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Red Zone not friendly to Giants

By Gary R. Blockus | Of The Morning Call

November 10, 2008

PHILADELPHIA | - Statistically, the numbers were staggering, yet the scoreboard didn't bear them out.

In the Giants' 36-31 win at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night, the Giants held a time of possession advantage of 20:38 to 9:22 and a yards-gained advantage of 244-126 at the half, yet led just 20-17.

The score brought up a season-long problem for the Giants: the red zone.

New York was just 2-for-4 in the opening half on converting red zone drives into touchdowns. The Giants settled for two field goals off Eagles turnovers while surrendering two touchdown drives after their own turnovers.

If one play kept the Giants' hopes for victory alive in the third quarter, it was a challenge by Tom Coughlin that Eli Manning was beyond the line of scrimmage on a 17-yard completion to tight end Kevin Boss to the 3.

With the line of scrimmage at the 20, Manning appeared to cross the line of scrimmage before throwing the ball to Boss. The Giants were initially penalized for an illegal forward pass, which would have resulted in about a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Coughlin challenged the call, and referee Terry McAuley ruled that Manning's right heel did not cross the line before he got rid of the ball. According to the illegal forward pass rule, every part of the player's body must be across the line of scrimmage in order to call the penalty.

The completed pass put the Giants on the 3, and Brandon Jacobs scored two plays later to give the Giants a 27-24 lead.

Giant steps: The Giants led the league in yards per carry (5.2) coming into the game. While everyone has been lauding the credit on running backs Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, the offensive line has remained consistent.

Center Shaun O'Hara, guards Rich Seubert and Chris Snee, and tackles David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie have started 25 straight games.

Butler can't do it: The Giants' defense took a huge hit defensively during the week when starting strong safety James Butler could not recover from a knee injury suffered against Dallas.

Kenny Phillips, a rookie first-round draft pick out Miami, replaced Butler in the starting lineup.

''I look at it as an opportunity to eventually become a starter,'' Phillips said earlier in the week. ''I hate that it happened like this, but I'm just going to take advantage of my opportunity.''

Phillips took full advantage of the opportunity early in the second quarter on a blitz that forced Donovan McNabb to throw incomplete on third down near midfield and force an Eagles punt.

The absence of Butler marked the first time this season that the Giants have diverged from starting the same four defensive backs -- Butler, free safety Michael Johnson and cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Corey Webster. Johnson and Ross are both second-year players while Webster is in his fourth season.

Webster injured a groin in the second quarter and was replaced by Sam Madison.

The Giants were also without starting weakside linebacker Gerris Wilkins (knee injury), who was replaced by Chase Blackburn.

Horns to hero: Madison went from goat to hero for the Giants in the second quarter. He drew a personal foul penalty for hitting Eagles rookie DeSean Jackson out of bounds that aided the Eagles' second touchdown drive.

On the next Eagles possession, with just over two minutes remaining, he intercepted a McNabb pass intended for Jackson and returned it 21 yards to the Eagles 14 to set up a John Carney field goal.