The Giants snapped the Cowboys’ 11-game winning streak, earning their second win against Dallas this season.
Scoring
Final score: Giants 10, Cowboys 7
The Giants’ defense held firm, keeping the Cowboys scoreless over the final three quarters. A fourth quarter drive by Dallas was killed when Dez Bryant, after his only catch of the night, fumbled the ball away with 2:13 remaining. The Cowboys got the ball back, but a fourth-down catch by Bryant, which would have been his second reception of the game, was overturned on replay, sealing the Giants’ win.
Third quarter: Giants 10, Cowboys 7
New York finally got some semblance of an offense going in the third quarter. First the settled on a field goal after a drop by Odell Beckham Jr., but then after an interception the Giants struck again, and this time Beckham didn’t drop a thing, running 61 yards to the house to give New York its first lead of the game.
Second quarter: Cowboys 7, Giants 0
An ugly second quarter saw two turnovers — Dak Prescott snapped a string of 172 passes without an interception, and Eli Manning fumbled — and six punts. The only thing close to points was a 55-yard field goal attempt by Dan Bailey at the halftime gun that hit off the crossbar and just missed.
First quarter: Cowboys 7, Giants 0
Dak Prescott found a wide-open Terrance Williams for an easy 31-yard touchdown for the game’s first score.
Highlights
Dez Bryant’s first catch of the game came in the 58th minute, and was immediately fumbled away.
Odell Beckham’s touchdown was so impressive that he did the moonwalk in the end zone.
Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith tossed Eli Apple around like a rag doll.
Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey could only laugh after his 55-yard field goal attempt hit the crossbar and missed.
Eli Manning fumbled because Giants tackle Ereck Flowers barely even blocked a Cowboys defender.
Giants running back Shane Vereen left in the second quarter with a concussion.
That first quarter touchdown pass to Terrance Williams might have been the Cowboys’ easiest TD of the season.
Pregame
The Cowboys are running roughshod over the NFL, the Giants are surging, and revenge is on the line between division rivals.
Not to mention it’s all taking place on Sunday Night Football.
Dallas (11-1) will travel to MetLife Stadium to close out its season series with New York (8-4) while trying to avenge a Week 1 loss to the Giants. Of course, that 20-19 Giants victory now seems like ages ago.
Back then, Dak Prescott was a placeholder for Tony Romo, not a potential Pro Bowler, and Ezekiel Elliott was just trying to live up to his billing, not take over as the one of the best running backs in the league.
Now the duo make up one of the most feared tandems in the league — and with good reason. The Cowboys have the second-best rushing attack in the league (behind only Buffalo), and are fifth overall in points per game (27.8) entering Week 14. Prescott and Elliott have combined to turn the ball over just three times all season. They’ve played in primetime, on Thanksgiving, and on Thursday Night Football, and the Cowboys have risen to every stage.
New York has won six of its last seven games and has put itself squarely in the playoff picture, becoming the second-best team in the NFC East. Eli Manning has more weapons at wide receiver than he knows what to do with and Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and Sterling Shepard have all proven to be big-play threats.
There is no expectation that the Cowboys will ease up a little bit even though they already clinched a playoff berth. With a win Sunday night, Dallas can lock up the NFC East, and potentially a first-round bye in the playoffs. Coming off extra rest this week after playing last Thursday, the Cowboys should be ready for a hard-fought rematch against the only team to beat them this season.
Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and a live stream is available at NBC Sports.
Pregame reading
Jason Pierre-Paul is out 6 weeks after sports hernia surgery (SB Nation)
Ezekiel Elliott hasn't lost an away game since his freshman year of high school (SB Nation)
Cowboys insist they're not going to rest their starters with a playoff spot sewn up (SB Nation)
Eli Manning says Odell Beckham Jr. should kill NFL refs with kindness (SB Nation)