NFL Recap (Kansas City-NY Giants)
Posted: Sun December 20, 1998 at 10:27 p.m. EST
NY GIANTS 28, KANSAS CITY 7
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The New York Giants stayed
alive for the NFC's final wild card spot with their third straight win,
scoring two touchdowns in the first 8 1/2 minutes en route to a 28-7
victory over the Kansas
City Chiefs.
The Giants (7-8), who still need help to make the postseason, entered
the day with the same record as New Orleans and one win less than Arizona
and Tampa Bay. They only can reach the playoffs with a victory at
Philadelphia next week, and losses by Arizona and Tampa Bay. The Cardinals
host San Diego and the Buccaneers visit Cincinnati.
"We need a little help to get in the playoffs," said Giants coach Jim
Fassel. "We've been going good lately but I hope it's not a case of too
little too late."
The Chiefs, who started the year 4-1, guaranteed themselves a losing
season under Marty Schottenheimer for the first time. They had not finished
under .500 since 1988, when they went 4-11-1 with Frank Gansz at the helm.
Kansas City, which is 94-50-1 under Schottenheimer, had won 11
straight games against NFC teams.
Safety Percy
Ellsworth set the tone 74 seconds into the game with a 43-yard
interception return for a score and Kent Graham added a
12-yard TD pass to Amani
Toomer, capping an 83-yard drive and helping New York to a 14-0
advantage.
Ellsworth had two of four interceptions for the Giants, who dominated
the Chiefs (6-9) in the first half, opening a 21-0 lead. They allowed just
91 yards, while amassing 196 with 15 first downs.
"They jumped on us with the turnovers," said Chiefs running back Bam
Morris. "We came in today and things just didn't go our way."
Gary Brown rushed
for 103 yards, becoming the first Giant with three consecutive 100-yard
games since Joe Morris in 1986. New York became just the fourth team in NFL
history to play 1,000 games, joining the Bears, Packers and Cardinals.
They are 530-437-33 all-time.
"It's good that we won today so they can remember that we won our
1,000th game," said Fassel, who presented co-owners Wellington Mara and Bob
Tisch with game balls. "There is a very rich history on this team."
The Giants bucked the trend with an awesome pass rush, sacking Rich Gannon on the first
play from scrimmage, momentarily knocking him from the game.
New York lineman Keith
Hamilton appeared to have recovered a fumble but officials ruled Gannon
down. Two plays later, however, Ellsworth picked off Elvis Grbac's first
attempt and sprinted 43 yards down the sideline to open the scoring.
"The tone was set on the first play of the game," Ellsworth said.
"Turnovers happen if you play hard and run to the ball. We've been doing
that all season long but things weren't going our way. Today, all our hard
work paid off."
Chad Bratzke had 2
1/2 sacks and All-Pro lineman Michael Strahan added one
for New York, knocking out Gannon for good four minutes into the third
quarter. Gannon, who earlier suffered a left-knee injury, left with a
sprained neck when Bratzke and Strahan sandwiched him.
"It didn't start out well and it just kind of snowballed from there,"
said Gannon, who turned 33 today. "It just seemed like we couldn't get
anything going."
Graham marched the Giants 83 yards on 12 plays on their first
possession. He went 4-for-6 for 43 yards on the drive, hooking up with
Toomer on a 3rd-and-8 from their own 19-yard line and from 12 yards for the
score.
"It's always good to have seven points on the board before you even go
out there," said Graham, who also connected with Toomer on a decisive
37-yard TD in last week's dramatic 20-16 win over Denver. "We were smart
with the football the whole game. We didn't let them get a chance to
recoop the touchdown that Percy got."
The reigning NFC Player of the Week, Graham staked his claim to next
year's starting job over Danny Kanell, completing
16-of-33 passes for 167 yards. He also ran six yards for a score as New
York took a 28-0 advantage with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
"Jim (Fassel) has had confidence in me since Day 1," said Graham, who
took over for Kanell in Week 12. "He's really showed loyalty to me and I
don't want to let him down."
With the Giants leading 14-0 in the second quarter, All-Pro linebacker
Jesse Armstead stopped Morris on 4th-and-1 from the Chiefs 44. New York
cashed in on the defensive stand, going 44 yards on eight plays to take a
21-0 lead. Brown set up the score with a 13-yard run to the 1 before
punching it in the end zone.
Brown, a free agent after the season, is 49 yards shy of his first
1,000-yard campaign since 1993, when he was with Houston. Over the past
nine games, he has five 100-yard games and one for 96.
"It means a lot to me both personally and team wise," said Brown,
"because for me to get 100 yards, it shows that guys up front are working
hard. It was a great win today because it kept us in the hunt and gave us
something to shoot for next week."
The Giants rushed for 160 yards, while holding Kansas City to 60, and
held a nine-minute advantage in possession time.
New York set up its final TD with 47 rushing yards and a 35-yard pass
interference penalty on Chiefs cornerback Mark McMillan. Graham capped the
67-yard drive with a six-yard draw.
Kansas City scored its only points on the ensuing possession, moving
80 yards on seven plays. Grbac was 4-for-4 for 56 yards on the drive,
hitting tight end Tony
Gonzalez from four yards for a touchdown.
Grbac, who was injured early in the season then lost his job after
Week 9, went 11-of-20 for 160 yards with two interceptions. Gannon was
7-of-16 for 79 yards before Strahan knocked him from the game in the third
quarter.
"I guess I got hit in the head," Gannon said. "I'm not sure."
Kansas City, which had not lost to an NFC team since a 24-12 loss to
Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, 1995, is 2-7 all-time against the Giants and
0-5 on the road in the series.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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