NFL Nation: Giants-Cowboys 092009
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Perhaps there's no one on the Giants' sideline who enjoys beating the Cowboys more than running back Brandon Jacobs. He was very emotional before the game, but he conserved enough energy to break free for a 74-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Jacobs was elated about the Giants' sweep of the Cowboys this season after Sunday's 31-24 victory.
"Oh my god, no question," he said. "This is so good that we came out. This is the first time in five years where we have beaten the Cowboys twice in one season and it makes me feel like I am on top of the world. Now we have to keep going and it is possible that we could play them again. We are not scared of them. We just played a great football game out there. We have Philadelphia in front of us now and we have to go out and do the same."
Jacobs also said that he had been doing a "terrible" job as a leader on offense this season and he's vowed to do better. Seems like Sunday was a pretty good start.
"Oh my god, no question," he said. "This is so good that we came out. This is the first time in five years where we have beaten the Cowboys twice in one season and it makes me feel like I am on top of the world. Now we have to keep going and it is possible that we could play them again. We are not scared of them. We just played a great football game out there. We have Philadelphia in front of us now and we have to go out and do the same."
Jacobs also said that he had been doing a "terrible" job as a leader on offense this season and he's vowed to do better. Seems like Sunday was a pretty good start.
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| Tim Heitman/US Presswire | |
| Eli Manning led the Giants on the winning drive as New York took control of the NFC East. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- As kicker Lawrence Tynes drilled a 37-yard field goal with no time remaining, the only sound in the packed press box was Giants co-owner John Mara slapping the back of his seat repeatedly. A crowd of 105,121 -- the largest in NFL history -- fell silent as Giants players and coaches raced onto the field to celebrate a 33-31 win.
Now the Giants begin the puff-pastry portion of their schedule with sole possession of first place in the NFC East. Before kickoff, they watched former president and Dallas resident George W. Bush and his wife Laura conduct the coin toss. Moments earlier, the Cowboys had unveiled their blue and white star at midfield following a video that compared their new stadium to lesser-known venues, such as The Great Wall of China and the Parthenon.
It was a perfect night for Cowboys fans -- right up until Giants quarterback Eli Manning trotted onto the field with 3:34 left in the game. Manning has made a habit of fourth-quarter comebacks, and the Cowboys left him entirely too much time when they took a 31-30 lead on Felix Jones' 7-yard touchdown run.
After a holding penalty put the Giants in a first-and-20 hole at their 15-yard line, Manning went to work. He said he tried to calm down his teammates by "not saying anything.'' On second-and-18, he scrambled to find a Derek Hagan for a 12-yard gain. With first-round pick Hakeem Nicks not suited up because of an injury and Domenik Hixon out of the game in the first half with a knee sprain, the Giants had to turn to Hagan. When the special-teams ace saw Manning in trouble, he came racing back toward him to make a play.
"Hagan earned a spot on this roster," Manning said after the game. "He did a really nice job on the scramble drill."
Manning then started firing passes to wide receivers Steve Smith and Mario Manningham, who combined for 284 yards and two touchdowns. At this rate, all the questions about the Giants' ability to replace Plaxico Burress' production will disappear by the end of this month. Smith and Manningham toyed with Cowboys cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Terence Newman. The deep balls that had been so hard to come by the last couple years were there for the taking against an overwhelmed Cowboys secondary.
The Giants had a third-and-4 at the Cowboys' 41-yard line with 39 seconds left when Manning delivered a ball toward Manningham that was tipped at the line of scrimmage by nose tackle Jay Ratliff. Manningham adjusted nicely and his 8-yard grab put the Giants in good shape.
"They came out with an all-out blitz," Manning said. "We had a slant backside to Mario. He got open, he won. He did a great job of staying with it and concentrating on getting the catch. It was a big play for us."
Manning was 25-of-38 for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He was frustrated by the Giants' lack of production in the red zone, but he never got greedy. Meanwhile, Tony Romo was having one of the worst performances of his career. The only reason the Cowboys had a chance to win the game was because they gashed the Giants in the running game for 251 yards. Marion Barber and Felix Jones were brilliant in locating seams in the Giants' defense -- and it certainly helped that Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck was on the sideline with a shoulder injury following a Flozell Adams tripping penalty.
