Giants 29 Jets 14

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When is a rivalry not really a rivalry? It is a question that has been posed often this week as the Big Apple prepares for a game that has been coined the Fight Before Christmas. Jets v Giants, New York v New York. Two teams sharing not only a city but also a stadium – obliged by their proximity to battle constantly for support and market share and yet only very rarely to do so on the field itself. This is their first head-to-head in four years.The Jets and Giants have, indeed, only met 11 times in total since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 – and perhaps never in a game this significant. Coming into this game at 8-6 and 7-7 respectively, both know that defeat could be fatal to their postseason chances. The Giants found themselves in a similar position in December 1988 – needing to beat the Jets on the final weekend to secure a playoff berth – but on that occasion their neighbours were already out of the running. Of course, despite having little to gain from victory, the Jets did rouse themselves win that game anyway – denying the Giants their spot in the postseason. Some sibling rivalry does clearly exist, but how much depends on who you ask. "I don't see it as a true rivalry. A true rivalry is us against New England," said Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie this week – but his own head coach would almost certainly disagree. Almost from day one, Rex Ryan has spoken of shifting the balance of power in the city. After his first season at the helm – 2009 – ended with the Jets reaching the AFC Championship Game, he declared without any prompting that: "We are the biggest show in town". In his autobiography, published earlier this year, he picked up the same thread. "When people ask me what it¹s like to share New York with the Giants, my response is always I am not sharing it with them -- they are sharing it with me," he wrote.This week Ryan has continued in a similar vein – announcing that he "didn't come here to be a little brother to anybody" and saying that his was the best team in New York. But Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has a rather different mindset: "Talk is cheap," he said when Ryan's comments were raised. "Play the game." Rivalry or otherwise, it ought to be a a rather good one.Unwanted company The New York Times had some fun with the Ryan v Coughlin match-up today, providing a festive-themed Tale of The Tape covering everything from which character in a Christmas Carol they most represent (Coughlin = Jacob Marley) to which film version of Santa Claus they most represent (Ryan = Santa Claus Conquers the Martians). "What could possibly be zanier than spending Christmas Eve with Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin," the Times ask – presenting them as a comedic odd couple. Certainly you can't imagine either choosing to spend Christmas with the other – which got me to wondering: which NFL figure would you least want to have visit for the holidays (and why)? Answers in an email to paolo.bandini@guardian.co.uk, or you can tweet me @Paolo_BandiniUnlikely likeness "Just putting it out there, Tom Coughlin is the spitting image of Jeffrey Tambor," tweets @davieremixed. "Merry Christmas, y'all!" Hmm, not convinced myself.Keys to the game The Giants, increasingly, seem to go as Eli Manning goes - so his ability to pick out the good match-ups against a secondary featuring Cromartie and Darrelle Revis is clearly going to be key. The Jets, it has been noted, have done a poor job of covering tight ends: giving up an N.F.L.-worst 66.8 yards per game to players at that position - but New York are without starter Jake Ballard after he damaged his posterior cruciate ligament against the Washington Redskins. On the other side of the ball, the Giants will be looking to exploit the Jets' weaknesses at offensive tackle. With Jason Pierre-Paul at one end and Justin Tuck at the other, they certainly have the tools to do it.Eating his Frosties Speaking of Tuck, he has been dealing with injuries all year, but declared himself to be feeling "Tony the Tiger great" when asked about his status for this game on Thursday. Or, to put it another way, Grrrrrrrrrrreat.Holiday visitors to avoid "Thanks for spending your Christmas Eve liveblogging," emails Mark Griffiths. "The worst NFL figure to visit for Christmas? William 'the