Daluiso’s Kick Lifts Giants Past Cardinals : NFC: Former Bruin’s 54-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining is his first since 1991. It gives New York a 19-17 victory.

Only three days after Dallas’ Leon Lett opened the door for the New York Giants in the NFC East, kickoff specialist Brad Daluiso helped them take advantage.

Daluiso, who attended UCLA, kicked a 54-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining, leading the Giants to a 19-17 victory over the Phoenix Cardinals and a one-game lead over the Cowboys in the East.

“When I saw Daluiso run out onto the field I knew it was desperation time,” Giants linebacker Corey Miller said. “That’s the only reason he comes out there.”

Before his game-winner, Daluiso had attempted only two field goals with the Giants (8-3) and six in his career, making two in 1991 with Atlanta. His attempts from 50 and 52 this season weren’t even close.

The kick also might have spelled the end of Joe Bugel’s coaching days with Phoenix (3-8). Cardinal owner Bill Bidwell had given Bugel a win-or-else ultimatum entering this season. Now, a winning record isn’t going to happen.

Phoenix played well enough to win, but again came up short as the Giants staged a frantic 30-yard drive to set up the winning field goal, overcoming a second-and-29 at their 19.

The big plays were consecutive completions of 11 yards to Dave Meggett and 23 to Mark Jackson by Phil Simms, who completed 22 of 41 passes for a season-high 337 yards. It was his best passing day since throwing for 359 yards in 1987 and it came while he played after taking medication for an inner ear infection.

After three incompletions left New York with a fourth-and-10 at the Cardinals’ 37, Reeves decided to let Daluiso kick instead of going for it or having regular field goal kicker David Treadwell try.

“This is the good part, it’s the role of the kicker,” Daluiso said. “You’re either the hero or the goat. It’s nice to help the team win. It came down to me today.”

The field goal was the third-longest in Giants history.

Until then, it appeared the Cardinals would win on Beuerlein’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl in the third quarter. That put Phoenix up, 17-13. Treadwell cut the margin to a point with his third field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Then the improbable happened and the Cardinals lost for the seventh time this season by less than seven points.