The Giants gave themsleves some breathing room by opening the quarter with a Eli Manning-to-Victor Cruz TD connection to put the Blue up 42-27. It was Eli’s 4th passing TD of the ballgame.

Scoring Summary

14:20: GIANTS: Victor Cruz 10 pass from Eli (Tynes kick)….Giants 42, Saints 27…Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards in 2:31

10:19: GIANTS: Tynes FG 39….Giants 45, Saints 27….Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards in 1:31

5:10: GIANTS: Wlison 52 run…Giants 52, Siants 27….Drive: 1 play, 52 yards in 0:10

The Saints refused to go away. Brees hit Morgan again down the middle, moving NO down to the Giants’ 36. After Prince Amukamara got flagged for horse collar, the Saints returned the favor with a hold. It mattered not. Brees tried to sneak one down the middle to Graham only to have Stevie Brown step up, pick it off at the 8 yard line and return it all the way back to the NO 22.

The Giants could not convert on 3rd and 8, with Eli under-throwing Cruz in the middle of the end zone. Tynes then kicked a 39-yard FG to up the score to 45-27 Giants.

New Orleans, operating in a heavier rain, quickly went 3 and out on their possession. The Giants took over on their own 30 and drove through the rain with some tough running by Wilson, but punted it back with 6:19 to go. The Giants then recorded the first sack by either team as DE Osi Umenyiora took Brees down on the 6 for a nine-yard loss. Brees, hampered by the weather,  threw two incompletions and the Saints punted.

Then the party started. On the first play from scrimmage Wilson broke free for a 52-yard TD, his third score of the day. Ballgame.

Stevie Brown had two INTs today. He set a new Giants single-season record for INT return yards with 259.