saucy, stern and a schemer, she is the mastermind of the family. And when she learns that Mike’s business manager took off with all his money, she orchestrates a plan to keep Mike in Houston, save Chill’s restaurant and bring the family back together under one roof again – all without anyone realizing what she’s up to. Mom’s plan helps Mike realize that his family – however dysfunctional they may be – is the only family he’s got. And although he may not have a penny to his name, as long as he’s surrounded by people who love him, he’ll always be a rich man."

That's the Eli we know! The guy certainly wasn't unstoppable today as the Eagles D ran roughshod all over the Giants O, and Philly is now advancing on to the NFC Championship game. The highlight though was Dononvan McNabb, late in the fourth quarter, running out of bounds and deciding to grab the Giants sideline phone and make a call to their booth.

Because it really isn't a Giants game live-blog if I don't get Abby Manning in there somewhere, right?

Demps takes the kickoff out to the Eagles 47. McNabb to the Avant Garde for a two yard pass. McNabb's pass is knocked down, and it's in the hands of D-lineman Fred Robbins! He rumbles over to the Eagle 30 until Kevin Curtis brings him down.

I don't think I've ever seen 300-lbs move like that before in my life. - JFein

Jacobs drags defenders with him inside the 20 for a first down. He then gets five more on the next carry. Screen to Ward is dropped, who was running before making the catch. The third down pass is behind Kevin Boss, and Carney will have to try for another FG. Kick is up and good, 11-10, Giants.

We'd like to advise Kevin Gilbride to stop being clever and run Brandon Jacobs until Philly proves it can stop him consistently. Right now, I understand why Buddy Ryan punched him in the mouth back in the day, and I'm sure some Giants fans would like to do the same.

Eagles start at the 25, McNabb's pass is off the hands of Celek. After a hold, it's 2nd and 20. Incomplete to Brian Westbrook, 3rd down. McNabb to Avant Garde, wide open, and Avant gets past the first down marker! Donny Mac has a gimme deep ball dropped by Curtis, but an illegal hands to the face penalty is called on the Giants (not much there, ticky-tack). Buckhalter catches a pass for a couple yards and gets nailed. James Butler stops Buckhalter in Giant territory on the run play.

Matt Damon! That's who Myers looks like with that silly hat on! - Anon @ 3:04

Yup, straight out of Ocean's Eleven. Pass incomplete to Avant. McNabb has all day -- finds Buckhalter in the middle and gets a first down on a 3rd and 10. Up the gut with Westbrook for four more yards. Donny goes for Westbrook in the end zone and overthrows him. After another incomplete, Akers hits another FG. 13-11, Eagles.

No one apparently wants to win this game that badly. Bradshaw returns the kick to the 32 yard line.

McNabb could have pulled out a cell phone, call his mom, have her cook and bring him a can of Campbell's Chunky Soup, eat said chunky soup, and still have time to complete that pass. - JFein

Rush for three yards to start. Jacobs gets two more to the left. Eli drops back and goes deep for Domenik Hixon -- and they finally connect in Philly territory! Eli aims high for Hixon, incomplete. Jacobs goes for the right side and gets nothing. Carney on for a long try -- and that's no good from 47.

Westbrook again up the middle for five yards to start. 2nd down incomplete, McNabb got pressured by Barry Cofield. McNabb hits Curtis for eight yards on a five-stepper; great throw away from the coverage by Corey Webster. Webster breaks up the next one to Curtis, and Coach Sgt. Hartman is FURIOUS. Um....he was kinda going for the ball there, ref. A left hand on the left shoulder wasn't enough....and they picked up the flag.

Now Andy Reid is angry too. The only time you see him show this much emotion is when he's thinking Arby's. (Cheap joke, I know.) Next play gets a face mask on Antonio Pierce, getting the Eagles another first down -- and McNabb then hits Curtis at the Giants' 13 for another 15. Celek for another five on the next pass play. Westbrook up the middle for 3 yards; 3rd and 1. Interesting that Reid's going to a running game balance and using him up the middle. That's not his usual play-calling trend.

Pitch left to Westbrook; he gets outside and the first -- and starts first and goal at the three. McNabb drops back, easy flip to Celek in the left corner of the end zone, TOUCHDOWN, EAGLES! Akers' kick is up and good, 20-11, Philly.

Who falls for this play? The tight end either runs this route or across the middle EVERY DAMN TIME. Anyway, G-men have the ball, and Jacobs rushes 11 yards to start it off. He bounces off the right and goes back left for five more yards. 3rd and short after Jacobs gets plugged up.

"That was an interesting play call by Kevin Gilbride there." - Troy, being too diplomatic to say it sucked. Coughlin now has to challenge the spot.

Bill Simmons called this the year that Home field advantage died. Shouldn't every Road dog win? Look out Steelers. - frankasu03

Giants Stadium is not exactly State of the Art. Wind still affects the hell out of everything and it's creaky and ugly. If we're going by those rules, home field ought to apply -- and I can't believe that Eli hasn't figured out how to throw a tighter spiral in this place yet. No wonder they were so happy to go on the road and play all through last year's playoffs.

And Coach Sgt. Hartman just gave away a time out. Eli on the QB sneak -- and he didn't get jack. Eagles' ball!

Westbrook picks up three on the carry. Throw to Curtis, short on the play. 3rd and 5. Swing out to Westbrook, short by two yards. Good tackle by Webster. Rocca punts to Hixon, calls for the fair catch.

Gilbride is a moron. You have a 6'4", 264 pound running back in Brandon Jacobs and you run a QB sneak on 4th and 1? Come on, dude. Derrick Ward gets a first down with 14 yards out to the 25. Another first down for Ward with a two yard carry. Jacobs picks up a yard. Juqua Parker stuffs the run on 3rd -- and Coughlin's gonna go for this one -- has to.

A scary thought: Andy Reid is still making poor challenges and some bad play calls, but he must be transferring his crappy essence on the opposing sideline, too. First Brad Childress, now Kevin Gilbride is getting affected by the suck (although Gilbride has blown for years; one of the great mysteries is how the Giants won an SB with him calling plays.)

And Brandon Jacobs gets stuffed on 4th down. Measurement coming, but he looked short. Yep, turnover on downs.

McNabb airs it out for DeSean Jackson, who beats Corey Webster, and he's down at the one, I think. Looked like his knee hit before he lost the ball, but he fell on it in the end zone anyway. Westbrook stopped on first and goal, and gets caught in mid-air on 2nd down; lost a yard. The Eagles, no matter what, are not a goal line rushing team, period. Play action, boyos.

Turfed and incomplete for Hank Baskett. Kendra isn't happy. Akers on for 21-yard FG try....up and good, 23-11, Eagles. We can probably put this sucker on ice barring anything too stupid.

Manning to Toomer near midfield for a first. Buck talks about Plaxico Burress; I honestly don't believe Plax would have made that much of a difference. I think Jim Johnson would have taken his chances with loading up the box if they saw Eli throwing in the wind like that the whole game....and Eli throws another pick, this one to Quinton Mykell.

McNabb scrambles for nine yards....and dear God, the NFC championship game's gonna be in Glendale, Arizona. Jesus. Please tell me the Chargers aren't going to win. I can't deal with the possibility of a Bolts-Cards Super Bowl. McNabb gets an unsportsmanlike penalty for apparently picking up the phone on the Giants sideline. Neither Spags nor Gilbride are usually in the booth for them, so I wonder whom he was thanking for Eli sucking.

Hixon takes the Rocca punt back to the 20 yard line...and Eli nearly threw another pick. Two minute warning.

I said it once and I'll say it again. Eli Manning was looking ahead... to the Oreo Double Stuff Racing League battle with the Williams sisters. - PricelessCommentary

Joe Buck's outrage at Donny Mac's phone call reminds me of his disgust at Randy Moss faux-mooning Green Bay: totally fake, manufactured, and utter bullshit. Another turnover on downs for the Giants, and we're really just waiting for the kneel downs. Final score is 23-11, Philly, and the NFC championship game will be the Eagles visiting the Buzzsaw That Is The Arizona Cardinals in the Pink Taco next Sunday.