Refrigerator' Perry of course." Yeah, I can see how that would be the obvious choice. Funnily enough, though, when I asked the opposite question on Thanksgiving (who did people want to visit for dinner), many picked him then too. Breakfast Do we think Tuck really eats Frosties for breakfast? NFL players can't eat high-sugar cereals every morning, surely? Does Doug Flutie actually like Flutie Flakes.Giants 0 Jets 0, 15:00 1st quarter The Jets kick-off, and Jernigan takes it out of his own endzone to the Giants' 28. Meantime, Albert Haynesworth has emerged as a popular choice for NFL player you wouldn't want staying for the holidays. "Haynesworth. He'd eat everything. Then stamp on your head," tweets @26mjw.Giants 0 Jets 0, 12:38 1st quarter This may be the Giants' home venue every other Sunday, but they aren't used to hearing this sort of crowd noise when they line up on offence at MetLife Stadium. With the fans baying for blood on third and 11 - Manning fails to spot that the play clock is about to run down. The subsequent delay of game makes it third and 16 - a hole the Giants can't get out of. Weatherford's punt is fielded by Kerley at the Jets' 25 and he rips off a tidy return down the right sideline all the way up to the 47.Giants 0 Jets 0, 9:52 1st quarter A heavy dose of Shonn Greene –Â*as you might expect – on the Jets' first drive, Sanchez alternately dumping the ball off to his back in the flats and then handing it off to the same as the Jets get rolling across midfield. The drive appears to have stalled at the Giants' 36 though - until Rex Ryan sends his offence back out on fourth and three. Sanchez throws incomplete … but the Giants had 12 men on the field. Fresh set of downs at the 31. "Brett Favre because he would never 'retire' from the dining table," tweets @Markkilroy in response to our 'least wanted NFL Christmas guests riff.TOUCHDOWN! Giants 0 Jets 7, 7:56 1st quarter And my, doesn't Ryan's decision to go for it look smart now. The Jets change up the gameplan - Sanchez dropping back and connecting with Holmes and then Burress as they race down to the five-yard line. Then, on first and goal, Burress provides the decoy – clearing out the defensive backs in the left corner of the endzone and creating space for rookie Josh Baker to get open. Can't start much better than that.Giants 0 Jets 7, 7:51 1st quarter Nice return from Jernigan, who takes it out to the 32 for the Giants. "As a Redskins fan, I'd least like to have Kyle Shanahan round for Christmas," says Ian Mowat. "I mean, he'd be ok, but he'd bring round Rex Grossman uninvited and the insist that we have to give Rex all the presents, and that Rex would get to carve the turkey and make us look at the NFC North standings from 2006 instead of watching the Christmas film."Giants 0 Jets 7, 6:34 1st quarter Three and out again for the Giants - as Manning is crushed by David Harris on third down. The linebacker grabbed a fistful of the quarterback's shirt as he blew by an attempted block, before hauling in his prey to deliver a brutal hit. Weatherford's punt is fair caught at the Jets' 28.Giants 0 Jets 7, 4:29 1st quarter Not a three and out for the Jets, but not much of a drive either –Â*Sanchez throwing incomplete on successive plays as the drive stalls at their own 45. Conley's first punt of the day is fair caught by Blackmon at the Giants' 16. "Tebow," tweets @StirzR, joining in our 'least-desirable-Christmas-guests conversation. "We all know we don't want God at Christmas!" Well I'm sorry to tell you that you'll be getting Tebow for Christmas whether you want him or not - the Broncos QB has already run in his first touchdown of the afternoon in Buffalo.Giants 0 Jets 7, 4:00 1st quarter Hakeem Nicks is having no fun on Revis Island - watching a Manning pass into his hands on the first play of the new series, only for it to be knocked away at the last second by a cornerback who appeared to come from nowhere. But with the Giants staring at a third straight three-and-out on third and 10 Manning dumps the ball off to Brandon Jacobs, who simply barrels defenders out of the way as he rumbles up field and past the marker for a 13-yard gain.Giants 0 Jets 7, 2:26 1st quarter We talked about the Giants' pass rush before the game, but so far it is Eli Manning who seems to be throwing every pass with a defender in his face. On third and six from the 33, he tries to go long down the right sideline but