Jim Cordle the new starter at center for the Giants is out for the year after an injury against Cowboys. Photo by Pete Lerro/contrastphotography.com

EAST RUHERFORD: For Jim Cordle , his 2013 season has paralleled that of his team’s. The Giants got off to a forgettable start only to somehow find a way to win three straight games and keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

For Cordle his season started on the bench. The third-year center out of Ohio State did not start until the fourth game of the season when starting center David Baas went down with a knee injury. Cordle started three games in a row before Baas tried a comeback against Minnesota October 21 and re-injured his knee and was placed on injured reserve.

Cordle has been snapping the ball since and Big Blue has not lost.

Sunday the Giants edged the Oakland Raiders 24-20 in a game that befitted a 2-6 team that was hosting a team with a 3-5 record entering the contest. No style points for these two teams.

The Raiders scored their first TD less than a minute into the game when Big Blue returner Jerrel Jernigan fumbled the opening kickoff right into the hands of Raiders Andre Holmes at the Giants 23 yard line, Holmes returned the ball to the five-yard line and quarterback Terrelle Pryor scored two plays later on a sneak.

The Giants evened the scored on a blocked punt by Demontre Moore which was scooped and scored by Cooper Taylor..

The Raiders also scored on a 43-yard pick six by Tracy Porter.

The ugliest play of the day was also one of the best for the Giants who have now won three in a row.

Cornerback Terrell Thomas intercepted Pryor at the Giants 30-yard line, then raced 65 yards where he fumbled on the Raiders five-yard line.

Luckily the Giants recovered and scored on a one-yard run by Andre Brown, who missed the first eight games of the season due to injury and was not listed on the lineup card. Thomas had missed the last two seasons due to injuries.

“It was a sloppy win but felt like we were in control even though the score didn’t reflect that,” Cordle said. “It was kind of a weird game with the turnovers and blocked punts,” Cordle said. “I thought…with the exception the pick-six where we screwed up the communication, for the most part we were in control of the game. We feel pretty good about the win but we’re going to have to correct the mistakes. It’s good to have the good feeling”

Cordle said the Giants were on guard for a major effort by the Raiders who were embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles last week when reserved quarterback Nick Foles threw a NFL record-tying seven touchdown passes against their secondary.

“Absolutely,” Cordle said. “They’re an NFL team and they’ve got a lot of pride, they’re improved and they want to win as bad as we do. They came out and did some things that were effective. Give them credit but we won the game.”
While Foles’ performance against the Raiders defense was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame, Eli Manning’s was not.

Manning was just 12 of 22 for 140 yards, one TD pass, the interception and was sacked three times. His quarterback rating was just 70.3.

While that stat line will not get anyone excited, Cordle is excited he has the center job for the rest of the season and an opportunity to show his skills.

“I’m a lot more comfortable,” said Cordle, who is listed as 6-foot-3, 320 pounds. “I feel good about seeing the defense and making calls. We did some good things, picking up blitzes…I’ll keep getting better and keep watching film…it helps having the unit together (for a few games).”