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| Ronald Martinez/Getty Images | |
| The Cowboys had success rushing the ball but the Giants intercepted Tony Romo three times. |
Romo had three interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown by undrafted rookie cornerback Bruce Johnson. But late in the third quarter, Romo and the Cowboys had a chance to put the Giants away. With a first-and-10 from the Giants' 46-yard line, Romo inexplicably threw a deep ball to Sam Hurd, who was bracketed by two defenders. Safety Kenny Phillips made the easiest interception of his career, which happened to be his second of the evening -- and the Giants were given new life.
Romo spent most of training camp promising that he would protect the ball this season, but he made too many careless throws Sunday night and ended up issuing an apology after the game.
"I'm really, really disappointed in myself right now," Romo said. "You work so hard on something and you try to do certain things to change them. It's disappointing and frustrating. I'm really not OK with it right now and I'll try to rectify tomorrow and tonight to get better and improve."
At least he didn't turn to his "life goes on" speech from last year's Philly game. But that was the only positive sign from Romo. On a night he simply needed to make the smart plays, he came up woefully short.
Jacobs sounds off on Jerry Jones: Last week, running back Brandon Jacobs told me that the Cowboys should have scheduled the Lions instead of the Giants for the stadium opener. And Sunday, he tried to explain to me where his hatred for the Cowboys comes from.
"I hate the Cowboys straight up," Jacobs told me. "It's beginning to be a personal thing. And it's been like that since I was a kid. I've been wishing bad things on them for a long time. I was a hateful little kid. Everyone loves them, so I had to hate them."
Asked what he thought about the new stadium, Jacobs said: "It's a beautiful place. It was nice of Jerry to invite us down here. But he better be careful what he asks for next time. Last year, [Jones] said he wanted to play us on Broadway, and then he got his ass beat. They got whooped 35-14 on Broadway."
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Cowboys opened their brand new stadium with a bang Sunday night -- but it's not the kind they wanted. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo put his team in a hole with three interceptions, but it appeared he had helped bail them out by engineering a late drive. But on this night, the Cowboys left the Giants way too much time on the clock.
The Cowboys gashed the Giants on the ground, with Marion Barber and Felix Jones combining for 220 yards. But it was the Giants' young receivers -- namely Steve Smith and Mario Manningham -- who upstaged the Cowboys on opening night at the stadium.
A crowd of 105,121 -- the biggest in NFL history -- witnessed a back and forth game that came down to the final drive. Forced into a first-and-20 hole at his 15-yard line, Eli Manning calmly led his team down the field. And like they had all evening, Smith and Manningham made play after play.
The Giants played most of the game without Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck, and the Cowboys noticed. They repeatedly ran behind left tackle Flozell Adams against Tuck's replacement, Dave Tollefson. It truly was a game where the last team with the ball was going to win -- and the Giants had the last crack at it.
OK, I'm racing down to visit with both teams. I'll have a full column on the game in about two hours. An amazing way to open Cowboys Stadium -- especially if you're the Giants.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- With a 24-20 lead and the ball near midfield, the Cowboys were in perfect position to take over this game. Then Tony Romo threw an ill-advised deep ball to Sam Hurd. I have no clue what Romo saw on the play. Hurd was bracketed by a safety and a cornerback. Kenny Phillips had time to signal a fair catch before picking off the floater.
Eli Manning quickly hit Mario Manningham on a deep ball. Steve Smith and Manningham are making Orlando Scandrick look more like a fifth-round pick with every play. The 22-yard pass to Smith was the 100th touchdown of Manning's career.
Dave Tollefson has replaced Justin Tuck at left defensive end. There is no reason in the world the Cowboys shouldn't have run right at him on that last possession. The Cowboys have owned the Giants in the running game.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Giants' Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck left the game with a shoulder injury and won't return. The Cowboys have noticed Tuck is not in the game and are gashing the Giants with the running game. For some reason, Tony Romo passing is off tonight. Even near the goal line, he's not putting any touch on the ball, so he just ran it in on the quarterback draw to give the Cowboys a 24-20 lead. The Giants didn't have anyone up the middle.
