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Kick Goes Giants' Way This Time

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By ROB MAADDI, The Associated Press

Published: December 10, 2007

Updated: 12/09/2007 10:55 pm

PHILADELPHIA - A dejected David Akers buried his head in his hands while the New York Giants celebrated all around him.

It was the other way around the last time these teams met here.

Eli Manning threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, Lawrence Tynes made three short field goals and the Giants moved closer toward clinching a playoff spot with a 16-13 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Akers hit the right upright on a 57-yard attempt with one second left after Donovan McNabb drove the Eagles 50 yards in the final minute.

Last January, Akers kicked a 38-yarder with no time remaining to give Philly a 23-20 victory against New York in a wild-card playoff game. He was trying to tie his career-long kick.

Now the Giants (9-4) have all but eliminated the Eagles from playoff contention with their sixth consecutive win on the road. New York is almost locked into the No. 5 seed in the conference with three games left.

"We're playing pretty well on the road," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "We hang together. We battle. We believe in each other. We believe that we can find a way to win and we never stop playing. We have good heart. It's not always pretty, but some how, some way we scratch and find a way."

The defending NFC East champion Eagles (5-8) can start looking ahead to next year following their third straight loss and fifth loss by four points or less.

McNabb hadn't played since spraining his right ankle in the second quarter against Miami on Nov. 18.

After McNabb led the Eagles into the end zone on their first possession, they managed just a pair of field goals the rest of the game.

When these teams met in Week 4, the Giants tied an NFL record by sacking McNabb 12 times, including six by Osi Umenyiora, in a 16-3 win.

McNabb had better protection this time, but didn't seem to have anywhere to throw. He finished 20 of 30 for 179 yards, one TD and no turnovers. Giants QB Eli Manning was 17 of 31 for 219 yards and one TD. Plaxico Burress caught seven passes for 136 yards.

Phi-Westbrook 18 pass from McNabb (Akers kick), 11:47.

Second Quarter

NYG-FG Tynes 19, 11:06.

NYG-FG Tynes 23, :00.

Third Quarter

Phi-FG Akers 29, 12:42.

NYG-Burress 20 pass from Manning (Tynes kick), 5:59.

NYG-FG Tynes 23, :48.

Fourth Quarter

Phi-FG Akers 39, 8:26.

A-68,594

RUSHING-N.Y. Giants, Jacobs 22-70, Droughns 3-34, Manning 2-7. Philadelphia, Westbrook 20-116, McNabb 4-11, Buckhalter 2-9, R.Brown 1-5, Tapeh 1-0.

PASSING-N.Y. Giants, Manning 17-31-0-219. Philadelphia, McNabb 20-30-0-179, Lewis 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING-N.Y. Giants, Burress 7-136, Toomer 3-37, Jacobs 3-11, Moss 2-28, Shockey 1-4, Matthews 1-3. Philadelphia, R.Brown 7-71, Westbrook 5-38, Curtis 3-26, Lewis 1-18, Schobel 1-9, Smith 1-8, Avant 1-5, Tapeh 1-4.

MISSED FIELD GOAL-Philadelphia, Akers 57 (WR).

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