Eli Manning got the proverbial monkey off his back, leading New York to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons with a 24-14 victory over Tampa Bay, reports the Times. The Giants overcame a slow start and put together three long scoring drives, two ending in Brandon Jacobs touchdowns, that tired the Buccaneer defense.
Receiver Amani Toomer, who also scored, credited his oft-maligned quarterback saying, "Eli had a great game today." Tampa QB Jeff Garcia, who has haunted the Giants in past playoff games, struggled today, throwing two interceptions and only one touchdown. Afterward, a humble Manning was looking to next week. "We love going down to Dallas," he said. "There are no secrets." (More NFL stories.)