he is hit as he throws and the pass misses Nicks by a considerable distance. Weatherford's punt goes out of bounds at the Jets' 20.Giants 0 Jets 7, 0:11 1st quarter Ryan decides he's not feeling so brave second time around - opting to punt after Tomlinson is pulled down inches short of the marker after taking a pass from Sanchez over the middle on third and six. <a href="http://www.louisvuittonoutletsale2u.com"><strong>Louis Vuitton Official Outlet</strong></a> Penalties result in the punt having to be taken three times - and it turns out to be third time lucky for the Giants as Conley - under pressure - muffs his final attempt, the ball recovered by Antrel Rolle at his team's own 42 and taking it for three yards. End of quarter: Giants 0 Jets 7 Ware takes a quick hit from Manning up to the halfway line, and that's it for the half. Which gives us time for another unwanted Christmas guest from @aland1903 on Twitter ... "Ellis Lankster, I'm sure he's a nice guy but too indecisive for me..."did you enjoy dinner?""Giants 0 Jets 7, 13:15 2nd quarter Are those boos, or are there just more Giants fans here than you might have imagined for an 'away' team? After taking a short pass from Manning for 20 yards two plays earlier, Cruz is once again the target on third and 11 from the 31 - hauled down at the two-yard line by Harris after a 29-yard pick-up.Field goal! Giants 3 Jets 7, 11:52 2nd quarter The Giants fail to punch it in though, the ball disappearing in the airspace around Revis Island on third and goal from the two. Tynes boots it through the posts, but that is a very disappointing outcome for the Giants in a game where they had hitherto struggled to generated that sort of drive.Giants 3 Jets 7, 11:47 2nd quarter Not a smart decision from Cromartie, who attempts to take the kick-off out of his endzone but is chopped down by Blackburn at the 13.Giants 3 Jets 7, 10:00 2nd quarter Whatever happened to that obvious Jets gameplan to run the ball? So far Greene and Tomlinson have managed a combined 15 yards on the ground, and it is through the air that they get going again on this drive, Sanchez hitting Kerley on a perfect hook route - run to just past the marker - on third and six before following up with another 15-yard strike to Burress.Giants 3 Jets 7, 6:15 2nd quarter All about these fourth and short situations for the Jets today isn't it? After Tomlinson comes up a yard short of the marker at the Giants' 42, Ryan again decides that discretion is the better part of valour. Conley's punt takes a Giants bounce into the endzone. Meantime, @DavidBoatright on Twitter might have the harshest reason yet for the NFL figure he wouldn't want over for dinner: "Rob Bironas. He just seems boring as hell."Giants 3 Jets 7, 4:43 2nd quarter Three and out again for the Giants, but this time Kerley comes up with a really nice return - hurdling defenders and spinning all in the same motion as he bursts down the left sideline before eventually being forced out at the halfway line.Giants 3 Jets 7, 3:02 2nd quarter The Jets burn their first time-out as they size up third and 10 from halfway. They had been making progress before Jason Pierre-Paul sniffed out an attempted reverse to Santonio Holmes, and then Slauson was penalised for a false start.Giants 3 Jets 7, 2:37 2nd quarter Sanchez's pass for Keller falls incomplete off the tight end's hands on third down, and madness ensues on the punt, as Giants special-teamer Jason Blackburn inexplicably attempts to cover the ball as the Jets prepare to down it at the one-yard line. With a Jet having already touched the ball first his touch was actually an illegal one - and therefore does not gift possession back to the Jets when it slips out of his hands - but any player on a punt return team should know better than to go anywhere near that ball.TOUCHDOWN! Giants 10 Jets 7, 2:12 2nd quarter Incredible. Just incredible. Victor Cruz records the longest reception in Giants franchise history - taking it 99 yards for the score on third and 10 from his team's own one-yard line. Eight-eight of those yards came after the catch - the receiver having run a simple out route just past the marker, but shifting his weight expertly after taking the catch to spin away from Cromartie's tackle before simply outrunning the defence all the way to the endzone.Two minute warning: Giants 10 Jets 7 Another bad decision by Cromartie on the kick-off return, the