The Game

UPDATE: That's it. They had to give it back to the Chiefs for one play. Not a real big deal, but would have liked to have seen a better ending sequence. Giants 27-16, and they become only the eighth team to sweep a three-game road set since 1990. They should go 5-0 next week against Oakland. One last weakling before they hit a real team in New Orleans. Then we'll get a real read on these guys.

Be back with the summary in a bit.
UPDATE: Rocky Bernard with a sack. Fourth-and-27. Sean Ryan makes a 12-yard catch and that's it. 2:28 remaining. Just running the clock now. Two-minute warning, Giants 27-16. This'll end this way, the score being a lot closer than the game actually was.

UPDATE: This is what the Giants are supposed to do. Jacobs ran twice and forced KC to use its last two timeouts with 4:39 remaining. But Mike Brown sacks Carr on third-and-3. Should have run it. Feagles punts it into the end zone for a rare (for him) touchback, and the Chiefs have it at the 20 with 3:56 remaining. Chiefs are going to lose, but this is a lot harder than it should be.

UPDATE: Looked like Michael Johnson who flew in and barely missed Cassel for a sack, allowing him to get free and float a touchdown pass to the diving Bobby Wade. Horrible sequence the last two series.
But Smith gets the on-side kick with no problem. Giants 27-16.

UPDATE: Giants having a nice goal line stand, thanks in part to Cassel's ineffectiveness. But a nice stop on second-and-goal from the 1 on Johnson by Boley and Pierce. It's fourth down now.

UPDATE: Ryan just caught a 44-yard pass from Cassel and the Chiefs are back in scoring territory at the Giants' 6. Too easy. A false start moves them back to the 11. Robbins almost had an interception off a Tuck deflection, bringing up third-and-goal from the 11. Boley almost intercepted Cassel as Johnson gave up on the route. Fourth down. Webster broke up the pass to Bowe, but gets called for pass interference. First down on the 1. This is way to hard for this point in the game.

UPDATE: Don't quite understand why Haley kicked it into the end zone instead of an on-side kick. But Giants have it at any rate, with Carr in there. Carr's charge: Don't do anything stupid. Keep it on the ground and run the clock, and throw safe passes when needed. And not like that long one to Smith that stopped the clock. Now Giants have to punt after running off less than a minute. Dumb.

UPDATE: Kansas City finally got a touchdown, but not before they had to run off nearly four minutes off the clock. But Cassel's scramble fails on the two-point conversion. Giants 27-9, which means a three-possession game with 9:26 remaining. Giants just have to run off some time here and force KC to use two of its three timeouts.

UPDATE: Manning has a bruised right heel. Doesn't look particularly serious, but we'll see.

UPDATE: Wonderful job by Hakeem Nicks on a simple flare pass at the Giants' 47, getting all the way to the 5 before stutter-stepping Maurice Leggett for the final five yards to his first career touchdown. Nice recovery from a bad route in the third quarter, and good news for those watching his sprained right foot. Have to wonder about Manning, who went down on his plant the play before. It would be wise to end his day now. Trainers are looking at his right foot. 27-3 Giants.

UPDATE: Madison Hedgecock got his first reception, a seven-yarder. But don't let that take away from the fact that it's a bad idea all around to throw to that guy. Let him do what he does best, which is block and act as a passing decoy. End of third, Giants 20-3.

UPDATE: Told you the pass rush would crank up. Osi Umenyiora just got the third sack of the quarter, forcing a punt.

UPDATE: Oops. Tynes missed another makeable field goal, this time from 38 yards. You guys aren't going to like that. But luckily it won't figure into the final result. He still hasn't cost them anything with his misses. And his kickoffs haven't been bad today.

UPDATE: Hey! That's a sack right there by Michael Boley. First in three games. Then a second sack by Antonio Pierce, and then an appearance by Dockery on a stop to force a punt.

UPDATE: Smith's over 100 yards receiving now.

