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Experts react to Giants' 32-21 win

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The New York Giants sealed the deal and broke into the win column on Thursday night with a 32-21 victory over the Washington Redskins.


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While improving to 1-2, the Giants led for all but the first few minutes of the primetime game and will have an extended break before facing the Buffalo Bills on the road in Week 4.

With that in mind, here's a taste of what experts around the NFL are saying about Big Blue:

"The outside world freaks out when football teams do dumb things, like lose double-digit leads in two straight fourth quarters on the way to losing two games. Most players don't. Eli Manning certainly doesn't. Manning to Odell Beckham Jr. happened seven times for 79 yards, with a pretty touchdown pass that Beckham snagged over Washington's Bashaud Breeland in the end zone. Still so strange to realize Beckham and Victor Cruz have played the grand total of one full game together. The Giants have no bad-game hangover from the first two weeks; Thursday night proved that."

"[They] love to surprise people in four-year intervals. If the 2007 and 2011 Giants proved anything, it's that this team shouldn't be counted out as long as Eli Manning has the ball in his resourceful hands."

"Just like that, the New York Giants are back in the NFC East mix. While the wounded Cowboys are still in first place, the division's early developments certainly point toward a topsy-turvy race that extends deep into December. For the Giants to be a part of it, they badly needed the win they secured Thursday night, 32-21 over the visiting Washington Redskins."

"That's a small step forward they can take with them during the nine-day layoff before their next game. For all of their faults and clock mismanagements in losing very winnable games to the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons, they're only a game behind battered Dallas in the win column right now. Coughlin reminded the players this week the NFC East was in "turmoil," which meant their problems didn't look as bad compared to the issues facing the Cowboys, Eagles and now Redskins. And again, no worse than the problems the '07 team faced after two games."

"Going into Thursday night's game, the Redskins had the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL. That's probably going to change once Week 3 is in the books. The Giants bottled up Washington's run game for the better part of three quarters before the Redskins just gave up on it in the fourth quarter because they were trailing 25-6. Matt Jones, who exploded for 123 yards against the Rams and averaged 6.5 yards per carry in Week 2 against St. Louis, was limited to 38 yards. Jones also killed the Redskins' biggest comeback chance in the fourth quarter when he fumbled a ball at the 1-yard line that went out of the end zone for a Giants touchback."

"One reason to get excited: Through two weeks, the Giants had the third-best run defense in the league, allowing 68 rush yards per game. Washington came in as the leading rushing offense in the league at 171.5 yards per game. But the Giants held them in check with front-seven defenders such as Kerry Wynn and Devon Kennard making big run stops in big spots and forcing Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins into downfield throws that are clearly not his strength. The Giants' defense isn't great, but it does seem to be OK at stopping the run."

"The NFC East is off to an ugly start this season. Thursday night's game continued the trend, but Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants will see the 32-21 victory over the Redskins as a work of art. The Giants improved to 1-2 on the season with a true team effort. New York's defense forced three turnovers, including an early interception by Prince Amukamara, that set the tone. Eli Manning led methodical drives and avoided any loose throws. Even the special teams got into the act with an early punt block for a safety."

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