Giants crush the Redskins to improve to 11-1

LANDOVER, Maryland (Reuters) - The New York Giants won their seventh straight game and made a bold move toward claiming the NFC East title by crushing the Washington Redskins 23-7 Sunday.

Eli Manning completed 21 of 34 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown to lead the defending Super Bowl champion Giants on a cold and rainy day before 85,912 at FedEx Field.

"With the wet conditions we knew they were going to use a lot of man coverage and that's what they did," Manning said following his first 300-yard game of the season.

"(Our receivers) did a great job of getting open and catching the ball in these conditions, using their hands, which is tough at times."

The victory raised the Giants' record to 11-1 and gave them a three-game lead on the Dallas Cowboys (8-4) in the division with four games to play.

"We don't have an asterisk by our name for a division playoff spot yet and until we do we haven't reached our goal," said Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who helped limit the NFL's leading rusher, Clinton Portis, to just 22 yards.

"We still have a lot to prove."

A one-yard scoring run by Brandon Jacobs in the third quarter gave the Giants a cozy 20-7 lead and sent scores of Redskins fans heading for the exits.

"We knew the Redskins had their backs against the wall and desperately needed a win," said Jacobs, who rushed for 71 yards on 21 carries.

"We have a team that is dedicated to winning. And we expect to keep winning."

John Carney booted his third field goal of the day, a 39-yarder, in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring and seal the Giants' fifth road win in six games.

"We are really focused and we want to prove every week that we are out there to compete," said Amani Toomer, who scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass on the Giants' first possession.

"We're the team that everybody is chasing so we're not going to let up and people catch up with us."

Washington lost for the third time in four games to fall to 7-5 and into third place in the NFC East.

The Redskins were one of the NFL's most surprising teams during the first half of the season but will now have to scramble to qualify for the playoffs.

"This is not like a season-ending game where we all go home and we see you all next year," Washington's first-year coach Jim Zorn told reporters. "We are 7-5 and that is bright.

"We have to be as tough as nails and commit to these last four games and seize the opportunity and earn the right to be in the postseason."

(Editing by Miles Evans)