Defensive tackle Barry Cofield stunted on the play, leaving the middle wide open for Romo. He tried to spike the ball, but his celebration was interrupted by several teammates. Hard to believe the Cowboys are up 24-20 with how they've played. Before the game, Giants general manager Jerry Reese told me the team that causes the most turnovers will win. That's not the way this thing's going right now.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Cowboys held the Giants to 12 rushing yards in the first half. But on the Giants' first possession of the second half, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw gashed the Cowboys all the way down the field. Lawrence Tynes missed a 29-yard field goal attempt, though.
I think the Cowboys are very fortunate to still be in this game -- especially because of the three turnovers. The Giants are 0-of-3 in red zone efficiency, and that's why this is a 20-17 game. I'm not sure why Eli Manning is staring at receivers in the red zone. He's just not getting through his progressions quickly enough.
Injury update: Giants defensive end Justin Tuck has gone to the locker room to have x-rays on his shoulder. His status for the rest of the game is "unknown," according to the Giants.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- That's why you never give up on a play. Tony Romo threw it behind Jason Witten and the ball bounced off the tight end's foot right into the waiting arms of Giants safety Kenny Phillips. As Phillips raced into the end zone, the crowd barely noticed. But a replay on the massive HD video board revealed exactly what had happened. As soon as it became clear the ball had never hit the ground, the replay was interrupted.
Tom Coughlin had a good look at the play, though, and quickly threw the red challenge flag. The play was blown dead when the officials ruled the pass incomplete. That's why the Giants got the ball at the Cowboys' 28-yard line instead of receiving six points.
The Cowboys put some points on the board at the end of the half as Nick Folk make it 20-17. That's why the Giants didn't go for the 2-point conversion.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- By my count (Giants media guide), that was Jeff Feagles' 532nd punt downed inside the 20. Even at age 43, he's still the best in the league at directional punting. He only missed Jerry Jones' scoreboard by 40 feet. Terrell Thomas was in excellent position to down the punt -- and he was bailed out by Bryan Kehl.
Good sign for Cowboys: Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer is making some nice plays against the run. He and Igor Olshansky have held Jacobs in check for the most part. The biggest issue for the Cowboys is accounting for Giants wide receiver Steve Smith. He keeps finding soft spots in the zone. He's on his way to a big evening.
Eli Manning's staring down his receivers a little too much in the first half -- and he just missed Smith on a deep in route. OK, that's the two-minute warning.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Oops! Tony Romo got loose with a throw (intended for who, I don't know), and Giants cornerback Bruce Johnson returned it 34 yards for a touchdown. Looks like the Giants dropped into zone coverage just before the snap and Romo didn't adjust properly. Patrick Crayton was running a corner route and Roy Williams was running a zoom (short route where he turns inside). I guess Romo was trying to go to Crayton, but the ball floated on him, and Johnson (from the U) had his first NFL touchdown.
Giants up, 13-7. Cowboys very fortunate it's not worse.
Injury update: Giants WR Domenik Hixon left the game with a knee sprain. His return is questionable.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- On the Cowboys' first scoring drive of the evening, all three running backs played a major role. Actually, Felix Jones got things started with his 38-yard kickoff return. Marion Barber did most of the damage, including the short touchdown run. But it was Tashard Choice who had a powerful run on third-and-3 when the ball was close to midfield.
I talked to running backs coach Skip Peete about how he was going to use the three players during training camp. He wasn't too concerned because he was coaching with the Raiders when they had three pretty solid backs in Tyrone Wheatley, Charlie Garner (and I believe Napoleon Kaufman, but that's off the top of my head).
On the touchdown run, right guard Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo put a combo block on Fred Robbins to drive him off the ball. Cowboys dominated the line of scrimmage during that drive. And the Giants did not get any pressure on Tony Romo. Dallas has to feel really good about how this game's going right now.
