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New York learns to appreciate Giants

Quarterback Eli Manning, center, of the Giants, battles the Steelers at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday. Pittsburgh won the game 33-30. PHOTO: AFP

The stadium that Giants quarterback Eli Manning surveyed with three and a half minutes left Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers had grown supportive around him. Sure, thousands of Pittsburgh fans were still waving little gold towels, many having bought their tickets from disgusted Giants fans, and plenty of doubts circulated among Giants fans forming the rest of the crowd of 78,836.

But for a surprising moment, the Giants were giving them a reason to cheer, a spunky team in a close game against one of the best teams in the NFL, threatening the Steelers' 3-point lead at the Giants' 44-yard line.

On third-and-2, Manning let fly a pass that soared toward Amani Toomer, only to have the last flame of hope snuffed out. Steelers cornerback Willie Williams got tangled with Toomer, and Toomer fell down. Williams caught the ball -- whether it should have been called pass interference was worthy of debate -- sealing the Steelers' 33-30 victory.

"I would have liked to have seen a call, believe me," Manning said. "Those are the things that are the difference in the team that's won five games and a team that's won 12 games. They just made the plays. It's a tough way to lose."

The Giants have plenty of experience finding ways to lose, having dropped seven in a row to slide to 5-9. The Steelers have become well acquainted with different ways to win, a versatility well illustrated in their 12-1 record.

"This was a gutsy win for our football team," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said, giving a nod to the Giants' effort. "Those guys played hard. Their quarterback, you knew he was going to come out of it. He did what we figured all week."

Considering the records, Cowher may have been the only one outside the Manning family circle that was figuring on that. The Steelers still have much to play hard for; they are fighting for home-field advantage in the American Football Conference playoffs.

The Giants are playing for little more than salvaging a shred of pride.

Yet it was a fight, from the opening moments to the sight of Williams running away with Manning's last pass.

"I felt we were going to win this game," Manning said. "Coming in, I had a good feeling, a better feeling than we've had. I don't know why, going against one of the best defenses in the league. At the end of the game, I thought we had the momentum, that we were going to get something done."

Certainly there was no evidence of that in the Giants' previous two losses. But coach Tom Coughlin walked into the team's Friday night meeting and told them he believed.

Forget that the Steelers' defense ranked in the top echelon of the NFL and that the Giants' offense could barely get out of its own way, he told them. Forget all the accolades being thrown at an offense directed by a quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, living the flip side of Manning's rookie nightmare. Coughlin wanted them to ignore the statistics and the suspicions that the Giants had given the season up for dead and believe for no reason at all.

Strangely enough, it worked.

Shortly after the Giants trotted onto their home field to a round of boos by early-arriving Steelers fans, the Giants jump-started their chances. Willie Ponder, who lined up to return the kick only because Derrick Ward was injured last Sunday, raced downfield through a big hole, then cut toward the right sideline. He eluded one last desperate dive by Troy Polamalu and sailed 91 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead 15 seconds into the game.

The Giants on the sideline raced onto the field to celebrate with the kickoff team, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but the emotional lift seemed worth it. It had been so long since the Giants had anything meaningful to celebrate.

"It was a real momentum builder, and I think it set the tone for today's game," Ponder said. "I just wish we could have been victorious. We haven't been having a good year, but guys wanted to fight and they wanted to win."

Redskins 26, 49ers 16

In San Francisco, Patrick Ramsey passed for 214 yards and a touchdown and linebacker Antonio Pierce returned one of Washington's four interceptions 78 yards for a score.

Clinton Portis rushed for 110 yards, Rod Gardner caught six passes for 111 yards and newcomer Jeff Chandler kicked four field goals -- and still, the Redskins (5-9) made many of the same mistakes that have plagued them in the first season of coach Joe Gibbs' comeback.

The offense scored its only touchdown on its opening drive, and Washington committed 11 penalties for 93 yards to stay on pace to break the franchise record.

Ken Dorsey, making his fifth start for San Francisco in place of injured Tim Rattay, doubled his interception total for the season, including three in the first half. He finished 20-of-38 for 206 yards, but the 49ers (2-12) remained on track for the top pick in the NFL draft of college players.

Falcons 34, Panthers 31, OT

In Atlanta, Michael Vick scored the tying touchdown on a 12-yard run with less than two minutes to go in regulation, then Jay Feely kicked a 38-yard field goal in overtime, helping Atlanta snap Carolina's five-game winning streak.

The Panthers (6-8) were as resilient as ever, recovering from a pair of double-digit deficits.

Carolina went ahead for the first time with a 21-point fourth quarter, only to have the Falcons (11-3) show they know a thing or two about bouncing back.

Dez White got the Falcons in position for the tying score with a dazzling 54-yard reception. The Falcons got down to their final play -- fourth-and-goal from the Carolina 12.

Vick spotted an opening up the middle and took off for the end zone, diving across with 1:37 remaining. The officials reviewed the play to see if Vick went down before he crossed the goal line, but replays showed that he somehow kept his left knee suspended about an inch above the turf as he stretched out for the end zone.

Carolina won the coin toss in overtime, only to have Jake Delhomme overthrow Ricky Proehl down the middle. Aaron Beasley made the interception and returned it 30 yards to the Carolina 23.

A couple of safe runs into the middle of the line set up Feely, who connected on third down to put the Falcons on the brink of clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Vick completing just 11-of-28 for 154 yards with two interceptions. He threw a pair of TD passes and ran eight times for 68 yards.

Delhomme was 24-of-35 for 340 yards, but he had two big fumbles and the game-deciding interception. Muhsin Muhammad had 10 receptions for 135 yards.
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