cornerback once again taking it out of the endzone but once again making it only to the 13. Sanchez starts the drive with a short pass to Greene for six yards, and that takes us down to the TV time-out.Fumble ... leading to a TOUCHDOWN? Giants 10 Jets 7, 1:28 2nd quarter On first and 10 from the Jets' 26, Kerley takes a pass in the flats but is quickly spun down by Rolle. The ball comes loose from the receiver's hand as he goes to ground, and is promptly scooped up by Aaron Ross and taken back to the house. This play will be automatically reviewed, however - and it looks as though the fumble may have been caused by the ground: the ball jarring loose as Kerley's elbow hit the turf.Call overturned! Giants 10 Jets 7, 1:28 2nd quarter The officials rule that Kerley was indeed down - though the more replays I've seen, the more I've come to think that Kerley's elbow might not have hit the ground at all - but instead Rolle's outstretched boot. In any case, the Jets get a reprieve - and what an important one it could turn out to be.Giants 10 Jets 7, 0:38 2nd quarter The Jets take their second time-out looking at third and 10 from the Giants' 34, Sanchez completing passes to Holmes and Kerley to get them there, but losing his rhythm as the Giants achieve significant pressure on both his next two dropbacks.Giants 10 Jets 7, 0:02 2nd quarter Sanchez finds Keller for 15 yards after the time-out, but the drive ends there as the next two passes fall incomplete, and then Jason Pierre-Paul gets his first sack of the day, catching D'Brickashaw Ferguson out with an inside move and planting Sanchez at the 26. The Jets take their final time-out with two seconds on the clock - leaving just enough time for a field goal.Missed field goal! End of 2nd quarter: Giants 10 Jets 7 Oh dear. After all that, the Jets don't even get to go in level at the break - Folk skewing his kick wide of the right-hand upright by some distance. Rex will not be impressed.Must-see play "Seen that Jerome Simpson TD for the Bengals yet?" asks @kawatabake on Twitter. "Talk about taking the piss." I have seen it, and you really, really should too.Elsewhere The Bengals are clobbering the Cardinals in that game at the moment, but the most surprising scoreline anywhere at the moment has to be in New England, where the Patriots are getting thumped at the moment by Miami. These are the scores so far in the other early games:Cleveland Browns 0 Baltimore Ravens 17Denver Broncos 7 Buffalo Bills 17Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 Carolina Panthers 27Arizona Cardinals 0 Cincinnati Bengals 20Oakland Raiders 3 Kansas City Chiefs 3Miami Dolphins 17 New England Patriots 0St Louis Rams 0 Pittsburgh Steelers 10Jacksonville Jaguars 10 Tennessee Titans 17Minnesota Vikings 10 Washington Redskins 10 Hey look! It's Peyton Manning being funny. This really no relevance to today's game, but Jon Millard sent it in and, well, did I mention it's funny?Giants 10 Jets 7, 14:55 3rd quarter McKnight takes the kick-off out to the 22. "Paolo, as a massive Arsenal FC fan and Londoner, I am pretty new to all things NFL," writes Max Burman. "I'll hopefully be spending next year studying in New York, and so have been doing some cultural embedding. I have been led to believe that, of the two NY franchises, the Giants are the most natural fit for a Gooner. Given your assertion that they are increasingly reliant on one talismanic figure, is it safe for me to firmly adopt the Giants as my team?" Well as an Arsenal fan you'll certainly appreciate the fact that they are the team with the more storied history than their neighbours, but you may also be all too familiar with the recent tendency to lose their way in the latter part of campaigns ...Giants 10 Jets 7, 14:25 3rd quarter Three and out to start the half for the Jets, as Dave Tollefson sticks up an enormous paw to bat down Sanchez's attempted pass on third and 10. Conley's punt is fielded by Rolle at the Giants' 31.Giants 10 Jets 7, 12:45 3rd quarter Not much better from the Giants, who open with a five-yard run from Bradshaw, only for the same player to lose three on the next play and then Manning to throw incomplete on third down. Kerley is pushed out of bounds at the 23 after a short return on the punt. "If Carson Palmer was at my yard cooking Christmas dinner, he'd probably miss the oven and stick it in the washing machine," tweets @extramannish.Giants 10 Jets 7, 