Giants ride Barber to victory

LANDOVER, Md. – Tiki Barber put the ultimate exclamation point on the New York Giants’ season of turmoil with a franchise-rushing record, a dominating performance that nearly assures his career will last at least one more week.

In his last regular-season game, Barber carried 23 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns Saturday night in a 34-28 victory over Washington. The win ends New York’s seven-week free fall just in time for the Giants to make the postseason as a .500 team.

“This is a soap opera to its fullest,” linebacker Antonio Pierce said. “This is New York at its prime right here. Hopefully, we’ll go out on top and do everything right. We finally got to the playoffs, and that was our ultimate goal. We’re in the playoffs, and we’re 0-0, and I like that better than anything else.”

The Giants (8-8) had lost six of seven, and fans were chanting for coach Tom Coughlin’s firing last week. Coughlin said he had several “heart-to-hearts” this week with his players, and they responded by putting New York in the playoffs for the second consecutive year – its first back-to-back appearances since 1989-90 – unless a highly improbable series of results today allows Green Bay to take the NFC’s final spot.

“We won a game, and we got into the playoffs,” said Coughlin, who grew a little testy when reporters asked whether he was coaching for his job. “Is that good enough?”

But Coughlin’s team is there solely because of Barber. He broke a tackle in a 55-yard run – his longest of the season – in the second quarter and kept his feet as he stumbled for a 15-yard score later in the half. His crowning feat was a 50-yard run with 6:13 left in the game. He cut left, then right, broke Troy Vincent’s tackle and outran the defense to restore a 13-point lead.

“There are certain things that motivate you, push you,” Barber said. “It’s partly because of the circumstances of this game, my last one. Most important, we had to win to keep playing.”

Barber passed the 1,500-yard mark for the third consecutive season – he has 1,662 – and also caught three passes for 24 yards. Barber’s previous best rushing game was 220 yards in December 2005 against Kansas City, which also was the franchise record.

Barber starred on a night when quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride handled the play-calling duties in place of offensive coordinator John Hufnagel. Eli Manning went 12 for 26 for 101 yards and a touchdown, and no receiver other than Barber caught more than two passes.

“That’s why he’s Tiki Barber,” Pierce said. “He sets his own goals and standards. His way of living is different from everybody else’s, and he shows it. He plays with a lot of heart and determination. Today he put this team and this offense on his back and did everything he could for us to win.”

If the Giants could be accused of sputtering into the postseason, the Redskins simply sputtered into infamy. Washington set the NFL record for fewest takeaways in a non-strike season – 12 – after going yet another game without a turnover. The previous mark was 15, set two years ago by Green Bay and St. Louis.

The Redskins’ 5-11 record is the worst in Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs’ 15-year career. He’s 21-27 in the regular season since emerging from retirement in 2004.

“A long, hard, tough year for us,” said Gibbs.

Jason Campbell completed 21 of 31 passes for 220 yards and two TDs for the Redskins. Santana Moss caught six passes for 103 yards, including a 48-yard TD reception on an option pass from receiver Antwaan Randle El.

Trailing 27-7, the Redskins made things interesting with a pair of long touchdown drives.

But Barber answered with his 50-yard run, a much-needed score given that the Redskins came back to cut the deficit to six on Mike Sellers’ 1-yard touchdown reception with 3:22 remaining.

Giants 34, Redskins 28

NY—FG Feely 34

Was—Sa.Moss 48 pass from Randle El (Suisham kick)

NY—Barber 15 run (Feely kick)

NY—Barber 55 run (Feely kick)

NY—FG Feely 31

NY—T.Carter 6 pass from Manning (Feely kick)

Was—Betts 7 pass from J.Campbell (Suisham kick)

Was—Duckett 1 run (Suisham kick)

NY—Barber 50 run (Feely kick)

Was—Sellers 1 pass from J.Campbell (Suisham kick)

A—86,141.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—New York, Barber 23-234, Jacobs 6-25, Finn 1-2, Lorenzen 1-2, Manning 3-(minus 2). Washington, Betts 20-92, J.Campbell 3-30, Brunell 1-6, Sellers 2-4, Duckett 3-(minus 4).

PASSING—New York, Manning 12-26-0-101, Lorenzen 0-0-0-0. Washington, J.Campbell 21-31-1-220, Randle El 1-1-0-48, Brunell 0-0-0-0.

RECEIVING—New York, Barber 3-24, Burress 2-26, Tyree 2-15, T.Carter 2-14, Finn 2-14, Shiancoe 1-8. Washington, Sa.Moss 6-103, Betts 6-52, Cooley 5-49, Randle El 3-53, Sellers 2-11.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.