# 2011 New York Giants season

The 2011 season was the New York Giants' 87th in the National Football League (NFL). They played all of their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Although the team failed to improve on their 10–6 mark from 2010, the Giants were able to qualify for the playoffs, and in another Cinderella run that paralleled what they did in 2007, they won Super Bowl XLVI, again versus the New England Patriots, their fourth Super Bowl win in franchise history.
Many analysts predicted a rough year for the Giants. Despite highs and lows throughout the season, the Giants, with a 9–7 record, returned to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2008, winning the NFC East and finished the season as the NFC's #4 seed. New York finished 10–6 in 2010 but failed to qualify for the playoffs due to not having any tiebreakers over any NFC playoff team. The Giants entered their week 17 match up with the Cowboys with both teams tied for the division lead with 8–7 records. The Giants took a 21–0 first half lead and while the Cowboys closed the gap to make the score 21–14 early in the 4th quarter, the Giants held on to defeat the Cowboys 31–14, clinching the divisional title and a playoff berth.
In the playoffs, the Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC championship. The Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, which was a rematch of Super Bowl XLII from 4 years earlier in which the Giants defeated the previously undefeated Patriots. As in 2007, 1990, and 1986, the Giants played their eventual Super Bowl opponent during the regular season. The Giants also played the Packers and 49ers during the season, losing both games in the final minutes of play.
The 2011 Giants were the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl with a negative regular season point differential (minus-6, 394 points scored, 400 points allowed). With a 9–7 record, the Giants became the third NFL team to win fewer than 10 games in a 16-game season and reach the Super Bowl, but became the first of the three to win the Super Bowl. The previous teams to go 9–7 and reach the Super Bowl (the 1979 Rams, who only needed two playoff wins were the first, and the 2008 Arizona Cardinals) were both defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Additionally, upon defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI the Giants became the first NFC East Division champion to win the Super Bowl since the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 (the Giants were a Wild Card team when they won Super Bowl XLII).
The 2011 Giants were an aberration from other great Giants teams of the past who were built around tough, physical defensive play and an offense built around a power running attack. Despite Jason Pierre-Paul having a breakout Pro Bowl season with 16.5 sacks, the defense was ranked in the bottom 10 in points and yards allowed and was top 10 in penalties. Their normally durable rushing attack of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw was ranked last in the NFL with 89 rushing yards per game as a team. The standout of the year was the quarterback play of Eli Manning who threw a career-high and franchise record 4,933 passing yards with 29 touchdown passes. Manning engineered 6 regular season game-winning drives in 2011 and threw 15 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter, NFL records that still stand. He improved upon his interception total, lowering it to 16. He had 2 more game-winning drives in the playoffs, the NFC Championship and Super Bowl XLVI. Manning's 5 career game-winning drives in the playoffs are tied for third in NFL history with Joe Montana and became the fifth player to win multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. Manning's play subsequently led to the breakout of undrafted wide receiver Victor Cruz and the emergence of Cruz and Hakeem Nicks as the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. Cruz set a franchise record 1,536 receiving yards from 82 receptions, while Nicks had 76 receptions for 1,192 yards.
Some news organizations, among them The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, said that the Giants' victory in the Super Bowl made them the NFL's version of the 2011 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, saying that these two championship teams had been given the last rites by many near the end of the season, but emerged as champions at the end. The 2012 Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings also followed a similar path to the Cardinals and Giants a few months later, qualifying for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference in their penultimate regular season game only to dominate in the playoffs, just losing a record-tying low of four playoff games, en route to the franchise's first championship.
This season was the last time the Giants qualified for the playoffs under Coughlin, and would not reach the playoffs again until the 2016 season and would not win a playoff game until the 2022 season. To date, 2011 is the last time the Giants have won the NFC East.

## Offseason
### Draft Class

Todd McShay (ESPN), Steve Wyche (NFL.com), Pat Kirwan of NFL.com, New Era Scouting, and DraftKing.com predicted that the Giants would use their first round pick (19th overall) to draft Gabe Carimi (who went 29th overall), a left tackle for the Wisconsin Badgers who won the 2010 Outland Trophy as the nation's top collegiate interior lineman, and was a Consensus All-American. Charles Davis of NFL.com predicted that they would draft Mike Pouncey (who went 15th overall), a center/offensive guard from the University of Florida. They instead drafted Prince Amukamara, an all-American cornerback from the University of Nebraska.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 19 | Prince Amukamara | CB | Nebraska |
| 2 | 52 | Marvin Austin | DT | North Carolina |
| 3 | 83 | Jerrel Jernigan | WR | Troy |
| 4 | 117 | James Brewer | OT | Indiana |
| 5 | | | | |
| 6 | 185 | Greg Jones | LB | Michigan State |
| 6 | 198 | Tyler Sash | S | Iowa |
| 6 | 202 | Jacquian Williams | LB | South Florida |
| 7 | 221 | Da'Rel Scott | RB | Maryland |
    The Giants traded its fifth-round selection (#150 overall) and a 2012 conditional draft selection to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for RB Darius Reynaud and QB Sage Rosenfels.
    Compensatory selection.

## Players
### Movement

In the first week of the offseason the Giants signed some road free agents and former members of their 2010 practice squad to reserve/future contracts in order to bolster the roster for the 2011 season. In early March the team signed potential free agents to contract extensions: on March 2 the team signed running back D.J. Ware to a two-year extension and on March 3 they signed wide receivers Domenik Hixon and Darius Reynaud to one and two-year extensions, respectively. They also offered tenders to some of their restricted free agents but the effectiveness of these tenders rely on the ongoing CBA talks.

### Free agents

| Position | Player | Free agency tag | Date signed/released | 2011 team |
| LB | Chase Blackburn | UFA | November 29, 2011 | New York Giants |
| CB | Will Blackmon | Released | January 2, 2011 | New York Giants |
| OT | Kevin Boothe | UFA | | New York Giants |
| TE | Kevin Boss | UFA | August 5, 2011 | Oakland Raiders |
| RB | Ahmad Bradshaw | UFA | | New York Giants |
| CB | Courtney Brown | RFA | | did not play |
| LB | Keith Bulluck | UFA | | did not play |
| WR | Michael Clayton | UFA | | New York Giants |
| DT | Barry Cofield | UFA | | Washington Redskins |
| S | Deon Grant | UFA | | New York Giants |
| WR | Derek Hagan | UFA | | Oakland Raiders |
| WR | Domenik Hixon | UFA | March 3, 2011 | New York Giants |
| S | Michael Johnson | UFA | | Detroit Lions |
| DE | Mathias Kiwanuka | UFA | | New York Giants |
| OT | Jamon Meredith | ERFA | March 3, 2011 | New York Giants |
| TE/FB | Bear Pascoe | ERFA | March 3, 2011 | New York Giants |
| WR | Steve Smith | UFA | | Philadelphia Eagles |
| QB | Jim Sorgi | UFA | | did not play |
| DE | Dave Tollefson | UFA | | New York Giants |
| RB | DJ Ware | RFA | March 2, 2011 | New York Giants |
| LB | Gerris Wilkinson | UFA | | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| RFA: Restricted free agent, UFA: Unrestricted free agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent |||||

### Roster
## Staff
### Staff changes

* On March 9, 2011 the assistant special teams Thomas McGaughey accepted a job at LSU as special teams/defensive line coach of their football team. He had been with the Giants since 2007.
* On June 24, 2011 it was reported that Larry Izzo would become the Giants' new assistant special teams coach once the NFL Lockout had ceased.

