Robert Griffin III and his Washington Redskins came to MetLife Stadium on Sunday (Oct. 21) and tried to steal the day from the New York Giants. And they almost did.
The good-as-advertised Griffin fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss with 1:32 left in the fourth quarter to put the Redskins in front, 23-20. But the Giants didn't flinch. They had one bullet left -- a silver one. It took the G-Men all of nine seconds to take back the lead, as Eli Manning found Victor Cruz for a 77-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Final score: Giants 27, Redskins 23.
Manning, who finished the day 26-for-40 passing for 337 yards, saved his best throw for last. After tossing a pair of interceptions earlier in the game, he hit a streaking Cruz in stride for the game-winning touchdown to stun the Redskins. But it didn't surprise coach Tom Coughlin.
"Does he ever cease to amaze me? No, I guess," the Giants coach said during his post-game press conference. "He just keeps hanging in there and banging away, banging away. When his back is up against the wall is when he does his best work."
How many times have we seen his "best work" it before? How many times have we seen Manning ride to the rescue in the fourth quarter? If you're counting at home, he's done it 23 times, includes a pair of crunch-time drives in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. No wonder the G-Men never flinched after RG3 delivered what could have been a dagger, would have been a dagger to most teams.
"With our offense and with Eli at the helm, we're never really too worried," Cruz said. "We know that no matter what situation we're in, no matter how many points we need or a field goal, we have the confidence that we can do it."
Giants fans feel the same way.
Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who proudly wears his Rodney Hampton jersey on Sundays during the football season. He grew up in Queens, N.Y. rooting for the Giants despite being surrounded by Jets fans. Adam follows back Giants fans on Twitter @PegCitySports.
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