It took a whole half but the Giants eventually conquered their New York rival, the Jets on Sunday in Week Five coming back from 10 down to pull out a 35-24 win at Giants Stadium- making it their third consecutive victory to improve to 3-2 on the season.

After a dreadful first half in which he completed just three passes for 22 yards and a key interception which led to a Mike Nugent field goal before the half to put Gang Green up 17-7, Giants QB Eli Manning responded with two touchdown passes, orchestrating three second half scoring drives in the comeback win.

He also got plenty of help from a balanced ground attack with returning starter Brandon Jacobs rushing for a 19-yard score and 100 yards while Derrick Ward added 56 rushing yards and a touchdown as well. Even Manning scampered for 17 yards picking up a big first down on third-and-long to keep a scoring drive alive.

Big Blue outgained the Jets 188-55 on the ground which helped Tom Coughlin’s team hold an edge in time of possession, controlling the clock for 33:45 compared with Gang Green’s 26:15.

Their opponents certainly came out with the kind of desperation one would expect from a 1-3 team. Playing with more of an edge on D, it was the Jets who took early control thanks to a Jacobs lost fumble at his own 11 which was recovered and run back for the game’s first score by Kerry Rhodes.

The Jets nearly went up 10 but Nugent missed just left from 42 yards out near the end of the first quarter. It gave the Giants good field position and allowed them to put together a 68-yard drive with 48 of the yards on the ground including Ward’s tying score from eight yards out.

Gang Green regained the momentum thanks to a successful two-minute drill by Chad Pennington in which the Jets QB took his team down the field 93 yards mostly through the air. After consecutive completions to Jericho Cotchery, he located versatile QB/receiver Brad Smith in the end zone for a 16-yard go-ahead score with only 33 seconds left in the half. It was Smith’s first career receiving touchdown.

For whatever reason, Coughlin had Manning try to pass from his own 21. It proved foolish after Jets’ linebacker Jonathan Vilma intercepted him on first down helping setup Nugent’s successful 47-yard kick to put the Giants down 10 at the half.

After a very sharp opening scoring drive in which Jacobs ran to the right behind a nice block from 19 out to cut it to 17-14, the Giants’ special teams allowed dangerous kick returner Leon Washington to find a crease and go 98 yards for a crushing retaliatory score which restored the Jets’ 10-point lead.

The Jets went conservative going three and out after holding their crosstown rivals. After looking out of synch most of the day, Manning finally put together a solid drive completing five of six passes including three to Plaxico Burress and even one to Sinorice Moss (yes, he was on the field long enough). He then hooked up with TE Jeremy Shockey on a second-and-long and the former Cane product did the rest for a 13-yard TD slicing it to 24-21.

The Jets looked like they would respond yet again but an ill advised lob pass by Pennington near the goal line resulted in rookie corner Aaron Ross’ first career pick.

Despite starting from their own 2, the Giants got help from a Jets’ penalty and eventually got near midfield. That’s when Manning found Burress along the left sideline. The electric receiver then schooled Jets’ corner Andre Dyson with a stiff arm and then went the rest of the way for a huge 53-yard score to give Big Blue its first lead.

Ross followed by putting the game away by intercepting Pennington for the second time and taking it to the house for a 43-yard TD to put the Giants up 35-24 with 3:15 left.

The Giants’ 2007 No.1 pick didn’t start the first half due to some team discipline but the University of Texas product came up large in keeping his team’s momentum going to stay within half a game of the Redskins for second in the division.

For the Jets, it’s back to the drawing board. At 1-4, the luster is off Eric Mangini in year two. Following a magical debut season in which he led his team to a surprising wildcard berth before losing to the Patriots, reality has set in for the second-year coach.

His QB has turned it over too much with costly interceptions. One coming late in last weekend’s disappointing defeat at Buffalo and three more yesterday including a couple of back breakers. Pennington finished 21-of-36 for 229 yards and a score Sunday. The accuracy is still there on the gutsy veteran’s ball but the lack of strength which has always been a concern is more noticeable. Especially with him playing with a bum ankle.

Now might be the time for the Jets to give strong consideration to giving Kellen Clemens another start when they host the Eagles next week. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.

For now, they’re a 1-4 team going nowhere fast. Especially when they haven’t been able to establish Thomas Jones on the ground. In their lone win, the ex-Bear ran for over 100. It’s time for them to give the pickup more carries and find more ways to get their special teams talent Washington involved.