New York Giants Official Website

OCTOBER 23, 2009

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - The New York Giants (5-1) return home this week to face the Arizona Cardinals (3-2) in Giants Stadium on NBC's Sunday Night Football. The Giants are 13-16-1 overall when playing on Sunday Night Football.

Last Time Out

The Giants suffered their first loss of the 2009 regular season last week at New Orleans.

QB Drew Brees helped the Saints get off to a fast start against the league's top-ranked defense. In the first half Brees completed 17 of 20 pass attempts, including three for touchdowns that gave New Orleans a 34-17 lead at halftime. He added another touchdown pass in the second half and finished the game with a passer rating of 156.8. The Giants defense surrendered 493 total yards of offense, the highest total they have allowed since 1988, in dropping the 48-27 decision.

New York scored 27 points against the Saints' sixth-ranked defense. QB Eli Manning completed 14 of 31 attempts for 178 yards with one touchdown and an interception. The Giants converted only three of 10 third down attempts and their time of possession of 23:03 was their lowest since the final week of the 2007 regular season.

The Series

The Giants lead the regular season series, 79-41-2. This will be the 123rd regular season meeting between the two franchises, the third most-played series on the Giants all-time list.

The Giants have won six of the last eight regular season meetings, including thr last three games played in Giants Stadium. In Week 12 of the 2008 regular season, the Giants traveled to Arizona and defeated the Cardinals, 37-29.

The Giants and Cardinals have never met in the postseason.

For the First Time

The Giants and Cardinals met for the first time on Nov. 7, 1926. The Giants won, 20-0, in the Polo Grounds.

Big Blue vs. NFC West

The Giants are 10-4 vs. NFC West opponents since division realignment took place in 2002.

Coughlin vs. NFC West

Head Coach Tom Coughlin holds an 11-7 record vs. current NFC West opponents.

Mr. October - Eli Manning

Manning has a 16-3 record in the month of October. Only two other quarterbacks in the NFL have better records in any given month. (Tony Romo: 11-1, November. Phillip Rivers: 14-0, December).

New Role, Similar Results

Bill Sheridan in his first season as the Giants defensive coordinator after spending four seasons coaching the linebackers. In Week 3 at Tampa Bay, the Giants posted their first shutout since the 2005 regular season. It was only the 11th shutout for the franchise since the 1970 merger. The Giants defense ranks second in the NFL for total yards allowed (257.7/g) and first in the NFL for passing yards allowed (147.3/g).

3rd Down Defense

The Giants stingy third-down defense has hel opponents to a 29.6 percent conversion rate.

Discipline Pays Dividends

Coach Tom Coughlin has always stressed the importance of mistake free football. This year is no different. The Giants rank eighth in the league with a turnover differential of +4.

Add Nix to the List

WR Hakeem Nicks became the 19th different player to receiver a touchdown pass from QB Eli Manning when he took a screen pass 54 yards at Kansas City in Week 4.

Manning to Smith Connections

Steve Smith has now caught 102 passes from Eli Manning, which ranks fifth on Eli's all-time completion list.

Mr. Clutch

Eli Manning has performed his best this season when it has counted most. Manning leads the NFL in thrid-down passer rating (151.7). He ranks fourth in the NFL in fourth-quarter passing rating (116.0).

Giants Performances vs. Arizona

QB #10 Eli Manning: Manning holds a 2-0 record vs. Arizona in his career. In 2005, the last time the Giants hosted Arizona in Giants Stadium, Manning completed 10 of 23 passes for 172 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Last season, when the Giants visited the Cardinals, Manning threw for 240 yards (26 of 33), three touchdowns and no intercepetions. The 79 percent completion percentage is a career-high for Manning.

CB #23 Corey Webster: In his NFL debut, Webster had five tackles vs. Arizona in 2005.

RB #27 Brandon Jacobs: Jacobs has only suited up against the Arizona Cardinals one time in his career. In hist first NFL game, Jacobs carried the ball six times for 39 yards and scored a touchdown.

SS #41 C.C. Brown: As a rookie in 2005 with the Houston Texans. C.C. Brown had his first career interception on Dec. 18 vs. Arizona.

LB #58 Antonio Pierce: Pierce had 11 tackles, 0.5 sacks and a pass deflection the last time Arizona came to New York. His first career interception came off Arizona QB Jake Plummer in 2002.

WR #87 Domenik Hixon: Averaged a team-record 60.0 yards on three kickoff returns at Arizona in 2008. Hixon had 269 total yards in that game, which ties for fourth all-time in Giants history.

TE #89 Kevin Boss: in 2008 at Arizona, Boss caught four passes for 48 yards and a touchdown.

DE #94 Mathias Kiwanuka: In last year's visit to Arizona, Kiwanuka had one tackle and a fumble recovery.

DT #95 Rocky Bernard: In 2004 when playing as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Bernard had a season high six tackles vs. Arizona. His first career sack came in 2002 on Arizona QB Jake Plummer.

Giants Connections - Giants Secondary Coach David Merritt, Sr. played for the Arizona Cardinals from 1993-1996.

Cardinals Connections - Defensive Coordinator Bill Davis spent the 2004 season with the New York Giants as a linebackers coach. CB Ralph Brown was originally drafted by the Giants in the fifth round of the 200 NFL Draft. Brown spent his first four seasons in New York. DT Rodeny Leisle was signed by the Giants in January of 2008 and spent training camp with the team before being released. QB Kurt Warner spent the 2004 season with the Giants before signing with the Cardinals as an unrestricted free agent.