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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ATLANTA (AP) -- The New York Giants needed help from an unusual
penalty to reach the end zone. The Atlanta Falcons are still trying
to figure out how to get there.
|  | | Ron Dayne's 2-yard touchdown run was the difference Sunday as the Giants won 13-6. |
Ron Dayne scored the only touchdown on a 2-yard run less than
five minutes into the game and the blitzing Giants made it stand up
for a lackluster 13-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Neither team seemed eager to win. The Giants managed only 255
yards and 14 first downs, while the Falcons were held to 13 yards
rushing -- the lowest in team history -- and 238 overall.
"We weren't that impressive," Dayne said. "But we got the
win, and I'm happy about that."
New York scored the lone touchdown after Atlanta's Oliver
Winslow fumbled a punt and Lyle West recovered at the Falcons 34.
The Atlanta defense forced Jaret Holmes to kick a 32-yard field
goal, but Falcons lineman Travis Hall was penalized for
unsportsmanlike conduct.
The officials said he used illegal leverage to jump on an
opposing lineman in an attempt to block the field goal. Hall was
baffled by the ruling.
"He was really low and I just ran into him trying to push
through," Hall said. "He was laying on the ground. What am I
supposed to do?"
Two plays later, Dayne ran in from the 2 to give the Giants a
7-0 lead with 10:07 left in the opening quarter.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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The Giants' defense was absolutely stifling today.
They took the run away from the Falcons, forced them to throw the football, and then proceeded to knock Falcons QB Chris Chandler out of the game.
How stifling was the Giants' D? They limited the Falcons to 13 rushing yards on 14 attempts; they held Jamal Anderson to 12 yards on 12 attempts.
Having shut down the rushing game, the Giants forced the Falcons to throw perhaps more than they wanted to -- and forced three turnovers.
Offensively, this was a so-so game for the Giants. The rushing was a bit better than it's been the past two weeks, but QB Kerry Collins wasn't especially sharp.
Still, the story of this game was the Giants' defense and its ability to shut down the run.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director of football operations.
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Atlanta's offense has gone eight straight quarters without a
touchdown. Tim Dwight's 70-yard punt return against the Eagles is
the Falcons' only TD in the last two weeks.
New York (4-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and handed the
Falcons (2-4) their third straight defeat.
Jamal Anderson, held to a measly 12 yards on 12 carries,
struggled to explain another punchless performance.
"I'm speechless," he said. "We've got to figure out a way to
get it in. I don't know what it's going to take."
The Giants knocked out Atlanta quarterback Chris Chandler with a
rib injury in the first half. He watched the final two quarters in
street clothes.
"He's real sore," coach Dan Reeves said.
Chandler is questionable for next week's game at Super Bowl
champion St. Louis. The high-scoring Rams already have beaten the
Falcons 41-20.
"If we score six points against the Rams, I guarantee you we're
going to lose," said Reeves, who coached the Giants from 1993-96.
Amazingly, the Falcons actually had a chance to tie New York in
the closing minutes.
A pass interference on Dave Thomas gave the Falcons
first-and-goal at the 10. But Terance Mathis bobbled a pass over
the middle -- Atlanta's sixth drop of the game -- and backup
quarterback Danny Kanell was sacked at the 17 by Michael Strahan.
On fourth down, Kanell lofted a desperation pass into the end
zone. It was batted down and the Giants ran out the clock.
New York had four sacks and repeatedly left the Atlanta
quarterbacks sprawled on the turf.
"We wanted to be physical today," said Jason Sehorn, who had a
key interception. "We wanted to get up in their face. We noticed
in the last couple of games, people that got in their face have
disrupted their passing game."
Holmes kicked two field goals, from 34 and 27 yards, giving the
Giants a 13-3 lead at halftime.
Morten Andersen connected from 42 and 28 yards for Atlanta's
points. He also missed a 45-yarder.
After Dayne's touchdown, the Falcons drove to the New York 5
before squandering their best scoring chance. On second-and-goal,
Chandler was picked off in the end zone by Sehorn.
Chandler didn't even make it to halftime. Playing behind a
makeshift line that included two rookies, he received several
brutal hits before the Giants delivered the finishing blow.
Linebacker Pete Monty, breaking loose on a blitz, drove Chandler
into the turf with 6:36 left in the second quarter.
Chandler kneeled on the field for a few seconds before
staggering to the bench.
The Falcons also lost rookie offensive tackle Michael Thompson,
who was carted off the field with a torn Achilles' tendon in his
right leg. He is probably out for the year.
Filling in for Chandler, Kanell was 15-of-36 for 166 yards. He
was the Giants' starting quarterback when they won the NFC East in
1997.
Tiki Barber led the Giants with 50 yards rushing and 50 more
receiving. Kerry Collins was 14-of-25 for 151 yards but also had
two interceptions.
Game
notes
Andersen played his 282nd game, leaving him tied with Jim
Marshall for second place on the NFL career list behind George
Blanda (340). ... Dayne rushed for 31 yards. ... Barber had a
22-yard reception for New York's longest passing play. ...
Atlanta's Chris Draft made his first career start in place of Keith
Brooking, who was out with a sprained foot.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
NY Giants Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
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