See you up in the 2nd live-blog for Philip and Nantzy Boy in Yinzer Central.

All right. Double live bloggin' today. Worth watching today: the clash between the Eagles' run-stuffing safety Brian Dawkins and the G-men's trio of RBs, because Brandon Jacobs is back this time.

Game: NFC Divisional Playoff #2
Teams: Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1, 2nd place, NFC East) vs. New York Giants (12-4, NFC East Champs)
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Start Time: 1 PM EST
Announcers and Network: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, and Chris Myers (Fox)
Miscellany: Manning Face, Donovan McNabb's future in Philly, Jim Johnson's defense, Steve Spagnuolo's D (and his "hot candidate" status for head coaching vacancies), Andy Reid's curious challenges and/or time management.
Favorite: Giants (-4)
S2N's Pick: Giants. Jacobs is playing this time around, and that sets up the run game. Plus, you all know I don't trust Andy Reid's play-calling against competent coaches. He could forget Brian Westbrook exists this week.

Chris Myers again? Is he giving the big boys blowjobs to get these gigs? - Anon @ 12:57

It's probably that they pay him a ton and are trying to justify it.

Or they are too cheap to use anyone else. - JFein

Now, now. Hacks don't come cheap. Do you know how much his hair spray budget is? (And we won't get evidence of this today; Myers is wearing a cap.)

"Hence the hat for Chris; he looks like he's in Prison Break." - Joe Buck, weaving in both bad joke and Fox promo like the skilled slick bastard he is. Eagles will kick off to Ahmad "Fire" Bradshaw, with the wind swirling all over the place in New Jersey. They should note when the wind is NOT a factor at the Meadowlands. Bradshaw scampers all the way down in Eagles territory and kicker David Akers saves a touchdown by pushing him out at the Philly 36 or so.

Eli Manning's first pass goes for The Other Steve Smith, and the wind catches it a bit -- lucky for Asante Samuel, who was about to get burned if not for that. Brandon Jacobs gets 7 on his first carry for a 3rd and 3. Manning Face on the first play is a rarity. Screen pass to Ward -- and he's short of the marker. 4th and 2, and the G-men are going for it -- Jacobs gets that first down.

Manning completes to TE Darcy Johnson at the 11. Jacobs gets one or two, tackled by Brian Dawkins. Incomplete on 2nd down, short out to Derrick Ward again on 3rd down....and short. FG team on. John Carney's attempt is good, 3-0, Giants.

Quentin Demps returns Lawrence Tynes' kick 19 yards. Donovan McNabb starts with a rifle shot to DeSean Jackson for nine yards....well, 10. First down. Westbrook gets hit in the backfield for a loss at the 40. McNabb to Correll Buckhalter on a screen pass that gets sniffed out and brought down for another 3 yard loss. 3rd and 16. McNabb aims behind Kevin Curtis -- three and out. Clearly, the Giants have no respect for the run game right now -- they're loading guys in the secondary and having them play run support.

To add insult to injury, it's a false start on the punt. 4th and 21, and the predictable "EAGLES SUCK" chant. Domenik Hixon crosses the 40 on the punt, but there are flags for either holding or a block in the back. Holding and unsportsmanlike.

And right off the bat, Eli throws an ill-advised pass and Asante Samuel picks him off, returning it for a first and goal situation. Ah, Manning Face.

Westbrook on first and goal from the 2 is completely stuffed. McNabb skies 2nd and goal out of bounds with a flag thrown -- usually that's holding, but it's defensive, and it resets the downs from the one. Westbrook tries to jump in, and crashes thanks to a G-men defender at the line of scrimmage. McNabb keeps it himself and reaches over the goal line, TOUCHDOWN, EAGLES. Akers' kick is good, 7-3, Philly.

Still trying to figure out whose idea of a date movie is "My Bloody Valentine 3D." By personal experience, horror movies don't exactly make great dates.

Dear Asante, nice to see you can intercept Eli Manning

-Signed,
the New England Patriots - Ghost

Hah. Ward carries for two, and it's a long third down for the Giants coming up. Manning throws 12 yards for Steve Smith, moving the chains. The Eagles stop up two more running plays, and it's another 3rd and long. Manning floats another pass, this one out of bounds for Amani Toomer. Punt is 45 yards, and Philly will have to back up thanks to a block in the back. They'll start at about the 10 or so.

What's "G"? It's the crappiest set of spots ever, that's what. Westbrook loses a yard on the carry. A false start will move the Eagles back even further. Buckhalter gets five yards on 2nd down.

Get me some PowerAde. - James Craven

Donny Mac's 3rd down pass goes through the mitts of Jason the Avant Garde....and Rocca will punt again. Hixon gets nailed by Considine at the Philly 46 -- and it will back up into Giants territory because of a block in the back. Brandon Jacobs picks up 11 yards and a first down to end the quarter.

This is gonna rival Titans v. Ravens for flags. - Mal

Hopefully not with ticky-tack ones in the fourth quarter when it counts, though. Jacobs starts with a rush for two, follows up with 1 yard. Manning goes downfield for Smith....and overthrows him. Jeff Feagles punts, it's saved from the end zone by Terrell Thomas, and downed at the five.

Westbrook gets a yard on the carry after Buck remarks that the Eagles have only gained 10 yards so far. McNabb flips the ball out on 2nd down, and EVERYBODY DO THE SAFETY DANCE! Intentional grounding. 7-5, Philly.

McNabb didn't vomit on the field then, but that was a pretty sick hurl on that pass. - Mal

I'm pretty surprised Andy Reid didn't challenge that, it just seems like the type of thing he would challenge. He's stepping up a notch for the post-season. - Ghost

Rocca free punts it to Hixon, who brings it out to the 32. Four yards on a first down rush. Eli hits Kevin Boss a yard short of the marker...at least it looked like that to me, but apparently he's got it. Ward for three as he runs out to the right. Incomplete pass, but Stewart Bradley gets called for illegal hands to the face, first down. Manning hits Boss for 21 down the left sideline, gets forced out at the 27. Jacobs carries for no gain.

Manning throws another duck that's a bit too far to catch Hixon in stride. The Eagles have to play single coverage on the receivers to stop the run, and Manning isn't hitting them. Eli has to get rid of it, and here comes John Carney for an FG try of 46 yards, and he pushed it right.

Buckhalter carries once again for fuck all. Both defenses are doing rather well with the run. McNabb hits Brent Celek at the 41 for 5 yards. First wasted time out by the Eagles because they can't get a play off.

Arizona must be loving watching this game. If the winner plays like this next week, Arizona may actually be in the Super Bowl. And if Eli continues to play this badly, Arizona's going to have an even easier time in their own house. - Zidane Valor

I don't think Kurt Warner's any better throwing in the wind than these guys, honestly. You can bet the Cards are rooting for the Eagles. L.J. Smith just caught a first down pass for the team's first 3rd down conversion of the game. Westbrook gets two yards on the outside. He then grabs six for his longest run so far this game, after Buck has a bit of an obsession with McNabb's chin strap. Buckhalter burrows for a first down on 3rd and 1.

Another yard for Westbrook. After the next play, it's third and 9. Blitz on, McNabb is hit as he throws by Terrell Thomas, forcing the pass to float, and Sean Dockery comes down with the pick at the Giants 20!

Brandon Jacobs gets a nice 24-yard run to start thanks to a Madison Hedgecock block. Hedge-cock block, heh. Ward gets five on the next carry. Manning hits Boss after stepping up in the pocket and the tight end is down at the Eagles 26 after a 25 yard pass. Jacobs adds another five, and we're in the red zone at the two minute warning.

I can't be the only one who wants to see Taken, if only because Liam Neeson in ass-kicking mode is fun.

The refs took the Jacobs carry off because it apparently was snapped after the clock hit 2 minutes. Quick throw to Hixon, wrapped up, but offsides on Philly. Incomplete on 1st and 5. Tipped ball on 2nd and 5. Short throw to Ward, and he'll be tackled short of the first down. Carney comes on for a 35 yard try. Kick up and good, Giants take an 8-7 lead.

