Cowboys outpace Giants to win NFC East showdown
Dak Prescott tossed two touchdown passes to Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott added a rushing score to help the Dallas Cowboys notch a 28-20 victory over the visiting New York Giants on Thursday at Arlington, Texas.
Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 261 yards and overcame two interceptions for Dallas (8-3), which moved into sole possession of second place in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) lead the division.
Peyton Hendershot added a rushing score to help the Cowboys defeat New York for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings. CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 106 yards, Elliott rushed for 92 yards on 16 carries and Micah Parsons registered two sacks to raise his season total to 12.
Daniel Jones completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown for the Giants (7-4), who lost for the third time in four games. Saquon Barkley rushed for a touchdown but had just 52 scrimmage yards (39 rushing, 13 receiving).
The Cowboys outgained New York 430 to 300 while playing their 45th consecutive Thanksgiving Day home game.
Dallas received the ball to start the third quarter and moved 75 yards on 14 plays. Prescott concluded the march with a 15-yard scoring pass to Schultz to give the Cowboys a 14-13 lead with 7:21 left in the third quarter.
The Giants failed to convert on fourth-and-1 on their next drive when Barkley couldn’t handle a low pass from Jones.
Dallas took advantage of the short field with a six-play, 44-yard drive. Prescott and Schultz again hooked up, this time for a 6-yard touchdown, to increase the Cowboys’ lead to eight with 2:02 remaining in the period.
Hendershot, a tight end, went in motion to his left and took a handoff from Prescott to score from the 2-yard line to make it 28-13 with 8:53 left in the contest.
Jones tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Richie James with eight seconds left.
The Giants led 13-7 at halftime on Barkley’s scoring run and Graham Gano’s two field goals.
Gano booted a season-high 57-yard field goal with 9:44 left in the first quarter before Dallas recovered to take a 7-3 lead. Elliott scored on a 6-yard run on the initial play of the second quarter to cap a 11-play, 93-yard drive.
New York moved back ahead on Barkley’s 1-yard run with 9:28 left in the half. Gano tacked on a 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
–Field Level Media
