David Wilson Has His Break Out Party as Giants Spank Saints 52-27
East Rutherford, N.J. – The Giants, stewing over their one-point loss to the Washington Redskins on Monday night and their 49-24 embarrassing thrashing by the Saints last year at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, had their way against Drew Brees and company to the tune of 52-27.
The game saw the running back David Wilson finally have his long-awaited break out game, as the rookie first-rounder scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one on a 97-yard kickoff return, and set a new club mark for 327 all-purpose yards in a single game.
Wilson, whom Giants fans had been regretting given the success fellow rookie Doug Martin, picked one slot ahead of the former Virginia Tech standout, has had with Tampa, said he knew that it was just a matter of time before he would redeem himself for his opening day fumble against the Cowboys that landed him in the coaches’ doghouse for several weeks.
“I didn’t have the greatest start for a rookie, and rookies have little room for error, so at that point I just was put in a position where I had to gain the coaches’ trust again,” he said. “I stuck with it and kept working in the classroom and in the field and trying to regain the coaches trust, and I knew that eventually my opportunity would come again. So I was prepared for the opportunity.”
Another group of players who were prepared for a big opportunity this week were safeties Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown, both of whom forced four turnovers, three of which the Giants offense converted into 17 points.
“We need to come out there and make sure we’re always physical,” said Brown, who set a new club record for single-season interception return yardage with 259 yards, and who also recorded his second multi-interception game. “We need to make sure that we’re always trying to go out there and get the ball, create turnovers and things like that.”
The Giants fell behind 7-0 on cornerback Elbert Mack’s 73-yard pick-six off an Eli Manning pass intended for receiver Jerrel Jernigan that was poorly thrown. After the Giants tied the score on the ensuing kickoff when Wilson ran it back 97 yards, New York then would take the lead on a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Martellus Bennett and never look back.
The closest the Saints made the game was 14-13, thanks to two field goals by kicker Garrett Hartley. But the Giants went on a rampage in which they scored 21 unanswered points to take a 35-13 lead with 8:13 left in the third quarter.
The Saints narrowed the gap with two touchdown runs by Darren Sproles, but that would be the last points they were able to score in the game as the Giants went on another scoring rampage, this time adding 17 points to record their first 50-plus point output since Week 17 of the 1986 season when they blasted Green Bay 55-24.
“We finished,” said head coach Tom Coughlin. “I don’t even know what the numbers are, but when you say ‘finish’ I’m thinking finish the game. We did finish the game well.”