With Coughlin standing around with his hands on his hips, I'm expecting him to start singing "I'm a Little Teapot." - Mal

But he's ALWAYS steamed. How can you tell when to pour him out?

Demps takes the kickoff out to the 25. McNabb throws to Celek, who drops it because he's looking upfield. DeSean Jackson gets his first catch, running out of bounds after passing the first down marker. Donny Mac to the Avant Garde for 5, then another pass to Westbrook, who scampers out of bounds for the first down at the Giants' 49. McNabb to Avant again at the 34.

And Andy Reid burns his last time out with 40 seconds left, while Troy Aikman digs at him slightly for it (rightfully so.)

As a Vikes fan, I now see where Brad Childress got his clock management skills. - Anon @ 2:32 PM

Jackson brings the catch in at the 25. Ball thrown away on 2nd down. 3rd and 1 means Westbrook; he gets the first, and now they spike it. Giants get flagged for an illegal contact on the running play by McNabb, which gets added on. First and goal. McNabb aims for Jackson in the end zone, but he catches it out of bounds. Akers on for the chip-shot FG; it's up and good. 10-8, Eagles at the half. See you in the 2nd half thread.

The Titans took care of business earlier in the day, and at around 11:30 last night in the bitter cold, the Giants did the same. Derrick Ward led a New York comeback with a career high 214 yards, and three huge runs in overtime, to setup a two yard Brandon Jacobs score....

I didn't want to re-use a photo of Abby Manning, but I couldn't find one without her dopey husband in it.

Mark Jones takes the kickoff up to the 33 yard line, as Andrea tells us about Justin Tuck suffering from the flu. DeAngelo Williams gets five yards on first down, then gets six more to move the chains, as he's flipped over. Jonathan Stewart comes back in and crosses midfield by gaining six or seven yards. Good coverage on 2nd down, as Delhomme aims for a check down, but it's incomplete. Nearly throws a pick on 3rd down as the Giants blitz, and Baker will be on to punt. R.W. McQuarters fair catches the ball at about the 10.

Jacobs gets 3 on first down. He's the recipient of the next short pass, and he has to reach down to grab it. Manning out of the shotgun, incomplete to Domenik Hixon over his back shoulder. 4th down. Feagles shanks it, and Carolina will start at the Giants' 48. Williams gets a yard after they fake the end-around to Steve Smith. Stewart gets up to the 43. 3rd down throw to Muhammad over the middle is broken up by Corey Webster. Baker to punt. McQuarters downs it at the Giant 16.

Eli goes to Kevin Boss to start, who gets up to the 20. 2nd down gets a yard, Eli gets a delay of game on 3rd and 5, turning it into 3rd and 10. Manning finds Boss, who gets more than that 10 and a first down. Next pass goes to Hixon for another 10 yards up to the 41. Jacobs gets three more on the next carry. Ward busts it to the outside once again after cutting through the line, 22 yard gain to the Carolina 33. Manning hits Amani Toomer for his first catch of the day at the 21. Manning hits the fullback Hedgecock, who gets inside the 10 yard line for a first and goal.

Jacobs gets the carry and heads to the 2 yard line, but gets hit hard behind the line of scrimmage on the next carry.

"Sinuses are cleared." - Al
"A lot of things of cleared." - John, after Chris Harris' hit on Jacobs

Manning drops back and hits Kevin Boss coming across the end zone for the touchdown. They kick the point, and it's 21-20, Panthers.

I hate this Diet Pepsi Max ad now, although it's nice to know that Chris Kattan is getting some form of employment. Mark Jones returns the kick to the 36. Delhomme looks deep for Steve Smith, but his pass is incomplete. Williams gets six yards on the carry. Delhomme spots Muhsin Muhammad at midfield and hits him to move the chains on the last play of the third quarter.

Antonio Pierce gets some nice penetration on the running play and brings Williams down for a 1-yard loss. Williams gets that yard back and one more; 3rd and 9. Delhomme hits Dwayne Jarrett, who gets airborne to bring the ball down at the 31 of New York. Williams gets the carry, gets to the outside -- and breaks it all the way for 30 yards for the score! Add the XP, it's 28-20, Carolina. Fourth TD of the day for DeAngelo Williams!

Bradshaw brings the ball out to the 23 this time. Manning's brought down by Tyler Brayton for a 9-yard sack on first down. Jacobs gets back all the way out to the 30, catching the Panthers in nickel coverage. Ward gets to the outside again and is sprung free by a block all the way to the Carolina 33 for a 37 yard carry. Jacobs up to the 31. Eli doesn't like the defense and calls time. Jacobs' hands of stone drop the pass from Manning on 2nd down and 7. On 3rd down, Manning gets shellacked by Julius Peppers from his blind side. You could hear that from miles away.

It knocks the G-men out of field goal range, so Feagles punts, and the Giants bat it out at the one-yard line to pin the Panthers in. Williams gets a yard on the next two carries. He gets up to the 4 yard line on 3rd down. Baker's punt is good; McQuarters runs out of bounds at the Carolina 44.

Hixon gets 13 yards after an initial loss on a penalty. 2nd and 2 after the catch. Derrick Ward gets stopped for a loss of a yard. Manning hits Toomer on the right side, he gets extra yardage by breaking tacklers and is down at the 22. Ward gets two yards on the carry, then grabs three more on the shotgun draw play. 3rd and 5 -- over the middle to Kevin Boss, and he runs to the five before he's brought down. First and goal.

Manning goes for Hixon in the end zone, and it's broken up -- but they call pass interference on Ken Lucas, Carolina's first PI flag all season. Resets the down to first and goal at the 1. Brandon Jacobs rumbles through the line for a touchdown, and the Giants are going for two.

Incredibly good fake to Jacobs out of the shotgun on the conversion, and Manning hits a wide-open Hixon. 28-all! Damn, this is a game we got here.

Another good return by Mark Jones, who is tackled at the Carolina 38. Delhomme to Stewart over the middle, and he crosses midfield to move the chains. Stewart gets a yard on the next play. Two minute warning.

Great break-up of the pass to Steve Smith by Corey Webster, making it 3rd and 9. But Muhammad is there on 3rd down, crossing the marker and being tackled at the 37. Delhomme drops it, but picks it up and hands it off to Williams, who gets 10 yards and a first down -- depending on this flag -- and it's a holding call on Steve Smith. That'll be coming back to the Giants 47.

"That's a good hold. That's a doggone takedown." - John, on Smith's holding penalty.

I believe Steve Smith could make a very good wrestler, even at his tiny size. Williams gets up to the 40.

Glad we got that shot of Justin Tuck being, as Al said, "sick with the flu". - Mal

Donovan McNabb understands Justin Tuck's pain. DeAngelo Williams out of the Wildcat formation, he rushes up to about the 33, getting out of bounds. 3rd and 6, Williams gets two yards, and Kasay is going to try a 50 yard FG.

Kick is up....and WIDE LEFT! We're gonna have us some OT!

Giants get the ball to start, winning the coin toss.

"Looks like Eli Manning said, 'Oh my goodness.'" - John
"Or a reasonable facsimile, when we come back." - Al

Giants' offense starts at the 20 after Bradshaw takes a knee on the kickoff. Ward starts off with a six yard carry, he's over 130 yards rushing on the night. Eli's pass is a bit high for Domenik Hixon. The pass for Toomer is also too high, and the Giants will go three and out.

Feagles punts it to Mark Jones, who's tackled after making it to the 38 yard line of the Panthers. Jonathan Stewart gets six yards on his first OT carry. They go back to Stewart for 2 more yards.

"You how you say key third down? Every third down is a key third down in overtime." - Al

Delhomme's 3rd down pass is tipped and incomplete but Kevin Dockery, and the Panthers will have to punt as well. Baker punts to McQuarters, who muffs it, but is able to fall on it at the 13 yard line. Near disaster right there.

Ward gets a massive hole through the middle and runs right through it all the way to the Carolina 36! Jacobs takes the next carry 3 yards up to the 33. Manning throws behind Hixon on the play. Another shotgun draw to Ward, who is up to 198 rushing yards after taking that play to the 19.

