Jason Pierre-Paul came back to Dallas to pick up right where he left off. Last year, Pierre-Paul made his name known to Cowboys’ fans when he blocked a game-tying field goal at the end of the game. This year? He knew he had to step up his game and he did that in the first quarter.
It was a first quarter that the Cowboys wish never happened. JPP knew that quarterback Tony Romo was in trouble and took full advantage. Easing off rushing the passer, Pierre-Paul instead stood in front of running back Felix Jones and jumped up and intercepted the pass intended for Jones. He then ran 28 yards into the end zone slamming the ball through the post showing off his basketball skills. It was his first career touchdown. I think we can all stop asking him if he is having fun yet. Taking a 23-0 lead off of turnovers, the Giants seemed to ease off their intense pressure on Romo. Not a good idea. The Cowboys slowly chipped away at the lead going into halftime only down 23-10.
By the third quarter, the Cowboys had not only caught up to the Giants, but led them 24-23. This is why it pays to have a quarterback who never panics and can be trusted to lead his team down the field. Eli was able to get his team down the field twice and put up two field goals to take a 29-24 lead. However, it wouldn’t be a Giants-Cowboys game without some late game drama.
The Giants allowed the Cowboys one final drive in which they were able to get enough time for a chance to take the lead. Romo made a big pass to Dez Bryant in the end zone, but after review Bryant’s hand was ruled out of bounds and the ball came back. The Cowboys were able to move the ball up closer to the end zone with one second left on the clock. However, their final play did not result in a touchdown and the Giants escaped with a win.
It was a bittersweet win for the Giants. They are now leading the NFC East by three games and have evened up their division record to 2-2. It is always good to win a game against a division rival, but blowing a 23-0 lead cannot feel good. The Giants have a problem of letting up on defense when they are leading big and as they saw it almost cost them the game. Another problem for the Giants was their lack of getting into the end zone and instead settling for field goals. One of the Giants’ players was overheard during half time complaining that they should be blowing them out. It is true, but the Giants can be happy that replacement safety Stevie Brown is doing unbelievable job filling in for Kenny Phillips. They have to find a way to keep him as a starter. They face the Steelers at home, hopefully Hurricane Sandy leaves their stadium standing!