## Schedule
### Preseason

The Giants' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 13 | at Carolina Panthers | L 10–20 | 0–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | Chicago Bears | W 41–13 | 1–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 29$^§$ | New York Jets | L 3–17 | 1–2 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | at New England Patriots | W 18–17 | 2–2 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
    § – Due to Hurricane Irene, the Week 3 preseason game against the Jets was moved up to 2:00 p.m. from the originally scheduled time of 7:00 p.m. (EDT). Then, later in the evening of August 26, the game was rescheduled to Monday, August 29 at 7:00 pm. EDT

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | TV | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–28 | 0–1 | FedExField | Fox | Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | St. Louis Rams | W 28–16 | 1–1 | MetLife Stadium | ESPN | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 29–16 | 2–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | Fox | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 31–27 | 3–1 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | Seattle Seahawks | L 25–36 | 3–2 | MetLife Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | Buffalo Bills | W 27–24 | 4–2 | MetLife Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 8 | October 30 | Miami Dolphins | W 20–17 | 5–2 | MetLife Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | at New England Patriots | W 24–20 | 6–2 | Gillette Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 20–27 | 6–3 | Candlestick Park | Fox | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–17 | 6–4 | MetLife Stadium | NBC | Recap |
| 12 | November 28 | at New Orleans Saints | L 24–49 | 6–5 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | ESPN | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | Green Bay Packers | L 35–38 | 6–6 | MetLife Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 37–34 | 7–6 | Cowboys Stadium | NBC | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | Washington Redskins | L 10–23 | 7–7 | MetLife Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at New York Jets | W 29–14 | 8–7 | MetLife Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | Dallas Cowboys | W 31–14 | 9–7 | MetLife Stadium | NBC | Recap |

## Standings

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ New York Giants | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 394 | 400 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 6–6 | 396 | 328 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 372 | 347 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 288 | 367 | L2 |
NFC
viewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division winners ||||||||||||
| 1 | Green Bay Packers | North | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 6–0 | 12–0 | .457 | .458 | W2 |
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .449 | .418 | W3 |
| 3 | New Orleans Saints | South | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .441 | .442 | W8 |
| 4 | New York Giants | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .520 | .465 | W2 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .480 | .375 | W1 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .394 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Chicago Bears | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .527 | .406 | W1 |
| 8 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .469 | .391 | W1 |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .488 | .398 | W4 |
| 10 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .473 | .375 | L2 |
| 11 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .512 | .438 | L2 |
| 12 | Carolina Panthers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .504 | .313 | L1 |
| 13 | Washington Redskins | East | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .477 | .438 | L2 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .551 | .438 | L10 |
| 15 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 0–6 | 3–9 | .559 | .396 | L1 |
| 16 | St. Louis Rams | West | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .590 | .531 | L7 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 San Francisco clinched the NFC 2 seed instead of New Orleans based on better conference record (10–2 to 9–3). 1 2 Atlanta clinched the NFC 5 seed instead of Detroit based on a head-to-head victory. 1 2 Chicago finished ahead of Arizona based on record versus common opponents (4–1 against 3–2 versus Philadelphia, Seattle, Carolina and Minnesota) 1 2 Arizona finished ahead of Philadelphia based on a head-to-head victory. 1 2 Philadelphia finished in second place in the NFC East based on a head-to-head sweep over Dallas. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

## Regular season results
### Week 1: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Redskins | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 80,121
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Manning 2-yard run (Tynes kick) (4 plays, 70 yards, 0:35) (NYG 7–0)
Second quarter
WAS Hightower 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick) (11–66, 5:32) (Tied 7–7)
NYG Bradshaw 6-yard run (Tynes kick) (8–85, 4:44) (NYG 14–7)
WAS Anthony Armstrong 6-yard pass from Grossman (Gano kick) (5–80, 2:11) (Tied 14–14)
Third quarter
WAS Ryan Kerrigan 9-yard interception return (Gano kick) (WSH 21–14)
Fourth quarter
WAS Jabar Gaffney 4-yard pass from Grossman (Gano kick) (10–70, 5:53) (WSH 28–14)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 18/32, 268 YDS, INT
WAS – Rex Grossman – 21/34, 305 YDS, 2 TD
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 13 CAR, 44 YDS, TD
WAS – Tim Hightower – 25 CAR, 72 YDS, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 7 REC, 122 YDS
WAS – Fred Davis – 5 REC, 105 YDS
Top tacklers
NYG – Kenny Phillips – 5 TKL, 4 AST
WAS – Reed Doughty – 8 TKL, 2 AST :
The Giants opened the 2011 season where they had finished the 2010 season, on the road at FedExField against their division rival Washington Redskins to mark the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001; both teams' cities were attacked by the terrorists that day.
New York had not lost to Washington in the regular season in their last six meetings, but fell in this meeting 28–14. After scoring two first-quarter touchdowns and taking a 14–7 lead, the Giants failed to score again. A Ryan Kerrigan interception return in the third quarter put the Redskins in front and a defensive stop gave the Redskins the ball back. They added an insurance score in the fourth quarter when Rex Grossman found Jabar Gaffney in the end zone and iced the game. Grossman threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, while Eli Manning threw for 268 with the one interception.

### Week 2: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 19
* Game time: 8:30 pm. EDT
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Clear
* Game attendance: 78,290
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Suzy Kolber
Game information :
First quarter
STL Josh Brown 21-yard FG (9–84, 3:19) (STL 3–0)
NYG Nicks 3-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (5–38, 2:17) (NYG 7–3)
STL Brown 25-yard FG (10–67, 2:26) (NYG 7–6)
Second quarter
NYG Boley 65-yard fumble return (Tynes kick) (NYG 14–6)
NYG Hixon 22-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (8–86, 2:37) (NYG 21–6)
Third quarter
STL Brown 27-yard FG (8–60, 3:11) (NYG 21–9)
NYG Jacobs 9-yard run (Tynes kick) (10–81, 5:30) (NYG 28–9)
STL Alexander 19-yard pass from Bradford (Brown kick) (13–72, 5:01) (NYG 28–16)
Top passers
STL – Sam Bradford – 22/46, 331 YDS, TD
NYG – Eli Manning – 18/29, 200 YDS, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
STL – Cadillac Williams – 13 CAR, 36 YDS
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 15 CAR, 59 YDS
Top receivers
STL – Danario Alexander – 3 REC, 122 YDS, TD
NYG – Mario Manningham – 3 REC, 56 YDS
Top tacklers
STL – James Laurinaitis – 9 TKL, 5 AST
NYG – Antrel Rolle – 8 TKL, AST :
The Giants' home opener was played on Monday night and they took a 28–16 victory over the NFC West runners-up from the previous year. The Rams, coached by former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, took an early lead on a Josh Brown field goal, but that would be their only lead as Eli Manning hit Hakeem Nicks and Domenik Hixon for touchdowns. A Michael Boley fumble return added to that and gave New York a 21–6 lead at the half. St. Louis' only touchdown came in the third quarter as Bradford found Alexander to cut the Giants' lead to 28–16, where the game finished. Manning finished with 200 yards passing and threw his first two touchdown passes of the season while Bradford threw for 331 and one score. After the game, it was announced that Hixon would be lost for the year with a torn ACL.

