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EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
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On the defensive Giants hold Eagles in check for Divisional victory
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- First, Michael Strahan leveled Donovan McNabb for a big loss. Then, just to prove it was no fluke, he did it again. The two sacks resulted in 19 lost yards for Philadelphia on Sunday in a playoff game when the Eagles needed all the yards they could get against the New York Giants. All day long, Strahan and his teammates on the New York defense harassed McNabb, forcing the Philadelphia quarterback to hurry his throws and molding what became a 20-10 Giants victory in the NFC divisional playoff. There were six sacks that cost 41 yards, a recovered fumble that led to a field goal, and an interception that turned into a touchdown. "We get the job done," Strahan said. "We try to make something happen on every play."
The Giants' defenders knew all about what a threat McNabb could be, his ability to run the ball and throw it. So he was the centerpiece of their attention and it made for a long day for the second-year quarterback. He couldn't get Philadelphia into the end zone until the final two minutes, and then only after a blocked punt gave the Eagles the ball on the 10. With linebacker Michael Barrow waving a towel to fire up the crowd of 78,765, the largest in Giants Stadium history, the New York defense led McNabb on a merry chase. They covered his receivers tenaciously and cut off rushing lanes efficiently, rarely giving the Eagles offense any room to operate. And when McNabb forced the issue, cornerback Jason Sehorn made him pay dearly. Frustrated, the Eagles quarterback tried to make something positive happen in the last two minutes of the first half, throwing for Torrance Small. Sehorn, who had returned an onsides kickoff for a decisive touchdown against Jacksonville two weeks ago, cut in front of Small. He deflected the ball as he went down, tapping the ball to himself like a basketball player going after a loose rebound. The ball popped into the air and came down in Sehorn's hands. He bounced up with it and sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown. Dave Thomas' recovered fumble set up the first of Brad Daluiso's field goals and then Sehorn's interception provided an exclamation point for a proud defense. New York contained McNabb almost all afternoon, rarely losing contact with him. He never got loose, never threatened to turn this game Philadelphia's way. Besides Strahan's two first-half sacks, Keith Hamilton and Cornelius Griffin nailed him in the first quarter, and Jessie Armstead and Emmanuel McDaniel shared another in the third quarter. In the fourth, McNabb sidestepped two tackles only to be leveled by Ryan Hale for one more sack. They were reminders that there was danger for McNabb from all sides of the Giants' defense.
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