National Football League

Bears lead Giants 27-21 after 3 quarters

Published Oct. 11, 2013 3:55 a.m. ET

foxsports

Jay Cutler threw two touchdown passes to Brandon Marshall, and Tim Jennings returned an interception 48 yards for a score to help the Chicago Bears take a 27-21 lead over the New York Giants after the third quarter Thursday night.

Cutler completed 18 of 27 attempts for 223 yards to put the Bears in position to end a two-game losing streak.

With the Giants looking to avoid their first 0-6 start in 37 years, Eli Manning threw interceptions on New York's first two possessions, but rebounded with two touchdown passes and led a 91-yard scoring drive.

With New York down 27-14 midway through the third quarter, Manning attempted a comeback effort by connecting with Victor Cruz for 23 yards and Hakeem Nicks for 31. On third- and-7 from the Bears 32, Manning stepped up to find Rueben Randle for 18 yards.

Manning attempted a pass to Nicks in the end zone, but he was interfered with by Tim Jennings to put the ball on the 1. On the next play, Brandon Jacobs ran it in to cut the Bears' lead to 27-21 with 6 seconds left in the quarter.

Manning was 13 for 20 for 228 yards with the two interceptions.

Manning's pass was picked off by Zackary Bowman on the third play from scrimmage. Bowman returned it to the 12, but the Giants held off Chicago as Cutler couldn't convert a fourth-and-2 pass to Marshall.

On the next Giants' drive, Jacobs broke a 16-yard run and Randle had a 20-yard catch, then Manning tried to go back to Randle, but after an apparent communication breakdown, his pass was picked off by Jennings, who returned it for a touchdown. It was the second time this season Jennings has returned an interception for a touchdown.

Manning leads the league with 14 interceptions.

New York has not dropped its first six since an 0-9 start in 1976.

On the Giants' third possession, Manning and the Giants put together a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Manning connected with Nicks for 17 yards, and found Cruz for back-to-back receptions for 16 yards. Jacobs capped off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to tie it at 7.

On the ensuing drive, Cutler found fullback Tony Flammetta for a 30-yard pass play, which eventually set up a 10-yard touchdown catch for Marshall.

Manning and the Giants went down the field again. Manning connected with Nicks for 11 yards and Cruz for 13, then finished the drive with 37-yard pass to Randle for a touchdown that tied it at 14.

Cutler continued to chew up the Giants' secondary, with Alshon Jeffrey catching a 27-yard pass. On the next play, former Giants tight end Martellus Bennett got involved with a 14-yard catch. For the second time, Cutler found Marshall in the end zone for 3-yard catch to put the Bears back up 21-14 midway through the second quarter.

Marshall had six catches for 67 yards in the half.

After a Giants' three-and-out, the Bears went on a 10-play, 58-yard drive to set up a 40-yard field goal for Robbie Gould that made it 24-14.

On the opening drive of the second half, Cutler connected with Marshall for 15 yards and ran for 9 yards, then 15 yards was tacked on for a personal foul by Antrel Rolle. The drive eventually stalled and the Bears had to settle for a 52-yard field. It was Gould's 12th straight field goald from 50 yards or more and it gave the Bears a 27-14 lead.

Bears cornerback Charles Tillman was inactive because of a right knee injury.