### Week 3: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 14 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 29 |
| Eagles | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
* Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Cloudy
* Game attendance: 69,144
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Jacobs 40-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (6–73, 2:43) (NYG 7–0)
NYG Cruz 74-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (3–82, 1:26) (NYG 14–0)
Second quarter
PHI Alex Henery 21-yard FG (15–77, 8:02) (NYG 14–3)
PHI McCoy 11-yard run (Henery kick) (7–71, 3:21) (NYG 14–10)
PHI Henery 38-yard FG (5–26, 1:12) (NYG 14–13)
Third quarter
PHI Henery 21-yard FG (14–88, 8:52) (PHI 16–14)
Fourth quarter
NYG Cruz 28-yard pass from Manning (Jacobs run) (7–54, 3:30) (NYG 22–16)
NYG Bradshaw 18-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (10–56, 4:28) (NYG 29–16)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 16/23, 254 YDS, 4 TD
PHI – Michael Vick – 16/23, 176 YDS, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 15 CAR, 86 YDS
PHI – LeSean McCoy – 24 CAR, 128 YDS, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Victor Cruz – 3 REC, 110 YDS, 2 TD
PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 5 REC, 69 YDS
Top tacklers
NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul – 7 TKL, 2 AST, 2 SK
PHI – Trent Cole – 4 TKL, AST, SK :
Taking to the road to face another divisional rival, the Giants took care of the Eagles in Philadelphia for the first time since 2008 after having lost the previous five meetings. It was the teams' first meeting since the infamous finish to their second matchup in 2010 which saw DeSean Jackson return a punt for a touchdown as time expired. Giants receiver Victor Cruz had a breakout game with 3 receptions for 110 yards and 2 touchdowns. Manning threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns. Jason Pierre-Paul added two sacks and Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 86 yards. Michael Vick threw for 176 yards and an interception and was knocked out of the game.

### Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 31 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 4:05 pm. EDT/1:05 p.m. Arizona Time
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 60,496
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
ARI Jay Feely 27-yard FG (4–7, 1:35) (ARI 3–0)
Second quarter
ARI Feely 27-yard FG (16–79, 9:20) (ARI 6–0)
NYG Bradshaw 13-yard run (Tynes kick) (10–69, 5:03) (NYG 7–6)
NYG Tynes 30-yard FG (5:61, 0:28) (NYG 10–6)
Third quarter
ARI Wells 1-yard run (Feely kick) (8–78, 4:36) (ARI 13–10)
ARI Wells 1-yard run (Feely kick) (2–5, 0:40) (ARI 20–10)
Fourth quarter
NYG Jacobs 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (13–75, 5:48) (ARI 20–17)
ARI Wells 2-yard run (Feely kick) (6–77, 3:09) (ARI 27–17)
NYG Ballard 2-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (7–80, 1:39) (ARI 27–24)
NYG Nicks 28-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (2–48, 0:31) (NYG 31–27)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 27/40, 321 YDS, 2 TD
ARI – Kevin Kolb – 20/34, 237 YDS, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 12 CAR, 39 YDS, TD
ARI – Beanie Wells – 27 CAR, 138 YDS, 3 TD
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 10 REC, 162 YDS, TD
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 8 REC, 102 YDS
Top tacklers
NYG – Michael Boley – 5 TKL, 2 AST
ARI – Patrick Peterson – 7 TKL :
After trailing the Cardinals for most of the game, the Giants scored two touchdowns in the final 100 seconds of the game for their second comeback victory in as many games. Arizona led 20–10 entering the fourth on the strength of two Beanie Wells rushing touchdowns and two Jay Feely field goals. The Giants were aided by a controversial play on their final drive when Victor Cruz appeared to fumble the ball without being tackled. However, upon review it was determined that he had willfully given himself up before he fumbled and as such, he was considered to be down. On the next play Eli Manning snapped the ball before the Cardinals defense was set and threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks. Kolb drove the Cardinals into field goal range on their final drive, but a sack by Osi Umenyiora and pass breakup by Corey Webster sealed the win for the Giants. Wells rushed for 138 and three scores while Larry Fitzgerald caught eight of Kevin Kolb's passes for 102 yards. Manning finished 27–40 with 321 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, both in the 4th quarter. Nicks finished with 10 grabs for 162 yards and a touchdown.

### Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 14 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 36 |
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 25 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 9
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 78,650
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
SEA Ben Obomanu 11-yard pass from Jackson (Steven Hauschka kick) (8–80, 2:32) (SEA 7–0)
NYG Ballard 12-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (7–80, 3:20) (Tied 7–7)
SEA Lynch 1-yard run (Hauschka kick) (2–48, 0:17) (SEA 14–7)
Second quarter
NYG Nicks 19-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (4–59, 0:40) (Tied 14–14)
Third quarter
SEA Anthony Hargrove tackled Ware in end zone for a Safety (SEA 16–14)
Fourth quarter
SEA Hauschka 51-yard FG (9–33, 2:45) (SEA 19–14)
NYG Cruz 68-yard pass from Manning (Bradshaw run) (3–65, 1:51) (NYG 22–19)
SEA Hauschka 43-yard FG (4–0, 0:24) (Tied 22–22)
NYG Tynes 26-yard FG (10–72, 5:26) (NYG 25–22)
SEA Baldwin 27-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (Hauschka kick) (7–80, 2:12) (SEA 29–25)
SEA Brandon Browner 94-yard interception return (Hauschka kick) (SEA 36–25)
Top passers
SEA – Tarvaris Jackson – 15/22, 166 YDS, TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 24/39, 420 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 12 CAR, 98 YDS, TD
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 17 CAR, 58 YDS
Top receivers
SEA – Doug Baldwin – 8 REC, 136 YDS, TD
NYG – Victor Cruz – 8 REC, 161 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
SEA – Leroy Hill – 5 TKL, 3 AST
NYG – Jacquian Williams – 7 TKL, AST :
The Giants could not contain their momentum from the previous week's comeback and lost a mistaken-laden game to the Seahawks. Cruz had a play-of-the-year candidate touchdown catch in the third quarter as he caught the ball off his own deflection and ran it 68 yards to give the Giants a 22–19 lead in the fourth. Marshawn Lynch led all rushers with 98 yards and a touchdown while Cruz recorded 161 receiving yards. Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin responded with a go-ahead touchdown of his own, to give his team a 29–25 lead. While the Giants were in the red zone to win the game, Victor Cruz slipped on a pass from Manning, and the pass was intercepted by Brandon Browner, who returned it for a Seahawks touchdown, ending the game. Seahawks backup QB Charlie Whitehurst finished the game for an injured Tarvaris Jackson, who finished 15 for 22 for 166 yards. Baldwin and Victor Cruz tied for the game lead with receptions with eight and both recorded a touchdown. Despite Manning throwing three touchdowns and for over 400 yards, his three interceptions proved costly.

### Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Giants | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 79,243
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Bradshaw 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (9–69, 4:02) (NYG 7–0)
BUF Jackson 80-yard run (Rian Lindell kick) (1–80, 0:14) (Tied 7–7)
BUF Naaman Roosevelt 60-yard pass from Fitzpatrick (Lindell kick) (6–78, 2:49) (BUF 14–7)
Second quarter
NYG Tynes 26-yard FG (13–84, 5:33) (BUF 14–10)
NYG Bradshaw 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (5–89, 2:30) (NYG 17–14)
BUF Lindell 49-yard FG (6–49, 2:19) (Tied 17–17)
Third quarter
NYG Bradshaw 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (10–75, 5:07) (NYG 24–17)
Fourth quarter
BUF Stevie Johnson 9-yard pass from Fitzpatrick (Lindell kick) (12–60, 7:02) (Tied 24–24)
NYG Tynes 23-yard FG (9–76, 2:30) (NYG 27–24)
Top passers
BUF – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 21/30, 244 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 21/32, 292 YDS
Top rushers
BUF – Fred Jackson – 16 CAR, 121 YDS, TD
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 26 CAR, 104 YDS, 3 TD
Top receivers
BUF – David Nelson – 4 REC, 62 YDS
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 4 REC, 96 YDS
Top tacklers
BUF – Terrence McGee – 11 TKL
NYG – Michael Boley – 7 TKL, AST :
The Buffalo Bills surprised the NFL world when they opened up to a 4–1 record coming into this game compared to the Giants' 3–2 record. The Giants bounced back from their loss to the Seahawks last week at Metlife Stadium by recording another last-minute win, beating the Bills 27–24 on a Lawrence Tynes field goal. Buffalo took an early 14–7 lead on two big offensive plays, an 80-yard run by Fred Jackson and a 60-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Naaman Roosevelt. Ahmad Bradshaw recorded three one-yard touchdown runs and recorded his first 100-yard game of the year while Jackson rushed for 121. Hakeem Nicks led all receivers in yards with 96 and Eli Manning threw for 292 yards with no touchdowns. Fitzpatrick recorded two passing touchdowns but also threw two interceptions.

### Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Giants | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
* Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 79,302
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Game information :
First quarter
MIA Steve Slaton 1-yard run (Dan Carpenter kick) (10–66, 5:56) (MIA 7–0)
NYG Tynes 25-yard FG (7–56, 3:53) (MIA 7–3)
Second quarter
MIA Moore 1-yard run (Carpenter kick) (12–90, 5:40) (MIA 14–3)
NYG Manningham 7-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (13–84, 4:01) (MIA 14–10)
Third quarter
MIA Carpenter 40-yard FG (7–58, 2:43) (MIA 17–10)
Fourth quarter
NYG Tynes 29-yard FG (12–78, 7:08) (MIA 17–13)
NYG Cruz 25-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (6–53, 2:30) (NYG 20–17)
Top passers
MIA – Matt Moore – 13/22, 138 YDS, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 31/45, 349 YDS, 2 TD
Top rushers
MIA – Reggie Bush – 15 CAR, 103 YDS
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 13 CAR, 50 YDS
Top receivers
MIA – Brandon Marshall – 4 REC, 55 YDS
NYG – Victor Cruz – 7 REC, 99 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
MIA – Kevin Burnett – 7 TKL, 3 AST
NYG – Mathias Kiwanuka – 5 TKL, 2 AST, 1.5 SK :
The Giants again found themselves trailing the winless Dolphins entering the fourth quarter. New York was down 17–10 behind two rushing touchdowns, one by wildcat quarterback Steve Slaton and the other by starter Matt Moore, and a Dan Carpenter field goal. Lawrence Tynes recorded a field goal of his own while Eli Manning threw a touchdown to Mario Manningham in the second quarter. After Tynes recorded his second field goal in the fourth, Manning found Victor Cruz for a 25-yard touchdown with 2:30 left to give the Giants the victory. Cruz recorded 99 yards on seven receptions while Manning threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Bush led all runners with 103 yards and Moore threw for 138 and an interception.

### Week 9: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Patriots | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 20 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 4:15 pm. EST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 68,756
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver
Game information :
Third quarter
NYG Tynes 22-yard FG (7–57, 3:29) (NYG 3–0)
NYG Jacobs 10-yard run (Tynes kick) (1–10, 0:05) (NYG 10–0)
NE Stephen Gostkowski 32-yard FG (7–19, 2:50) (NYG 10–3)
Fourth quarter
NE Aaron Hernandez 5-yard pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick) (7:80, 2:41) (Tied 10–10)
NE Gostkowski 45-yard FG (9–53, 3:55) (NE 13–10)
NYG Manningham 10-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (8–85, 4:05) (NYG 17–13)
NE Rob Gronkowski 14-yard pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick) (9–64, 1:27) (NE 20–17)
NYG Ballard 1-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (8–80, 1:21) (NYG 24–20)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 20/39, 250 YDS, 2 TD, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 28/49, 342 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 18 CAR, 72 YDS, TD
NE – BenJarvus Green-Ellis – 12 CAR, 52 YDS
Top receivers
NYG – Victor Cruz – 6 REC, 91 YDS
NE – Wes Welker – 9 REC, 136 YDS
Top tacklers
NYG – Mathias Kiwanuka – 6 TKL, 6 AST, INT
NE – Rob Ninkovich – 4 TKL, 3 AST :
In the rematch of Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI preview, Tom Brady was picked off two times in this game. With the ball at the New York 29, Brady's pass was tipped by Michael Boley and intercepted by Mathias Kiwanuka, who returned it to the Giants 28, for Brady's 2nd pick of the game. However, the next possession had the Patriots drive down to the Giants 12. Stephen Gostowski's 27-yard field goal went slight left, making this the first time the Patriots had no score at halftime since December 10, 2006. In this game, turnovers marred both teams. First, Lawrence Tynes kicked a 22-yard field goal that put them on 3–0. Then Brandon Jacobs ran it in 10 yards to put the Giants up 10–0. After that, Aaron Ross muffed the punt, giving the Patriots the ball at the Giants 33. However, they could only muster a 32-yard field goal. Devin Thomas muffed his punt, but scooped it up. Then, Julian Edelman fumbled the punt in Giants territory. Driving in the red zone, Manning got picked off by Kyle Arrington in the end zone. Seven plays later, Brady hit Aaron Hernandez for a 5-yard touchdown, tying the game at 10 just 32 seconds into the fourth quarter. With 7:08, Gostkowski's 45-yard field goal gave the Pats their first lead of the game, 13–10. Manning then led the Giants on an 85-yard march to a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham with 3:03 remaining, putting the Giants on top 17–13. It looked like the Pats would win with a comeback of their own when Tom Brady threw a 14-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, making it 20–17 with 1:36 to go. However, leading the New York Giants 80 yards in just over a minute, Manning hit Jake Ballard for a 1-yard touchdown with 15 seconds left for a 24–20 win on Sunday, repeating a come-from-behind victory similar to the 2008 title game between the teams. They were helped by a 20-yard pass interference penalty against safety Sergio Brown of the Patriots (5–3) that put the ball at the 1 with 30 seconds left. The Giants shocked the NFL and opened up to a 6–2 record. Eli Manning was praised by critics for his recent comeback victories. This was the first time the Patriots lost at home with Tom Brady as their quarterback in 31 regular season starts, and it was also the first Patriots loss at home where they had a 4th quarter lead in the Tom Brady era.

