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By TOM CANAVAN, AP Sports Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Bruising halfback Derrick Henry had his second straight big game with a career-high 33 carries for 170 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans kept their late-season playoff push alive and ended the New York Giants’ postseason hopes with a 17-0 victory on Sunday.
Henry, who had a franchise-record 238 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Jacksonville on Dec. 6, scored on 1-yard runs in the first and third quarters.
That was all the Titans’ defense needed on a wet and rainy day at MetLife Stadium as it shut down Saquon Barkley (31 yards on 14 carries) in helping Tennessee win its third straight game, matching its season high.
The defense limited New York to 260 yards, had three sacks, a third-quarter interception that stopped a New York drive inside the red zone with the score 7-0, and a forced fumble that set up Henry’s second TD.
The shutout was the Titans’ first since a 31-0 win over the Cowboys on Christmas Day in 2000. It needed a late stand to make it happen.
It was the first time New York was blanked since Arizona posted a 23-0 win last Dec. 24.
Eli Manning finished 21 of 44 for 229 yards as New York lost for only the second time in six games since the bye week.
Marcus Mariota hit 13 of 20 passes for 88 yards as the Titans ground it out against New York, rushing 42 times for 216 yards.
After Ryan Succop missed a 48-yard field goal on the opening series, the Titans got the ball back and went 75 yards in 15 plays with Henry powering in from 1 yard. He seemingly had scored two plays earlier, but a video review determined he was just short.
Linebacker Kamalei Correa forced a Manning fumble in the third quarter that Jurrell Casey recovered at the 14. New York seemed to have the Titans stopped at its 3 on third down, but a facemask penalty on a sack of Mariota gave them first-and-goal.
Succop added a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
ODD PENALTY
The Titans were hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking two consecutive delay-of-game penalties in row on a fourth-and-6 at the Giants 35 late in the first half. The Giants declined the first one and Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel had his team do it again. He seemed surprised by the second call.
INJURIES
Titans S Kenny Vaccaro left in the first half with a concussion. LB Sharif Finch left in the second half with a shoulder injury.
Giants C Spencer Pulley left in the second half with a calf injury, along with special teams Antonio Hamilton, who had a quadriceps injury. Star WR Odell Beckham Jr., missed his second straight game with a quad problem.
UP NEXT
Titans: host Washington on Saturday in finishing with two games at home.
Giants: at Indianapolis on Sunday in the final road game of the regular season.
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