Ward is INSANE, getting to the outside again!

"On a windy night, it's Wind of Earth, Wind, and Fire. 216 yards!" - Al, after Derrick Ward runs another 18 to the outside. First and goal at the 1 -- and BRANDON JACOBS ICES HOMEFIELD WITH THE TOUCHDOWN! 34-28, GIANTS!

301 yards on the ground total for the Giants. Great, great game. Thanks for joining me. I'll be driving to L.A. tomorrow as I'm on vacation this week, so if I get there in time, maybe there might be a Monday Night Football live-blog.

Courtesy of Sports by Brooks, we have the highlights of Titans players stomping on a Terrible Towel after beating the Steelers in Nashville today.



Late game round-ups:

• The Jets go to the West Coast and blow it once again. Seattle wins 13-3 on a couple of field goals, good D, and a TD pass from Seneca Wallace to John Carlson....but we can't forget Favraro's two picks, including one to kill the drive near the end.
  
• Here's a bizarre stat line: 18/25, 236 yards, 2 TDs. That's JaMarcus Russell's passing numbers against the Houston D. 27-16, Raiders, with a minute left.
  
• The Skins are up 10-3 on Philly thanks to a Clinton Portis touchdown and some stereotypically bizarre Andy Reid play calling. (Short screen to Westbrook on 3rd and goal from the 6, ahoy!)
• Atlanta has just owned Minnesota today. 24-10, despite fumbling the ball four times. One TD pass for Matt Ryan, one score each for Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. 4:30 left.
  
• Buffalo is up 30-23 in Denver, as the Broncos are determined to make the Bills look good and set up a showdown in San Diego for the AFC Worst title next week. Two rushing TDs for Jay Cutler, and Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson both have rushing TDs.
  

It's been awhile since we've had a Tiki Barber update in these parts. It was mainly because I couldn't stand the guy, and I thought his role on NBC was transparent and annoying, but he also hasn't really made waves the way he did in the past. Sure there was the whole Olympics "see you in Toledo" moment, but he hasn't provided fodder in terms of the NFL in over a year.

Which leads us to today. Tiki and Eli Manning have made up! Hallelujah!!!

"It cleared the air for everybody else who think Eli and I are still at each other's throats," Barber yesterday told The Post. "He actually laughed about it."

The "it," of course, was the line the recently-retired Barber threw out there last summer, calling the young Manning's leadership ability "comical at times." Manning, with the most pointed comments he's ever made, immediately shot back at Barber, who now says comical was "too strong a word."

Tiki wants to chat with Tom Coughlin.

"I'm trying to do an interview with him this week," Barber said. "Put the emphasis on 'trying to.' I know there's no shot, but we'll see."

Selita Ebanks used to date the Giants' Osi Umenyiora. That's all I need for inclusion (and to avoid running pictures of either Jessica Simpson, Sophia Bush, Carrie Underwood or any other woman either involved or rumored to be involved with Tony Romo.)

Sinorice Moss takes the kickoff out to the 27 yard line. Ward tries to run, doesn't get much as he's hit by Jay Ratliff, and there's a flag to boot -- oops, horse collar tackle on Ratliff. He learned from the best from Roy Safety Williams. Ahmad Bradshaw gets up to the 43 with his first carry. Manning gets four wide, hits Hixon at the G-men 49. Ward gets the first down as he crosses midfield. Terence Newman sneaks inside position on Hixon and picks Eli off -- and we get a quick shot of Manning Face.

Peyton's Manning Face is better, but Eli's is pretty amusing to see too.

So... is that the one that Osi used to... you know... errr... Drop the deuce on? - Rob in WI

Selita is too classy for that, thank you very much. (EW. EW. EW.) Pitch to Barber gets nothing. Romo aims for Roy Receiver Williams, and it's incomplete. Overthrew him again on 3rd down, and the Cowboys waste a turnover opportunity. McQuarters brings in the punt for a fair catch at the 11.

I gotta say it again: that Geico ad with the cash with eyes took a lot of acid to come up with. Ward doesn't get much on the first down carry. Another false start penalty, and Tom Coughlin looks like he wants to go all Sgt. Hartman on someone. Manning rolls out, hits Hixon on the run, and the wideout makes the marker for a first. Another Ward carry for maybe a yard. Manning to T.O.S.S. on a very good, very accurate throw for 19 yards to the 43. Ward up to the 45.

"And Manning goes down for a fifth time!" - Al

I haven't seen the Giants give up this many sacks in a game in a while -- and that's sack #6, and even more Manning Face.

I guess youre saving the Abby Manning pics for next week - JG

Gotta have something on hand besides Carolina cheerleader photos.

Cowboys cheerleaders have changed into their Santa's Helpers outfits. God, why don't the eagles' cheerleaders have Santa outfits? - James Craven

Because the Iggles' front office hates their fans and hates America.

Romo dumps it off to Witten, who heads up to the Dallas 42 while telling Giants CB Aaron Ross to get the hell out of his way. The Texas Stadium PA plays "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" by the Offspring after that, in a case of curious timing. Romo to T.O. on the short slant, and Owens slips while trying to cut back for the first and more. MB3 gets stuffed by the Giants' D-line on 3rd and 1. Punt goes out of bounds at the 9.

Fuck, I thought this game would have more offense. Manning goes to Bradshaw, who takes it for a first down up to the 25. John is talking about the food at Stubbs again as first down goes nowhere. Manning then overthrows Hixon again -- and Eli is sacked for the seventh time tonight.

All I want for Christmas is a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. Feagles punts to Crayton, who's tackled at his own 27.

I'm from Wisconsin... I'm a fat guy... even *I* say "Damn" to that sandwich. - Rob in WI

I had a heart attack just looking at it. Romo scrambles all over the place and hits Myles Austin at about midfield. He then hits Martellus Bennett in Giants territory.

"He looks like he could play any sport." - John, on the 6'7" Bennett

Tashard Choice gets to the outside and gets the first down. Romo gets a yard on the next carry, and is slow getting up as the third quarter ends.

If you live in an area with Carl's Jr, they're running really dumb ads for their Steak Sandwich, where this schlub dude tells his girlfriend they're going out for steak and she gets all dressed out. "It's how guys do fancy." I love commercials that sell their food to me by telling me all dudes are cheap schlubs.

Choice rambles on for 22 yards and another first down. He's a Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech, probably not a hell of an engineer, but he's engineering this drive nicely. 1st and 10 at the Giants' 15. Justin Tuck stops up Choice's next rush. Romo to Witten, he gets to the outside by shaking off Antonio Pierce and he's down at about the 1 or 2. More Offspring. Did Witten pick that song to play after every play he makes? Handoff from the shotgun to Choice -- and he's short. Romo takes the next snap out of the I -- and he finds Dion Anderson wide open for the touchdown! Folk's XP is up and good, 14-3, Dallas.

Draw play out of shotgun on 1st and goal from the one???? Hello, Andy Reid! - Mal

(Giggles.) Ahmad Bradshaw jukes his way out to about the 27 with the kickoff.

Miller Lite: The beer equivalent of a fruitcake as a gift. - Rick James Bible Owner

3rd and 3 for the stalling Giants' offense. Toomer gets the catch at about the 39 yard line for a first down. Bradshaw runs the draw play from the shotgun up to the Giants' 47. Mario Manningham makes his first catch of the game, but he's tackled immediately for a loss. And that 3rd and 4 will become 3rd and 9 after a false start penalty. Manning's throw to T.O.S.S. is incomplete, knocked away by the Dallas corner.

"Winning is a great deodorant, isn't it?" - Al, as they show T.O., Romo, and Witten tracked by War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Hmmm....Romo gets sacked in the end zone. EVERYBODY DO THE SAFETY DANCE! 14-5, Dallas. Romo would, but he can't get up right now. Oh, and they play Men Without Hats? Awesome.