### Week 10: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| 49ers | 3 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 27 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 4:15 pm. EST/1:15 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Tynes 23-yard FG (14–75, 8:33) (NYG 3–0)
SF David Akers 36-yard FG (12–62, 6:02) (Tied 3–3)
Second quarter
NYG Tynes 25-yard FG (13–73, 6:20) (NYG 6–3)
SF Akers 52-yard FG (6–46, 4:05) (Tied 6–6)
SF Akers 39-yard FG (7–32, 3:11) (SF 9–6)
Third quarter
SF Akers 28-yard FG (10–70, 3:46) (SF 12–6)
NYG Manningham 13-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (10–84, 5:38) (NYG 13–12)
Fourth quarter
SF Vernon Davis 31-yard pass from Smith (Smith pass to Michael Crabtree) (4–50, 1:59) (SF 20–13)
SF Hunter 17-yard run (Akers kick) (1–17, 0:05) (SF 27–13)
NYG Nicks 32-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (7–80, 3:44) (SF 27–20)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 26/40, 311 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
SF – Alex Smith – 19/30, 242 YDS, TD, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 18 CAR, 55 YDS
SF – Kendall Hunter – 6 CAR, 40 YDS, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Victor Cruz – 6 REC, 84 YDS
SF – Delanie Walker – 6 REC, 69 YDS
Top tacklers
NYG – Kenny Phillips/Antrel Rolle – 4 TKL, AST each
SF – NaVorro Bowman – 10 TKL, 4 AST :
The Giants' winning streak came to an end in San Francisco but they once again had the game in doubt into the final minutes. Field goals comprised the first half scoring, with Lawrence Tynes hitting two and the 49ers' David Akers recording three. The Giants took their only lead in the third quarter as Eli Manning found Mario Manningham for 13 yards to complete an 84-yard drive. The 49ers recorded two touchdowns on a pass to Vernon Davis and a run by Kendall Hunter, while Manning hit Hakeem Nicks for a 32-yard touchdown late in the game. New York received the ball late in the game and drove inside the 49ers' red zone, but Manning's last pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage to preserve the San Francisco win. Manning threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns but also recorded two interceptions, while Alex Smith threw for 242 and the touchdown pass to Davis. Brandon Jacobs rushed for 55 yards to lead the runners while Victor Cruz's 84 yards was tops for the receivers.

### Week 11: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 8:20 pm. EST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), Partly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 79,743
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
Second quarter
PHI Alex Henery 33-yard FG (9–56, 3:29) (PHI 3–0)
PHI Steve Smith 14-yard pass from Young (Henery kick) (1–14, 0:08) (PHI 10–0)
NYG Tynes 48-yard FG (8–50, 1:22) (PHI 10–3)
Fourth quarter
NYG Cruz 24-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (5–73, 1:41) (Tied 10–10)
PHI Riley Cooper 8-yard pass from Young (Henery kick) (18–80, 8:51) (PHI 17–10)
Top passers
PHI – Vince Young – 23/36, 258 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 18/35, 264 YDS, TD, INT
Top rushers
PHI – LeSean McCoy – 23 CAR, 113 YDS
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 12 CAR, 21 YDS
Top receivers
PHI – DeSean Jackson – 6 REC, 88 YDS
NYG – Victor Cruz – 6 REC, 128 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
PHI – Jamar Chaney – 4 TKL, 2 AST
NYG – Mathias Kiwanuka – 6 TKL, AST :
Playing on Sunday night for the first time all season, the Giants could not take advantage of three Vince Young interceptions and fumbled on their final drive, allowing the Eagles to salvage a split in the season series. New York fell behind 10–0 on an Alex Henery field goal and a touchdown pass from Young to former Giant Steve Smith. Trailing 10–3 entering the fourth, Eli Manning sought out Victor Cruz who caught a pass for 24 yards and the tying touchdown. However, they allowed Young to put together an 18-play drive finishing with a Riley Cooper touchdown pass. The Giants got the ball and Manning completed a pass to Cruz for 47 yards. The next play, Manning was stripped of the ball, sealing the Eagles victory. Despite his three interceptions Young threw for 258 yards in his relief effort for the injured Michael Vick. Manning threw for 264 yards, 128 of which went to Cruz. LeSean McCoy again rushed for 100 yards, recording 113 on 23 carries.

### Week 12: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Saints | 0 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: November 28
* Game time: 8:30 pm. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,068
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Wendi Nix
Game information :
Second quarter
NO Lance Moore 4-yard pass from Brees (John Kasay kick) (10–80, 4:35) (NO 7-0)
NYG Tynes 42-yard FG (9–46, 5:22) (NO 7-3)
NO Graham 5-yard pass from Brees (Kasay kick) (7–80, 3:00) (NO 14-3)
NO Moore 10-yard pass from Brees (Kasay kick) (6–88, 0:34) (NO 21-3)
Third quarter
NYG Jacobs 8-yard run (Tynes kick) (6–67, 4:17) (NO 21-10)
NO Brees 8-yard run (Kasay kick) (9–73, 4:55) (NO 28-10)
NO Graham 29-yard pass from Brees (Kasay kick) (2–29, 0:13) (NO 35-10)
Fourth quarter
NYG Cruz 72-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (3–84, 1:21) (NO 35-17)
NO Pierre Thomas 12-yard run (Kasay kick) (9–80, 4:09) (NO 42-17)
NYG Cruz 4-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (12–80, 5:29) (NO 42-24)
NO Ingram 35-yard run (Kasay kick) (3–40, 1:01) (NO 49-24)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 33/47, 406 YDS, 2 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 24/38, 363 YDS, 4 TD
Top rushers
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 13 CAR, 46 YDS, TD
NO – Mark Ingram II – 13 CAR, 80 YDS, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Victor Cruz – 9 REC, 157 YDS, TD
NO – Jimmy Graham – 5 REC, 84 YDS, 2 TD
Top tacklers
NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul – 5 TKL, AST
NO – Tracy Porter – 8 TKL, 2 AST :
The week 12 Monday night matchup with the Saints in New Orleans was perhaps the lowest point of the Giants' season. New York fell behind 21–3 at halftime and New Orleans cruised to a huge victory. Eli Manning threw for 406 yards and two touchdowns, both to Victor Cruz, but by that time the game had long been decided. Drew Brees recorded 363 yards and 4 touchdowns, two of which were recorded by Jimmy Graham, and rookie halfback Mark Ingram II picked up 80 yards on the ground and scored the game's final touchdown on a 35-yard run. The 49 points were the Giants' most given up to that point in the season.

### Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Giants | 10 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 35 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 4:15 pm. EST
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Fair
* Game attendance: 80,634
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Beckum 67-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (3–79, 1:36) (NYG 7–0)
GB Jermichael Finley 12-yard pass from Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick) (6–64, 2:56) (Tied 7–7)
NYG Tynes 38-yard FG (6–51, 3:06) (NYG 10–7)
Second quarter
GB Clay Matthews III 38-yard interception return (Crosby kick) (GB 14–10)
NYG Jacobs 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (2–12, 0:36) (NYG 17–14)
GB Donald Driver 13-yard pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) (11–80, 5:34) (GB 21–17)
Third quarter
GB Jennings 20-yard pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) (10–80, 5:10) (GB 28–17)
NYG Nicks 4-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (5–71, 3:20) (GB 28–24)
Fourth quarter
NYG Tynes 50-yard FG (14–68, 6:29) (GB 28–27)
GB Driver 7-yard pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) (8–57, 3:34) (GB 35–27)
NYG Nicks 2-yard pass from Manning (Ware run) (9–69, 2:36) (Tied 35–35)
GB Crosby 30-yard FG (5–68, 0:58) (GB 38–35)
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 28/46, 369 YDS, 4 TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 23/40, 347 YDS, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 4 CAR, 32 YDS
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 8 CAR, 59 YDS, TD
Top receivers
GB – Greg Jennings – 7 REC, 94 YDS, TD
NYG – Victor Cruz – 7 REC, 119 YDS
Top tacklers
GB – Charlie Peprah – 6 TKL, 3 AST
NYG – Linval Joseph – 9 TKL :
Looking to snap their losing streak, the Giants took on the undefeated Super Bowl champion Packers at home following their blowout loss in New Orleans. New York rebounded from their poor offensive effort against the Saints by putting up 35 points on the defending Super Bowl Champions and had the lead three separate times during the course of the game. With 58 seconds remaining in the game and Green Bay leading 35–27, the Giants tied the game on a touchdown and two-point conversion by Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, and DJ Ware. The Giants could not stop Aaron Rodgers from leading the Packers back down the field, however, and Mason Crosby's field goal as time expired kept the hopes for an undefeated season in Green Bay alive for the moment. Manning threw three touchdown passes, with Nicks recording two and backup tight end Travis Beckum the other, and recorded 347 yards passing while Victor Cruz added 119 yards on seven catches. Rodgers recorded 369 yards and four touchdowns, two of which went to Donald Driver.

### Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 5 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 37 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 34 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 8:20 pm. EST/7:20 pm. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (roof closed)
* Game attendance: 95,952
* Referee: Scott Green
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Pierre-Paul sacked Romo in end zone for a Safety (NYG 2–0)
NYG Tynes 23-yard FG (7–66, 2:35) (NYG 5–0)
DAL John Phillips 12-yard pass from Romo (Dan Bailey kick) (8–80, 4:18) (DAL 7–5)
Second quarter
NYG Jacobs 1-yard run (Tynes kick) (10–80, 5:04) (NYG 12–7)
DAL Robinson 9-yard pass from Romo (Bailey kick) (11–80, 6:19) (DAL 14–12)
NYG Tynes 26-yard FG (4–6, 0:22) (NYG 15–14)
DAL Bailey 49-yard FG (6–49, 0:48) (DAL 17–15)
Third quarter
DAL Bailey 49-yard FG (11–41, 5:11) (DAL 20–15)
NYG Manningham 47-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (9–85, 3:12) (NYG 22–20)
Fourth quarter
DAL Miles Austin 6-yard pass from Romo (Bailey kick) (4–80, 1:31) (DAL 27–22)
DAL Dez Bryant 50-yard pass from Romo (Bailey kick) (2–49, 0:54) (DAL 34–22)
NYG Ballard 8-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (8–80, 2:27) (DAL 34–29)
NYG Jacobs 1-yard run (Ware run) (6–58, 1:26) (NYG 37–34)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 27/47, 400 YDS, 2 TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo – 21/31, 321 YDS, 4 TD
Top rushers
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 19 CAR, 101 YDS, 2 TD
DAL – Felix Jones – 16 CAR, 106 YDS
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 7 REC, 154 YDS
DAL – Laurent Robinson – 4 REC, 137 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul – 6 TKL, 2 AST, 2 SK, SFTY
DAL – Sean Lee – 5 TKL, 4 AST :
The Giants went to Arlington, Texas for their first meeting with the division rival Cowboys. Once again, the Giants were able to record a victory in the final minutes. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning recorded a touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ballard to pull the team within five. After Tony Romo failed to hit Miles Austin on a third down and short on the Cowboys' next drive, the Giants drove down the field in 1:26 and Brandon Jacobs scored to give the Giants a 35–34 lead, extended to 37–34 when DJ Ware converted the two-point play. Dallas drove down the field and got into position for a Dan Bailey field goal that would have tied the game. Just before he kicked the ball, however, Giants coach Tom Coughlin called timeout, negating Bailey's successful kick. On the retry, Jason Pierre-Paul recorded a blocked field goal by tipping the kick as it was coming up, securing the win and finishing what was a huge night for the second-year defensive end; Pierre-Paul recorded two sacks, a forced fumble (recovered by Deon Grant), and a safety as well. NBC color analyst Cris Collinsworth praised Eli Manning for generating yet another fourth quarter comeback. Manning threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns while Romo recorded 321 yards and four scores. Laurent Robinson caught one of those passes as part of his four-catch, 137-yard day while Hakeem Nicks recorded 154 yards on seven catches. Jacobs scored two rushing touchdowns, while recording his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. This game was ranked #2 on NFL.com's Top 20 Games of 2011, the highest regular season game on the list.

### Week 15: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins | 3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
* Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 78,861
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information :
First quarter
WAS Graham Gano 36-yard FG (10–52, 5:01) (WAS 3–0)
Second quarter
WAS Santana Moss 20-yard pass from Grossman (Gano kick) (13–82, 6:52) (WAS 10–0)
WAS Darrel Young 6-yard run (Gano kick) (9–41, 4:42) (WAS 17–0)
NYG Tynes 40-yard FG (6–46, 0:58) (WAS 17–3)
Third quarter
WAS Gano 43-yard FG (4–9, 2:09) (WAS 20–3)
Fourth quarter
WAS Gano 25-yard FG (10–59, 5:31) (WAS 23–3)
NYG Bradshaw 3-yard run (Tynes kick) (13–76, 3:30) (WAS 23–10)
Top passers
WAS – Rex Grossman – 15/24, 185 YDS, TD, 2 INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 23/40, 257 YDS, 3 INT
Top rushers
WAS – Roy Helu – 23 CAR, 53 YDS
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 10 CAR, 58 YDS, TD
Top receivers
WAS – Jabar Gaffney – 6 REC, 85 YDS
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 5 REC, 73 YDS
Top tacklers
WAS – London Fletcher – 10 TKL, 2 AST
NYG – Jason Pierre-Paul – 11 TKL, 5 AST, SK :
The Giants failed to capitalize on their win from the week before and once again were defeated by the Redskins for the season sweep. Washington never trailed in this game and forced Eli Manning into three interceptions. Although the Giants recorded two off of Rex Grossman, they never were able to get into any sort of offensive groove and lost 23–10. Washington led 17–3 at halftime and never looked back. Grossman threw for 185 yards and a touchdown to Santana Moss. Jabar Gaffney led the Redskins with 85 yards receiving while Hakeem Nicks recorded 73 for the Giants. Manning finished with 257 yards.
This was the last time the Giants were swept by Washington until 2021.

