New York Giants Defense Dominates, Shuts Out Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-0

The Giants came into Sunday's game a very banged up team on defense.

Justin Tuck wasn't starting because of a shoulder injury and Kenny Phillips was recently placed on injured reserve with a serious knee injury.

The Giants didn't feel sorry for themselves, they just continued to play the same type of smash-mouth football they only know how to.

The Giants took the ball from the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards on a weaker Buccaneers defense. The drive ended with Brandon Jacobs almost walking into the end zone from six yards out to put the Giants ahead 7-0.

Early in the second quarter, the Giants took the ball back from Tampa Bay and drove the field again with the drive ending on an Eli Manning four yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith, and the Giants were up 14-0.

The Buccaneers failed to move the ball on offense and Byron Leftwich wasn't getting the job done and neither was former Giants running back Derrick Ward, who was getting pounded by his former team. Ward only had five carries for two yards.

The Giants tried to tack on a field goal near halftime, but Lawrence Tynes hooked an easy 21-yard field goal and it stayed 14-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the Buccaneers went three-and-out very quickly and gave the ball back, which was a theme during the entire game as the Giants kept taking the ball away from the Buccaneers.

Tynes made up for his miss by making a 26 yard field goal and making the score 17-0 Giants at the end of the third quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Giants had the ball again and they were driving the field again on Tampa Bay. The drive ended with another Manning touchdown pass, this time an 18 yard pass to Sinorice Moss to put the Giants up 24-0.

That drive was Manning's last of the game as David Carr took over for Manning in the rest of the quarter.

Manning ended the game going 14 for 24 for 161 yards and two touchdown passes.

The Giants also got the running game established for the first time in 2009 as Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball for 14 times and 104 yards. Brandon Jacobs carried it 26 times for 92 and a touchdown.

The Giants defense held Tampa Bay to just 86 yards of offense and forced Byron Leftwich out due to ineffective play and may have lost his job to Josh Johnson.

Leftwich was 7 for 16 with 22 yards passing and one interception, a very terrible day for the veteran.

The Giants defense was banged up, but played strong and well enough to pitch a shutout. In the fourth quarter, Johnson was driving the ball on the Giants prevent defense, but Tampa was still showing ineffectiveness to which they failed to get a touchdown when they got in the red zone.

The Giants are now 3-0 and still remain in first place while the Buccaneers drop to 0-3.

In a game that reached over 100 degrees, then rained and had the Giants players banged up, the Giants stepped up and flat out dominated the weaker Buccaneers team. Major credit goes to defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan for the shutout and having a strong game plan.

The Giants will travel again next week and play another 0-3 team, the Kansas City Chiefs.