Giants Squash Falcons

I’ll admit it: It sucks to be a New York sports fan right now. The Mets’ [historic fall from Grace] in September could have made even Mike Tyson blush. The Yankees haven’t won a World Series in seven years and have spent more than $1.5 billion during that stretch to acquire their exceptional group of losers. The Jets score about as often as a fat, flatulent high school boy. And you can’t even begin to sum up all the Knicks’ problems in just one, punchy sentence. But if Monday Night Football taught New Yorkers anything last night, it’s this: At least we’re not Atlanta.

Currently, the ATL’s [best rapper is in jail]; their [best athlete is in jail](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/27/AR2007082700379.html); their hockey team—the city’s most successful sports organization—[is winless](http://www.ajc.com/thrashers/content/sports/thrashers/stories/2007/10/13/thrashers_1014.html); and their football team has [more problems](http://nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=52502519) than an AP Calculus exam. The Giants added to the city’s woes last night and proved New York isn’t currently the worst sports town (maybe just second), [pummeling the Atlanta Falcons 31-10](http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=271015001).

The Giants have now won four straight games and sit in [second place] in the NFC East division. Eli manning completed 27-of-39 passes for 303 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and at times, New York’s offense looked as explosive as an al-Qaeda car bomb. During one four-play sequence in the first quarter, Manning completed an 18-yard pass to Plaxico Burress, then threw a 21-yard strike to Jeremy Shockey and a 17-yard completion to Amani Toomer, before Reuben Droughns capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Burress had six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown on the night, and Toomer became the all-time franchise leader in TDs and receptions after hauling in seven catches for 89 yards and score. All this came against Atlanta, however, so it’s still difficult to get excited.