Giants Turn Back Clock, 24-7 : NFC: New York’s play is reminiscent of championship seasons in victory over Redskins.

WASHINGTON —  Everyone said the New York Giants were getting old, but it was the Giants of old who showed up.

Jeff Hostetler threw two touchdown passes and the Giants kept their playoff hopes alive with a 24-7 victory over the Washington Redskins Sunday night.

“We’ve been so close to making things happen and we hadn’t done it this year,” Hostetler said. “This game hopefully puts us over the hump.”

The Giants (4-4), who would have been all but eliminated from the playoff race with a defeat, dropped the Redskins (5-3) two games behind Dallas in the NFC West.

After falling behind on Brian Mitchell’s 84-yard punt return with 10:25 gone in the first quarter, New York moved ahead, 21-7, by halftime using a ball-control offense and never led Washington back into the game.

The Redskins have gone 11 quarters without a touchdown from its offense.

“We just got whipped,” Washington Coach Joe Gibbs said. “They outplayed us in every phase of the game.”

Even when the Redskins had their 7-0 lead, they had only 30 yards, 21 coming on a pass from Mark Rypien to Gary Clark.

The Giants, thriving in wet, sloppy conditions, tied the score on their next possession. Hostetler hooked up with Howard Cross on a 29-yard pass play and then scrambled for 27 yards to set up Jarrod Bunch’s eight-yard touchdown run.

Two possessions later, the Giants scored again on a drive kept alive when the Redskins were penalized for having 12 players on the field while the Giants were punting.

Two plays later, Hostetler connected with Ed McCaffrey on a 17-yard touchdown pass for a 14-7 lead.

“They had some things go against them,” Giant Coach Ray Handley said. “Twelve men on the field--obviously it was a key play for us.”

After the Giants held the Redskins on a three-and-out series, New York got the ball back at its own 33 with 1:38 left in the half.

Dave Meggett broke several tackles on a 30-yard run to the Washington 24 and three plays later caught a four-yard scoring pass from Hostetler.

Rypien was three of 12 for 49 yards and the Redskins had 92 yards of offense in the first half.

Washington finished with 61 yards rushing and Rypien was 14 of 31 for 187 yards.

Washington’s best chance to get back in the game ended when Lawrence Taylor stripped Rypien of the ball at midfield with 13:08 left. Leonard Marshall recovered at the New York 46.

Moments later, Rodney Hampton, who rushed for 138 yards, broke three tackles on a 32-yard run down the sideline to the Washington 18. Matt Bahr kicked an 18-yard field goal with 8:07 left.