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Giants Secure Place In Playoffs

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The Associated Press

Published: December 24, 2007

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Neither rain, sleet nor snow - and not even Bills tight end Kevin Everett's inspirational return to Buffalo - could prevent the New York Giants from clinching a playoff berth Sunday.

A rediscovered running attack and an opportunistic defense carried the Giants past the Bills and the elements in a 38-21 win.

"I'm very proud," said running back Brandon Jacobs, who scored twice and finished with a career-high 145 yards. "I'm proud of my team. I'm proud of the defense. It means a lot."

Even Coach Tom Coughlin could shrug off his sourpuss public persona for a moment, cracking a joke about the Gatorade bath he received on the sideline.

"It was the chunks of ice that gave me some mixed thoughts on the intention there," Coughlin said, smiling.

The game began with a pelting rain and winds gusting at more than 30 mph, and ended with flurries and wind gusts above 50. The conditions contributed to the teams committing four turnovers each and not mounting much of a passing attack.

Good thing the Giants had a plan to run the ball, something they were criticized for failing to do in a 22-10 loss to the Redskins last week. They rushed for 291 yards, their most since they had 351 on Nov. 29, 1959, against Washington.

Jacobs' two scores, including a powerful 43-yard run, rallied the Giants from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit. And when he left the game with a sprained left ankle in the fourth quarter, New York kept running the ball, with backup Ahmad Bradshaw scoring an 88-yard touchdown that put the Giants up 31-21 with 6:12 left.

New York's defense did the rest as Kawika Mitchell intercepted Trent Edwards and returned it 20 yards for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter. Corey Webster then sealed the victory by scoring on a 34-yard interception return 22 seconds after Bradshaw's touchdown.

The Giants (10-5) won their seventh straight road game to establish a single-season franchise record. And they avoided what could have been a must-win finale against the league's top team, the unbeaten New England Patriots, next weekend.

Even quarterback Eli Manning could shrug off a performance in which he went 7-for-15 for 111 yards with two interceptions and two lost fumbles.

"We've won some tough games, done a good job, and it's a relief," Manning said. "We all knew we wanted to do it this game."

The Bills (7-8) had plenty to play for even though they were eliminated from playoff contention following an 8-0 loss at Cleveland last weekend. That's because of Everett, the tight end who addressed the team before the game in his first visit to Buffalo since sustaining a severe spinal cord injury in the Bills season opener against Denver on Sept. 9.

The Bills seemed to ride the emotion of Everett's speech in the first quarter, when Buffalo gained 122 yards and scored on each of its first two possessions. Nothing much else went right after that as the Bills managed 122 yards the rest of the game.

"If you can't stop the run, then they're not going to throw the ball," defensive end Chris Kelsay said. "It's our job to get them off the field. And we didn't do that."

Edwards was nine of 26 for 161 yard with two touchdowns.

Buf-Gaines 3 pass from Edwards (Lindell kick), 10:24.

Buf-Evans 4 pass from Edwards (Lindell kick), 5:31.

Second Quarter

NYG-Jacobs 6 run (Tynes kick), 11:38.

NYG-Jacobs 43 run (Tynes kick), 8:32.

NYG-FG Tynes 42, 2:35.

Third Quarter

Buf-Lynch 3 run (Lindell kick), 13:54.

Fourth Quarter

NYG-Mitchell 20 interception return (Tynes kick), 14:05.

NYG-Bradshaw 88 run (Tynes kick), 6:12.

NYG-Webster 34 interception return (Tynes kick), 5:50.

A-71,302.

RUSHING-N.Y. Giants, Bradshaw 17-151, Jacobs 24-145, Manning 3-0, Droughns 3-(minus 5). Buffalo, Lynch 18-70, Jackson 6-37, Edwards 2-7, Wright 1-3, Moorman 1-0.

PASSING-N.Y. Giants, Manning 7-15-2-111. Buffalo, Edwards 9-26-3-161.

RECEIVING-N.Y. Giants, Toomer 5-99, Burress 1-6, Jacobs 1-6. Buffalo, Evans 3-43, Lynch 2-42, Gaines 2-23, Parrish 1-42, Reed 1-11.

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