It's like Willow on acid or something. Giants take the kick to the 40, Manning then hits Hixon at the Dallas 41. Ward rushes all the way up to the 28 yard line. No-huddle fun. No luck with the aim for Toomer on first down. Manning aims for Hixon in the end zone, and he can't make the one-handed grab. Where's David Tyree when you need him? Manning's third down throw is incomplete as he's rushed by Brady James coming after him. Carney's FG from 47 is good, 14-8, Dallas.

I've seen the trailer for Seven Pounds dozens of times now and I still don't have a whole lot of an idea of what it's about.

Madden is like Grandpa Simpson in that he tells stories that don't go anywhere. - Walnuts

Now get off his lawn! Austin takes the kick out to the 34 yard line. Choice's 9 yard run is negated by holding on Martellus Bennett. Pass attempt is incomplete as the receiver drops it thanks to a Giants' hit. Choice gets nearly all of those 20 yards back on a nice run into a hole on the right side. MB3 rumbles out to midfield for the first down.

Another rush by Choice, then Witten gets flagged for holding on the next one. Choice gets 14 of it back on 2nd and 23. Giants will use their last time out. Romo goes for Witten, he stretches and leans for the first down at the Giants 38. Shotgun draw to Choice --- AND HE BREAKS FREE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!

"It's the Good Ship Lollipop!" - Al, in a total WTF moment.

Cowboys going for 2. Romo overthrows the fade to Roy Williams. 20-8, Cowboys.

"Tashard 'The People's' Choice." - Al, inventing a Bermanism.

Manning gets sacked for the 8th time, the third time by DeMarcus Ware, I think. Bradshaw takes it up to the 30. Eli then overthrows Amani Toomer, who has been completely benign to the Cowboys defense all night. Manning then hits Toomer, and Jerry Jones' face is melting.

"Sweetness and light." - Al.

Time's gonna run out on us soon, and on the Giants too. Terence Newman gets his second pick of the night as Manning just aired it out. That'll do it, Cowboys win 20-8, and it sets up a game between the Panthers and Giants next Sunday to determine home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs -- and that'll be next Sunday night. See you then, folks!

I realized I hadn't used a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders photo all season and I know I've live-blogged several Dallas games this season. Sorry for the oversight.

Marion Barber's in, the Dallas locker room is apparently a disaster area (if you believe ESPN; I think the truth is somewhere between the Four-Letter's hysteria and T.O.'s denial of it all being false), and the Giants want to put away one of their biggest rivals right now.

Myles Austin takes the kickoff out to the Dallas 33 to start. Barber gets the ball first for a yard on the carry. Romo's first pass to Witten is incomplete. Guess that secret-game planning didn't quite work, at least early. Romo goes deep for T.O., and he gets a case of the dropsies with man-to-man coverage.

The boo-birds are out early for Owens. That was quick. R.W. McQuarters gets some change on the punt return, but not much. Start at the 27. DeMarcus Ware ENVELOPS Eli Manning on the first play, and he fumbles, but the Giants recover.

"The over/under on the first T.O. Catch is set at 5:15." - Al, via James Craven

Derrick Ward gets two yards of that nine yard loss back. It'll be 3rd and 17. Chris Canty nails Manning on the 3rd down pass and it falls short. Trading punts early, eh? I thought this wouldn't be so aggressive defensively. Pleasant surprise. Jeff Feagles punts to Patrick Crayton, who gets up to the Dallas 45 for some decent field position.

"He's a great receiver, but he does drop the ball. He doesn't catch it all the time." - John (via JFein)

I want to see a receiver who never drops a pass. It'd be up there with the flying pigs. Shotgun snap blown dead and some funny business between the lines. Witten gets flagged for a false start. Toss to Barber on 1st and 15 loses more yards.

"Get your 340 pounds at least off my guy!" - Al on Flozell Adams and Justin Tuck in a skirmish
"Getting 340 pounds up off anything is really difficult." - John

Another incomplete to Witten. Ball's punted, McQuarters takes it for a fair catch at the 21, but Chase Blackburn is gonna get called for a running into the kicker. However, that's only the five yard variety. Giants ball.

"And so the ball goes over to the Giants." - Al, even after the ref says they have to re-kick. McQuarters takes the ball this time at the 10, as I wonder what Billy Idol's "White Wedding" has to do with football.

"Running into the kicker has to be destroyed. These guys go down faster than a Japanese hooker." - Anon @ 8:37

If you leave only the 15 yard variety, the zebras will start calling that more often, though. Another penalty, this one on the Giants' Rich Seubert for illegal formation, and we'll back it up a bit more. Manning hits The Other Steve Smith, who gets up to the 15. Canty deflects the next pass, and Amani Toomer should have probably held on to that. Eli airs it out for Dominik Hixon, it's incomplete, but they're flagging Terence Newman for P.I. -- and upon replay, that call is complete bullshit. First down at midfield. Ward gets a yard.

Ward gets to the outside to the 41 for a first down, good run and good blocks to get out there. Manning gets another pass tipped. After another Ward run, it's 3rd and 5 at the Dallas 36. Another one tipped away from The Other Steve Smith, and the Giants are punting, trying to pin the Cowboys in. They'll lose five yards on a "snap infraction." Kick bounces inside the 10 yard line, Dallas will start at the 6.

Romo fumbles the snap, picks it up, and hits Witten for three yards. He then goes to Marion Barber, who heads to the 19, barreling over a defender. Move up, Dallas now faces 3rd down after a drop by Tashard Choice. 3rd and 3 becomes 3rd and 8, as Flozell Adams gets flagged for his usual false start penalty. Patrick Crayton comes down with a bullet of the pass at the 35 for a first. Romo then hits T.O. while backpedaling; Owens is at the Giants' 46 before he gets dragged down. Barber gets the next pass, rolling inside the 30 yard line and getting out of bounds.

Rush for very little on first, and Romo gets nailed on 2nd and 8 in the backfield by Renaldo Wynn. 3rd and 14, and Jay Alford takes Romo down again, even with a holding penalty (that's obviously declined). Add another false start and we've got 4th and 26 for a punting down. Paulescu's kick goes into the end zone for a touchback, Romo's still "shaken up", as Al puts it. Meanwhile, Peter King sends a quick text: "R U OK?"

Tony Romo must have said something about Cory Proctor's sister because Proctor is just letting people go by him. - SSR

"I fingerbanged your sister, Cory. How d'you like that?" Or at least I imagine it goes something like that. Ward gets very little on first down to end the first quarter.

As we start the second, Romo has a "lower back contusion" and we're probably going to see Brad Johnson's old, slow butt in there. Brady James gets the sack on Elisha to start, Ward gets very little on 3rd and 17. Feagles punts to Crayton, who brings it out to the 32.

"Zak DeOssie forgot he was supposed to be on the field." - Al
"Have a punt with no snapper." - John

Tony Romo's questionable to return? Peter King (along with 80 percent of ESPN's staff) burst into tears upon hearing that. - Yet Another Idiot With a Music Blog

Romo just got pounded to the ground hard by Mathias Kiwanuka on first down. He's spent more time with his back on the ground or his ass in the air than....oh, fuck it, I can't finish the joke with anything that doesn't gross me out. Tashard Choice, the Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech, rumbles for 22 yards to the Giants 42. Screen to Owens, he gets a few after avoiding the initial tackle.

"Years from now, there will be some kind of dinner between Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, and Jeff Garcia. What do you think they'll talk about?" - Al

Romo goes whole hog, throwing deep to the sideline for Patrick Crayton -- and he's in the end zone for six! TOUCHDOWN, COWBOYS -- whoa, whoa, Giants say Romo crossed the line of scrimmage.

Yoko's boyfriend is coming back into the game. - James Craven

That's not fair to Yoko Ono. She at least had some discernible talent in the art world. I defy you to give me any area in which Jessica Simpson is talented -- and I'm not including in terms of beauty.

Touchdown stands, Nick Folk's XP is good, 7-0, Dallas. Peter King and all the Dallas-worshippers reach for the hand lotion.

Sinorice Moss takes the kickoff and runs into his teammate at the 19, where he gets pasted by a Dallas special teamer. Manning to Toomer to the 31 for a first down. Eli then goes to Kevin Boss on the left side, and he shakes a tackler for 24 yards to the Dallas 45.

