Cowboys 20-15 Giants (September 26, 2024) Game Recap

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – There was a sense of relief in the somewhat subdued Dallas Cowboys locker room after a hard-fought victory over the New York Giants. There was little celebration.

What mattered Thursday night were the numbers on the scoreboard at MetLife Stadium. Dallas Cowboys 20, New York Giants 15.

The two-game losing streak was over, and those who criticized Dallas (2-2) and coach Mike McCarthy and predicted a disappointing season were silent for one night. The Cowboys were the Cowboys again, a good offense and a solid defense.

Dak Prescott threw one of his two touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys defeated the Giants for the seventh straight time and 14th time in 15 games.

“We need to change the narrative. That’s what this game did, especially on a long weekend,” said Prescott, who completed 22 of 27 for 221 yards. “That puts us at 2-2. It gives us a few days to get our minds and bodies in order.”

Prescott hit the running back Rico Dowdle with a 15-yard screen pass for a touchdown that gave Dallas the lead in the first quarter. Then he found Lamb for a 55-yard catch-and-run TD on a play that ended with the receiver being called for taunting.

“I lost my first two games against them,” said Prescott, who has won his last 13 starts against New York. “It could have been a remarkable rookie year if that hadn’t happened. It's a good duel for us. The offensive line always sets the tone. I love playing here in New York. Cowboy fans travel well.”

Lamb slipped past two defenders and trotted into the end zone. He then shot the ball toward them and flexed his muscles, resulting in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

“I think it was the only 1-on-1 I had all game and we took advantage of it,” said Lamb, who had seven catches for 98 yards. He has yet to have a 100-yard game this season.

Brandon Aubrey hit field goals of 60 and 40 yards for Dallas, which entered the game with major concerns after being soundly beaten at home by New Orleans and Baltimore. A new problem for the Cowboys is an apparent leg injury to star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who was carted off the field in the fourth quarter. Parsons said he will have an X-ray on Friday.

Greg Joseph made field goals of 52, 41, 38, 22 and 42 for the Giants (1-3), who controlled the ball 35-37 but failed to score a touchdown at home for the second straight game. They scored two field goals in the 28-6 loss to Minnesota in the opening game.

What hurt New York was its inability to compete against the worst rush defense in the league. Dallas gave up an average of 185.7 yards, but it held the Giants to 26 yards on 24 carries, an average of 1.1 yards.

“I would say we need to do a better job in the run game, and that starts with me,” coach Brian Daboll said. “But we tried different things, but we couldn’t really get much done.”

Daniel Jones' arm held him tight. He completed 29 of 40 passes for 281 yards, making him a sensational rookie Malik Nabers 12 times for 115 yards and Wan'Dale Robinson 11 times for 71 yards. But the one thing he couldn't find was the end zone.

“We don't feel good when we lose,” said Jones, who has had solid performances three times in a row. “We didn’t do enough to win. We are frustrated. We won't be discouraged. I think we still have confidence in our team and what we can do well, but we don't feel good about it.”

Nabers left late in the game with a concussion. Jones threw an interception on the Giants' final series after Aubrey missed a 51-yard field goal attempt – his first career miss from over 50 yards – to give New York a narrow final shot.

If there was a bright spot for the Giants, it was that they were at least competitive against a bitter rival. They lost their two games last year 89:17.

The Cowboys got exactly what they wanted on Thursday night.

“When you lose two games in a row, you get into a phase where everyone is kind of tense,” Lamb said. “It was good for us to come out 1-0 this week. It's one we needed. It's a division game. It got us to the right place.”

Injuries

Cowboys: DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who had a sack in the first half to increase his career total to 61 1/2, left the second half with a foot injury. … Rookie starting CB Caelen Carson and backup S Markquese Bell (ankle) were inactive after being listed as questionable. Andrew Booth started for Carson and was replaced by Amani Oruwariye early in the second half.

Giants: Nabers, the No. 6 overall draft pick and a breakout star, suffered a concussion on New York's second-to-last series.

Cowboys: At Pittsburgh for a Sunday night game on Oct. 6, the second of their five scheduled prime-time appearances.

Giants: At Seattle on October 6th.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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