PART I : NEW JERSEY

Back out on the road again. Our mission was to do 8 games in 12 days, diving a "Figure of 8" through the US and Canada, while covering some 2,800 miles!

After flying into Washington late Wednesday, we hit the road on Thursday driving through Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Cooking with Gus? Actually these aprons were given to us as a special gift from our old friend - The Tailgating Commissioner(see www.tailgating.com). He was here in New York kicking off his tour - which makes ours seem pretty feeble. Joe the Commish, basically lives in his RV and drives more miles than the Madden Cruiser in attending games every weekend of the season. That's right - every weekend! We'll tell you more about Joe when we recap our Buffalo tale.

Cortez would have attempt at the first points of the season blocked moments later, failing to capitalize on any early Kerry Collins INT. Collins got it together on the next drive however, helping setting up a Matt Bryant 29 yard FG - the first official points of the new season!

GIANTS 3 49ers 0

Both teams had red zone difficulties. Here Giants DT Keith Hamilton flattens 49ers RB Kevan Barlow and the 49ers are forced to settle for a 23 yard Cortez FG.

3-3 ALL TIED

But the hit of the day was in the 2nd Q when Giants S Omar Stoutmire cleaned 49ers WR Terrell Owens' clock on an intended deep pass down the sideline and the ball went spinning incomplete. The play made Chris Berman's top 10 plays of the week. After Cortez missed a FG with 1:03 left in the half, the Giants drove down the field and Matt Bryant added a 33 yard FG at the end of the 1st half.

GIANTS 6 49ers 3 (HT)

Also having red zone problems were Bon Jovi - who performed the worst half-time show in NFL history. After their gig at Times Square earlier we expected something big. Instead we got a 1 song set (that took several minutes to set up) tucked away in one of the end zones. Worse still was the crappy sound and the fact they played a new song nobody knew. It got bad some of our section was booing!

Jeff Garcia struggled most of the day, but when he hit Barlow for a dump off pass that went 29 yards to the 5 yard line they were knocking on the door, and he followed this up by finding RB Garrison Hearst for a TD to give the 49ers the lead again.

49ers 10 GIANTS 6

Collins third INT of the day look to have sealed the Giants fate, but their D held the 49ers to a Cortez FG. Down by 7, Collins got it together driving 77 yards in 14 plays, finishing it off by handing off to RB Tiki Barber to scooted round left end for a 1 yard TD with 2 mins remaining.

13-13 ALL TIED

But the Giants got exposed one play later when Owens finally made a play, on a 33 yard catch and run. 5 plays later, they were in Cortez range who slotted home a 36 yard FG with 10 seconds left to seal the game.

FINAL

49ers 16 GIANTS 13

Game MVP: 49ers LB Jamie Winborn. 16 tackles and 1 sack, helping hold the Giants rushing attack to 43 yards on 22 carries.

Friday was time to hit the road again, and we took a drive along the Palisades in NJ, that run along side the Hudson and look over to Manhattan. It's just a sick feeling looking at the changed skyline of Lower Manhattan. When we were here 3 years before (see here) we were up the WTC. It's still hard to fathom it's not there - even staring at the empty sky now.

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