Giants topple Niners with late TD

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Eli Manning showed he still has what it takes to lead the kind of game-winning drive that earned him two Super Bowl MVP awards.

Manning capped a 75-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard with 53 seconds left and the New York Giants snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the San Francisco 49ers 27-23 on Monday night.

“It doesn’t get old,” said Manning, whose 36 game-winning drives are the third most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2004. “It’s fun. It’s fun playing in those games and having a two-minute drive to win it. Those are the situations you want to be in. You want to have a chance.”

The Giants (2-7) have failed to capitalize on those late-game situations this season, losing five games by seven or fewer points as part of a disappointing stretch that has put the 37-year-old Manning’s status as starting quarterback in question.

But Manning delivered against the 49ers (2-8) to give New York a much-needed win.

“That’s what Eli is really good at, engineering those come-from-behind drives,” coach Pat Shurmur said. “That was terrific. He hung in there and made some really good throws and got us into the end zone. That’s the sign of a good quarterback.”

Manning threw two TD passes to Odell Beckham Jr. and then engineered the late game-winning drive with help from a pair of third-down penalties against Malcolm Smith and Ahkello Witherspoon.

Saquon Barkley then had a 23-yard catch to get the ball into the red zone and Manning connected with Shepard on third down to give the Giants the win.