10:02 3rd quarter Not the most electrifying start to the second half so far - with both teams struggling to generate much at all on offence, but Justin Tuck does at least get the 'away' fans going with a big sack of Sanchez that effectively derails the drive on second and six at the 40. Up to that point the Jets had seemed to finally be showing some commitment to the running game - Greene making a combined 17 yards after being handed the ball on three consecutive plays for perhaps the first time all game. Blackmon makes three yards on the punt return - taking it out to the Giants' 27.Giants 10 Jets 7, 9:05 3rd quarter The fourth punt of the half already –Â*and we haven't even played six minutes yet. Jets will start the next drive on their own 28. @jimborees on Twitter nominates Rex Ryan as the NFL figure he'd least like to see knocking at his door on Christmas day. "He would eat all the food and TELL you about it at the same time. #guarantee"Giants 10 Jets 7, 8:10 3rd quarter A first down! Just the second of the half. It's a start. Greene darts through the gap off right guard for a six-yard gain after Greene had made seven up the gut on the previous play.Giants 10 Jets 7, 5:57 3rd quarter For every step forwards, an immedate stride in the opposite direction. Burress is flagged for a false start on the next play and then - after a seven-yard completion from Sanchez to Keller - Wayne Hunter is penalised for holding. Faced with an eventual third and 18, the <a href="http://www.louisvuittonoutletsaleuk.co.uk"><strong>Louis Vuitton</strong></a> quarterback dumps it off over the middle to Tomlinson, who makes about nine. The Jets are now two of 11 on third down. The punt is fair caught by Blackmon at the 22.Giants 10 Jets 7, 4:42 3rd quarter The Giants burn their first time-out of the half as Manning realises he is about to incur a delay of game penalty. But at least he did avoid the flag - the Jets seem to be collecting them faster than an over-eager scout troupe. Westerman was the latest to be penalised, judged to have roughed the passer after hitting Manning late on the first play of the series. The Giants will have third and four from the 49 when play resumes.Giants 10 Jets 7, 3:56 3rd quarter Manning misses Jernigan on the next play. Were it not for that Cruz touchdown, his numbers right now would be horrendous. As it is, they're still pretty underwhelming - eight of 23 for 189 yards and that one TD. Weatherford's punt is fair caught by Kerley at the 19.Giants 10 Jets 7, 1:59 3rd quarter Ugh. This is really not a pretty game. The Jets again manages a solitary first down - Shonn Greene opening the drive with a 13-yard sprint around left end - but a false start penalty once again knocks them off course and Conley is left to punt on fourth and nine from his own 33. The ball takes a kind bounce (for the Jets) down to the Giants 19.TOUCHDOWN! Giants 17 Jets 7, 0:13 3rd quarter At long last some offence - Manning deciding it's time he went back to that Cruz fellow: getting just the right amount of air under his pass as the receiver sprinted out and down the sideline on a wheel pattern. He is pushed out of bounds at the Jets' 42 after a 36-yard gain, and from there it's only two plays to the endzone, Jacobs taking it for 28 yards around left end before Bradshaw blows through a huge hole up the middle, trucking right over Rodney Poole before walking over the line. Wow, what a hit that was on Poole. I'd say there's a very good chance he's concussed right now.End of third quarter: Giants 17 Jets 7 The quarter ends with the Jets looking at third and nine from their own 21. That run by Jacobs on the Giants' touchdown drive, by the way, was only the third one they've had all season that's gone for over 20 yards. Blimey. While we have the break, here's more action from elsewhere - with my colleague Steve Busfield sending me this clip of Toby Gerhart's 67-yard run for Washington ending ingloriously.Interception! Giants 17 Jets 7, 14:46 4th quarter: Oh dear. For the first time all game Sanchez decides to take a shot downfield, but his pass is picked off by Kenny Phillips and returned for 31 yards all the way down to the Jets' 14.Field goal! Giants 20 Jets 7, 13:18 4th quarter: The Jets do at least avoid total disaster, Wilkerson coming up with a vital sack on second down and then Cruz failing to bring in Manning's pass with one hand in the middle of the endzone. Tynes