vikings/nfl

Final Score: NY Giants 21, Minnesota 3

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined to rush for 219 yards and two scores as the New York Giants downed Minnesota, 21- 3, in a postponed and relocated contest at Ford Field, a game that was overshadowed by a record streak coming to an end.

The move to Michigan was necessary due to heavy snows causing the collapse of the roof on the Metrodome hours before the game was originally scheduled to be played in Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon.

It proved to be the biggest storyline until word came down just before 6 p.m. (et) that Minnesota starting quarterback Brett Favre was inactive with an SC sprain of his right shoulder suffered last week in a victory over Buffalo.

The 41-year-old saw his run of 297 consecutive regular-season starts halted, an accomplishment stretching back to September, 1992 when the Southern Miss product was in his first season with the Green Bay Packers.

"It's been a long time [having to sit on the sideline]. I'd much rather be playing...but it's probably been long overdue. There was probably a lot of times the streak should have ended," Favre admitted. "It's been a great run. I'm very proud of it."

All of that failed to deter Eli Manning, who started his 100th consecutive game and threw for 187 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-37 completions while overcoming a pair of early interceptions for the Giants (9-4), who once again climbed into a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East standings and face their perennial rivals at home next Sunday.

"We're pleased with the win. I'm proud of the way our guys handled the inconvenience in the changes that were made," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said. "We kept pace so we're excited."

Jacobs ended with 116 yards -- including a 73-yard run that set up his second- quarter touchdown -- on 14 totes, and Bradshaw complemented him with 103 yards, including a 48-yard TD dash, on 11 rushes.

Hakeem Nicks posted 96 yards on seven grabs while Kevin Boss recorded the TD catch for New York, which beat Minnesota for the first time since 2004.

Tarvaris Jackson made his first start since 2008, going 15-of-30 for 118 yards and a pick for the Vikings (5-8), who had won two straight coming in but whose offense sputtered to a single Ryan Longwell field goal without Favre and wide receiver Percy Harvin -- who was sidelined again with migraines.

Adrian Peterson was limited to a season-low 26 yards on 14 carries, while Sidney Rice topped the receiving corps with 60 yards on five receptions.

With under four minutes left in the third, the Giants got the ball on their own 41-yard line and needed only three plays to extend their lead. Bradshaw broke free down the left sideline on 1st-and-10 for a 48-yard scamper and the Giants moved ahead 21-3.

A potential 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Vikings returner Lorenzo Booker was negated due to an illegal blocking penalty, and Minnesota's offensive rhythm never recovered.

Three straight possessions ended with punts ,and the home team's final drive petered out as time expired.

It looked to be a different story for the Vikings in the early going.

Manning was picked off by Frank Walker on the Giants' first series, and the Vikes were set up on the New York 34. Despite reaching the three-yard line, an incompletion on 3rd-and-goal to Rice set up a 21-yard make by Longwell.

Both Jackson and Peterson were shaken up on a second-down play on Minnesota's third offensive series and Joe Webb had to come in for an unsuccessful pass on 3rd-and-11 from the 50.

Manning was intercepted again, this time by Asher Allen early in the second quarter, and when the Vikings took over at their own 41, Jackson and Peterson returned. Minnesota failed to score on its ensuing drive, though.

Jacobs' 73-yard dash to the Minnesota 14 on the Giants' next series set up his own one-yard plunge for a 7-3 game with 8:11 left in the half.

New York reached the Minnesota one-yard line with seconds left in the quarter, and despite a false start on 2nd-and-goal, moved ahead 14-3 with three seconds on the clock as Boss hauled in a six-yard pass from Manning.

Game Notes

Manning had lost all four of his previous starts against the Vikings...The Giants posted a 34-13 win at the Metrodome on October 31, 2004...In addition to Favre and Harvin, the Vikings were without wide receiver Hank Baskett, safety Tyrell Johnson, cornerback Chris Cook, defensive tackle Fred Evans, guard Steve Hutchinson and defensive end Ray Edwards...Peterson's previous season-low for rushing yards in a game this season was 36, coming on November 28 at Washington...New York outgained Minnesota by a 395-164 margin, including a 213-61 edge on the ground...It was the fewest points in one game for the Vikings since a 34-0 loss at Green Bay on November 11, 2007... This was the fourth time in 2010 that the Giants held an opponent to under 10 points...Attendance was 45,910.