• Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

The Cowboys winning streak ends in low scoring affair

Photo Credit: Associated Press/Bill Kostroun

 

The pressure on the Giants loomed large after every other team vying for a wildcard playoff spot won on Sunday afternoon.  The question was not one of urgency for big blue but one of being able to take that urgency and channel it into a strong performance.  The Giants offense got off to an inauspicious start, running eight plays for sixteen yards and one first down on their first two drives.  Eli Manning was sacked once and felt pressure on each possession.  On the other hand, the Giants defense got off to an excellent start forcing a three and out on the Cowboys first possession but the Dallas offense would not be held down for very long.  On their second series they moved the ball downfield quickly and completely fooled the Giants defense when Prescott found a wide open Terrance Williams for a 31 yard touchdown giving the Cowboys the early 7-0 lead.  On the subsequent series the Giants were driving downfield but the first drive of the game where the offense was successfully moving the ball was upended by an Eli Manning turnover.   Under pressure Manning was sacked and fumbled the ball and Dallas recovered it.  Fortunately for the Giants, just four plays later the Cowboys gave the ball back right back to the Giants when Dak Prescott’s pass intended for Dez Bryant was intercepted by Janoris Jenkins.   The Giants offensive line struggled to give Manning ample time in the pocket and midway through the second quarter Manning was sacked for the third time.  The hit by defensive end Benson Mayowa resulted in another Manning fumble that was recovered by Dallas.  The turnover was especially costly as it came on first down on the Cowboys thirty eight yard line.  The Giants had hoped that running back Shane Vereen would give the offense a boost but his return was short lived as he suffered a concussion in the first half that would prevent him from returning to the game.  Considering the fact that the Giants offense was completely ineffective throughout the first half, they only trailed the Cowboys 7-0 heading into the locker room.

 

The Giants offense continued to struggle in the second half, quickly turning the ball over on downs on their first series.  On their second drive of the third quarter Manning led the offense into Cowboys territory with a chance to put seven on the board and tie the game.  A costly drop by Odell Beckham Jr. on third and eight from the Dallas twenty one yard line ended the drive and forced the Giants to settle for a 39 yard field goal.  The Giants efficiency on third down was terrible as they went 1-for-10 through three quarters but because of the big play ability of Odell Beckham Jr. the Giants managed to take the lead at the close of the third quarter.  On second and ten from their own thirty nine yard line Manning found Beckham on a quick slant and Beckham took the short pass all the way to the end zone for a 61 yard touchdown.  The Giants first possession of the fourth quarter was going smoothly until Manning turned the ball over for the third time of the day.  On second and nine from the Cowboys 22 yard line Manning’s pass intended for Victor Cruz was intercepted by cornerback Anthony Brown.  A golden opportunity to put more points on the board quickly disappeared.  Fortunately the Giants defense kept Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in check all afternoon, picking up three sacks, two interceptions and forcing two fumbles.  The second forced fumble came with just under two and a half minutes left in the game.  Prescott’s pass to Dez Bryant, his first reception of the game, was good for ten yards but as he made his way upfield Janoris Jenkins forced the fumble and the Giants recovered the ball.  Though the Giants were unable to secure the game as their offense was unable to get a first down and were forced to punt to Dallas yet again.  The Cowboys started from their own three yard line with just over one minute to go in the game.  The Giants defense came up big yet again, stopping the Cowboys and sealing the victory.  The 10-7 win ended the Cowboys eleven game winning streak and gave the Giants some much needed momentum heading into their final three games, two of which are on the road against division opponents.  Despite three turnovers from Manning and another lackluster effort from the offense, the Giants managed to edge out a win due to the superb play of their defense and the playmaking ability of Odell Beckham Jr.  Next week they will host the Detroit Lions in their final home game of the season.  The team will need to secure at least one more win to ensure a wildcard playoff berth so the pressure will be on the Giants yet again to step up and rise to the occasion.

 

Dan Evans is a Contributing Writer for PureSportsNY    You can follow him on Twiter @DanEvansPSNY

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

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