nails his 36-yard kick.Giants 20 Jets 7, 13:11 4th quarter: A short kick-off from Tynes, and a decent return from McKnight - who is pushed out at the 40 - but another flag (this time for an illegal block) takes them back to the 26. Far, far too many penalties this half.Giants 20 Jets 7, 12:04 4th quarter: Dustin Keller - responsible for roughly 3,012 dropped passes so far in this game, finally clings on to one - and as a consequence the Jets finally convert a third down. It was a big one too - Sanchez delivering a perfect dart to the tight end on third and 11 from the 25, and Keller falling about two yards past the marker.Giants 20 Jets 7, 11:12 4th quarter: Oh Rex - you lucky, lucky boy. Keller makes another big catch on third down - an impressive one too, hanging onto the ball while being flipped up in the air following a hit from Grant - but this time comes up two yards short of the marker. Ryan sends his team back out on fourth down and Sanchez decides that now is the time for a shot downfield - launching an overthrown ball in the direction of Keller, who his double covered. But just as the Giants are celebrating a turnover on downs, a late flag comes down for pass interference on Grant. Looked like a pretty marginal call too.Touchdown annulled! Giants 20 Jets 7, 10:45 4th quarter: Two plays later Sanchez hits Burress streaking into the endzone down the left sideline, but the receiver clearly pushed his man off to create the space that allowed him to make the catch. This one's coming back ...Fumble? Giants 20 Jets 7, 10:45 4th quarter: On the next play - second and 17 - Sanchez is sacked by Pierre-Paul, and the ball comes loose, with Tuck falling on it at the Giants' 39. But Ryan wastes no time throwing out the red flag, and I think he'll win this challenge: Sanchez's arm was clearly moving forwards when the ball came out - and under that makes it officially incomplete pass rather than a fumble. Also, for what it's worth, Pierre-Paul definitely had a hold of his face mask just before the fumble, not that it will come into the officials' consideration on this review.Call overturned. Giants 20 Jets 7, 10:45 4th quarter: As anticipated, the officials rule the play as an incomplete pass.Giants 20 Jets 7, 9:35 4th quarter: Well the Jets may stink on third down, but they're now three for three on fourth down. Sanchez had hit Holmes for 15 yards to set up fourth and two, and he zips the ball straight out to Kerley to convert it - the receiver winning himself a yard with a stutter step outside before coming back inside to make the quick reception and take it for 10 yards. That'll be first and goal at the eight.Fumble! Giants 20 Jets 7, 9:35 4th quarter: Oh dear. The Jets get down to the one-yard line, but as Sanchez attempts to dive in from there he loses control of the ball and it is recovered in the endzone by the Giants. That'll be a touchback.Interception! Giants 20 Jets 7, 8:53 4th quarter: Well now this is just silly. On the first play of the new drive, Manning targets Nicks but the receiver is unable to bring in the pass as he dives to reach it over the middle - instead knocking it back up into the air and causing it to flutter back down into the hands of Harris, who returns it for 20 yards to Giants' 11. What a break that is for the Jets.Fumble? Giants 20 Jets 7, 7:52 4th quarter: This game is beginning to feel like one long series of errors, yellow flags and booth reviews. The ball is again knocked loose from Sanchez's hands - this time by Joseph - but even though his team recover the ball, Ryan once again challenges the ruling of a fumble. Reasonable enough - since an incomplete pass would give them the ball at the Giants' 21, whereas the fumble takes them back to the 38. "Are #Jets *and* #Giants both trying to lose this?" protests my colleague Steve Busfield (@busfield) on Twitter.Call overturned. Giants 20 Jets 7, 7:52 4th quarter: Once again, Rex was right. "Will the officials get a call right first time today?" ponders @muswellhillspur on Twitter.TOUCHDOWN! Giants 20 Jets 14, 7:17 4th quarter: At long, long last, the Jets get in. Sanchez decides he's better off holding onto the ball, scrambling for 11 yards to set up first and goal <a href="http://www.buylouisvuittonoutletonline.com"><strong>Louis Vuitton Online</strong></a> from the two, then executing a really nice ######## hand-off on the next play before diving in on a ########## bootleg.Giants 