Momma's Boys, Howie Do It,, moving Jay Leno to prime time. NBC is just admitting they have no new ideas whatsoever and would rather just run cheap programming instead of things people want to watch.

Ward gets 4 on 2nd and 5. Offsides penalty gives NY a first down. Another rush for a couple of yards around the corner, and Al just dropped a reference to an inside trader who got busted for a Ponzi scheme in NY this week. Clearly his time with Dennis Miller rubbed off on him as far as odd references go. 2nd down pass in incomplete, mostly thrown to avoid a sack, and Boss didn't see Manning. 3rd and 11. Eli hits T.O.S.S. for 15 yards and another first down.

Ware just made Kareem McKenzie look foolish, and gets his second sack of the night. Manning gets to Hixon at the 16 for the catch to get some of those yards back. Pass is off the hands of Kevin Boss, FG try coming up. Carney's kick is good, 7-3, Dallas.

Austin brings the ball out to about the 29. Romo runs it himself for a couple of yards, then throws to Witten for about 7 or 8 more -- just short of the first. A hands to the face penalty makes it 3rd and 11. Romo overthrows Witten, and Dallas will be punting. McQuarters makes the fair catch at the NY 37.

Manning misses Steve Smith on the first play, and hits him the next time on what appears to be damn near the same play, except T.O.S.S gets flagged for PI for it. Ward gets 9 on 2nd and 20. Two minute warning. Greg Ellis sends Manning to the ground for yet another sack in this game -- how many have we had? I think there have been at least five so far total.

The punt rolls all the way to the 13 yard line. Romo throws it a bit high for T.O. -- and it's gotta be high to overthrow a 6'5" dude. Illegal contact gets called on McQuarters, though. Another pass hit, they're out to the 30 or so. Romo then throws a one-hopper into the ground. Dump-off to Choice, who brings it back to the line of scrimmage. Tony scrambles and gets taken down short of the first down marker. That'll be halftime, folks -- Dallas up 7-3 as we end the first 30 minutes.

I'll have a halftime post up in a minute.

Kate Mara is the scion of football royalty, the daughter of Giants VP Chris Mara and Kathleen Rooney. That's my excuse for the picture. Not like you would really care about it.

Anyway, late games:

• Minny's up 35-14 on the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale thanks to 160+ yards rushing by Adrian Peterson and 4 TD passes from Tarvaris Jackson (who takes Unlikely Fantasy Performer of the Day honors). 10+ minutes left in the 4th.
• Matt Cassel also has 4 TD passes against the Raiders, but this is less impressive because it's the Raiders. Randy Moss was on the end of two of those passes, and the main highlight was back-to-back kickoff returns exchanged by the squads. 42-20, New England.
  
• Carolina up 30-10 thanks to a TD each from DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, plus a hook-up between Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith. Jay Cutler has to carry the Denver offense and it isn't happening, obviously, so San Diego will stay alive for another week. 10 minutes left.
  
• Defensive showdown in Baltimore (like anyone expected anything else), with the Ravens having kicked more field goals than the Steelers. 9-3 with 11 minutes to go.
  

NBC has decided to use their flex option for Week Sixteen, and their choice could quite possibly be the game of the year. The NFL is moving the Chargers and Bucs from the Sunday night spot to 1pm on CBS, and the Panthers and Giants will fill that hole. From Fang's Bites via NBC....

The Week 16 Carolina Panthers-New York Giants game on Sunday, December 21 will be played at 8:15 PM ET on NBC and the San Diego Chargers-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game that day will move to 1:00 PM ET on CBS, the NFL announced today. Two other Week 16 game-time changes: the Philadelphia Eagles-Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons-Minnesota Vikings games on Sunday, December 21 move from 1:00 PM ET to 4:15 PM ET on FOX.

I have no idea why Tiki Barber would be so animated in regards Donovan McNabb, but he certainly was during an interview with the Bloomberg show, "On The Ball". Barber sat down with the hosts of the show (airing November 22nd), and called McNabb's misunderstanding of the rule "indefensible" and that he would, "live to regret it for a long time"....

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's misunderstanding of the National Football League's overtime rules is ``indefensible'' and may have hurt his team's playoff chances, former NFL running back Tiki Barber said.

McNabb said after the Eagles' 13-13 tie yesterday in Cincinnati that he didn't know the NFL's regular-season rule that if neither team scored during a 15-minute overtime period, the game would end in a tie.

``That's an indefensible comment that he made,'' Barber, now a commentator for NBC Sports, said in an interview that will air Nov. 22 on Bloomberg's ``On the Ball'' radio program. ``He will live to regret it for a long time.''

DeSean Jackson, fashion plate. There are not enough three-piece suits or vests worn with dress shirts these days, honestly.

Ugh, the "Brett Favre Hero" ad for this Thursday night's NFL Network game between the Jets and Patriots. I'm surprised they didn't put Coach Hobo on in the "Villain" role and go all the way with the dumb metaphor.

And we come back to a montage with the Eagles "There's Gonna Be a Heartbreak Tonight." Demps takes the kickoff out to the 40 yard line.

"Plaxico Burress, we haven't heard much from him....er, Justin Tuck, but we haven't heard much from Plaxico either." - Al, on a Justin Tuck lack-of-highlights montage.

Westbrook doesn't get anything on first. McNabb airs it out past midfield to Jackson, who makes a nice catch at the Giants' 43. Next pass is for 9 to L.J. Smith, on what John calls "a Hall of Fame throw." Correll Buckhalter is in, and rumbles to the outside for 20 all the way to the 14 yard line. Westbrook gets to the outside again, this time inside the 10. McNabb drops back, airs a floater, and Hank Baskett comes down with it in the corner for the TOUCHDOWN!! Akers' kick is up and good, 24-20, Eagles take the lead back.

Kendra must be thrilled.

He put the biscuit in the Baskett! The Wideout Next Door... - James Craven

OK, I wish I'd thought of "The Wideout Next Door." Bradshaw juggles the kickoff before bringing it back out. Giants start at the 31 with a Jacobs rush up the middle for six. Jacobs gets the first down on the next carry. He gets the ball again and runs past midfield for another 10 yards. Manning out of the shotgun on first down, incomplete with the blitz on and Ward in to pass-block. Ward gets to the outside for six yards. Shotgun at the 42, throws to 31 to the Other Steve Smith, and it's another first down.

@ S2N: Correction coming. It's hard to believe, but the Eagles actually led 7-0... - JFein

Yes it was. Considering the dominance of time of possession by the Giants in the first half, could you blame me for forgetting that Philly had led at any point prior to that last touchdown.

3rd and 5, Burress pumps out as Manning's in the shotgun, and it's illegal contact on Asante Samuel. Automatic first.

"Burress sold that pretty well, didn't he?" - Al. Yep, that would make Cristiano Ronaldo proud. First down pass is incomplete, 2nd and 10 from the 20 yard line. The throw is behind Burress. Manning hits his receiver at the 4 -- but he's across the line of scrimmage, so this is getting called back and he'll lose a down. 4th down, and Coughlin's challenging the call.

And Coughlin's going to lose the argument at the Peep Show. - James Craven
It's nice to see Tom Coughlin is channeling Norv Turner. Seriously, Tom? Seriously? Sheesh, I always thought you were better than this. - JFein

And Coughlin wins the challenge because all parts of the QB have to be beyond the line. Manning's foot wasn't. Wow. First and goal at the 4.

Can the Geico lizard grow to Godzilla size and maul those stupid cavemen? - Mal

It's amazing how much those ads have sucked ever since the concept was made into a TV show. They were really good at the start. Boss loses control of the pass on first down in the end zone. Jacobs barrels his way through to the end zone for the TOUCHDOWN. Carney's kick is good, 27-24, Giants take the lead right back.

Demps takes the kickoff out to the 20, where he gets whacked by Bradshaw, after that, we get Eagles cheerleader shots, which are always welcome.

McNabb gets flushed out and runs for 17 yards and a first down when the protection breaks down. Westbrook heads to the left side and gets maybe a yard.