DeMarcus Ware is giving Giants right tackle Kareem McKenzie a lot of trouble off the edge. My favorite moment in the new stadium so far: Referee Mike Carey forgot to turn off his mic after the coin toss and you could hear him for the next five minutes trying to find the coin. Really got the evening off to a nice start.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- George W. Bush and his wife Laura walked out to midfield to a huge ovation. They are now Dallas residents, so it was only about a 30-minute trip to the stadium. The Cowboys won the toss and will receive. In true Jerry Jones fashion, we just saw a graphic that showed the Pyramids, the Parthenon, The Wall of China, Taj Mahal, Roman Coliseum and of course, Cowboys Stadium!
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Five nuggets of knowledge about this weekend's games:
The Cowboys better not peak too early in Sunday night's game: With the grand opening of Cowboys Stadium, owner Jerry Jones thinks his players will be more motivated than ever. And I actually think you'll see a lot of emotion from the Cowboys in the game. If the Giants can match that intensity and sort of hang around for three quarters, I like their chances late.
The thing to remember is that Tony Romo has all but owned the Giants during the regular season. He replaced Drew Bledsoe at halftime of the Cowboys-Giants game at Texas Stadium in '06. The Cowboys lost that game, but Romo's lit them up since then. Obviously, the huge exception is the divisional playoff game at the end of the '07 season. But still, I think that past success should give Romo a lot of confidence heading into Sunday's game. I talked to Justin Tuck via phone Thursday and he promised we'd see one of the most physical games of the year. The Giants want to keep Romo in the pocket and make sure he's not always side-stepping Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
Why am I the only guy in the country who thinks Kevin Kolb will play well against the Saints? It's not like the Saints have a juggernaut defense. Starting linebackers Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle still read this blog on a daily basis, but that doesn't mean they'll be able to account for Brian Westbrook coming out of the backfield and tight end Brent Celek running down the seam. I think the Eagles' defense will force at least two turnovers and second-year wide receiver DeSean Jackson will have a big game. I don't trust the Saints' corners against Jackson -- especially Jabari Greer.
Santana Moss is about to go off on the Rams: There, I said it. I think Jim Zorn will take more shots downfield, in part, because Jason Campbell should have more time against the Rams' front four. Leonard Little and Chris Long aren't slackers, but they aren't Umenyiora and Tuck. Can we agree on that? The only thing that gives me pause is the memory of Steve Spagnuolo's defenses dominating the Redskins last season. But the Redskins will roll in this game. Clinton Portis goes for 115 yards and a touchdown and Moss goes for six catches for 127 yards. Trust me on this stuff.
I'm worried about the Giants' lack of depth in the secondary: The Redskins didn't put much pressure on the Giants' injury-depleted secondary last week -- yet Antwaan Randle El still managed 98 yards receiving. Starting safety Michael Johnson (burner) returned to practice Friday, but Kenny Phillips (knee) wasn't able to go. The Phillips injury is the bigger concern. He has the athleticism to cover Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett. And he's also capable of doing a good job on the Cowboys' receivers. If one of those players is out, C.C. Brown would have to start. That would be a dicey situation for the Giants. And nickel corner Kevin Dockery missed practice Friday. That means the Giants could go into the game with undrafted rookie corner Bruce Johnson "starting" at the nickel. He did fine against the Skins, but the Cowboys have more offensive firepower. Tough situation for the Giants.
The Giants' offensive game plan will account for DeMarcus Ware at all times: Ware's emerged as the best defensive player in the game. He got dinged up early against the Bucs last week and wasn't himself. On Sunday night, he'll be relentless. He'll move to both sides of the line and I think his athleticism is too much for Giants left tackle David Diehl. The Giants will have to max protect at times -- and they'll also chip on Ware with Kevin Boss. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will do everything in his power to force Ware into coverage. It's not like that's a huge weakness for Ware or anything, but it takes him out of the pass rush. Of course, every team tries that. Eli Manning needs to anticipate where the rush is coming from. Wade Phillips does a nice job of changing those calls up, but Manning has the ability to make him pay.