### Week 16: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 29 |
| Jets | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 79,088
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ Josh Baker 5-yard pass from Sanchez (Nick Folk kick) (10–53, 4:42) (NYJ 7–0)
Second quarter
NYG Tynes 21-yard FG (9–53, 3:20) (NYJ 7–3)
NYG Cruz 99-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (3–99, 0:25) (NYG 10–7)
Third quarter
NYG Bradshaw 14-yard run (Tynes kick) (4–81, 1:46) (NYG 17–7)
Fourth quarter
NYG Tynes 36-yard FG (4–4, 1:28) (NYG 20–7)
NYJ Sanchez 1-yard run (Folk kick) (4–11, 1:26) (NYG 20–14)
NYG Chris Canty sacked Sanchez in end zone for a Safety (NYG 22–14)
NYG Bradshaw 19-yard run (Tynes kick) (1–19, 0:09) (NYG 29–14)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 9/27, 225 YDS, TD, INT
NYJ – Mark Sanchez – 30/59, 258 YDS, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 15 CAR, 54 YDS, 2 TD
NYJ – Shonn Greene – 14 CAR, 58 YDS
Top receivers
NYG – Victor Cruz – 3 REC, 164 YDS, TD
NYJ – Dustin Keller – 8 REC, 77 YDS
Top tacklers
NYG – Antrel Rolle – 7 TKL; Corey Webster – 7 TKL
NYJ – Sione Pouha – 3 TKL, AST; Bart Scott – 3 TKL, 2 AST; Jamaal Westerman – 3 TKL, AST; Muhammad Wilkerson – 3 TKL, 2 AST, SK :
This matchup on Christmas Eve against the crosstown rival New York Jets was considered the most important ever. Both teams needed to win their last two games to make the playoffs and Jets coach Rex Ryan, while trying to motivate his players, added fuel to the fire. He publicly claimed the Jets were the better New York team, saying he didn't get hired to be anybody's "little brother." He went on and covered the Giants three Super Bowl logos in the locker room hallway leading up to the game and sent former Giants Super Bowl hero and current Jet Plaxico Burress as the only captain for the coin toss. The Jets scored a touchdown on their opening drive on a Mark Sanchez touchdown pass to fullback Josh Baker, aided by the Giants having 12 men on the field on a 4th down earlier in the drive. Trailing 7–3 in the second quarter and facing 3rd & 10 from their own 1-yard line, Eli Manning threw a short out pass to Victor Cruz. Cruz broke two tackles and then took off for the end zone, outrunning the remaining Jet defenders on his way to a record-tying 99-yard touchdown reception and a 10–7 lead which the Giants never looked back from. Ahmad Bradshaw had a punishing touchdown run near the end of the third quarter. Down 20–14 and with an opportunity to march down the field to take the lead, Chris Canty forced an intentional grounding penalty in the endzone on Sanchez resulting in a safety. Bradshaw had a 19-yard touchdown run on the next play to seal the 29–14 victory and set up a winner-take-all season finale against the Cowboys. Manning recorded 225 yards and a touchdown, while Cruz's three receptions garnered him 164 of those. Sanchez threw a career-high 59 passes for 258 yards and two total touchdowns but was intercepted twice and Dustin Keller led all receivers with eight receptions.

### Week 17: vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 8:20 pm. EST
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Rain Showers
* Game attendance: 81,077
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Chris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Cruz 74-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (6–96, 2:49) (NYG 7–0)
Second quarter
NYG Bradshaw 5-yard run (Tynes kick) (10–68, 4:27) (NYG 14–0)
NYG Bradshaw 10-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (8–80, 3:24) (NYG 21–0)
Third quarter
DAL Robinson 34-yard pass from Romo (Bailey kick) (9–94, 4:28) (NYG 21–7)
Fourth quarter
DAL Robinson 6-yard pass from Romo (Bailey kick) (3–26, 1:25) (NYG 21–14)
NYG Tynes 28-yard FG (9–65, 4:30) (NYG 24–14)
NYG Nicks 4-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (4–45, 1:14) (NYG 31–14)
Top passers
DAL – Tony Romo – 29/37, 289 YDS, 2 TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 24/33, 346 YDS, 3 TD
Top rushers
DAL – Felix Jones – 11 CAR, 30 YDS
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 16 CAR, 57 YDS, TD
Top receivers
DAL – Dez Bryant – 6 REC, 70 YDS
NYG – Victor Cruz – 6 REC, 178 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
DAL – Sean Lee – 8 TKL, 3 AST
NYG – Michael Boley – 7 TKL, 2 AST :
With the NFC East title on the line the Giants-Cowboys game was moved to Sunday night, marking the first time in the history of prime-time television that both meetings between division rivals were played on the showcase game of the week. The Giants finished off the Cowboys to record the season sweep and win the division. This time, the Giants got out to a 21–0 halftime advantage on a 74-yard hookup from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz and two touchdowns from Ahmad Bradshaw. The Cowboys rallied to within a touchdown when Tony Romo found Laurent Robinson for a second time in the game, but the Giants put the game away with clutch 4th quarter play from Manning and put the nail in the coffin with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks, his fifteenth 4th quarter pass of the season, an NFL record. Manning finished with 346 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with a career-high 4,933 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes. Cruz again had a huge game with 178 receiving yards and a touchdown, finishing with 1,536 yards, a franchise record, and nine touchdowns.

## Playoffs
### Schedule

| Playoff Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game Site | NFL.com recap |
| Wild Card | January 8, 2012 | Atlanta Falcons (5) | W 24–2 | 1–0 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| Divisional | January 15, 2012 | at Green Bay Packers (1) | W 37–20 | 2–0 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 22, 2012 | at San Francisco 49ers (2) | W 20–17 (OT) | 3–0 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| Super Bowl XLVI | February 5, 2012 | vs. New England Patriots (A1) | W 21–17 | 4–0 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |

### NFC Wild Card Game: vs. #5 Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: January 8
* Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
* Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C), Partly Cloudy
* Game attendance: 79,909
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Chris Myers
Game information :
Second quarter
ATL Intentional Grounding Penalty on Manning in end zone for a Safety (ATL 2–0)
NYG Nicks 4-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (13–85, 7:32) (NYG 7–2)
Third quarter
NYG Tynes 22-yard field goal (11–72, 4:47) (NYG 10–2)
NYG Nicks 72-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (3–79, 1:32) (NYG 17–2)
Fourth quarter
NYG Manningham 27-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (10–85, 5:38) (NYG 24–2)
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/41, 199 YDS
NYG – Eli Manning – 23/32, 277 YDS, 3 TD
Top rushers
ATL – Michael Turner – 15 CAR, 41 YDS
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 14 CAR, 92 YDS
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 REC, 64 YDS
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 6 REC, 115 YDS, 2 TD
Top tacklers
ATL – Curtis Lofton – 9 TKL, 3 AST
NYG – Antrel Rolle – 6 TKL, 3 AST; Jason Pierre-Paul – 6 TKL, 2 AST :

