"Osi made a great play on the ball. It's something you have to understand as a quarterback you have to feel it more or slide up in the pocket." -- Jason Campbell, on Osi Umenyiora's sack, fumble recovery, and touchdown, Sept. 13, 2009.
THE RESULT: The New York Giants controlled both lines of scrimmage, outrushing the Washington Redskins and putting constant pressure on quarterback Jason Campbell, and opened the 2009 season with a 23-17 win over a division rival before a sellout crowd in Giants Stadium, the last home opener in the big bowl in East Rutherford, NJ.
The Giants jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first half and cruised home from there.
Eli Manning threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham and Lawrence Tynes added three field goals, including a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter that was set up by an offside penalty by newcomer Albert Haynesworth, who did little else in his Washington debut.
The game-changer was Umenyiora's second quarter TD. He beat Chris Samuels on an outside speed rush, knocked the ball from Campbell's hands and scooped it up, rumbling 37 yards for the score. Campbell held the ball too long on the play, one of the knacks against the embattled QB.
The Skins got a late TD on a 17-yard pass from Campbell to TE Chris Cooley with 1:30 left on the clock. Washington's other TD was a second quarter score from punter Hunter Smith, who took a fake field goal eight yards with 21 seconds remaining in the first half.
Shaun Suisham added a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter.
THE TAKEAWAY: Clinton Portis ran for 62 yards on just 16 carries, but the Skins had just five non-Portis carries, so it wasn't a shift in philosophy or anything. Washington just found themselves in a hole early, and threw quite a bit trying to catch up.
But New York dominated the time of possession, holding the ball over 12 minutes more than the Skins. The Giants outgained Washington 351 to 272. The Giants also sacked Campbell three times and pressured him all day.
THE GOOD: Chris Cooley. He had seven catches for 68 yards and score. He and Antwaan Randle El were Campbell's favorite targets all day, each finishing with seven grabs.
THE BAD: Jason Campbell. He finished 19-for-26 for 211 yards, one TD and one INT. But he looked indecisive all day, dumping the ball off to Cooley or Randle El, usually the safety valve. The offense could not take advantage of the Giants inexperience in the secondary, especially rookie free agent corner Bruce Johnson.
“I didn't hear, 'Bruce got beat,'” said DE Justin Tuck. “All I heard was him making tackles, him breaking up balls." Johnson had three tackles and a forced fumble.
THE UGLY: Antwaan Randle El's getting sacked on the end-around pass. On the second play of the game -- directly after Portis busted a 34-yard run to open things up, coach Jim Zorn got tricky and called for an end-around pass. Randle El got caught by Chase Blackburn and was pulled down for an 11-yard loss.
"I should have thrown it away," said Randle El. "You either have it or you don't."
He didn't.
NEXT GAME: The home opener at FedEx Field against the St. Louis Rams, who were embarrassed on the road in Seattle, 28-0. Game time is Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:00 pm.
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