Five nuggets of knowledge about this weekend's games:
The Cowboys better not peak too early in Sunday night's game: With the grand opening of Cowboys Stadium, owner Jerry Jones thinks his players will be more motivated than ever. And I actually think you'll see a lot of emotion from the Cowboys in the game. If the Giants can match that intensity and sort of hang around for three quarters, I like their chances late.
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| Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire | |
| The Giants will try to force DeMarcus Ware into pass coverage. |
The thing to remember is that Tony Romo has all but owned the Giants during the regular season. He replaced Drew Bledsoe at halftime of the Cowboys-Giants game at Texas Stadium in '06. The Cowboys lost that game, but Romo's lit them up since then. Obviously, the huge exception is the divisional playoff game at the end of the '07 season. But still, I think that past success should give Romo a lot of confidence heading into Sunday's game. I talked to Justin Tuck via phone Thursday and he promised we'd see one of the most physical games of the year. The Giants want to keep Romo in the pocket and make sure he's not always side-stepping Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
Why am I the only guy in the country who thinks Kevin Kolb will play well against the Saints? It's not like the Saints have a juggernaut defense. Starting linebackers Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle still read this blog on a daily basis, but that doesn't mean they'll be able to account for Brian Westbrook coming out of the backfield and tight end Brent Celek running down the seam. I think the Eagles' defense will force at least two turnovers and second-year wide receiver DeSean Jackson will have a big game. I don't trust the Saints' corners against Jackson -- especially Jabari Greer.
Santana Moss is about to go off on the Rams: There, I said it. I think Jim Zorn will take more shots downfield, in part, because Jason Campbell should have more time against the Rams' front four. Leonard Little and Chris Long aren't slackers, but they aren't Umenyiora and Tuck. Can we agree on that? The only thing that gives me pause is the memory of Steve Spagnuolo's defenses dominating the Redskins last season. But the Redskins will roll in this game. Clinton Portis goes for 115 yards and a touchdown and Moss goes for six catches for 127 yards. Trust me on this stuff.
I'm worried about the Giants' lack of depth in the secondary: The Redskins didn't put much pressure on the Giants' injury-depleted secondary last week -- yet Antwaan Randle El still managed 98 yards receiving. Starting safety Michael Johnson (burner) returned to practice Friday, but Kenny Phillips (knee) wasn't able to go. The Phillips injury is the bigger concern. He has the athleticism to cover Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett. And he's also capable of doing a good job on the Cowboys' receivers. If one of those players is out, C.C. Brown would have to start. That would be a dicey situation for the Giants. And nickel corner Kevin Dockery missed practice Friday. That means the Giants could go into the game with undrafted rookie corner Bruce Johnson "starting" at the nickel. He did fine against the Skins, but the Cowboys have more offensive firepower. Tough situation for the Giants.
The Giants' offensive game plan will account for DeMarcus Ware at all times: Ware's emerged as the best defensive player in the game. He got dinged up early against the Bucs last week and wasn't himself. On Sunday night, he'll be relentless. He'll move to both sides of the line and I think his athleticism is too much for Giants left tackle David Diehl. The Giants will have to max protect at times -- and they'll also chip on Ware with Kevin Boss. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride will do everything in his power to force Ware into coverage. It's not like that's a huge weakness for Ware or anything, but it takes him out of the pass rush. Of course, every team tries that. Eli Manning needs to anticipate where the rush is coming from. Wade Phillips does a nice job of changing those calls up, but Manning has the ability to make him pay.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
The folks at T.G.I. Friday's nationwide office have come up with an interesting concept for Sunday's Giants-Cowboys game. If one of the punters in the game, Mat McBriar or Jeff Feagles, boots a ball off the scoreboard, everyone in the bar will receive free green bean fries. And honestly, who doesn't wake up on Sundays craving fried green beans?
In a response to T.G.I. Friday's announcement, a sports bar in Mansfield, Texas (just south of Arlington) called Fat Daddy's said patrons will receive free chicken fried steaks if either punter makes contact with Jerry Jones' massive HD video board. Nothing against green beans, but that sounds like a better deal to me.
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