Gameday Live 3: Giants vs. Titans

Good afternoon Giants enthusiasts! Welcome to Week 3 in the NFL!

I'm Chris Mascaro and I'll be bringing you all of today's live game action, as the Giants (1-1, 1-0 home) take on Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans (1-1, 0-0 road) at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

As you all know, Johnson (pictured above) became the sixth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season last year. To be exact, he ran for 2,006 (the fifth highest total ever) and 14 touchdowns.

So you can bet most of the Giants defense had nightmares that look an awful lot like this last night. 

Johnson, who turned 25 on Thursday, is only in his third pro season, but has already established himself as the league's best running back.

But despite Justin Tuck's shoulder injury, the Giants maintain Johnson won't be their sole focus today.

Johnson is actually coming off a rare down week, as he gained just 34 yards on 16 carries in a 19-11 loss to Pittsburgh last week. The performance broke his streak of 12 straight 100-yard rushing games (although he did have an 85-yard TD run negated by holding). 

Johnson has a goal of rushing for 2,500 yards this season, and since the Giants' run defense isn't easily confused with the Steelers', CJ may get back on track towards that mark today.

Stopping the run is the most obvious key to today's game for the Giants, and it's something they struggled with in Indianapolis last week, as the Colts ran for 160 yards on 43 carries.

"In this league, if you can't stop the run, you're not going to have a very successful season," said linebacker Keith Bulluck, who played for the Tennessee organization the last 10 years before coming over to the Giants as a free agent this season. "This is a true test for this defense. We'll find out a lot about ourselves Sunday."

Here are three more keys to today's game, and if you don't like them, there's always this stuff.

1. "Man"ning up the receivers. One of the Titans' big-time strengths is their secondary. They've allowed just 85.5 passing yards per game thus far, and they are the only team to give up less than 109.5. Granted, it was against Oakland and a quarterback-less Pittsburgh team.

But The Titans have a solid pass rush (eight sacks) and solid cover guys (10 passes defensed). They've intercepted just one pass (by Chris Hope), but look for them to take more chances against a quarterback in Eli Manning who's already thrown four INTs this season — especially if the running game sputters for the second week in a row.

*Manning had his fifth career 350+-yard passing game of his career and hit eight different receivers. But most of that came late in the game with the Giants trailing. And he threw his fifth and sixth INTs of the season, a mark he didn't reach last season until Week 7. The first wasn't his fault, as it bounced off Nicks' hands (where have we heard that before?), but the second was just a silly decision to flip the ball high into the air.

2. CJ's a concern, but is VY? Vince Young has gone through plenty of ups and downs in his young career, but one thing nobody can take away from him is his ability to win games — he's 26-13 as a starter in five seasons. But the two-time Pro Bowler doesn't often get the respect he deserves. 

Take last week. Was he good against the Steelers? No, 66 passing yards, two interceptions and a fumble aren't going to cut it in against any team. But hasn't Young earned enough respect from the coaching staff to not get yanked in favor of Kerry Collins in what was a 10-point game after three quarters? 

Apparently, head coach Jeff Fischer thinks the 27-year old QB still needs to be motivated.

"I would expect any player who was replaced for any reason not to be happy with it, but what you do is you come back to work, you work harder and you improve," Fischer said on Monday after reaffirming Young was his starter.

Regardless, if Young struggles early, it'll be interesting to see how quick Fischer is with the hook. Clearly, Fischer panicked last week, worrying that another early-season swoon could drown his team's playoff hopes for a second straight year. 

But the Giants, who struggle to contain quarterbacks at times, would welcome the sight of an immobile pocket-passer like the former Giant Collins this afternoon.

*With a workhorse like Johnson in the backfield, Young can afford to be practical in the pocket, and that's exactly what he was today. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown and ran just three times for six yards. But the bottom line? He's now 27-13 as a starter.

3. Can the Giants break the Tennessee hex?? The Oilers/Titans franchise and the Giants have an interesting history. The Giants were 5-0 against the organization when it was still in Houston and called the Oilers, but they are 0-4 since they moved to Tennessee. The Giants last win was a 13-10 Monday night win at the Astrodome on Nov. 21, 1994 — Fischer's first game as the team's head coach.

The Giants then lost to the Oilers in Memphis on Nov. 9, 1997 (they didn't change their name to the Titans until they moved into LP Field for the 1999 season), and they also lost to Tennessee in the 2000, 2002, and 2006 seasons. The 2006 game, if you remember, was the game in which Mathias Kiwanuka inexplicably let Vince Young out of a fourth-down sack.

*For some reason, Tennessee seems to be the Giants' kryptonite. Maybe it's those baby blue unis. No, Carolina wears that color, too. It's just one of those things I guess...

Here are today's inactives, which include rookie Linval Joseph for the third straight week. Center Shaun O'Hara (ankle) is out (Adam Koets will start in his place), but Kevin Boss will return after his Week 1 concussion. And Tuck will play despite his sore shoulder.