20 Jets 14, 7:13 4th quarter: From the endzone, Jernigan only makes it out to the 13. Let's see if the Giants decide to run the ball this time.Giants 20 Jets 14, 5:39 4th quarter: The Giants do keep it on the ground - for the first two downs at least - but it doesn't do them much good, Jacobs making two yards net. On third and eight Manning lobs one down the left sideline to … nobody. That looked to me like a miscommuncation - an option route on which Manning and his receiver made different reads - but he is penalised for intentional grounding. Weatherford is forced to punt away from the eight, and Kerley is pushed out of bounds at halfway after about a 10-yard return.Giants 20 Jets 14, 4:55 4th quarter: Sanchez has attempted 54 passes in this game, and apparently completed 27. It has felt more like just the seven. The Jets go three and out, with a pair of incompletions followed by a sack from Tollefson. The punt is downed at the Giants' 18.Giants 20 Jets 14, 3:27 4th quarter: Tom Coughlin is down receiving attention from the Giants' team trainers after Aaron Maybin blasts DJ Ware into his own head coach on the sidelines. Maybin's hit was delivered after the back had already stepped out of bounds, so while Coughlin suffers, his team gain a free 15 yards that take them all the way up to the Jets' 43 - Ware having already picked up 17 on the run off right tackle.Giants 20 Jets 14, 2:24 4th quarter: The Giants get agonisingly close to Tynes's field goal range, but on third and six from the Jets' 39 Ware is stuffed for no gain as he looks for room off right tackle. Weatherford's punt is fair caught at the eight.SAFETY! Giants 22 Jets 14, 2:24 4th quarter: That might just settle this game. On first down Sanchez drops back into the endzone and is hit by Chris Canty, the quarterback releasing the ball but only after being taken off his feet by the defensive tackle: sufficient for the officials to make the safety ruling. The throw itself, in any case, probably represented intentional grounding, which also would have meant a safety.Giants 22 Jets 14, 2:24 4th quarter: Nick Folk attempts an onside kick, but though the ball does ricochet off a Giant and briefly fall loose, there are no Jets trailing to recover it. The Giants will take over on the Jets' 19.TOUCHDOWN! Giants 29 Jets 14, 2:24 4th quarter: And on first down Ahmad Bradshaw squeezes through a gap off right tackle before striding into the endzone, celebrating before he has even crossed the line. This one's over.Two minute warning: Giants 29 Jets 14 Tynes kicks short and Conner takes it out to the 36. That takes us to the TV time-out.Interception! Giants 29 Jets 14, 0:40 4th quarter: In the words of our Fox play-by-play man, Corey Webster provides the 'exclamation point' on the victory for the Giants, beating Kerley to an overthrown Sanchez pass and returning it to the 26.Final score: Giants 29 Jets 14 The Giants take a knee and this one is finally over. A fairly hideous game at times, if the truth be told - and certainly one in which neither team excelled - but for the Giants this was nevertheless a huge win, one that officially eliminates the Philadelphia Eagles from contention in the NFC East and which means they will have their destiny in their own hands when they take on the Cowboys next week. And the news coming out of Dallas, incidentally, is that Tony Romo has just been knocked out of their game against the Eagles with an injury.Elsewhere The Patriots overcame their slow start to get past the Dolphins, while the bad news for the Jets is that despite a late rally from Arizona, the Bengals did indeed win - doing further damage to Rey Ryan's team's playoff hopes in the AFC. Here are the final scores from the other early games:Cleveland Browns 14 Baltimore Ravens 20Denver Broncos 14 Buffalo Bills 40Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16 Carolina Panthers 48Arizona Cardinals 16 Cincinnati Bengals 23Oakland Raiders 16 Kansas City Chiefs 13Miami Dolphins 24 New England Patriots 27St Louis Rams 0 Pittsburgh Steelers 27Jacksonville Jaguars 17 Tennessee Titans 23Minnesota Vikings 33 Washington Redskins 26Merry Christmas! Right, that's it from me. Thanks for reading and for all your emails and tweets. Do check in again on 27 Jan for our Five Things we Learned blog, and next weekend for another live game. In the meantime, I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas. Good night!