NFL Recap (NY Giants-Philadelphia)
Posted: Sun December 27, 1998 at 8:46 p.m. EST
NY GIANTS 20, PHILADELPHIA 10
PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Kent Graham and Chris Calloway hooked up on
two second-half touchdown passes to lift the New York Giants to a 20-10
victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in
what was probably Ray Rhodes' final game as Eagles coach.
Despite their fourth straight triumph, the Giants (8-8) failed to
reach the postseason one year after capturing the NFC East title. New York
was eliminated from the playoffs earlier in the day when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
defeated Cincinnati.
"I don't know that," said Giants coach Jim Fassel, when asked if his
players might have let down following Tampa Bay's loss. "I didn't expect
them to do that. But I'm sure, being a realist, it has to (affect them)."
The Eagles finished with a 3-13 record, their worst mark since a
2-11-1 campaign in 1972 season, and will have the second overall pick in
the 1999 draft. They also won three games in the strike-shortened campaign
of 1982.
"I'll sit down with them (management) tomorrow," Rhodes said.
The Giants offense, which is ranked 28th in the NFL, was its usual
stagnant self before coming alive late in the third quarter. Graham kept
an eventual 12-play, 77-yard drive alive with a nine-yard completion to Amani Toomer to the New
York 35-yard line and later hit Calloway on a 21-yard strike to the Eagles
12.
New York was faced with 3rd-and-goal from the 5 when Graham rolled
left and threw a dart intended for Ike Hilliard in the corner
of the endzone. Hilliard had the ball deflect off his shoulder pads and
into the hands of Calloway, giving the Giants a 13-10 lead.
Ironically, Calloway had dropped a sure-touchdown pass moments earlier
when Graham's strike down the middle of the field bounced out of his
outstretched hands.
"Anytime you drop a ball in the endzone, you kind of think of it as a
wasted opportunity, but we came back, and fortunately I caught the two
balls (for touchdowns)," Calloway said.
Philadelphia drove deep into Giants' territory on the ensuing
possession, but Koy Detmer was intercepted by safety Sam Garnes at the goal
line, preserving New York's advantage.
The Giants then preceeded to mount an 11-play, 81-yard drive, capped
when Graham hit Calloway in the end zone along the left sideline for an
18-yard touchdown. Calloway, who caught two TD passes in a game for the
first time in his career, also became the first Giant to score two
touchdowns in a contest this season.
Graham completed 15-of-26 passes for 133 yards without an interception
for the Giants, who he led to a 5-1 record after taking over the starting
role from Danny Kanell.
Calloway caught five passes for 56 yards.
Gary Brown, who
agreed to terms on a new contract with the Giants, carried 25 times for 112
yards to finish the season with 1,063 yards. He becomes the first Giant
since Rodney Hampton in 1995 to reach the 1,000-yard mark and his total is
the ninth highest in franchise history.
"I want to stay here. I want to continue to try to get better," Brown
stated.
"I think it was good for Gary to get the thousand yards," Fassel
added. "We wanted to get him the 1,000 yards. I was happy for him. We got
him signed. A lot of those things are last-minute deals."
Philadelphia's Irving
Fryar caught three passes for 36 yards in the final game of his 15-year
career. Nearly 15 years after the New England Patriots
made him the top pick in the draft, Fryar finishes with 784 catches for
11,983 yards and 77 touchdown receptions.
"I've been thinking about the last 15 years and the fact I'm able to
walk away," said Fryar. "However, I wish we could've done more and won the
game. The guys (on the team) are what I'm going to miss the most. Not so
much the games but the times in the locker room and (on) plane rides home."
Koy Detmer was 13-of-27 for 151 yards with one interception for
Philadelphia, which managed just 264 yards of total offense compared to 339
for the Giants.
"All I know is, this is one of the better run defenses that we faced
all year," Rhodes said. "I was hoping that we would come back out in the
second half and add to what we had on the board."
The Giants opened the scoring with 34 seconds remaining in the first
quarter when Brad
Daluiso connected on a 43-yard field goal. But the Eagles wasted no
time, responding moments later with one of their longest plays of the
season.
On the third play of the ensuing posssession, Duce Staley broke through
the line of scrimmage and raced 64 yards for a touchdown. Staley carried
16 times for 97 yards and finished the season with 1,065 yards, the first
time in his career he has cracked the 1,000-yard mark.
Daluiso brought the Giants within a point midway through the second
quarter by connecting from 33 yards before Chris Boniol's 19-yard
field goal with 35 seconds to play in the half provided the Eagles with a
10-6 lead.
Giants All-Pro linebacker Michael Strahan had one
sack of Detmer to finish the season with a career-high 15.
"That was not an easy game," said Fassel. "Philadelphia came out and
played hard. I'm sure in most people's minds there had to be a letdown when
Tampa won, but they fought through it. We left a little bit short this
year. We didn't get the playoffs.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
|