Finally, here are a few notes on today's game:

-The Titans, who finished last season 8-8, were 3-5 on the road. They ended the season winning eight of 10 after an 0-6 start.

-The Giants are tied for sixth in the NFC in points scored (45) with Seattle (Green Bay, Philly, Atlanta, Detroit and Chicago have scored more). They've allowed 56, which is tied for 14th best in the conference with San Francisco. The Giants have allowed 30+ points in four of the last six games. 

-The Titans are fifth in the AFC with 49 points scored (behind Houston, Indy, San Diego and New England). They've allowed 32 (sixth best in the conference).

-Tennessee was a perfect 4-0 against NFC teams in 2009 (though they played the woeful NFC West), but has yet to play an NFC opponent this season. 

-Young has completed 74.1 percent of his 27 passes this season for 220 yards, and he's averaged 8.15 yards per attempt. He doesn't qualify for passer rating yet, but if he did, his 91.6 mark would be 13th best in the NFL. His 82.8 rating last season was 18th in the league.

-The Titans are -5 in turnover margin (due in large part to their five lost fumbles), while the Giants are -1 (though they are tied with Arizona for the second most giveaways in the league).

 -Brandon Jacobs rushed for only eight yards on four carries last week. It was the second fewest yards he's amassed on the ground in a game in the last four seasons (the fewest was his one-yard performance Week 16 of last year).

Okay, that's all for now. But we've got plenty more to talk about today, so keep it locked here throughout the afternoon!

I'll be back after each quarter with updates.

We're about 15 minutes from football on CBS!

End of the 1st Quarter: Titans 3, Giants 0

Titans' first scoring drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:09

Scoring play: Rob Bironas 48-yard FG

Key play: Bo Scaife 12-yard reception from Young on third-and-8 from the Giants' 49.

Players who impressed for the Giants:

-Travis Beckum picked up 18 yards on a third-and-9 pass across the middle from Manning on the Giants' first drive.

-Manning’s second pass bounced off Hakeem Nicks’ hands and was intercepted by defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks. The Titans took possession on their own 49.

-Tuck’s shoulder looks good so far, as he tackled Johnson for a loss of two on the Titans’ first offensive play.

-Antrel Rolle came up to stop Johnson in the backfield on third-and-1 from the Giants' 28 to force the field-goal attempt.

-Boss also looks like he's feeling better. He caught a pass over the middle, broke a couple tackles and took it 54 yards on second-and-2 from his own 37.

-Kenny Phillips made a nice play to knock away a deep second-down pass intended for Kenny Britt (however, the play was negated because rookie Jason Pierre-Paul jumped offside). On the next play, Mathias Kiwanuka sacked Young for a loss of 8.

 Players who struggled:

-Manning tried pulling a Brett Favre, as he escaped would-be tacklers on a third-and-2 from the Titans' 2 and flipped a pass into the end zone intended for Boss. But the ball was tipped in the air by Will Witherspoon and intercepted by Jason McCourty (a Nyack native). Just a horrible decision by Manning.

-Darius Reynaud took his second kick return out of the end zone, but only advanced it to the 17-yard line.

What to watch for in the second quarter: Can the Giants keep up their impressive run defense (Johnson has just seven yards)?

End of the 2nd Quarter: Titans 10, Giants 10

Titans' second scoring drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:23

Scoring play: Johnson 1-yard run (Bironas kick)

Key play: Nate Washington 17-yard pass from Young over the middle on second-and-7 from the Giants' 39.

Giants' first scoring drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 4:31

Scoring play: Lawrence Tynes 50-yard FG.

Key play: Nicks 22-yard catch from Manning (more below).

Giants' second scoring drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 2:12

Scoring play: Bradshaw 10-yard run around the right end (Tynes kick)

Key play: Manning 2-yard sneak on third-and-1 from their own 46.

Players who impressed for the Giants:

-Jacobs showed some life on a 7-yard carry — his only touch of the first half. He got up and got into a skirmish with some Titans. I guess that's something, right? He and Jovan Haye were given offsetting personal fouls.

-Pierre-Paul darted into the backfield untouched to tackle Johnson for a two-yard loss on third-and-6 from their own 24.

 Players who struggled:

-Tynes missed a 53-yard field goal wide to the left, but he atoned by nailing a 50-yarder. It was interesting that Tom Coughlin even sent him out for the 53-yarder, but on fourth-and-17 from the 35, why the heck not, right?

-Terrell Thomas was flagged for pass interference, giving the Tiants' a first-and-goal from the 3. Johnson scored three plays later.

-Manning's only two incompletions in the first half were his two interceptions before Manningham's drop on first-and-10 from their own 48. He ended Eli's streak of 15 straight completions when a pass went right through his hands and knocked off his chest. 

He atoned with a 20-yard catch later in the drive along the left sideline. Bradshaw scored on the next play.

What to watch for in the third quarter: Can the Giants keep the offensive fireworks they showed late in the half going?

Here are some halftime stats for your viewing pleasure...

