Beckham scores 2 TDs to help Giants beat Dolphins 31-24

Odell Beckham Jr.’s 84-yard touchdown reception put the New York Giants ahead to stay with 11 minutes to go, and they forged a three-way tie atop the NFC East by beating the host Miami Dolphins 31-24.

The matchup for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 16 was contingent on the outcome of the “Monday Night Football” game between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.

Until Beckham stepped up the Giants were in danger of suffering a huge blow in their bid to win the division, but victory lifts them to 6-7 and level with the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles – but they sit third in the division on tie-breakers.

Manning flipped a five-yard touchdown pass to Will Tye with 44 seconds remaining in the second quarter to pull NY level 17-17 at half-time.

“This week was just about having a sense of urgency about where we are”, said tackle Marshall Newhouse, when asked about Manning’s message to the team. Neither defense could stop big plays. He was a stellar 27-of-31 for 337 yards and four touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill completed 9 of 19 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown. To ensure a Sunday night game and doubleheader games with playoff implications in Week 17, flexible scheduling decisions for that Sunday can be made on six days notice. This game is packed with Playoff implications and this is a match up that neither team dares lose if they are to maintain their push for the postseason spots. The second-year phenom didn’t stuff the stat sheet in the first half, but he torched pro-bowler Brent Grimes a couple of times, and a graceful toe-tap TD followed by an 84-yard crowd-stunner helped him rack up 166 yards and 2 touchdowns. He crossed the 1,000-yard plateau for the second year in a row, finishing this game with 1,154.

The Giants and Dolphins have the same record, but only one team may be playoff-bound.

“They got it to a star player, and he made plays for them”, Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said.

“The good thing we have is we go against and see it so much in practice, you’re not at, ‘Wow!'” Rodgers-Cromartie said.

Referees ruled this third quarter end zone pass to Odell Beckham incomplete, and in real time it’s hard to blame them.

“I wasn’t going to be able to make it through the game”, Beckham said of how he was feeling. The Dolphins converted the turnover into a 36-yard Andrew Franks field goal to take a 17-10 lead.

The Dolphins again answered New York’s score with a touchdown drive, this one covering 67 yards.

NOTES: The Giants played their first game in the Miami area since 1996….

A botched handoff from Manning to Andre Williams gave the Dolphins the ball at the Giants 25.

First Tannehill hooked up with Kenny Stills on a 47-yard touchdown strike.

The Giants, who have struggled to close out games this season, losing four times when leading in the final minute of regulation, had enough to close the deal Monday, pleasing coach Tom Coughlin.

Tune in for tonight’s Monday Night Football game to conclude Week 14 of the NFL season.

In responds Coughlin has said, “I don’t pay any attention”.

– New York Giants (@Giants) December 15, 2015The #Giants take the early 3-0 lead!