Saints 30, Giants 7

Sunday, December 24th 2006, 3:54 pm

By: News On 6

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The reborn New Orleans Saints are a game away from a 1st-round playoff bye. Tom Coughlin may be a game away from the end of his coaching career with the New York
Giants.

Reggie Bush ran for a career-best 126 yards and a touchdown and the Saints limited the Giants to six 1st downs and 142 yards in a 30-7 win on Sunday that turned Giants Stadium into a ghost town in the 4th quarter.

The Saints (10-5) can clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a bye if Dallas losses either of its final two games (Philadelphia on Monday and Carolina next weekend) or New Orleans wins at home against Carolina.

Unbelievably, the Giants (7-8), who did not have a snap in Saints' territory all game, remain in the playoff hunt despite losing for the sixth time in seven games. The sellout crowd was so upset with the performance that twice it chanted "Fire Coughlin" before heading for the exits. A year ago, New York won the NFC East.

Atlanta, which was beaten by Carolina 10-3, the Panthers and Green Bay also have the same mark heading into the final week of the season in the race for the now tainted second wild card berth in the NFC.

Drew Brees threw a go-ahead 2-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston late in the 1st half to give New Orleans a 13-7 halftime lead. Bush added a little insurance with a 1-yard TD run on an end around in the 3rd quarter and Deuce McAllister, who rushed for 108 yards, scored on a 9-yard run early in the 4th quarter, emptying the stadium.

John Carney kicked field goals of 32, 26 and 38 yards for New Orleans, which has been one of the surprises of the NFL under new coach Sean Payton just a year after posting a 3-13 record during the Hurricane Kartina-ravaged season.

Plaxico Burress caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning on the opening series. Retiring halfback Tiki Barber gained 71 yards on 16 carries in his final home game.

Bush, whose previous best rushing effort was 67 yards in the season opener, was the star of this game. He had 10 touches for 70 yards on the Saints go-ahead, 18-play, 89-yard drive late in the 1st half. The former Southern California back also had a punt return for a touchdown reversed.

Brees, who came into the day with more than 4,000 yards passing and 25 TDs, finished 13-32 for 132 yards on a day his receivers dropped at least 8 passes. His 2-yarder to Colston was a perfect throw on a 4th-down gamble.

Manning hit his first 6 passes, including the 55-yard score to Burress. On the play, Saints cornerback Fred Thomas slipped and fell. After that, Manning was 3-19, finishing 9-25 for 74 yards with 1 interception and 1 fumble.

Like a week ago against Philadelphia, New York seemed in control after scoring on its opening series. Michael Strahan, playing for the first time since spraining a foot on November 5, then led the defense on a 3-and-out.

However, the tide seemed to turn when Chad Morton muffed the ensuing punt and Jamal Jones recovered for New Orleans, setting up the first of Carney's field goals.

The Saints dominated the rest of the 1st half, led by Bush, a staunch defense and some gutsy calls by Payton.

The former Giants offensive coordinator called a couple of key time outs late in the 1st quarter to keep New York moving into a stiff breeze and he gambled successfully on 4th down three times to help New Orleans take a 13-7 lead.