Giants

Manning: 17-for-20, 188 yards, two INTs
Bradshaw: 8 carries, 27 yards, TD; 5 catches, 30 yards

Jacobs: 1 carry, 7 yards

Nicks: 4 catches, 32 yards
Smith: 4 catches, 24 yards
Boss: 1 catch, 54 yards

Manningham: 2 catches, 30 yards

Beckum: 1 catch, 18 yards

Tynes: 1 of 2 on FGs; 1 of 1 on XPs

Rolle: 5 tackles; Kiwanuka: sack

Titans

Young: 3-for-4, 32 yards

Johnson: 17 carries, 54 yards, TD
Washington: 2 catches, 20 yards
Scaife: 1 catch, 12 yards
Birons: 1 for 1 on FGs; 1 for 1 on XPs

Marks, McCourty: INT each; Ball, Witherspoon: sack each 

End of the 3rd Quarter: Titans 19, Giants 10

Titans' third scoring play: Safety, Bradshaw was called for a chop block in the end zone (more below).

Titans' third scoring drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:56

Scoring play: Britt 13-yard pass from Young (Bironas kick)

Key play: Marc Mariani 24-yard return on a free kick after the safety to the Giants' 49.

Players who impressed for the Giants:

-Bradshaw shaked and baked for a 22-yard run from his own 16 on second-and-5. However, he had to come off the field after the play due to what appeared to be cramping.

 Players who struggled:

-The kick coverage team allowed Mariani, a rookie out of Montana, to return the opening kick of the second half 45 yards to his own 48. His 24-yard return of the free kick helped setup Britt's TD.

-Manningham caught a 43-yard bomb down the left side from Manning on third-and-10 from their own 1, but Bradshaw was flagged for a chop block (a questionable call) in the zone, resulting in a safety.

-Bradshaw had runs of 22 and 20 yards on the Giants' drive late in the quarter. He also converted a third-and-1 with a 5-yard run. But on first-and-goal from the 6, he fumbled and rookie Alterraun Verner recovered for Tennessee on their own 5. Dave Diehl was penalized for unnecessary roughness after the play.

-Aaron Ross was burned over the middle by Justin Gage for 15 yards to convert a third-and-6 from the Giants' 48.

-Clint Sintim was flagged for holding on a kick return, pushing the start of the Giants' drive after the Tennessee touchdown back to the 11-yard line.

What to watch for in the third quarter: Can the Giants go back over .500 for the season Which team will improve to 2-1?

That's the end of game, as the Titans defeat the Giants, 29-10.
Tians: 2-1 (1-0 road)
Giants: 1-2 (1-1 home)

Scores by quarter for the Titans: 3,7, 9, 10
Scores by quarter for the Giants: 0, 10, 0, 0

Titans' fourth scoring drive: 12 plays, 46 yards, 5:39

Scoring play: Bironas 22-yard FG (his second of the day).

Key play: Javon Ringer 17-yard run on third-and-7 from the Giants' 23.

Titans' fifth scoring drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 1:44

Scoring play: Johnson 8-yard run (Bironas kick)

Key play: Johnson 42-yard run on second-and-9 from his own 36.

*Also, Tynes shanked a 43-yard field goal on the Giants' first drive of the quarter after he was pushed back 5 yards for a delay of game penalty.

**The Giants were penalized 11 times for 86 yards, including two unnecessary roughness calls on Kareem McKenzie in the fourth quarter.

Here are your three stars for today's game:

1. Johnson: 32 carries, 125 yards, two TDs.

2. Young: 10-for-16, 118 yards, TD; 3 carries 6 yards.

3. Bironas: 2 for 2 on FGs; 3 for 3 on XPs.

*The Giants had a 31:38-28:22 advantage in time of possession and a 471-271 advantage in total yards.

Giants
Manning: 34-for-48, 386 yards, two INTs
Manningham: 6 catches, 78 yards
Bradshaw: 15 carries, 88 yards, TD, lost fumble; 5 catches, 30 yards
Nicks: 7 catches, 56 yards  
Smith: 9 catches, 103 yards

Boss: 3 catches, 88 yards

Jacobs: 4 carries, 17 yards; 1 catch, 1 yard

Beckum: 2 catches, 23 yards

Tynes: 1 for 3 on FGs; 1 for 1 on XP

Phillips: 6 tackles; Kiwanuka: sack

Titans

Ringer: 6 carries, 30 yards

Gage: 3 catches, 39 yards 
Washington: 3 catches, 30 yards 

Britt: 2 catches, 26 yards, TD

Scaife: 2 catches, 23 yards

Micheal Griffin: 11 tackles, forced fumble; Marks/McCourty: INTs; Witherspoon/Dave Ball: sack each.

*The attendance at New Meadowlands Stadium today was 78,386.

Okay, that's all for today's game. Please check back above for updates on my pregame keys to the game. Thanks to all for coming out!

As always, it was my honor and pleasure to bring everyone all of today's live game action.

See ya'll back here in next Sunday, as the Giants play host to the Chicago Bears at 8:30 p.m. Have a great night everyone!