NFL: Manning leads Giants to comeback win over Buccaneers

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter of their NFL football game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, September 16, 2012.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - Eli Manning made amends for an awful second quarter by throwing a career-best 510 yards to lead the Super Bowl champion New York Giants to a 41-34 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers n Sunday.

Manning threw three second-quarter interceptions that led to three Tampa Bay touchdowns and a 24-13 halftime deficit, but he brought the Giants back in a thrilling last quarter.

An 80-yard strike to Victor Cruz followed by a two-point conversion run in by Andre Brown tied the game 27-27, and a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Martellus Bennett gave New York a 34-27 lead with less than four minutes to play.

Then it was Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman's turn to spark a fight back as he hit Mike Williams for a 41-yard leaping catch in the end zone for a touchdown that tied it 34-34 with just under two minutes left.

Sensing a Bucs' blitz as he tried to drive the Giants to a winning score, Manning stepped up and quickly released a high-floating bomb down the sideline that Hakeem Nicks hauled in for a 50-yard gain to the 11-yard line.

Brown bulled his way for a two-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left to make it 41-34 and the Giants escaped a last ditch desperation drive by Tampa Bay when Michael Boley intercepted a Freeman pass to end it.

The only New York Giants quarterback to throw for more yards than Manning was Phil Simms who set a franchise record of 513 yards in 1985.

(Editing by Julian Linden)