Injuries Catch Up to Giants as the Cowboys Break Away
ARLINGTON, Tex. - As a taut and unforgivingly physical game between two old rivals wound into the third quarter in the Texas-size football palace outside Dallas on Sunday, the Giants, embarrassed in a spiritless shutout the week before, were showing a renewed sense of vitality and proficiency.
The Dallas Cowboys, though, imbued with confidence from a five-game winning streak, had risen to match the somewhat desperate intensity of their visitors.
It was not a textbook classic game, but it had plenty of moments of drama. Still, in time, Dallas's speed wore down an increasingly banged-up Giants defense, and the Cowboys scored two second-half touchdowns to escape with a hard-earned 31-21 victory.
'We wanted to prove that in one week's time we could come back and play with energy and efficiency,' Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said. 'We did that, but it wasn't enough. For some of that you have to give them credit.'
The decisive touchdown came after a Giants turnover early in the fourth quarter. Tight end Larry Donnell caught a pass over the middle and fought for the extra yard he needed for a first down. But as Donnell was being brought to the ground, Dallas safety Barry Church stripped the ball.
The Cowboys recovered the fumble at the Giants' 27-yard line.
The Giants' defense - which lost two starters to injury during Sunday's game, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and middle linebacker Jon Beason, and was already missing a starting cornerback, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - trotted onto the AT&T Stadium field. But the Giants defenders were worn out and worn thin.
Three plays later, Tony Romo connected with Dez Bryant along the left sideline to leave the Cowboys at the Giants' 1-yard line. Running back DeMarco Murray then bulled in for the touchdown, and Dallas led, 28-14.
The Giants rallied, with Eli Manning completing two passes each to Donnell and receivers Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr. The final one, on a fourth down at the Cowboys' 5-yard line, was to Beckham, whose score cut Dallas's lead to a touchdown.
But the fatigued Giants defense again did not seem to have the energy for a last stand. Dallas methodically moved down the field until it was in position to kick a 49-yard field goal that sealed the game. The Cowboys extended their winning streak to six games. The Giants fell to 3-4.
'I think our mind-set is still good,' Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said. 'We played hard and did a lot right, but I think we'll gather ourselves during the bye week coming up and come back and get on a roll.'
In a game tied at 14-14 at halftime, the Cowboys took the lead by driving 93 yards in six plays on their first possession of the third quarter. The backbreaking play for the Giants came on a third-and-6 when Bryant dodged cornerback Chandler Fenner, who five days ago was on the Giants' practice squad.
Bryant ended up with a 44-yard reception and two plays later caught a 17-yard pass from Romo. Then, from the Giants' 26-yard line, Romo found the backup tight end Gavin Escobar, who had beaten cornerback Zack Bowman to the end zone, for a touchdown that put the Cowboys ahead, 21-14.
The Cowboys opened the scoring in the first quarter with an 11-play, 76-yard drive that ended with an increasingly frequent feature of Giants games this season: a tight end running uncovered past Giants defensive backs.
After Murray broke free for a 17-yard gain early in the drive, Romo threw to a tight end on consecutive third downs - first to Jason Witten for 12 yards, with Giants linebacker Jacquian Williams unable to maintain his coverage, and then to Escobar for 24 yards, with Beason chasing after him. Pressure from Jenkins and Pierre-Paul forced the Cowboys into another third down, though, with 10 yards to go from the 15-yard line.
In the Giants' last game, a loss to Philadelphia, the Giants failed to cover Eagles tight end James Casey, who ran past several defenders on his way to a wide-open touchdown catch. Sure enough, on Sunday, Escobar ran past Jayron Hosley and Antrel Rolle - neither of whom made any attempt to cover him - and Romo easily found him in the end zone for a 7-0 Dallas lead.
The Giants' offensive line struggled early in the game and cost the team at a potentially critical phase of the first quarter. The Giants were preparing to go for it on a fourth-and-1 at their 46-yard line when left tackle Will Beatty moved before the snap; after the false start penalty, the Giants punted. Later in the half, Beatty also committed another penalty, holding, on a third down.
But the Giants got a 13-yard run on a reverse by Beckham, a pass interference call on the Cowboys on a fourth-down play and a 22-yard run up the middle by Andre Williams. Beckham then shook free to snag a 9-yard touchdown pass from Manning that tied the game.
On the Cowboys' next possession, Romo lofted a long sideline pass toward Bryant even though Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara was in a better position than Bryant. When Bryant tripped and fell down, Amukamara had an easy interception, which he returned deep into Dallas territory.
On the following play, Manning executed a deft pirouette in the pocket to buy time and threw in traffic to the backup tight end Daniel Fells, who rumbled into the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown and a 14-7 Giants lead.
The Cowboys came back with a steady drive, mixing runs and passes. The Giants' defense, which had played extensively in the second quarter because the Giants' offense was scoring so quickly, looked a little winded and a step behind. Romo scrambled free on a second-down pass from the Giants' 18-yard line and, not facing much of a pass rush on the play, had several seconds to spot receiver Terrance Williams in the back of the end zone for a tying score.
'There are too many of the same things happening,' Jenkins said. 'We're beating ourselves with mistakes and penalties.'
Injuries were already inhibiting the Giants' defense by that point. Jenkins, who had been stout in the middle, had left the game with a calf injury. And Beason was sidelined with the toe injury that has plagued him through the season.
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