Dallas had won five consecutive games over the Giants, including a nail-biter in the opening game of the 2015 season.
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The Cowboys now are 7-21 without Tony Romo ever since he became the full-time starter in 2006.
But the Giants snatched the lead back, when receiver Cruz caught a Manning pass in the end zone from 3 yards out. The Giants did struggle more with veteran Alfred Morris, who managed 35 yards on seven carries. Arizona running back David Johnson ran for 89 yards and a touchdown and had four catches for 43 yards. He finished the game catching three balls for 34 yards and that includes the final play where NY played a prevent defense.
On the offense, the Cowboys have to score touchdowns.
Williams finished with three receptions for 34 yards and one horrendous decision. The 15th anniversary of September 11 resonates with Cruz, the son of a 30-year New Jersey fireman who was among the first responders at Ground Zero. The defense actually played pretty well for missing so many pieces, but the offense had to settle for four field goals as opposed to the Giants who scored three touchdowns.
Elliott was expected to be a big cog in the attack as the fourth pick out of Ohio State. The Cowboys had to commit everyone but the cornerbacks to stopping the run late in the contest – and the Giants don’t exactly have Adrian Peterson in the backfield. The 2.5 average per rush wasn’t special, but Elliott had the team’s lone touchdown. Shane Vereen added 38 yards on six carries. But he and Cole Beasley weren’t good enough to convert a TD on the first possession and Dez Bryant couldn’t hold onto a catch that was overturned in the end zone.
While Brandon Carr set up the only Dallas touchdown with his first interception since Thanksgiving 2013, he also turned Victor Cruz loose in the end zone for the winning score on third down with 6:13 remaining.
Because of the rookie quarterback, Dallas was willing to give the ball to its rookie runningback early and often.
Eli Manning led a 9-play, 54-yard drive in the fourth quarter, to give the Giants a 20-19 lead, with 6:13 to play. Williams elected to turn upfield for more yardage, rather than making an effort to get out of bounds.
In his place, young Dak Prescott impressed in the preseason and displayed the poise of an old head with 10 National Football League seasons in his rear view.
On Sunday, Prescott complete 25 of his 45 pass attempts – a 55.6 completion rate – for 227 yards. They held the pigskin for 7:58 and moved 52 yards in 15 plays, but were forced to bring Bailey out again. “You think about that moment, think about where you were that day, think about the emotions that went through your body on that day and you relive those moments”, said Cruz, then a high school sophomore in Patterson, N.J.
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Thus, after a 14-for-19 first half, Prescott had an abysmal 11-for-26 second half, which resulted in just 93 passing yards. “It was a well-practiced situation; we’ve been in that situation a lot and his instincts took him inside and obviously, with no time outs and twelve seconds to go he needs to catch that ball and immediately get out of bounds, and then we reassess the situation there as to whether or not we kick it from there or try to get a little closer”.
