COWBOYS RALLY IN 4TH QUARTER TO BEAT GIANTS
QB throws for career-high 332 yards as Dallas (7-6) ruins Manning’s return.
The Dallas Cowboys needed a big win to stay in the playoff hunt and they got it with the big play in spoiling Steve Spagnuolo’s debut as New York interim coach and the return of quarterback Eli Manning to the Giants’ starting lineup.
Dak Prescott threw two of his three touchdown passes, including a go-ahead 20-yarder to Giants nemesis Jason Witten, and linebacker Sean Lee set up a touchdown run by Rod Smith as the Cowboys scored three times in a 4:41 span late in the fourth quarter to beat the Giants 30-10 on Sunday.
“To me, the biggest part of this game
was the finish,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “That’s always a huge empha- sis for us, finishing plays, finishing drives and ultimately finishing the game.”
The Cowboys (7-6) did just that in keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
The biggest play might have been Prescott’s 54-yard thirddown pass to Cole Beasley. Witten scored on the next play to break a tie at 10 with 7:38 to play and it seemed to take the air out of the Giants (2-11).
“We know what we got to do,” Beasley said. “We can’t play that way. We have to focus on Dallas Cowboy foot- ball, taking it one at a time. You can’t think ahead. We could win all of them and not get in.”
After a punt, Rod Smith scored on an 81-yard pass play on third down with 4:08 to play and he closed out the scoring with 2:57 to play
with his run on a play that looked as if no one on the Giants wanted to tackle him.
“We knew we needed a play. Guys aren’t panicking,” Beasley said. “I wouldn’t say we were desperate. When you’re desperate, you start reaching a little bit, maybe start trying too hard. “You have to stay within
the system and stay within the game and keep playing
and eventually have faith that those things will happen.”
Prescott, who was 20 of 30 for a career-high 332 yards, also threw a 50-yard scoring pass to Dez Bryant as the Cowboys have three games left in the regular season. Dan Bailey added a 21-yard field goal as the Cowboys finished with 454 yards.
Manning, who got a stand- ing ovation taking the field, threw a 1-yard TD pass to Rhett Ellison late in the second quarter that gave New York a 10-3 lead. Aldrick Rosas had a 39-yard field goal.
Manning finished 31 of 46 for 228 yards with a touchdown and two late interceptions.
Bailey, who usually never misses a field goal against the Giants, had a 53-yarder hit the right upright in the second quarter and he was
wide right from 50 yards in the third.
The first half ended tied at 10 with both teams having long opening drives that ended in field goals and then getting late touchdowns passes.
Manning found Ellison from a yard out to cap a 68-yard drive and Prescott drove the Cowboys 75 yards in four plays with Bryant breaking a tackle and scoring from 50.