Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, left, gets sacked by Giants defensive end Justin Tuck in the first quarter of Thursday's game. (Bill Kostroun/Associated Press)

The New York Giants began defence of their Super Bowl championship with a coldly efficient 16-7 defeat of the visiting Washington Redskins in the NFL's 2008 season opener on Thursday night.

Quarterback Eli Manning directed scoring drives on New York's first four possessions, and the Giants never looked back in their first meaningful action since shocking the then-unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII last February.

"It was a great opening to the season," said Manning. "There was a lot of emotion, a lot of excitement."

The Super Bowl MVP completed 19 of 35 passes for 216 yards and ran for the Giants' only touchdown — a one-yard scamper five minutes into the game. He also threw an interception.

Recently signed 44-year-old kicker John Carney supplied the rest of New York's scoring, making field goals of 24, 25 and 47 yards.

The Giants defence showed it can still dominate without last year's star pass rushers Michael Strahan (retired) and Osi Umenyiora (out for the season with a knee injury), holding Washington to 11 first downs and 209 total yards.

Strahan, the emotional leader of a unit that racked up a league-high 52 sacks last year, whipped the crowd into a pre-game frenzy by hoisting the Super Bowl championship trophy. His replacement at left end, fourth-year man Justin Tuck, went on to register the Giants' lone sack.

"We played well and it's no surprise to us," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "We feel like we got capable guys and we held them for very few yards other than the two-minute situations where they got most of their yardage. We are confident in our defence and feel like if we stick with the scheme we'll have success all year."

Manning starts strong

Bulky running back Brandon Jacobs bulldozed his way to 116 yards rushing on 21 carries, while receiver Plaxico Burress — the recipient of a new five-year, $35-million contract just hours before the game — tied a career-high with 10 catches for 133 yards for the Giants.

Washington's Santana Moss scored on a 12-yard catch-and-run in the final seconds of the first half, while Clinton Portis rushed for 84 yards as Washington's offence fizzled under rookie head coach Jim Zorn.

Quarterback Jason Campbell completed 15 of his 27 passes but managed just 133 yards — some of those all but conceded as the Giants' defence limited him to clock-killing short passes over the final minutes to seal the win.

"A team held us to three [downs] and out for over half the game," said Portis. "We have to be better than that."

Manning came out looking every bit the reigning Super Bowl MVP as he led New York on an 84-yard touchdown march to start the game. The quarterback completed passes of 30, 19 and 11 yards to Burress before finishing the drive himself, rolling to the right and diving into the end zone 5:06 into the first quarter.

Manning did enough on his next three possessions to put the ball in field-goal range for Carney, whose 47-yarder put the Giants up 16-0 at the two-minute warning in the first half.

The Redskins finally woke up on the ensuing kickoff. Rock Cartwright's excellent 50-yard return set up Campbell's 12-yard touchdown pass to Moss with 13 seconds left on the clock, making the score 16-7 at halftime.

With files from the Associated Press