Giants on win over Lions: We had it all the way!

Giants fans might have been sweating it out. The Giants weren't.

Oh, a month ago, they probably would have been. Nursing an eight-point lead late in the game against the highest-scoring offense in the NFC. On the verge of possibly losing to the lowly Lions, who had dropped 23 straight on the road.

The September Giants might have crumbled.

But these are the October Giants, as cool as the brisk autumn air.

"We have so much confidence in each other, we felt as though we were going to make a play. We just didn't know where it would come from," Justin Tuck said. "We were not going to allow them to get a touchdown."

It turned out to be Antrel Rolle who sealed the 28-20 win with an interception in the final seconds of Sunday's game, capping a series of three game-saving plays by the Giants' three safeties.

First, Kenny Phillips put a jarring hit on Calvin Johnson to bust up a long pass play with a little more than five minutes remaining and the Giants leading 21-17. Then, on the next play, Deon Grant hit Nate Burleson and forced a fumble that Grant recovered, setting up a three-play touchdown drive that made it 28-17.

And finally there was Rolle, whose misplay earlier in the fourth quarter had allowed the Lions to get back in the game with an 87-yard touchdown pass from Drew Stanton to Johnson that made it 21-17.

"I feel like we definitely rose to the occasion on several chances," Rolle said.

As for his own mistake that preceded his first interception as a Giant, Rolle said: "I can honestly say that that play woke me up."

Those expecting a trouncing of the Lions were disappointed by the first Giants game this season decided by one possession or fewer. And the Lions actually took an early 7-0 lead after Giants punter Matt Dodge dropped the snap on his first attempt; the fumble was recovered by Detroit at the Giants' 43 to set up a touchdown drive.

The Giants (4-2) tied it at 7 late in the first quarter on the first of two touchdown runs by Brandon Jacobs, then went ahead 14-7 late in the second on Eli Manning's 33-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham on a skinny post over cornerback Jonathan Wade.

Jason Hanson kicked a 50-yard field goal at the end of the half to make it 14-10, but the Lions (1-5) seemed on the verge of self-destruction in the second quarter.

Osi Umenyiora sacked backup quarterback Stanton from behind, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Tuck. A pass-interference call on Alphonso Smith while covering Hakeem Nicks gave the Giants first-and-goal at the 8.

Manning went to Nicks on third-and-goal and overthrew him, forcing the Giants to settle for a field goal. But a late flag against the Lions when Cliff Avril threw a roundhouse right at Kareem McKenzie gave the Giants an automatic first down at the 1.

Then a holding penalty was called in the end zone for another first-and-goal for the Giants. Finally, on third-and-goal from the 1, Manning hit Travis Beckum for his first career touchdown. It took the Giants seven plays to go 8 yards, but the result was a 21-10 lead.

That seemed comfortable until Stanton hit Johnson down the left sideline for the 87-yarder. Cornerback Terrell Thomas jumped up while Rolle was coming to the sideline from the middle of the field.

"I should have definitely stayed on top of Terrell Thomas," Rolle said. "I thought he had an interception on that play so I kind of [eased up] not to hit him. As a safety, I have to stay on top of that play and make that play. When in doubt, I just have to go for the kill shot. That's what I have to do on that."

It turned out Grant was the one who delivered it on the fumble.

"I tried to hit him hard enough to knock the ball out, and that's exactly what happened," Grant said of his tackle on Burleson. "I felt him squirming underneath me, so I thought the ball must be out, so I started looking for it. I finally saw it and I reached and grabbed it."

Burleson might have been squirming, but the Giants' defense wasn't. Not this time, anyway. In fact, they almost seemed to enjoy being in a contested game at the end.

"It's the kind of thing you think about when you get into this game, having a close game coming down to the wire and having it on your shoulders to make a play and seal the victory," Chris Canty said. "It was a good feeling to be out there with those other guys and have an opportunity to close a win for our team."