New York Giants vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats On Oct 01, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Oct 1, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. -- Kicker Nick Folk, who had earlier missed two field goals and an extra-point attempt, connected on a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired Sunday, lifting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers past the winless New York Giants 25-23 at Raymond James Stadium.

Folk's kick capped a nine-play, 59-yard drive, highlighted by Jameis Winston's 26-yard pass to tight end Cameron Brate, which positioned Tampa Bay at the New York 13-yard line.

In the final minute, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter opted to center the ball in the middle of the field for Folk's attempt instead of going for the touchdown.

The Bucs moved to 2-1, while the Giants fell to 0-4.

Winston was 22 of 38 for 332 yards and three touchdowns. New York quarterback Eli Manning finished 30 of 49 for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

In a furious fourth quarter that had three lead changes, the Bucs surged ahead 22-17 on Winston's 14-yard pass to Brate with 7:44 remaining. Winston, who began the drive with a 38-yard gain to Adam Humphries, was incomplete on a two-point conversion pass attempt.

The Giants answered with a go-ahead 10-play, 75-yard drive, sparked by Manning's 42-yard bomb to Odell Beckham Jr., and capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rhett Ellison on third-and-goal with 3:16 remaining, giving New York a 23-22 lead. Manning's two-point conversion pass attempt to Beckham was negated by an illegal touching penalty.

But the Bucs would get one more chance -- and so would Folk.

The Giants, who fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter, took their first lead with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter. After Folk was wide right on a 49-yard field-goal attempt on Tampa Bay's first possession of the second half, the Giants mounted an 11-play, 61-yard drive, capped by Manning's 4-yard pass to Wayne Gallman. Aldrick Rosas' extra point gave New York a 17-16 advantage.

The Giants converted three third-down opportunities on the drive, including a 10-yard pass to Brandon Marshall on third-and-5 from Tampa Bay's 14-yard line.

Trying to regain the lead, the Bucs opted to not send Folk out for a 53-yard field-goal attempt on fourth-and-2 from the New York 35-yard line. But Winston tried to force a slant pass to Brate. It was slapped away by Giants safety Landon Collins.

The Bucs led 16-10 at halftime on the strength of two touchdown passes from Winston.

Tampa Bay broke out with Winston's 6-yard pass to a leaping Mike Evans in the right corner, capping a four-play, 56-yard scoring drive highlighted by Jacquizz Rodgers' 36-yard run.

The Giants drove to Tampa Bay's 30-yard line, but stalled when Manning was short on a pass attempt to Marshall on fourth-and-4.

The Bucs took immediate advantage. Winston hit a wide-open rookie tight end O.J. Howard, who went undetected down the left sideline on a busted coverage, for a 58-yard scoring play. The Bucs led 13-0, but Folk missed the extra-point attempt.

Tampa Bay tried to pad its lead in the second quarter, but Folk was wide right on a 46-yard field-goal attempt.

New York got on the board with Aldrick Rosas' 30-yard field goal. After forcing the Bucs into a three-and-out, the Giants trimmed Tampa Bay's advantage to 13-10 when Manning raced 14 yards up the middle on a scoring play initiated when he found no receiver open.

The Bucs appeared to get a 32-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Evans with 56 seconds remaining in the half. But replay reversed the call, ruling that Evans' knee had touched at New York's 1-yard line.

The Bucs came up empty on three plays. Rodgers was dumped for a 1-yard loss and Winston threw two incompletions, forcing Tampa Bay to settle for Folk's 20-yard field goal and a 16-10 advantage at the half.

NOTES: The game began in a driving rainstorm, which appeared right at kickoff and lasted most of the first quarter. ... The Bucs played without injured LBs Kwon Alexander (hamstring) and Lavonte David (ankle), who were inactive. Rookie Kendell Beckwith was moved to MLB and called the defensive signals. ... Manning's 14-yard run in the second quarter was just the sixth rushing touchdown of his 14-season NFL career. ... Giants DE Olivier Vernon left in the second quarter and was declared out with an ankle injury. ... Giants DT Damon Harrison left in the third quarter with a bruised knee. ... Bucs S Keith Tandy left in the third quarter with an ankle injury. ... Giants RB Paul Perkins left in the third quarter with a rib injury. ... Giants C Weston Richburg left in the third quarter with a concussion.