EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY // Steve Spagnuolo and the St Louis Rams came to the Meadowlands bearing gifts and the New York Giants readily accepted them.
Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes and the linebacker Michael Boley scored on a 65-yard fumble return to lead New York to a 28-16 victory over the error-prone Rams in the first matchup between the Giants coach Tom Coughlin and Spagnuolo, his former defensive coordinator.
This one was ugly with mistakes by the Rams (0-2) giving the Giants (1-1) a crucial win after a disappointing loss to the Washington Redskins in the season opener.
All four of New York's touchdowns resulted directly from St Louis mistakes.
Manning hit Hakeem Nicks with a three-yard TD pass after a muffed punt and Domenik Hixon made a spectacular juggling grab on a 22-yard score after a busted coverage late in the first half.
Sam Bradford threw a touchdown pass and Josh Brown kicked three short field goals for the Rams, who moved up and down the field except in the red zone.
Bradford might have made the biggest mistakes, throwing a pass backward and seeing Boley run it into the end zone.
It was that kind of night for the Rams.
The Rams were their own enemy in the red zone. They settled for three short field goals after drives stalled inside the Giants 10, with the first coming after they got a first-and-goal at the one-yard line following a 68-yard catch and run by Danario Alexander.
New York built a 21-6 half-time lead and were never threatened again.
After Manning threw an interception deep in Rams' territory on the opening drive, the Giants looked lost for a couple of minutes, until the Rams woke them up with their first big mistake.
It resulted because St Louis was without their regular punt returner Danny Amendola.
Greg Salas took his place and muffed Steve Weatherford's punt with Dave Tollefson recovering at the 38.
Nicks, who was questionable for the game with a bruised knee, put New York ahead with the three-yard TD catch. The score came after New York got a first down at the Rams' nine-yard line after Bradley Fletcher was called for pass interference against Nicks.
A 25-yard field goal by Brown closed the gap to 7-6 later in the quarter, and the Rams seemed to be in position to take the lead early in the second quarter when Bradford moved them to the Giants 27.
However on third-and-8, Bradford tried to throw a half-back screen to Williams who was lined up as a receiver. The pass was thrown backwards, making it a lateral and Boley picked up the fumble and ran 65 yards for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead.
The margin grew to 21-6 just before half time when the cornerback Al Harris let Mario Manningham run past him on a first-and-10 from the Giants 47 and Manning hit him in stride for a 31-yard gain.
Hixon made a one-handed catch of Manning's pass — juggling the ball three times with his right hand — for a 22-yard touchdown. He seemed to hurt his right knee on the play and barely played in the second half. He missed all last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in June.
A 17-yard pass interference penalty against Justin King kept the Giants' opening drive in the second half alive and Jacobs scored one play after Manning got New York a first down with a 23-yard screen pass to Ahmad Bradshaw.
Bradford closed the scoring with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Alexander late in the third quarter.
