*Giants.com brings you an instant postgame recap of the team's 21-20 win over the Bengals: *
AT A GLANCE
After watching all of their NFC East foes win on Sunday, the New York Giants knew they needed to keep pace on Monday night in the only division with all four teams above .500. They did just that with a 21-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium, their fourth in a row to improve to 6-3.
UP NEXT
The Giants wrap up their three-game homestand with a visit from the Chicago Bears, who fell to 2-7 after a 36-10 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10. The Giants have won two of the last three meetings with the Bears but lost the most recent matchup, 27-21, at Chicago in 2013.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE OFFENSE
The Giants couldn't script their opening drive any better. After the team won the coin toss and elected to receive, Eli Manning led an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive that resulted in a 10-yard touchdown pass to rookie TE Jerell Adams, the first of his career…Manning completed all six of his passing attempts on the first possession and went on to finish 28 of 44 for 240 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions…Already playing without starting LG Justin Pugh (knee), the Giants lost his replacement, Brett Jones, after the first series because of a strained calf, and Marshall Newhouse took over…WR Odell Beckham Jr., who had a season-high 10 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, became the fastest player in NFL history reach 3,500 receiving yards. He did so in 36 career games…WR Sterling Shepard caught his fourth touchdown of the season – and second in as many games – on fourth-and-goal at the 3-yard line to give the Giants a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter…The Giants rushed for 122 yards on 27 carries after averaging 42.8 yards in the last four outings.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE DEFENSE
Like the Giants, Cincinnati's first offensive series couldn't have gone much better. Propelled by a 71-yard reception by TE Tyler Eifert, the Bengals went 80 yards on three plays against the Giants' defense, resulting in a 13-yard touchdown from QB Andy Dalton to WR A.J. Green, who entered Week 10 leading the NFL with 112 receiving yards per game…DT Robert Thomas, who was claimed off waivers by the Giants in September, recorded his first career sack midway through the second quarter…Beckham appeared on defense to defend a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the first half…The defense held Cincinnati to short field goals following an interception deep in Giants territory as well as a long kickoff return to start the second half…The Giants dominated on third down, not allowing a conversion on Cincinnati's first seven attempts. The Bengals did not have a conversion until 13:30 in the fourth quarter and went 2 of 11 on the night…S Landon Collins, who became the first player at his position to win player of the week awards in consecutive games since Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu in 2010, grabbed his fourth interception in the last three games with 11:22 left in the game…DE Olivier Vernon led the Giants with 10 tackles and had a key sack on third down late in the fourth quarter. Vernon also extended his team-high tackles for loss to eight.
WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THE SPECIAL TEAMS
A week after allowing a 66-yard punt return, the Giants gave up an 84-yarder to Alex Erickson on the opening kickoff of the second half. Cincinnati found the end zone two plays later to retake the lead at the time…Bobby Rainey replaced Dwayne Harris after the return specialist left in the second half with a toe injury…Brad Wing averaged 46.0 yards on six punts and downed two inside the 20.
INACTIVES
NYG: LG Justin Pugh (knee), WR Victor Cruz (ankle), DE Kerry Wynn (concussion), OT Will Beatty, LB Deontae Skinner, DB Leon Hall, QB Josh Johnson. CIN: LB Rey Maualuga (fibula), QB Jeff Driskel, CB KeiVarae Russell, G Cristian Westerman, DT DeShawn Williams, WR James Wright (hamstring), DE Margus Hunt.
LINEUP CHANGES
NYG:Brett Jones for Pugh at LG; Roger Lewis Jr. for Cruz at WR.
CIN: Vincent Rey for Maualuga at MLB.
GIANTS GAME CAPTAINS
WR Odell Beckham Jr., DT Johnathan Hankins, and DE Jason Pierre-Paul were the game captains. QB Eli Manning, LS Zak DeOssie and LB Jonathan Casillas are the season-long captains.
INJURY REPORT
NYG:LG Brett Jones (strained calf), WR Dwayne Harris (toe).
CIN: DE Wallace Gilberry (calf), S George Iloka (shin).