Peyton's shadow that Eli constantly exists in was not across the line of scrimmage either. Does that count? - Mal

+1. 3rd and 10 is aired out to Jason Avant, but Avant can't get there. Punt coming.

"My favorite question to ask guys with two injuries is 'Which one hurts more?' They say you can only think about one hurting at a time." - Al

Greg Lewis plows into Domenik Hixon on the punt, he apparently didn't see the fair catch call, which puts the G-men at the 33 with the extra 15 yards. Ward gets the toughest yard, bouncing in and out, and Al refers to the "hydra-headed" running back monster again.

"You've got Earth (Jacobs), Wind (Ward), and Fire (Bradshaw)." - Al. 3rd and 1, and Jacobs is brought down by the face mask on the rush out of the shotgun. Great play until he gets the hand on the mask. Ball at the Philly 43.

After an overthrown pass to Burress on 1st down, Jacobs gets 8 yards and goes over the 100 yard mark for the game. 3rd and 2, Manning goes out to Kevin Boss, who hurdles an Eagles defender for some extra yardage. White men, apparently, CAN jump. Bradshaw gets his first carry to the 12. He then gets the first down carry.

"Boss does his Renaldo Nehemiah impersonation." - Al (via Mal)

Boss doing his Knowshon Moreno impression. - James Craven

Whew, end of three quarters. Bradshaw starts the fourth with a carry to the 5. 2nd down pass to Burress in the end zone is high. Ward gets the handoff on 3rd and goal, and gets stuffed in the backfield. I'm not sure why they called a running play there, and we get some Manning Face. Carney's 28-yard FG attempt is "right down Broadway, or Broad Street, take your pick," and it's 30-24, Giants. They send us to break with Matchbox 20. Blech.

"Life is all about readjustments, let me tell you." - Al, after explaining a re-adjusted offensive line. Westbrook gets a couple, he's only had 50 yards total tonight. McNabb's pass to Jackson is off target, and the next one to Kevin Curtis is also off.

Hixon takes the punt return all the way to the house after breaking a couple tackles....but there's a flag for holding, and it's coming back, although the field position will still be pretty good, I think. Starts at the Philly 42, and Bradshaw gashes the Philly D for a good run -- he fumbles, but it goes out of bounds. Jacobs gets five more on the next carry, they're at the 12. Bradshaw's stuffed back on the next play. Draw play for Ward, and he's short of the first down marker -- but there's offsides on the Eagles, making it a 3rd and 2, and Al just got totally confused on what a coach would do, saying Coughlin might decline it at first.

Manning calls time out. Jacobs rumbles again to the 4, loses the ball, but he's down at the 4, according to the officials -- and Andy Reid is going to challenge it even though he's going to lose, and lose it badly. Why delay the inevitable?

"So that was a wish challenge by Andy Reid." - Al. If that's the case, then WHY DO IT? Save the time out! Jacobs "bulldozes" his way into the end zone, losing the ball again, but the touchdown signal was made already -- and Reid's gonna challenge this one too.

Now this is a call you have to challenge, not the previous one, but it looks like Reid will probably lose this one too.

And Reid loses it, touchdown, Giants. The Giants are gonna go for two to get a 14 point lead. Manning to Burress, it's broken up. 36-24, Giants.

John: "There was really no reason for that first challenge".

What? Before, he said that "Reid had to challenge" on that first one. - Mal

Makes no sense whatsoever. Demps out to the 29 on the kickoff. Westbrook carries for one, and "the Eagle crowd wonders what the hell was that play call," according to Al -- and Westbrook is reaching for his junk while he's running off the field. OW. McNabb hits Jackson again on 3rd down, all the way at the Giants' 32. McNabb has to throw off his back foot, incomplete on 2nd down. Jackson, on the slant, catches the pass and gets extra yardage inside the 10 for a first and goal.

Again, why is the ball not in that man's hands more? McNabb throws the next pass away. Was there even a receiver near it? He wasn't out of the pocket. How is that not grounding? And, in the scramble, Philly gets a delay of game call. Throw for Avant is incomplete. McNabb scrambles after the Giants' secondary holds, but only gets to the 2. Reid is going for it on 4th down.

McNabb rolls to his right, finds Kevin Curtis in the end zone, TOUCHDOWN. Akers kick is up and good, 36-31, Giants. And the Eagles still have the "Eye of the Tiger," as we go to break. That song now reminds me of those Starbucks ads with parody lyrics.

"You know one day he just might beeee-cooooooome.....supervisor!"

My mind is gone, and we get the E*Trade baby with blackberry ad, which cracks me up. "Oh....what a bad girl....relentless....hey girl, can I hit you back?"

"You know, when your name is Madison Hedgecock, shouldn't you be Madison Hedgecock III?" - Al
"No, but you should be from Nebraska. All Hedgecocks should be from Nebraska, not from North Carolina." - John
"He should be a knight!" - Al

So, it's 3rd and 1 for the G-men at the 38, Ward is short, and there's a fumble, and the Eagles say they've got it -- but the Giants hold on. They'll be punting anyhow -- and there's a penalty on the Eagles for offsides. The Eagles are very lucky that it wasn't enough for a first down. The Giants declined the penalty, and the Eagles will take it inside the 15, which is where Jackson went out of bounds.

McNabb hits the first pass for a first down, but there's a pick on the next throw -- negated by holding on Antonio Pierce. Eagles ball and a first down on the 36. McNabb has to run away from Mathias Kiwanuka, and Brent Celek drops it. McNabb rushes for seven. Reid is waiting for the two-minute warning; Donny Mac is wearing down.

"Reminds me of the Super Bowl." - Al, as we hit the two minute warning. All we need is Donny Mac puking and the epic fail of Reid time management will be complete. Pitch to Westbrook, he gets out of bounds but short of the first down. Handoff to Westbrook, and Chase Blackburn nails him short of the marker! Giants' ball!

You Eagles homers in the comments section are RELENTLESS with your anger. This is the Andy Reid Era -- bad play calling and a failure to develop a serious power running game, which most coaches will tell you is the basis of a successful team...you have to tote the rock.

How many days until Spring Training starts in Clearwater, Florida? - James Craven

Knew that was coming.

Eagles' fans and Al Michaels would like to challenge that Andy Reid knows what the hell he's doing. - Mal

Michaels would forget what he was challenging after the replay. Eli Manning QB sneaks on 4th and inches for the 1st down, and that's your game. 36-31, Giants, who stay atop the heap of the NFC East and the Eagles are now tied for third (and last) place with the Cowboys in the division.

See you next week for Cowboys-Redskins, and make sure to drop by my home spot on the weekdays sometime.

Brandon Jacobs and his luxury ride are ready to roll over the Eagles' front four tonight, as we recover from two great games (one expected to be so, one not so much, but elevated by announcer and surprising play) by heading right into what should be another good one.

"The Giants won both meetings last year [with the Eagles]." - Al Michaels
"And all 4 of those games came down to the last play." - John Madden (via JFein)

Madden, forgetting basic math in the NFL schedule. No teams meet more than twice in one year, of course, unless they happen to be division rivals who play each other in the playoffs.

Andrea Kremer in the purple coat, telling us about the defensive coordinator mentor-student match-up in Philly's Jim Johnson and NY's Steve Spagnuolo. Giants will receive the kickoff. Ahmad Bradshaw brings it out to the 22. Jacobs gets the first carry for four yards. Eli Manning spreads out in the shotgun and throws over the middle to Amani Toomer. Manning's next pass is tipped by Mike Patterson, and the defensive lineman comes down with it and rumbles to the Giants' 10! Philly ball.

Donovan McNabb gets rushed by Justin Tuck, and has to sail one out of bounds on 1st and goal. Wildcat formation with DeSean Jackson in the shotgun -- he rushes to the sideline, stretches, and TOUCHDOWN, EAGLES! Akers kick is up and good, 7-0, Eagles.

Everyone's got a fuckin' Wildcat package now. Derrick Ward kneels on the kickoff after bobbling it.

