Giants Live to Fight Another Day: It may be the start of a push to the playoffs, or it may be fool’s gold and a temporary blip on the downward spiral. But the New York Giants flashed some life today against the Dallas Cowboys, defeating their hated rival 31-24 in an emotional game at the Meadowlands.
The Giants improved their record to 7-5 (3-1 in the NFC East). The Giants now trail the 8-4 Cowboys and 8-4 Eagles by one game.
The Giants won despite Dallas out-gaining New York in several key categories including first downs (27 to 15), total net yards (424 to 337), net yards passing (379 to 237), and time of possession (38:50 to 21:10). But the Giants did out-gain the Cowboys on the ground: 100 to 45.
Dallas received the ball first to start the game and drove 44 yards before being forced to punt. The Cowboys gained one first down on their second drive before being forced to punt again. Meanwhile, the Giants gained 28 yards on their first drive before punting and then went three-and-out.
The Cowboys opened the scoring in the second quarter after driving 64 yards in 13 plays to set up a 34-yard field goal. Disaster then struck on the ensuing possession when HB Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled the football away and Dallas recovered at the Giants’ 26-yard line. Seven plays later, the Cowboys went up 10-0 when QB Tony Romo found WR Roy Williams for a 4-yard touchdown reception.
With 3:14 left before halftime, QB Eli Manning led the Giants on a 4-play, 69-yard effort in just one minute and 46 seconds that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown pass to WR Hakeem Nicks. Cowboys 10 – Giants 7.
Momentum further swung in New York’s favor when DE Mathias Kiwanuka forced HB Marion Barber to fumble after a short reception. DE Osi Umenyiora recovered the loose ball and returned it 24 yards to the Cowboys’ 28-yard line. Four plays later, the Giants took the lead 14-10 when HB Brandon Jacobs scored from one yard out.
Dallas did manage to get into position to attempt a 57-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, but the kick was short. Right after the attempt, Cowboys’ LT Flozell Adams shoved Tuck in the back after the play, igniting a bench-clearing fight that fired up the Giants even further. It was Adams who injured Tuck’s shoulder in the season-opener by tripping him from behind.
The Giants received the football to start the second half and drove 52 yards in seven plays to the Cowboys’ 25-yard line. But on 1st-and-10, Manning, who was under duress much of the day due to a fierce Cowboys’ pass rush, threw the ball up for grabs in the endzone and the pass was picked off. The Giants’ defense forced a punt, but the Giants’ offense went three-and-out on their second possession of the second half.
The Cowboys regained the lead when they drove 56 yards in eight plays with Romo finding Williams again for the score, this time from five yards out. Cowboys 17 – Giants 14.
The Giants then quickly regained the lead on the first play of the ensuing drive. Manning hit Jacobs out of the backfield, and aided by an excellent downfield block from TE Darcy Johnson, scored from 74 yards out. Giants 21 – Cowboys 17.
Both teams then exchanged punts before Dallas drove 38 yards in nine plays to set up a 42-yard field goal attempt that was missed badly by the Cowboys’ place kicker. The Giants responded with an 8-play, 63-yard effort that set up a successful 23-yard field goal by PK Lawrence Tynes. The Giants should have had a touchdown on 3rd-and-goal from the 5-yard line but WR Steve Smith dropped the football. Giants 24 – Cowboys – 17.
The Cowboys went three-and-out and punted. WR Domenik Hixon returned that punt 79 yards for a touchdown by breaking tackles and receiving excellent downfield blocks. With less than six minutes to play, the Giants were up by two touchdowns, 31-17.
Dallas managed to move the ball to the Giants’ 35-yard line with over three-and-a-half minutes to play. But sure tackles by DE Dave Tollefson on 3rd-and-3 and CB Aaron Ross on 4th-and-2 after short completions forced the Cowboys to turn the football over on downs.
The Giants went three-and-out. With 2:25 left to play, the Cowboys drove 77 yards in seven plays, taking only 1:27 off the clock. With less than a minute to play, the Giants were awarded possession on the ensuing onside kickoff by the Cowboys after a Dallas player illegally touched the ball before it went 10 yards. The Giants then knelt on the ball to end the game.
Highlights of the game are available at NFL.com.
Post-Game Notes: Inactive for the Giants were HB D.J. Ware (concussion), WR Ramses Barden, WR Sinorice Moss, H-Back Travis Beckum (groin), OC Adam Koets, OT Guy Whimper, S Michael Johnson (groin), and CB D.J. Johnson.
Offensively, QB Eli Manning finished the game 11-of-25 for 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Halfbacks Ahmad Bradshaw (7 carries for 47 yards) and Brandon Jacobs (13 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown) were the leading rushers. WR Steve Smith caught six passes for 110 yards.
Defensively, the leading tackler was S Aaron Rouse (12 tackles). Rouse also had a sack as did LB Clint Sintim. LB Michael Boley was credited with 11 tackles and CB Terrell Thomas with 10 tackles.
Jonathan Goff (8 tackles) started at middle linebacker for Chase Blackburn. Mathias Kiwanuka (6 tackles, 3 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble) started at right defensive end for Osi Umenyiora. Chris Canty started for Fred Robbins at defensive tackle. C.C. Brown (9 tackles) started for the injured Michael Johnson at safety.
RG Chris Snee left the game with a knee injury. He was replaced by Kevin Boothe. “I don’t know (how bad it is),” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “We are going to have to wait and see.”