Giants 52, Saints 27 – David Wilson Electrifies As The Giants Take Down The Saints

Wilson finished the game with a team record 372 all-purpose yards. He set the tone for the Giants from the start with three huge kick returns, scoring on one of them with an electrifying 97-yard return. In the second half he gave the Giants a much needed boost in their run game and capped off his career day with a 52-yard touchdown run.

After a wild first half, the Giants (8-5) wasted no time cranking up the offesne after the defense opened the second half with an interception of Saints quarterback Drew Brees by Stevie Brown. Wilson got the start in the second half at running back and capped off a quick 4-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown run. Later on, Eli Manning would then find Hakeem Nicks on a 25-yard pass that was beautifully thrown as the Giants were able to open up a 35-13 lead.

No lead is safe when playing the Saints and their quick-strike offense. Brees took advantage of breakdowns in the Giants secondary and then captilized off Manning’s second interception of the day to help them pull within 35-27 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Giants needed a big play to get momentum back on their side and once again it was from their special teams and the kick-return game. This time it was Jerrell Jernigan who returned it for 60 yards to set the Giants up for another touchdown pass for Manning, this time to Victor Cruz. The Giants tacked on 6 more points from Lawrence Tynes and another spectacular TD run from Wilson to make it a commanding 25-point lead.

Brees looked every bit of a gunslinger today as he tried to get the Saints back into the game, however the Giants defense did a solid job of forcing turnovers at crucial points in the game. The Saints turned the ball over 4 times today.

•  The Giants special teams was the key today as they set a team record for kick return yards. Wilson had 227 return yards.
•  Wilson has always been an eye-opener this season as a kick-returner, however with Ahmad Bradshaw in and out of the lineup because of injuries and Andre Brown already sidelined for the remainder of the season, Wilson is taking advantage of the oppotunity presented to him at running back. Wilson finished up today with 100 yards rushing on 13 carries and 2 rushing touchdowns, including a 52-yard touchdown run.
•  Cruz went over 1.000 yards receiving for the 2nd straight season, he did it with his touchdown catch. It’s been another stellar season for Cruz as he continues to show everyone he’s the real deal.
• Stevie Brown came up big for the Giants in the secondary with two interceptions. The Giants were without Kenny Phillips this week, however Brown has consistently stepped up this season at the safety position. Antrel Rolle played very well and backed up his talk coming into today’s game that the Giants needed to be more intense on defense.
• Bradshaw was in and out of the lineup in the first half as he appeared to be hampered by a knee injury, he wasn’t needed for much in the second half as Wilson did a solid job of stepping in.

What’s Next?

Head coach Tom Coughlin made it clear that he felt the Giants needed to win their remaining four games on the schedule and they started off today on a great note. However, the road does not get easier for them as they go on the road for the next two weeks to face Atlanta and Baltimore respectiviely.

Because of how unpredictable the NFC east division has been this season, the best bet for the Giants might just be to follow through on Coughlin’s wishes.