Dallas Cowboys comeback against New York Giants comes up short, ending playoff hopes
After a horrible start in Sunday’s must-win game against the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys battled back like they have all season.
But it would not prove to be enough in a 23-19 loss that ended their season at 6-10.
Now, the Giants (6-10) will wait for the outcome of Sunday night’s game between Washington and Philadelphia to see if they made the playoffs. Washington wins the division if they win. A Washington loss gives the Giants the NFC East as they would win a three-way tiebreaker with Cowboys and Washington.
It was supposed to be the Cowboys destiny after coming into the Giants game on a three-game winning streak and feeling good about an improbable finish after starting the season 3-9.
But they fell behind 20-9 at halftime.
The Cowboys rallied in the second half with a tough 1-yard touchdown run by running back Ezekiel Elliott in the third quarter following a Donovan Wilson interception.
And then a field goal by Greg Zeurlein, his fourth of the game, made it 20-19 early in the fourth quarter.
And that’s when insanity ensued.
The Giants kicked a 50-yard field goal after Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy did not challenge a questionable catch by Dante Pettis.
An incomplete pass would have put the Giants out of field-goal range.
It meant that the Cowboys needed a touchdown, not a field goal, to win.
Quarterback Andy Dalton got them as close as the 7. But a 10-yard sack was followed by interception in the end zone.
The Cowboys a chance for a final miracle when running back Wayne Gallman fumbled with 1:09 left. The officials ruled that Gallman recovered and it was upheld on replay.
The Giants kneeled out the clock for the win.
This story was originally published January 3, 2021 at 3:25 PM.
