Manning, Brown help Giants rout Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eli Manning didn’t need a fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night.

The two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, running back Andre Brown and the rest of the New York Giants finished off the Carolina Panthers way before that.

Brown ran for a career-high 113 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL start to help the Giants rout the Panthers 36-7.

Four days after rallying from 14 points down to beat Tampa Bay, the Giants dominated the first half, scoring on their first four possessions to build a 20-0 lead.

The defending champion Giants (2-1) were without three starters but it hardly mattered.

Brown — waived by five different teams — including the Panthers — since coming into the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2009 — got his chance Thursday night when Ahmad Bradshaw sat out with a neck injury.

Brown said he thought about getting cut by the Panthers before the game — and it inspired him.

“I was walking into the stadium and I have to go by the spot where I parked my car,” Brown said. “I felt a little fire, no doubt. I’m so happy to come out here.

Ramses Barden caught nine passes for a career-high 138 yards in his first NFL start. He played in place of Hakeem Nicks.

Of course it helps that the guy throwing you the ball is named Manning. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 288 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

On the other side, second-year quarterback Cam Newton struggled all night and was pressured into three interceptions. The Panthers (1-2) had five turnovers, including two by returner Joe Adams.

Newton had no luck running the read option against the Giants. He was held to 6 yards rushing a week after running for a career-high 71 yards against the Saints.

“We got some licks on him, when he kept the ball, and that’s something that was lacking last week,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “You have to be disciplined. You have to have people in the right spots, or he’ll take full advantage of it.”

Panthers coach Ron Rivera likened the loss to a lesson you learn from your big brother.

“They came in and slapped us around and dragged us to the ground a little bit,” Rivera said. “Hopefully, we learn from it a little bit. Hopefully, we learn from it and, hopefully, we don’t like it and we come back focused.”

Mixing run and pass, the Giants dominated the opening half, outgaining the Panthers 303-125.

Manning completed 19 of 25 passes for 208 yards in the first half, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett to cap the Giants’ game-opening drive and set the tone. It capped an eight-play, 80-yard drive and marked the third straight game the Panthers have given up a touchdown on an opponent’s first drive.

Giants 36, Panthers 7

N.Y. Giants 10 10 6 10—36

Carolina 0 0 7 0—7

First quarter

NYG—Bennett 14 pass from Manning (Tynes kick), 11:38.

NYG—FG Tynes 47, 3:46.

Second quarter

NYG—A.Brown 1 run (Tynes kick), 12:03.

NYG—FG Tynes 49, 3:13.

Third quarter

NYG—FG Tynes 30, 12:49.

Car—Newton 1 run (Medlock kick), 6:25.

NYG—FG Tynes 36, :50.

Fourth quarter

NYG—A.Brown 1 run (Tynes kick), 9:40.

NYG—FG Tynes 27, 1:09.

A—73,951.

NYG Car

First downs 24 22

Total Net Yards 405 327

Rushes-yards 29-125 20-60

Passing 280 267

Punt Returns 1-6 1-0

Kickoff Returns 1-19 6-126

Interceptions Ret. 3-61 0-0

Comp-Att-Int 28-37-0 19-33-3

Sacked-Yards Lost 2-12 2-21

Punts 2-38.0 3-41.7

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-2

Penalties-Yards 5-38 3-22

Time of Possession 36:10 23:50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—N.Y. Giants, A.Brown 20-113, Scott 6-9, Manning 2-5, Wilson 1-(minus 2). Carolina, D.Williams 11-50, Newton 6-6, Tolbert 3-4.

PASSING—N.Y. Giants, Manning 27-35-0-288, Carr 1-2-0-4. Carolina, Newton 16-30-3-242, D.Anderson 3-3-0-46.

RECEIVING—N.Y. Giants, Barden 9-138, Bennett 6-73, Cruz 6-42, A.Brown 3-17, Hynoski 2-15, Randle 1-4, Wilson 1-3. Carolina, Olsen 7-98, Smith 4-86, Tolbert 4-47, D.Williams 2-23, LaFell 1-27, Murphy 1-7.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.