It’s in the Bag: Giants Win, 24-14 : Pro football: Simms’ two scoring passes help New York to sixth consecutive victory.

The New York Giants are finishing the season the way the New Orleans Saints started it.

Phil Simms threw two touchdown passes and Dave Meggett scored on a 75-yard punt return in the fourth quarter as the Giants beat the Saints, 24-14, Monday night, continuing their drive to a Jan. 2 showdown with Dallas for the NFC East crown.

It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Giants (11-3) and the seventh loss in the last nine games for the Saints, who started the season 5-0. They are now 7-7 and struggling with four other teams for three wild-card playoff spots.

“We were able to run, pass, do what we wanted,” said Rodney Hampton, who gained 65 yards in 19 carries for New York. “Whenever you can do that, you’re clicking--and that’s what happened out there.”

The Giants controlled the ball for 36:14 to 23:46 for New Orleans.

Simms, who completed 10 of his first 12 passes and finished 15 of 23 for 166 yards, threw first-half scoring passes of nine yards to Mark Jackson and 17 yards to Howard Cross. Then the Giants had the ball for most of the third quarter and Meggett’s return put the game away.

The Giants held New Orleans to 11 rushing yards and shut down the Saints when it counted except for a 80-yard first-half drive that included a fake field goal and Brad Muster’s one-yard touchdown run.

“We just played a very good football team tonight,” Saint Coach Jim Mora said. “They’re talented, well coached and took it to us.”

Mora was irate at fans who cheered when Saint quarterback Wade Wilson left the game in the third quarter because of a sprained left knee. He called those fans “sick, sick, sick . . . mentally ill.”

The fans also put bags over their heads, the symbol of Saint futility before Mora arrived in 1986 and made them a yearly contender.

Wilson was 11 of 17 for 148 yards and Mike Buck finished up, throwing a five-yard scoring pass to Dalton Hilliard with 1:40 to play.

The victory put the Giants a game ahead of Dallas in the NFC East race and ensured they will play the Cowboys for no worse than the division title and NFC home-field advantage at the Meadowlands in two weeks. The Giants would clinch the division next week if they win at Phoenix and the Cowboys lose to Washington.

The Saints are tied with Chicago and Minnesota at 7-7, a game behind Detroit and Green Bay, with Atlanta and Philadelphia still alive at 6-8.