Cowboys' second-half surge leads to win over Giants
Cooper Rush remains undefeated as a starter for America's Team
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Dallas Cowboys turned it on in the second half to defeat their NFC East-rival New York Giants, 23-16, on "Monday Night Football."
Cooper Rush, getting another start for the Cowboys due to Dak Prescott’s thumb injury, was slow with his offense to start the game. But after the Giants scored the first touchdown of the game on a Saquon Barkley 36-yard run, Rush led a charge and the Cowboys scored 17 straight points to pull away.
Dallas responded to New York’s touchdown with a rushing one of their own, as Ezekiel Elliott punched it in to make it a 13-13 game.
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Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants warms up before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on September 26, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Then, after forcing a punt on a four-play drive for the Giants, Rush had an 11-play drive go for a touchdown – a slick one-handed grab by Ceedee Lamb in the back left of the end zone.
The drive was almost stopped on 4th-and-4, but Lamb had a catch that just got him past the first-down marker to keep it alive.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In the end, the Giants had the ball with no timeouts to try for a long drive to tie the game. But Jones threw an interception to Travon Diggs, his first of the season after securing 11 last year, to ice the win for Dallas.
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That Cowboys defense played a huge role in keeping the Giants at bay, especially in the second half. Demarcus Lawrence was a beast on the defensive end, securing three sacks, as he had his way with rookie right tackle Evan Neal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dallas finished with five sacks on the night and gave quarterback Daniel Jones 22 pressures to worry about.
Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball against Nick Williams #93 of the New York Giants during the third quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on September 26, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Rush would throw for 215 yards on 21-for-31 with a touchdown and no interceptions to secure his second straight win this season. He has not lost a start in his NFL career, going back to his start against the Minnesota Vikings last season.
Tony Pollard, not Elliott, led the Cowboys on the ground with 105 yards on 13 carries. He had a 46-yard run in the first half that sprung the first Cowboys points of the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On the Giants’ side, Barkley had over 100 scrimmage yards, 81 on the ground and 45 through the air on four catches. And though Sterling Shepard was the Giants’ leading receiver with 49 yards, he looked to suffer a bad non-contact injury at the end of the game. A cart was brought out to take him to the locker room.
Shepard has dealt with numerous injuries in the past, including a torn Achilles at the end of the last season against these Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jones managed to throw for 196 yards with no touchdowns and one interception on 20-for-37 passing.
He was also choosing great times to run outside the pocket, tucking the ball nine times for 79 yards.
CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys runs with the ball after a catch against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 26, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Both NFC East teams are 2-1 now on the season, though the Cowboys have the upper hand with the division victory here. The Philadelphia Eagles, one of the remaining 3-0 teams in the NFL, are at the top of the division.
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The Cowboys will take on the Washington Commanders next week on their home turf, while the Giants welcome the Chicago Bears, another 2-1 team, to East Rutherford, N.J.