Two familiar bugaboos -- slow starts and red zone inefficiency -- reared their ugly heads as the New York Giants went into halftime trailing the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-6, on Sunday.

The Giants fell behind 14-0 in the first 4:01 of Sunday's game. First, the Bengals went 79 yards in five plays, scoring on a 56-yard pass from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green -- the result of a communication breakdown in the Giants' secondary. A 68-yard punt return by Adam Jones set the Bengals up at the Giants 11-yard line moments later, and Dalton passed 11 yards to Andrew Hawkins to make the score 14-0.

The Giants had two opportunities for touchdowns in the first half, and could not convert either. They settled for a 23-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal after Willi Hill recovered a Brandon Tate fumble at the Cincinnati 27-yard line. The Giants' final drive of the first half -- a 14-play, 69-yard effort -- stalled at the Bengals' 13-yard line.

Eli Manning is 15-of-20 for 107 yards. Hakeem Nicks has seven catches for 63 yards.

The Giants get the ball to start the second half.