By Saad Yousuf, Jon Machota and Charlotte Carroll
After giving up a combined 72 points in their last two games, the Dallas Cowboys outlasted the New York Giants with a low-scoring 20-15 victory on “Thursday Night Football.” Both teams await the status of two key players who left the game in the final minutes with injuries.
Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons was carted to the locker room in the fourth quarter with his left shoe off. Parsons was helped off the field after getting rolled up while attempting to rush Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
Giants standout rookie Malik Nabers left the game late in the fourth quarter with a concussion and didn’t return. Nabers was placed in concussion protocol after he remained on the ground following an incompletion along the Giants’ sideline on fourth down.
Parsons’ exit marred what was one of Dallas’ best defensive performances this season as the Cowboys limited the Giants to five field goals and just 1.1 yards per rush attempt.
Dallas’ defense steps up
The Cowboys’ defense played well enough to stop the bleeding from the past two weeks. Perhaps most impressive was that the Giants averaged 1.1 yards per carry. Through the air, the Cowboys were without their top three outside cornerbacks at one point when Trevon Diggs went out due to dehydration. Even with Andrew Booth and Amani Oruwariye getting more playing time, the Giants weren’t able to exploit the Cowboys through the air. It helped that Nabers went out late in the fourth quarter and did not return for the Giants’ last offensive drive that could have won the game with a touchdown.
Oruwariye served the dagger with an interception on that last gasp. The injuries on defense are concerning but the Cowboys have a few extra days before their next game in Pittsburgh. — Saad Yousuf, Cowboys beat writer
Prescott has efficient night
Dak Prescott had a very successful career facing the Giants. So it’s no surprise that he helped the Cowboys get back in the win column Thursday night with a very efficient 22-of-27 passing performance. Prescott was not outstanding in Dallas’ first three games. This was clearly his best, posting a passer rating over 100 for the first time this season.
The defense definitely still has issues, so this is the type of Prescott the Cowboys need, and frankly, the reason they made him the NFL’s highest-paid player. He and CeeDee Lamb were on the same page most of the night, rebounding from Sunday’s ugly showing. However, Lamb is still looking for his first 100-yard game of the season. — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer
Nabers continues to shine
Nabers’ big day in primetime ended in the worst way for the young Giants star as he exited the game late in the fourth quarter. Nabers went down trying to reel in a fourth-down throw from Jones on the Giants’ sideline. Tiptoeing, he went down but was quickly surrounded by training staff. It was a brutal end for the rookie who had a productive day.
He didn’t have any of the flashy, acrobatic catches like he did last week. But the rookie wide receiver really showed off his speed and movement tonight with his 12 receptions.
Nabers did a great job breaking tackles and the best example of his abilities might have been a 39-yard reception where he faked out Booth so much he touched the grass. Nabers has been a focal point of the Giants offense all season long and that continued with Jones returning to the receiver time and time again. He finished with 115 receiving yards, which puts his season total at 386 yards. — Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writer
Giants offensive line impresses again
So much has changed for the Giants offensive line since they took a beating in the 2023 season opener. After an offseason of change with new players and a new position coach, the group has been relatively reliable to start the year. They might not be the top of the league but they’ve been functional and that’s a huge move in the right direction in New York.
After holding up against Myles Garrett and the Browns last week, the line limited Parsons’ impact Thursday. Per TruMedia, Parsons had just two pressures. The Cowboys had 20 sacks in their past four games against the Giants. They have one tonight and Jones has had plenty of time. — Carroll
Required reading
(Photo: Robert Deutsch / Imagn Images)
