For three quarters, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants were locked in a close battle that most didn’t expect to be all that close. In the end, Dallas found some offense in the fourth quarter and got some key defensive stops to beat the New York Giants 30-10 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
As the Cowboys continue to work through the road stretch, here’s a look back at how Dallas found away to get it done.
Closing Games Strong
For the second straight week, the Dallas Cowboys exploded with a big offensive output in the fourth quarter. If there’s one play that you can point to that burst open the floodgates, it was the 54-yard pass completion from Dak Prescott to Cole Beasley that eventually set up a Jason Witten touchdown catch.
Dallas had struggled all season long with their play in the second half, but they now have back-to-back strong closes to games. They’ll need those down the stretch if they want to stay in the hunt for the postseason.
Dak Is Back
Dak Prescott was able to bounce back and put together one of his better performances of the season, finishing Sunday’s game going 20 of 30 for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores came in the fourth quarter, including an 81-yard catch-and-run to Rod Smith with just over four minutes to go to effectively put the game away.
With Ezekiel Elliott still out due to his suspension, everyone else on the Dallas offense has had to step up and Prescott played arguably his best game since Elliott went out. With one game to go before he comes back, he’ll need to have another performance just like that.
Welcome Back, Sean Lee
The Cowboys defense is a different unit with Sean Lee in the game. That sentiment held true on Sunday with the veteran linebacker back after missing the last few weeks with a hamstring injury.
Lee was all over the field, finishing with a team-leading 18 tackles and an interception late in the fourth quarter that squashed the New York Giants fading hopes of a comeback. Now that he’s back healthy, it’s a much more formidable unit that opposing offenses have to guard against.
Playoff Hopes Still Alive
After losing three in a row sans Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys have won two games in a row to keep themselves in a crowded NFC playoff picture. It may still get messier depending on the results of the late afternoon games, but the chance still exists even if it’s still a slight one.
Dallas will head west next Sunday night to face the Oakland Raiders where both teams will look to keep their postseason aspirations running for at least another week.
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