New York Giants (6-10) – Dallas Cowboys (6-10) : 23-19
Again, not everything has been perfect for the Giants, but the gist is there. They won the game they needed, reposition themselves at the top of the NFC East and are now hoping for a defeat from Washington to advance to the playoffs. Whatever happens, they will have no regrets. Which will not be the case with Dallas. After a failed first half, the Cowboys were in a position to pocket the victory at the very end of the game.
While there is only a minute and a half to play, the visitors, led by 4 points, have a final possession inside the opposing 20 yards. A 58-yard drive that ends with an interception thrown by Andy Dalton (29/47, 243 yards and 1 INT + 7 runs and 48 yards) in the end-zone. Daniel Jones (17/25, 229 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT) and his family are doing, not without fear, when they thought they had done the hardest in the first period.
Shepard guides the herd
In this first period precisely, we do not know if it is the stake or simply the level of the NFC East, but the level oscillates between the bad and the very mediocre. It’s even hard to believe that a playoff place is potentially the key. Between them, New York and Dallas have a very ugly 1/10 when it comes to third attempts. In this slump, the Giants are doing better than their opponents of the day, especially thanks to a man: Sterling Shepard (8 receptions, 112 yards and 1 TD + 2 races, 24 yards and 1 TD). The receiver leads the herd with two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes.
Sterling Shepard finds the end zone again!
The @Giants take a 10-point lead. #TogetherBlue
????: #DALvsNYG on FOX
????: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/EMdqIO97si pic.twitter.com/FgXofIib8M— NFL (@NFL) January 3, 2021
On a run of 23 yards to open the scoring first (6-0), on a reception of 10 yards to make it worse (13-3). In the wake of number 87, Daniel Jones gains confidence and lights a firecracker just before entering the locker room. A 33-yard bomb to Dante Pettis to take cover at halftime. It must be said that opposite, there are only the crumbs to the Cowboys. Painfully, the visitors limit the breakage with three field goals, but worry. Andy Dalton, under pressure, spends a complicated first period while Ezekiel Elliott (14 races for 42 yards) seems half injured.
The Cowboys Surge
We have to wait for the return of the break to finally see Dallas advance and score their first touchdown of the game. Ezekiel Elliott hugs a good job from Andy Dalton and Amari Cooper on a one yard run. The Cowboys benefit especially from an interception launched by Daniel Jones who continues to accumulate turnovers, even if it is not his doing. From then on, it is believed that the roles are being reversed. We find the defense of the last few weeks in Dallas and the attack has a start. It’s simple, out of their first eight possessions, the Cowboys recorded only 9 first downs. During the next two, they accumulate 12.
The problem is, it doesn’t translate into points. And when they get even closer with a field goal (20-19), the Giants respond in stride (23-19). The Cowboys are then forced to target the end-zone again. Which they will not be able to do. A final fright on a Wayne Gallman fumble at the very end of the match made Mike McCarthy hope, but the running back finally found the ball by a miracle. For Dallas it’s the end of a disappointing season. The Giants have given themselves a few more dreamy hours.