American Sports

Eli Manning and newly signed Plaxico Burress led a ball-control attack that enabled the New York Giants to unleash a ferocious defensive assault in a 16-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in the NFL season opener.

Manning completed 19-of-35 passes for 216 yards with one interception, hitting Burress 10 times for 133 yards and scoring the Giants' lone touchdown on a one-yard run in the first quarter.

With New York's offence controlling the ball, their defence stuffed Washington, allowing them just seven total yards in the first quarter and 51 in the first half.

The Giants held the ball 20:35 in the first half and 35:12 for the game. New York kept Washington quarterback Jason Campbell from completing a pass for the first 28 minutes of the game and denied the Redskins a first down until 1:10 was left in the half.

Washington eventually scored on a 12-yard pass from Campbell to Santana Moss with 13 seconds left in the opening half, cutting the deficit to 16-7, but carried no offensive momentum into the third quarter as the teams mostly traded punts.

On their opening drive of the season the Giants looked like Super Bowl champions, going 84 yards in 11 plays in just over five minutes, with Manning's bootleg into the end zone giving them a 7-0 lead. Manning, who first beat defensive end Jason Taylor and then linebacker Rocky McIntosh on the scoring run, completed 4-of-7 passes for 68 yards on the drive. Burress had three catches for 60 yards on the march.

The defence, minus injured 2007 sack leader Osi Umenyiora and retired all-time team sacker Michael Strahan, looked in title form from Washington's first drive, as defensive end Justin Tuck sacked Campbell on the first play, setting up a 3rd-and-20 that preceded a punt. Campbell was 10-of-18 for 87 yards with one touchdown without an interception, and Portis carried 23 times for 84 yards for Washington.

John Carney, a 44-year-old kicker signed because of a knee injury to Lawrence Tynes, booted three first-half field goals, including a 47-yarder, as New York built the lead to 16-0. His holder, punter Jeff Feagles, is 42.

The Redskins pressed in the closing minutes, driving into Giants' territory but sputtered and yielded the ball on downs just prior to the two-minute warning. They got it back one more time but time ran out on them as they attempted a final march downfield.

New York opens their road schedule September 14 against the St Louis Rams, having won 13 straight away from home. Washington hosts the New Orleans Saints the same day.