### NFC Divisional Game: at #1 Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 10 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 37 |
| Packers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: January 15
* Game time: 4:30 pm. EST/3:30 pm. CST
* Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C), Sunny
* Game attendance: 72,080
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Chris Myers
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Tynes 31-yard field goal (13–67, 6:27) (NYG 3–0)
GB Crosby 47-yard field goal (8–50, 3:00) (Tied 3–3)
NYG Nicks 66-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (4–80, 1:46) (NYG 10–3)
Second quarter
GB John Kuhn 8-yard pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) (9–60, 3:53) (Tied 10–10)
NYG Tynes 23-yard field goal (5–29, 1:46) (NYG 13–10)
NYG Nicks 37-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (4–69, 0:41) (NYG 20–10)
Third quarter
GB Crosby 35-yard field goal (10–58, 4:58) (NYG 20–13)
Fourth quarter
NYG Tynes 35-yard field goal (10–38, 5:06) (NYG 23–13)
NYG Manningham 4-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (1–4, 0:05) (NYG 30–13)
GB Driver 16-yard pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) (8–76, 2:02) (NYG 30–20)
NYG Jacobs 14-yard run (Tynes kick) (6–50, 2:10) (NYG 37–20)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 21/33, 330 YDS, 3 TD, INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 26/46, 264 YDS, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 12 CAR, 63 YDS
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 7 CAR, 66 YDS
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 7 REC, 165 YDS, 2 TD
GB – Donald Driver – 3 REC, 45 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
NYG – Michael Boley – 8 TKL, AST, 2 SK; Antrel Rolle – 8 TKL
GB – Charlie Peprah – 9 TKL :

### NFC Championship Game: at #2 San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: January 22
* Game time: 6:30 pm. EST/3:30 pm. PST
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Rain
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver and Chris Myers
Game information :
First quarter
SF Davis 73-yard pass from Smith (Akers kick) (2–73, 0:13) (SF 7–0)
Second quarter
NYG Pascoe 6-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (10–69, 4:16) (Tied 7–7)
NYG Tynes 31-yard FG (10–51, 1:34) (NYG 10–7)
Third quarter
SF Davis 28-yard pass from Smith (Akers kick) (3–54, 1:30) (SF 14–10)
Fourth quarter
NYG Manningham 17-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (6–29, 2:34) (NYG 17–14)
SF Akers 25-yard FG (6–48, 2:55) (Tied 17–17)
Overtime
NYG Tynes 31-yard FG (5–11, 2:26) (NYG 20–17)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 32/58, 316 YDS, 2 TD
SF – Alex Smith – 12/26, 196 YDS, 2 TD
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 20 CAR, 74 YDS
SF – Frank Gore – 16 CAR, 74 YDS
Top receivers
NYG – Victor Cruz – 10 REC, 142 YDS
SF – Vernon Davis – 3 REC, 112 YDS, 2 TD
Top tacklers
NYG – Chase Blackburn – 5 TKL, 2 AST; Jason Pierre-Paul – 5 TKL, AST, 0.5 SK
SF – Carlos Rogers – 11 TKL :

### Super Bowl XLVI: vs. New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 9 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| Patriots | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: February 5
* Game time: 6:30 pm. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 68,658
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Alex Flanagan and Michele Tafoya
Game information :
First quarter
NYG Intentional Grounding Penalty on Brady in end zone for a Safety (NYG 2–0)
NYG Cruz 2-yard pass from Manning (Tynes kick) (9–0, 5:23) (NYG 9–0)
Second quarter
NE Gostkowski 29-yard FG (9–3, 4:32) (NYG 9–3)
NE Danny Woodhead 4-yard pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick) (10–9, 3:55) (NE 10–9)
Third quarter
NE Hernandez 12-yard pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick) (17–9, 3:40) (NE 17–9
NYG Tynes 38-yard FG (17–12, 4:37) (NE 17–12)
NYG Tynes 33-yard FG (17–15, 5:01) (NE 17–15)
Fourth quarter
NYG Bradshaw 6-yard run (run failed) (21–17, 2:49) (NYG 21–17)
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 30/40, 296 YDS, TD
NE – Tom Brady – 27/41, 276 YDS, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw – 17 CAR, 72 YDS, TD
NE – BenJarvus Green-Ellis – 10 CAR, 44 YDS
Top receivers
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 10 REC, 109 YDS
NE – Aaron Hernandez – 8 REC, 67 YDS, TD
Top tacklers
NYG – Michael Boley – 9 TKL, AST
NE – Brandon Spikes – 8 TKL, 3 AST, FF; Jerod Mayo – 8 TKL, 3 AST, FF :
In winning the Super Bowl, the Giants became the first team to have won Super Bowl games broadcast on all four U.S. national networks (CBS, ABC, Fox, and now NBC), as well as the first team to win Super Bowls in four different decades. The Giants-Patriots game was the 11th time that there was a rematch in a Super Bowl. In doing so, the 2011 Giants became the first team with fewer than 10 wins (9 wins – 7 losses) in the regular season to win a Super Bowl. Furthermore, Super Bowl XLVI marked just the second time in Super Bowl history that opening score of the title game occurred with a safety when Justin Tuck pressured Tom Brady, and he was called for intentional grounding; the first instance was Super Bowl IX, when Pittsburgh registered a safety on Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant's Vikings. Eli Manning won his second Super Bowl MVP award in four years after orchestrating another game-winning touchdown drive in the game's final moments.

## Season facts

* This is the fourth time that the Giants played a team that they would later play in the Super Bowl. The Giants are 2–2 in regular season and 4–0 in the Super Bowl in these games.
* The Giants' overall Super Bowl record is 4–1.
* The Giants are 5–0 in NFC Championship Games.
* The Giants scoring defense was the lowest of Super Bowl winners, ranking 25th after allowing an average of 25 points per game.
* Also notable is that the Giants' rushing offense was ranked 32nd (dead last) in the NFL with 1,427 yards, or an average of 89.2 rushing yards per game.
* The Giants finished the regular season with a −6-point differential (394 scored, 400 allowed), the worst differential of any Super Bowl champion.
* With a 9–7 regular-season record, the 2011 Giants were the first, and are the only, sub-10-win team to win the Super Bowl. They are the third 9–7 team to compete in the Super Bowl, with the 1979 Los Angeles Rams and 2008 Arizona Cardinals both falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowls XIV and XLIII.
* The 2011 New York Giants won their first playoff game at home since the 2000 NFC Championship against the Minnesota Vikings during the Wild Card game.
* The 2011 Giants were the first team to win the Super Bowl as the NFC's 4th Seed, with the second being the 2021 Los Angeles Rams. The 2008 Cardinals and 1979 Rams were also 4th seeds when they went to the Super Bowl, but lost.
* When the Giants played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots were 13–3. The Giants also beat them in Foxborough.