Dallas Cowboys defense comes up big again in victory over New York Giants
As far as getting the job done and accomplishing their goals, the Dallas Cowboys checked most of the boxes on Sunday’s trip to a half-empty MetLife Stadium.
The Cowboys recorded their third straight win by notching four turnovers in their third straight game to power a 21-6 win against the hapless New York Giants. The victory puts them on the coveted 10-win plateau, and the team can now start focusing on the playoffs.
At 10-4, the Cowboys have all but clinched a playoff berth and can officially clinch the NFC East title with a win next Sunday against the Washington Football Team at home at AT&T Stadium.
“I think this is the time of year that things start to sort itself out,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “We took a big step forward. I always believed in December football you just have to find ways to win. You want to improve. You want to gain momentum. Winning in this type of weather was an opportunity for us to gain confidence as we move forward. We got Washington at home Sunday night. That the next one to get to 11. We clearly understand what is front of us.”
As of now, they have moved from the fourth seed to the second seed in the playoffs, thanks to the Detroit Lions’ stunning win against the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints won over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both dropped to 10-4.
The Cowboys currently hold have a superior conference record.
One year after the Cowboys went 6-10 in McCarthy’s first year as head coach, team owner Jerry Jones said getting to 10 wins was “extremely meaningful” for the team and the coach.
“I told Mike, ‘It’s good to have your name associated with 10 wins,’” Jones said, “No matter how you count it. It’s good to do it up here against this storied franchise. Plus, I saw things out there that feel good about our games ahead. This was an important day. Let’s make no mistake about it.”
The last-place Giants (4-10) played the game without eight players who are in COVID-19 protocols, so the Cowboys did what they were supposed to do.
They led 15-3 at halftime on the strength of two turnovers forced by defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
A pass deflection in the first quarter was turned into an interception by cornerback Jourdan Lewis. His 18-yard return set up a 13-yard touchdown run by running back Ezekiel Elliott.
And with the Cowboys leading 12-3, Lawrence forced a fumble with 41 seconds left in the first half, leading to a 27-yard field goal, the third of the day for Greg Zuerlein.
But the Cowboys’ offense, however, remains an issue as their struggles continue. The unit moved into the red zone three times in the second quarter, but three times they had to settle for field goals.
The Cowboys, who rank second in the league in scoring, mustered just one offensive touchdown in each of the previous two games, wins over the New Orleans Saints and Washington.
Their first two touchdowns against the Giants came courtesy of short fields provided by the defense; the Lewis interception in the first quarter and a fourth-and-1 stop in the third quarter.
The latter led to a 1-yard pass from quarterback Dak Prescott to tight end Dalton Schultz to cap a 29-yard drive, making the score 21-6.
But that was it for the offense, which tried to give the Giants life midway through the fourth quarter with a Prescott fumble on a come-from-behind sack. Prescott later acknowledged he was being greedy by trying to force a big play down the field.
Prescott passed for only 217 yards on 28 completions. And while running game produced its best game in more than a month with 125 yards on the ground, led by Tony Pollard’s 74 yards on 12 carries, the fact that the Cowboys scored only 15 points off four takeaways remains a source of frustration.
“We’re definitely building,” Prescott said. “As I’ve said before, we’re trying to peak at the right time, make sure we’re heading into the postseason with momentum, playing some of our best ball. Our defense is doing that. Our offense still has some growth to do. But 3-0, three road games, that’s big. That’s big headed in the direction we’re going. You’ll take these wins any way you can get them. Division win. Great team win here on the road.”
The defense again bailed the Cowboys out with two fourth-quarter interceptions, the first of the season and the first since 2019 by safety Malik Hooker and the 10th of the season by cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Diggs became the first Cowboys player to record double-digit interceptions since Everson Walls had a team-record 11 in 1981.
Jones believes the offense will continue to improve and get back to where it was as evidence by positive steps on the ground against the Giants.
But that the Cowboys can rely on a defense to win a third straight game on the road has Jones feeling as good about his team this late in the season as he has in a long time.
“I am really excited,” Jones said. “We are a better team going home today. We need to have real improvement as we get into the playoffs. But they are in sync. I don’t see anything thinking we are where we need to be to give us the best chance. I don’t see anybody taking anything for granted. All those things in play here are going to help make this team great.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2021 at 3:06 PM.
