Giants get a nasty shock from Rivers, Chargers
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Five years after being traded away in a draft-day swap for Eli Manning, Philip Rivers came back and stuck it to the New York Giants.
Rivers capped an 80-yard drive with an 18-yard pass to Vincent Jackson with 21 seconds to play yesterday and San Diego stunned the Giants, 21-20, posting their third straight win while handing New York (5-4) its fourth straight loss.
San Diego (5-3) is now well positioned for the second half of the season. Their first test will be the Eagles, who visit San Diego next Sunday afternoon (4:15, Fox).
"It's a big emotional win," said Rivers (24-for-36, 209 yards, three touchdowns). "I don't need a real reason why, but it ranks right up there with the win at Indy in [last season's] playoffs. The link between me and Eli is always going to be there. So yeah, it's a little special. Any time you play against a team that won the Super Bowl, it's fun. It [the trade] didn't weigh into my mind and my thinking, but I bet it was there."
Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas returned an interception 33 yards to the Chargers' 4 with 3:14 to play. If Manning and company had punched the ball in, the game would have been over. But a first-down holding penalty on Chris Snee pushed New York back 10 yards and it settled for Lawrence Tynes' second field goal, a 22-yarder with 2:07 to play for a six-point lead.
"We had a chance and you can't leave that team in the game," said Manning (25-for-33, 215 yards, two touchdowns). "You can't leave that team an opening. They are good and talented and if you have a chance to end it, you have to end it."
