The New England Patriots scored 23 unanswered second half points and escaped from New York with a dramatic 23-22 victory over the Giants to secure a first-round playoff bye. The Giants dominated the first half of the game, building a 22-0 first half lead, which was capped by a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jason Sehorn with 2:45 remaining in the half.
After completing just 12 of 20 passes for 64 yards and two interceptions in the first half, Drew Bledsoe responded with a second-half passing clinic, completing 19 of 27 attempts for 237 yards and two touchdowns. His final completion came with 1:23 remaining in the game – a 13-yard game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Ben Coates. It was Bledsoe's 10th come-from-behind victory of his career.
The Giants took their first possession to the Patriots' 1-yard line, but were turned away by a stingy New England defense, which downed Gary Downs for no gain on fourth-and-goal. The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter when Bledsoe was flagged for intentionally grounding the ball from his own end zone, resulting in a safety. Charles Way scored from a yard out in the second, followed by two Dalusio field goals to give the Giants a 15-10 lead. On the Patriots' next possession, Sehorn stepped in front of Terry Glenn at the 23 and raced untouched into the end zone.
After a lifeless first half, David Meggett sparked a second-half revival when he fielded a punt from his own 40-yard line and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. The return came just 1:11 after a touchdown pass to Glenn and pulled the Patriots to within five, 22-17, with 11:09 remaining in the game. Bledsoe led the fourth quarter revival, completing 12 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
