EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Giants won the Super Bowl with defense, and they kicked off defense of that title with more of the same.
Playing without Pro Bowl linemen Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, New York limited the new-look Redskins to 11 first downs and 209 total yards and gave indications that these Giants are back for another run in a 16-7 victory that ushered in the NFL season Thursday night.
“We played well and it’s no surprise to us,” defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. “We feel like we got capable guys, and we held them for very few yards other than the two-minute situations where they got most of their yardage. We are confident in our defense and feel like if we stick with the scheme, we’ll have success all year.”
Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, Plaxico Burress and the rest of the offense that started the Super Bowl against the Patriots also came up big in spoiling the debut of Redskins coach Jim Zorn and his West Coast offense.
Manning capped a game-opening 84-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, and recently-signed John Carney kicked three field goals as the Giants scored on their first four possessions in posting a rare home win. They won their final 11 away from Giants Stadium in capturing their third Super Bowl, but they were 3-5 at home, losing the last four games.
The win capped a fun-filled opening night for Giants fans, who saw the retired Strahan hold up the Lombardi Trophy just minutes before the opening kickoff.
“It was a great opening to the season,” said Manning, who completed 19-of-35 for 216 yards and an interception. “There was a lot of emotion, a lot of excitement. You could feel it in the crowd. It was great to see Michael holding the trophy.”
Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his defense made sure the home woes came to an end. In the process, he might have made Redskins owner Dan Snyder think twice about trying harder to hire him. Spagnuolo was a serious candidate to replace Joe Gibbs until he backed out to stay with the Giants.
Zorn eventually got the job, but his offense did little against Spagnuolo’s aggressive defense, which limited Washington to 3-of-13 third-down conversions.
Jason Campbell threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss with 13 seconds to play in the first half to account for the Redskins’ points. The score was set up by a Giants’ special-teams lapse, a 50-yard kickoff return by Rock Cartwright.
Washington got in New York territory only three times in the game, the last time in the final seconds.
“A team held us to three-and-out for over half the game,” said Redskins halfback Clinton Portis, who had 84 yards on 23 carries. “We have to be better than that.”
The only concern for the Giants was that defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka went down with an ankle injury on the final play, but he said after the game that he was OK. He was switched from linebacker to end when Umenyiora was lost for the season with a knee injury in the preseason.
Other than that, the game belonged to the Giants, who have been overlooked when it comes to their chances of repeating. Their odds were 25-1 heading into the game.
“We are not worried about what people are saying,” middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. “We are trying to win games. You have to get to the Super Bowl to repeat, and if we don’t make the playoffs it won’t matter.”
