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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF at NYJ | CLE at PHI | DEN at CAR | DET at IND | GB at JAX | MIN at ARI | NE at OAK | NO at CHI |
| NYG at DAL | PIT at BAL | SD at KC | SEA at STL | SF at MIA | TB at ATL | TEN at HOU | WAS at CIN |
Week 15 Game Recap: New York Giants 8, Dallas Cowboys 20
What you need to know
| New York Giants |
The New York Giants struggled mightily in this contest to move the football as the offense was only able to amass 218 yards while scoring a paltry six points. Eli Manning finished the night 18 of 35 for 191 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Contributing to the quarterback's struggles was a persistent Dallas pass rush that recorded eight sacks.
Coming into the game leading the league in rushing yards per game, the Giants rushed for only 72 yards on 17 attempts for an average of 4.2 yards per attempt. They were missing Brandon Jacobs who was out with injury. Leading the way for New York on the ground with 64 yards was Derrick Ward while backup Ahmad Bradshaw was only able to net eight yards. The two running backs did combine to catch two passes that went 18 yards.
Giants' wide receivers combined to catch 14 passes that went for 151 yards. Domenik Hixon led all New York pass catchers in targets, catches, and yards as he turned the 11 passes thrown his way into six catches that went for 60 yards. Steve Smith caught five passes for 59 yards while Amani Toomer hauled in three catches that went for total of 32 yards. Tight end Kevin Boss had the team's longest pass reception of the night when his catch and run went for a pickup of 23.
| Dallas Cowboys |
Despite facing a pass rush that knocked him around and kept him on the move for the majority of the night, Tony Romo had a good game as he helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to their ninth win of the year. Romo finished the game 20 of 30 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The signal caller's touchdown tosses to WR Patrick Crayton and FB Deon Anderson were his 23rd and 24th of the season.
Marion Barber was active for the game and got the start, but he did not look to be himself. He had a tough time picking up yards against a New York defense known for its stinginess. Barber finished the night with only two yards on eight rushes, but he was able to add 24 yards on two pass receptions. Backup running back Tashard Choice was the star of the game as he totaled 143 yards on 13 touches and his 38 yard scoring rush in the fourth quarter put the Cowboys up 20--8.
Patrick Crayton had only two catches in the game, but the wide out led all Dallas wide receivers with 49 receiving yards. His second quarter touchdown grab was his fourth touchdown of the year and put the Cowboys up 7--0. Terrell Owens only caught three passes for 38 yards while TE Jason Witten turned his team high nine targets into five catches that went for 44 yards.
Terrell Owens was booed by the home crowd as he ran onto the field and again when he dropped what would have been a tough catch early. The crowd warmed up to him later as he made a nice play running after the catch.
DeMarcus Ware recorded three sacks in the game to give him the league lead at 19.
What you ought to know
| QB Eli Manning, Pass: 18 - 35 - 191 - 0 TD / 2 INT |
Manning got off to a slow start as he finished the first half completing only 50% of his 14 passes for 74 yards as the Giants were only able to muster three points through quarters one and two. Things didn't start off too hot for the quarterback in the third quarter when on the team's first drive of the half; he threw an interception on a short pass that gave the Cowboys the ball at the Dallas 46 yard line. Manning was only able to lead the team to another field goal in the second half and the signal caller threw his second pick near the end of the game.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 14 - 64 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) |
Ward had his most rushing yards in the fourth quarter when he picked up 24 of 64 yards on rushes of seven, 12, and five yards. Despite having longer pickups of 12, nine, nine, and seven, half of the running back's carries went for gains of three yards or less.
| RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 3 - 8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) |
Bradshaw only got three rushes in the game, but he did catch a pass while split out wide that he took for a gain of 17 yards. In addition to his touches on offense, he also averaged 24 yards on two kickoff returns.
| RB Brandon Jacobs |
Jacobs was inactive for the game because of a knee injury.
| WR Domenik Hixon, Rec: 6 - 60 - 0 (11 targets) |
Hixon's first target of the game fell to the ground incomplete, but on the play he was able to draw a 32 yard pass interference penalty. Three of his six catches, including his long gain of 19 yards, came with less than eight minutes remaining as the Giants were trying to play catch up. Hixon was the intended receiver on QB Eli Manning's first interception of the game.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 5 - 59 - 0 (10 targets) |
Smith was second on the team in targets, catches, and yards and four of his five grabs went for ten yards or more. The wide receiver picked up 14 yards on a third and 11 play in the second quarter that continued a drive that ultimately led to a field goal. Smith's game could have been better, but he had a 19 yard reception negated when he was called for an offensive pass interference penalty.
| WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 3 - 32 - 0 (7 targets) |
Toomer's first reception came in the second quarter and went for a pickup of 13, while his other two catches came in the fourth quarter and totaled 19 yards. All of Toomer's grabs went for first downs and he was the intended receiver on QB Eli Manning's second interception.
| WR Mario Manningham, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) |
Manningham's only grab came in the fourth quarter and it went for a loss of one yard.
| WR Sinorice Moss |
It was reported in the fourth quarter that Moss was out for the remainder of the game, but no reason was specified. Though he had no catches on offense, he did average 19 yards on two kickoff returns.
| TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) |
All of Boss' targets came on the same second quarter drive with his only catch coming while he was split out wide.
| PK John Carney 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points |
Carney made good on his first field goal attempt from 34 yards and then later connected from 47. He had no point after attempts in the game.
| NYG Rush Defense |
The New York rush defense gave up 100 yards on 21 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per rush. RB Tashard Choice had longer runs of 22 and 38 yards with the longer run going for a fourth quarter score that put Dallas up 20--8.
| NYG Pass Defense |
The New York pass defense allowed Dallas QB Tony Romo to complete 20 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Despite the Cowboys' success through the air, the Giants did recorded four sacks including a safety in the fourth quarter that made the score 14--5.
| QB Tony Romo, Pass: 20 - 30 - 244 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 7 - 0 |
Under duress for most of the night, Romo used his legs and athleticism a number of times to buy himself time to make big plays. An example of this came in the first quarter, when the quarterback threw a pass off his back foot to WR Terrell Owens that went for a pickup of 25 yards. On his scoring pass to WR Patrick Crayton in the second quarter, Romo extended the play by rolling to his right and then he threw a perfect ball on the run for the 35 yard touchdown. His second touchdown of the game came in the fourth quarter when he connected on a one yard scoring pass to FB Deon Anderson. Romo was slow to get up after a number of plays (it was reported in the first quarter that the he suffered a lower back contusion), but the quarterback gutted it out and was able to play the entire game.
| RB Tashard Choice, Rush: 9 - 91 - 1, Rec: 4 - 52 - 0 (5 targets) |
Choice was bottled up through the first three quarters, but the backup running exploded in the fourth as he racked up 79 of his 91 yards in the final period. His four, fourth quarter runs included gains of 23, 17 and 38 and on the 38 yard pickup, the running back took a hand off from a shotgun snap, made one cut, and darted to the end zone for the score that put Dallas up 20--8. In addition to his big game on the ground, Choice also three long receptions that went for gains of 22, 16, and 14. His night could have been even better, but he was stuffed for a no gain on a goal line rush from the New York one yard line.
| RB Marion Barber, Rush: 8 - 2 - 0, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (2 targets) |
Barber made the start at running back for the Cowboys but did not look to be himself. He had a disappointing night rushing the football. Through the first two quarters, Barber had minus six yards on three carries and his rushing yard total didn't get on the positive side of zero until the fourth quarter. Despite the struggles, Barber did have a big rush on a third and three play in the fourth quarter that picked up nine yards and helped the Cowboys run out the clock.
| RB Deon Anderson, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) |
Anderson's only touch in the game went for a one yard touchdown reception that put the Cowboys up 14--3.
| WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (6 targets) |
Owens' night got off to a rough start when the wide-out was unable to haul in a third down pass that would have moved the sticks. It was a catchable ball but not an easy catch. His long reception of 25 yards came near the end of the first quarter and brought the ball to the New York 43 yard line. Owens was targeted on a deep throw in the second half, but the ball fell to the ground incomplete. He was booed by the home crowd as he ran onto the field during pre game introductions. And again after he failed to pull in the catch early in the game on third down. They warmed up to him as the game went on.
| WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 2 - 49 - 1 (3 targets) |
Crayton's first catch came near the end of the first quarter on a third down play that went for a gain of 15 yards and a first down. His only other grab went for a 34 yard touchdown pass that put the Cowboys up 7--0 in the second quarter. Crayton also averaged eight yards on four punt returns.
| WR Roy Williams, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) |
Williams caught his only pass for a gain of five on the team's second drive of the game. He was also the intended receiver on Dallas' fourth quarter, two point conversion attempt.
| WR Miles Austin, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (1 targets) |
Austin's only catch came near the end of the third quarter and went for a gain of 23 yards. In addition to his plays on offense, he also averaged 25 yards on three kickoff returns.
| TE Jason Witten, Rec: 5 - 44 - 0 (9 targets) |
Witten was targeted six times in the first half, but those six attempts went for two catches that picked up only eight yards. The tight end did haul in the last three passes thrown his way in the second half as he helped seal the victory for the Cowboys. Witten had a 13 yard catch and run on a fourth quarter play that took the ball down to the Giants' one yard line and helped set up the team's second touchdown. He also extended a drive in the fourth quarter with Dallas attempting to run out the clock when on a third and nine play, he fought his way for a pickup of 11 yards.
| TE Martellus Bennett, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) |
Bennett had his only reception on a screen pass in the third quarter that went for a gain of eight yards.
| PK Nick Folk 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points |
Folk had no field goal attempts in the game, but he did make both of his extra point attempts.
| DAL Rush Defense |
The Cowboys run defense surrendered only 72 yards on 17 attempts for an average of 4.2 yards per rush. Dallas gave up their longest rush in the fourth quarter when RB Ahmad Bradshaw picked up a gain of 12.
| DAL Pass Defense |
New York QB Eli Manning completed 18 of 35 passes for 191 yards. The Cowboys did record eight sacks that went for a total loss of 45 yards and CB Terence Newman intercepted two passes in the game.
