The New York Giants ended their four game losing streak because they won a coin flip.
Big Blue’s 34-31 overtime victory against Atlanta was a matchup of struggling teams that don’t appear to have playoff-caliber defenses.
The Falcons had four possessions after halftime. The result: touchdown, field goal, touchdown, and touchdown. Jason Snelling proved to be a capable replacement for Michael Turner, and Matt Ryan broke out of his month-long slump after a miserable first half.
Atlanta’s defense, especially its secondary, was also miserable. They forced only one stop after halftime and Eli Manning had the best day of his career in the Meadowlands, throwing for 384 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. His toss in overtime to Mario Manningham was a thing of beauty.
The prevailing emotion after the game was relief for the Giants. “It’s been a long time, 42 days since our last win,” Eli Manning said. “It felt like it, too.”
“It’s nice to win,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “We were miserable around here for a month.”
After a 4-1 start, the Falcons are now 5-5 and can’t stop anyone on defense. It’s hard to imagine them getting into the playoffs, but they do return to the Georgia Dome for three straight home games.
The Giants head to Denver for a key Thanksgiving night game, then host the Cowboys and Eagles. The losing streak stopped Sunday, but the prolonged defensive slump continues.