UPDATE: Give Todd Haley credit for trying an on-side kick to start the second half. But Kehl fell on it at the KC 42. Giants go for it on fourth down and get the first with Bradshaw running the wildcat for the first time this season. Eli nice sell job as if ball was going over his head. A hold and a 4-yard loss move them back, but Smith gets them into field goal range with a 13-yard completion. Tynes hits a 40-yarder for a 20-3 lead.

UPDATE: Okay, everybody who loves Steve Smith, raise their hands. Seven catches, 84 yards, and two TDs, just in the first half. And have to love the balance of carries between Jacobs and Bradshaw. Jacobs has 10 carries for 55 yards, and Bradshaw, showing no signs of ankle or foot problems, has nine carries for 51 yards. Only criticism here so far is the lack of sacks. They're not exactly whacking Cassel around, but he's not having a good day, either, so the Giants are getting away with it. Look for the pass rush to heat up in the second half as things get more untenable for the Chiefs.

UPDATE: Tynes hits a 25-yard field goal with 0:00 remaining for a 17-3 halftime lead. The Chiefs don't know it, but this game is over.

UPDATE: Giants are moving in the last two minutes. We've seen this before, with Manning moving them into field goal position. Just took the last timeout with 0:20 left, ball on the KC 31. Then he hits Boss for 25 to the Chiefs' 6 to set up the final field goal.

UPDATE: Two minutes remaining in the half and still no sacks. But Kiwanuka and Boley did have good pressure on Cassel on the third-and-13 pass, forcing him to throw it away.

UPDATE: Turns out the play was upheld. Giants lose a timeout and now only have one more for the game.

UPDATE: Coughlin's challenging the incomplete on Manning's throw to Manningham. I don't care how this one comes out, it's a bad challenge. Save those things until you really need them.

UPDATE: Haven't seen hide nor hair of Dockery yet, but Bruce Johnson is playing very well in the nickel. Again. I thought he'd step right back in, but he may not be ready.

UPDATE: Some good running by Ahmad Bradshaw and a fortuitous head-hit call on Page's breakup on Smith leads to Manning's throw to a streaking, open Smith over the middle for a 26-yard touchdown. 14-3 Giants. Now, I'm going out on a limb here and saying Smith was gameplanned to be Manning's major receiver this game. It's like there's nobody else out there at times. But give Smith this. He does get open. My goodness.

UPDATE: Turnover didn't hurt as the Giants forced a punt. Looked like somebody was in there close to Colquitt. Manning let a dangerous pass go for Beckum off his back foot, but Beckum completed it as the quarter ended for a 16-yard gain. End of first, Giants 7-3.

UPDATE: Nice run by Jacobs. Now he's starting to look like the power runner we all know. And now Manningham shows great concentration again on a juggling 43-yard completion. Then it all goes out the window when Manning's pass goes right through Manningham's hands and into those of Brandon Flowers for the Giants' second turnover of the game. Whatever they do, they can't be losing the turnover battle.

UPDATE: Tamba Hali just caused the Giants' first turnover in three games and Larry Johnson is churning it up. But the drie stops, and would have been dead entirely had Michael Boley turned around on end zone coverage on Bobby Engram. Instead, they get a field goal. Giants 7-3 with 4:58 remaining in the first.

UPDATE: Larry Johnson in the Wildcat twice? Ugh.

UPDATE: No worries. It came out okay on Manning's well-executed play action throw to Steve Smith in the end zone for a 7-0 lead. Route's on! And that's the fourth first-possession score the Giants have had in four games. Nicely done.

UPDATE: Not loving the play calls down here. Should have spread it out on second down.

UPDATE: Giants are off to a fast start as Charles fumbles the opening kickoff and Kehl recovers at the 16. Be nice if they go right in for a TD here.

UPDATE: Quick question before kickoff. Anybody think the pass rush will kick into high gear today? How many sacks? Does it matter?

Got about 10 minutes to kickoff. Remember, put all your comments on this entry.

EP