Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, including the 3-yard game winner to rookie Sterling Shepard on fourth and goal in the fourth quarter, and the New York defense held the Bengals to a season-low 264 yards in a 21-20 victory Monday night at MetLife Stadium.
The loss drops Cincinnati (3-5-1) a game and a half behind division-leading Baltimore, while the Giants (6-3) won their fourth in a row to hold serve in a dominant NFC East Division that saw all four teams win this weekend.
The Bengals had their longest pass play and kickoff return of the season, but they weren’t enough to overcome a 2-of-11 performance on third down.
Andy Dalton’s 71-yard pass to Tyler Eifert on the Bengals’ second snap of the game set up a 13-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green on the next play, tying the game at 7-7 after the Giants got a Manning to Jerell Adams 10-yard touchdown on the game’s first possession.
Manning hit Odell Beckham Jr. for a 10-yard touchdown and a 14-10 lead with 1:14 left before halftime, but Bengals rookie Alex Erickson returned the second-half kickoff 84 yards to spark a dominating third quarter for the visitors.
Jeremy Hill scored on a 9-yard run two plays later for a 17-14 lead, and the Bengals looked to have another touchdown on their next possession. But rookie wide receiver Tyler Boyd did not maintain control of the ball as the crossed the goal line on a third-down catch attempt, forcing Cincinnati to settle for a 38-yard Mike Nugent field that upped the lead to 20-14.
Manning drove the Giants to a first and goal at the 9, but they couldn’t get any farther than 3. Despite getting stopped on a fourth and 2 at the Cincinnati 37 late in the first half, rookie head coach Ben McAdoo went for it on fourth and goal, and Manning hit Shepard for the game-winner.
Manning finished 28 of 44 for 240 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, and the Giants added a season-high 122 yards on the ground.
Dalton was 16 of 29 for 204 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the Bengals dropped their fourth consecutive road game.
Cincinnati returns to action Sunday at home against Buffalo.
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