NFL Game Summary - NY Giants at Dallas
Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - DeMarco Murray went over the century mark for the seventh straight week and Tony Romo threw three touchdown passes as the Dallas Cowboys took care of the New York Giants, 31-21, in an NFC East clash between two teams trending in opposite directions.
Murray gained 128 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, becoming the first running back in NFL history to open the season with seven straight weeks of 100-plus yards in the process. Last week, Murray matched Jim Brown's NFL record of six straight weeks with a 115-yard performance in Dallas' win in Seattle.
The surging Cowboys (6-1) have won six in a row following a Week 1 loss to the 49ers in which Romo threw three interceptions. Since then, he has tossed 13 touchdown passes and just three picks.
Romo went 17-for-23 for 279 yards in his fifth straight multi-touchdown game. Two of his three touchdowns went to tight end Gavin Escobar, who made three catches for 65 yards in the first multi-score game of his career. Dez Bryant led all receivers with nine catches and 151 yards.
Eli Manning completed 21-of-33 for 248 yards, with rookie Odell Beckham Jr. hauling in two of his three touchdown passes. Beckham started for the injured Victor Cruz, who tore his right patellar tendon in a loss to Philadelphia last week.
New York (3-4) will head into its bye week having lost two straight following a three-game win streak.
"We played better than we did last week, but it's tough losing two division games in a row," Manning said.
Romo completed a pair of third down conversions on the second Cowboys possession, setting up his 15-yard touchdown pass to Escobar in the middle of the field.
New York countered early in the second. After a defensive pass interference penalty on fourth down gave Manning and the Giants a fresh set of downs, Andre Williams burst through the hole for a 22-yard gain down to the Dallas 5. Two plays later, Manning found Beckham, who shook off a defensive hold to find space near the right pylon and haul in his second career touchdown reception.
Romo looked deep on the next Cowboys touch, but Bryant got tripped up and fell down, allowing Prince Amukamara to make an easy interception. The former Nebraska corner returned it 38 yards to the Cowboys 27. On the very next play, Manning fired a strike to Daniel Fells, who spun away from two defenders and found the end zone.
Romo's 18-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Williams at 2:17 sent the two teams into halftime tied at 14.
New York milked more than five minutes off the clock on the opening possession of the second half, but was ultimately forced to punt. Steve Weatherford pinned Dallas at its own 7, and a 44-yard completion to Bryant on third down put the Cowboys in New York territory. Bryant caught another 17-yard pass before Romo split two defenders with a perfect feed to Escobar, whose 26-yard touchdown catch in traffic gave the Cowboys a 21-14 lead.
On 3rd-and-8 from the Giants 19, Manning hit Larry Donnell for what would have been a first down, but the young tight end coughed up the ball. Justin Durant came up with it, and Dallas was back in business.
Romo hit Bryant on the left sideline, and the star receiver nearly had his fifth touchdown of the season. Bryant dove over the pylon as he was being tackled, and the ruling on the field was that he reached the goal. A video review called Bryant down at the 1-yard line, and Murray finished the drive from there to double the spread.
"For us to get that takeaway and score that touchdown to go two (possessions) ahead certainly was a big sequence for us," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said.
Manning completed his first five passes on the next series, setting up 1st- and-goal from the 5. He then missed on three straight throws before Beckham corralled a fourth down completion and fell over the goal line to make it a one score game.
New York kicked deep with 5 1/2 minutes to play, which proved costly, as Dallas drove 49 yards to set up Dan Bailey's 49-yard field goal that put the game on ice.