Giants’ Defense Stifles the Redskins

Don’t write off the New York Giants’ defense yet. For that matter, don’t write off the defending division champions, either.

Shrugging off intense criticism and the always treacherous off week, the Giants rediscovered the team that won a division title a year ago. For at least a week, New York also renewed its hopes that this team is still capable of big things.

Michael Strahan and the much-maligned defense limited Washington to 164 total yards, and Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass and set up three of Jay Feely’s four field goals with long passes to lead the Giants to a 19-3 victory over the Redskins on Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J.

“It’s something to build on,” Strahan said after the Giants (2-2) dominated Washington (2-3) in their first game since tight end Jeremy Shockey said New York was outcoached in a loss to Seattle. “It’s something to get excited about. It’s about we time we came out as a team and defensively played the way we’re capable of playing.”

The victory was only the Giants’ fourth in 18 post-off-week games. It ended a five-game skid in the week after the break and was only their second in the last 11 post-break games.

Even linebacker LaVar Arrington made a rare big play Sunday, knocking down and almost intercepting a screen pass by Mark Brunell in his first game against his old team.

“The big surprise of the day was the defense, which was allowing an average of almost 31 points. The revamped secondary, which left four receivers wide open for touchdowns in a 42-30 loss to Seattle, limited Brunell to 109 yards on 12-for-22 passing. Strahan got his first sack of the season and Fred Robbins and Osi Umenyiora added sacks against a Redskins offense that averaged nearly 500 yards in winning its last two games.

New York had two sacks in its first three games.

“Obviously, the Giants’ backs were against the wall,” Brunell said. “They came out fighting, and they outplayed us in every way. They stopped the run. They stopped the pass.”

Manning was 23 for 33 passing for 256 yards in a balanced attack that got 123 yards rushing from Tiki Barber.

“We won a game we needed to win,” center Shaun O’Hara said. “We all knew where we were at.”

Santana Moss, who caught three touchdown passes in an overtime win over Jacksonville last week, was limited to three catches for 39 yards for the Redskins.

St. Louis 23, Green Bay 20 -- Trailing the Rams (4-1) by three with 2:46 left, quarterback Brett Favre drove the Packers (1-4) to the Rams’ 11 in the final minute. But Favre was sacked, fumbled and the Rams escaped with a victory at Green Bay, Wis.

Rams quarterback Marc Bulger threw for two first-half touchdowns and extended his league-best interception-free streak to 214 attempts.

Minnesota 26, Detroit 17 -- The Lions (0-5) squandered a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter and the Vikings’ defense scored two touchdowns on turnovers by Jon Kitna in the final period for a victory at Minneapolis.

Minnesota improved to 3-2 with its ninth straight victory over Detroit dating to 2001.

Ben Leber returned Kitna’s fumble one yard for a touchdown to cut Detroit’s lead to 17-16 and Ryan Longwell made a 20-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 19-17 lead with three minutes left.

Kitna then threw an interception that linebacker E.J. Henderson returned 45 yards for a score.