Giants win one for Mara
By Tony Moss
NFL Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - You knew the New York Giants were going to play with emotion on Sunday, but did anyone expect anything like this?
The G-Men came out and destroyed the Washington Redskins, 36-0, offering a positive conclusion to a difficult week defined by the death of owner Wellington Mara on Tuesday.
Giants running back Tiki Barber, who had visited Mara on Monday, talked following the legendary owner's funeral on the subject of how badly he wanted Sunday's win.
Boy, did he deliver.
Barber rushed 24 times for a career-high 206 yards and a touchdown, with his yardage total just 12 off of the franchise record. After his 4-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter, Barber ran to the Giants' sideline and handed the ball to Tim McDonnell, one of 36 Mara's grandchildren that were in attendance on Sunday.
"I think there was emotion all week, in particular on the field today," said Barber. "It's hard to figure out what you're going to do or how you're going to react in a situation like we experienced this week, but I think we did what Mr. Mara would have wanted us to do, which is carry on, play the game to the best of our abilities, and go beat a big rival in the Redskins, and go get first place in our division. I think everything worked out the way it should be."
Even before Barber and company got around to honoring Mara with their play, the Giants franchise established the tone for the day's proceedings.
Kate Mara sings the national anthem with her family behind her as the Giants honored Wellington Mara's legacy.
The team wore a patch with the initials "WTM" on their jerseys, and the flags at the Meadowlands sports complex were lower to half-staff. Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held in memory of Mara. That was followed by the singing of the National Anthem by his granddaughter, Kate Mara - who wore a No. 89 jersey with Mara's nickname, "Duke," on the back. Kate Mara was accompanied on the field by 35 of Mara's other 39 grandchildren.
With that backdrop, the Redskins scarcely stood a chance.
Washington was held to 125 total yards and seven first downs on the day, suffering a shutout against a team that came into the day ranked near the bottom of the league in defense. The loss by the Redskins, coupled with a defeat for the Eagles in Denver, gave New York (5-2) sole possession of first place in the crowded NFC East.
"It was very fitting," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. "Mr. Mara loved a great defense and he loved to run the ball...We tried to get back to what Mr. Mara would want and that's focusing on football."
Following the victory, quarterback Eli Manning (12-of-31 passing, 146 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) presented the game ball to Mara's son, John, who serves as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Giants.
Asked what his late father would have thought about Sunday's rout, Mara said, "I think he would have been pretty pleased to be honest with you. He would have had a big smile on his face and he would have been pretty pleased."
You must believe that the first-place Giants and their ecstatic fan base are echoing that sentiment at the moment.
A grab bag of news and notes from Week 8 of the NFL season:
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