Alright we get the Manning Face early. - 49er16.
The Eagles using the wildcat, wow, who knew Andy Reid was capable. Wait, is it still the wildcat if the wide receiver takes the direct snap like Jackson just did? - JFein

It is to me, anyway. Jacobs gets 9 on first down and then Ward gets a few more to move the chains. Manning hits Kevin Boss at the 35 yard line, complete with Jeremy Shockey reference by Al. Handoff to Ward, and he gets about four after getting bumped around early in the rush. Manning hits Boss again past midfield on a 3rd down play fake and rollout for 21 yards. Shotgun on first, the pass to Michael Matthews sails over his head.

"Ward, it's a 3-headed, or, hydra-headed monster" - Al Michaels, trying to describe the triple-RB attack of the Giants. (Via JFein)

Jacobs rumbles inside the 20 for another first. Ward runs out of the shotgun for two or three, and they're talking about Chris Snee, Giants right guard and son-in-law of Tom Coughlin.

"We asked him about that, what it's like when he has a bad day and is complaining about his coach. He told us that his wife says, 'Suck it up.'" - Al
"She's her father's daughter." - John

3rd and 9, Manning to Plaxico Burress in the back of the end zone for a score, TOUCHDOWN, GIANTS. Kick is up and good, 7-7 tie.

That was quick. Kickoff to Quentin Demps, and he catches a case of fumbleitis! Chase Blackburn recovers it at the Philly 15. Nice job by Ahmad Bradshaw to knock the ball away. Manning misses Madison Hedgecock on 3rd down, and the Eagles limit the Giants to a field goal try.

Heh....Hedgecock. John Carney to try an FG, up and good, 10-7, G-men.

"So it's a 86-year old combination to try a field goal, and it's good." - Al, as we are taken to break by Stone Temple Pilots. Demps takes the kickoff out to the 36, and we get Seal's cover of the Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like An Eagle." Hey, it's better than "Gonna Fly Now," right? Right.

It's hard to believe Donny Mac has been in Philly for 10 years. Man, that's a long time for Syracuse football to be completely irrelevant. L.J. Smith drops the first down pass. Westbrook gets his first carry for a couple. Incomplete again to Smith, and the Eagles are gonna punt. Sav Rocca boots one into the end zone. Touchback, as NBC gives us the Black Crowes covering Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle."

Ward picks up 7 yards on the first carry.

"Kareem Ward looking very professorial." - Al
"They're gonna catch heck for that. There's an old rule: offensive linemen never pose." - John, after a display of mag shot type photos of the Giants' offensive line

Toomer catches another one over the middle near midfield, breaking down the anti-bodies in the Philly D's immune system. Ward gets eight more, 2nd and 2, then catches the next play and gains 14. He's tackled by Joselio Hanson, who isn't notable save for being caught naked during a locker room interview a while back.

Brandon Jacobs busts through for some more yardage, as John says, "That's a lot of weight to fit into one hole." 3rd and 7 at the Eagles' 10 now, after a couple of failed plays. Manning throws to Toomer again at the 1-yard line, and the first quarter ends with a first and goal for the Giants.

Madden has a rager over Toomer because he went to De La Salle High School in the Bay Area. Madden speaks every year at their football awards show. - 49er16

Useful, and good to know. Manning, play fake, hit as he throws -- right to Kevin Boss in the back of the zone again over the middle. Touchdown, Eagles. Kick up and good, 17-7, Giants.

The Eagles have landed, early.

"Nobody misses Tiki Barber, I mean, he's a great guy, but..." - Al, backtracking so as not to make it awkward when he and Barber run into each other or talk before games on FNIA any more than it has to be. Demps takes the kickoff to the Philly 48, but they won't be happy with him until he takes one to the house to make up for fumbling.

Westbrook to midfield for three yards. McNabb is nearly picked off by Aaron Ross on 2nd down, he read the pattern easy and had safety help. 3rd and 7 is incomplete, as Kenny Phillips gets right in McNabb's face. Sav Rocca will come on to punt again. Domenik Hixon fair catches inside the 20.

The boo-birds are already out at the Linc, and they beat my O/U of 5:30 in the 2nd. Damn.

Jacobs rumbles out to the 34, Ward get ssome more after that and Manning throws to him on 2nd down for about six or seven.

"And if he gets 1,000 yards a year for a while, he'll be the one owning movies. What do they call them, investors....moguls." - John on Derrick Ward, who used to be a production assistant for TV after college at Fresno State.

Play fake and all the receivers are covered, so Trent Cole gets ahold of Eli Manning for the first sack of the game on the younger slack-jawed yokel. Philly takes a timeout to an NBC bump of Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (which is probably the last good song he's written and that was 17 years ago.)

John does a useful breakdown of why the Eagles can't load up on the run: safety has to stay back to keep Plaxico Burress honest. Kevin Boss gets the catch, but nearly gets to the first down. Jeff Feagles comes on to punt to DeSean Jackson. Punt goes out of bounds at the 18.

Yeah, the prevent defense. We all know what that means. - James Craven

Yup, it means you want to prevent yourself from winning. Jackson goes end around for a first down. McNabb overthrows again; he's still lacking a completion. He hits Reggie Brown for six yards to get off the schneid. Donny Mac goes over to Jackson at midfield, and it's dropped on third down. Here comes another punt.

Oh yay, an Eli Manning Citizen EcoDrive ad. Y'know, we made fun of those for the longest time, and then he actually justified those ads calling him "unstoppable" last year. Followed two ads later by Paula Creamer, lady golfer, getting her own EcoDrive ad.



Yes, and more please.

Jacobs, rumbling....FUMBLE!! And Mike Patterson comes up with another turnover. McNabb hits Jason Avant inside the 25.

"The Eagles offense trying to get on track, and when they get on track, it will be Westbrook doing the on-tracking". - Al (via JFein)

DeSean Jackson on the end around again, gets to the 15, and Sam Madison hits him out of bounds, so make that first and goal at the 8. So, let's see: get ball in DeSean Jackson's hands, get massive amounts of yardage. How hard is this, Andy Reid? McNabb to Avant, who drags a defender with him into the end zone, TOUCHDOWN, EAGLES! Akers' kick is up and good, 17-14, Giants.

"He beats the rookie Terrell Thomas from USC, who looked like a rookie on that play." - Al

Derrick Ward takes it out to the 34, and as we get a reel of the Giants' errors, Al describes them as "ignominious." +1 for a $50 word, Al. Manning throws it into the ground on the play fake, and we got a Joe Biden sighting in Jeff Lurie's owners' box. 3rd and 4 is incomplete, as Steve Smith is tackled by Joselio Hanson and his extra appendage. Big stop for Philly, and Jackson is back for the punt return. Feagles kicks it out of bounds.

"Most coaches have muttered minds. Most wedge-breakers have muttered minds." - John

McNabb throws to Jackson on a screen, but it loses yardage. That coordinator story was good: Spagnuolo wanted to leave Philly to go join Brad Childress in Minnesota, but Reid said no, and said he could take the next DC job he was offered -- which turned out to be the Giants.

"Andy said, 'I made a bad move there.'" - Al, on that move.

McNabb goes for Jackson again in double coverage, and gets picked by Sam Madison at the 35, who gets a nice chunk of yardage on the return. Ward buries in for a few, it's 3rd and 4 after a couple plays at the Philly 8. Manning goes for Boss, it's incomplete, and here comes Jay Carney again. FG try is up and good, 20-14, Giants.

McNabb on a screen to Westbrook for 9, after John finishes rambling about how good of a cook Donovan McNabb's mom was. Gunned over the middle to the Giants 44 to L.J. Smith, Philly calls time out. Another pass completed, and McNabb spikes it to stop the clock.

Ah yes, it's nice to see we're channeling Iowa at the end of the first half with our clock management. - JFein

Westbrook lunges outside for a first down at the 32, and Philly takes another time out with 36 seconds left in the half. McNabb hits over the middle, then runs another play to Westbrook, who scampers to the 11 and gets out of bounds. Shot at the end zone to Kevin Curtis is incomplete, and the FG team comes on.

Akers bangs it through, and the half ends 20-17, Giants. Be seeing you in the second half thread.