Giants lead undefeated Bears 10-0 behind defense after 3 quarters, knock Cutler out of game

Giants lead undefeated Bears 10-0 after 3 quarters

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants’ defense knocked Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler out of the game and their offense finally knocked off the rust to take a 10-0 lead over the NFC’s lone undefeated team after three quarters Sunday night.

Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half and was replaced by veteran Todd Collins after halftime because of a concussion.

The Giants, who had just four first downs in the opening half, had five on their third possession of the third quarter to finally score a touchdown and go up 10-0.

Eli Manning jump-started the drive with a 21-yard pass to Hakeem Nicks on second-and-17 from his 13. Manning was just 7 of 14 for 63 yards in the first half.

Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 43 yards on the eight-play, 90-yard drive that was capped by his 3-yard scoring run with 2:48 left in the quarter.

The Giants had an interception and forced a fumble by Cutler, who had cut down on the turnovers under new offensive coordinator Mike Martz but couldn’t escape the fierce New York pass rush. Cutler was 8 of 11 for 42 yards.

The Bears had just 50 yards of offense through three quarters.

The Giants managed only a field goal off four trips into Chicago territory in the first half, with Lawrence Tynes missing a 38-yard field goal attempt.

The Giants had a first down at the Bears 12 late in the first quarter after a 23-yard catch by Nicks. But New York gained nothing on its next two plays, then Manning threw to Steve Smith short of the first-down marker. The Giants had to settle for Tynes’ 22-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 3:29 left in the quarter.

New York got the ball right back in Bears territory when Terrell Thomas jumped in front of tight end Greg Olsen. Cutler threw the ball right to him for just his third interception of the season after throwing a league-high 26 in 2009.

But after taking over at the Chicago 28, the Giants couldn’t get a first down, and they came away with no points when Tynes missed.

A sack and forced fumble by Osi Umenyiora gave New York the ball at the Bears 29 midway through the second quarter. The Giants immediately started to go backward, with a 2-yard loss by Bradshaw and a false start pushing them out of field-goal range.

More special teams woes made the drive look even worse, as rookie punter Matt Dodge booted the ball into the end zone for a touchback.

Dodge was already having a rough night. His first punt went from near calamity to near good fortune to a routine outcome — and Devin Hester had nothing to do with it.

Dodge dropped the ball setting up for the punt. He was able to chase it down, which actually left him in position to scamper for the first down. Instead, he punted on the run. It officially went as a 42-yard punt with no return.

Dodge later shanked a 37-yard punt.

Three members of the Mara family, three coaches who led the Giants to championships and 11 Hall of Famers were among the 30 men inducted into the team’s new ring of honor at halftime.

Former running back Tiki Barber was booed after he said during the week that coach Tom Coughlin was facing a crisis. The Giants were coming off two straight uninspired losses and committed five personal fouls and three turnovers in last week’s defeat to the Titans.