So much for easing Andre Brown back into the flow, as Giants coach Tom Coughlin suggested earlier in the week. After missing the first eight games with a broken leg, Brown persevered once again and was the Giants' primary back in the first half Sunday against the Oakland Raiders at MetLife Stadium.

Brown carried the ball six times for 27 yards in the first quarter. He had five carries for 28 yards on the Giants’ second-quarter touchdown drive.

Even after so much time on the sideline, Brown looked like the player he was before the injury – powerful, quick and effective. It was exactly what the Giants and their 29th-ranked rushing attack were hoping for with his return.

“All I think about is how he played a year ago. I’m looking forward to the return of that player, quite frankly,” Coughlin said during the week. “Size, speed, catch the ball out of the backfield. He does a good job in pass protection. Sometimes you forget he’s 230 pounds. So that is a little bit different dimension.”

That was evident in the first half, especially after Peyton Hillis fumbled on a screen pass in the first quarter. The Giants stuck with Brown most of the second quarter. He had the second-most carries of his career by halftime.

Brown ran for 65 yards on 14 carries in the first half and opened up some play-action passes, key after they struggled to protect Eli Manning early in the contest.

The Giants trailed 17-14 to the Raiders at halftime.