Cowboys lean on defense to stifle Manning, Giants
Associated Press - From NFL.com
Associated Press - From NFL.com
IRVING, Texas -- After all he and the Dallas Cowboys went through the last week, Tony Romo was one clutch play from the ultimate peacemaker: a victory.
And, for that clutch play, he threw to good pal Jason Witten.
This time, Terrell Owens was fine with that.
Witten gained 11 yards on a third-and-9 play late in the fourth quarter, keeping the New York Giants from getting the ball back with time to pull off a comeback. Then rookie Tashard Choice followed with a 38-yard touchdown run, and the Cowboys beat the Giants 20-8 on Sunday night to help their playoff chances and, perhaps, ensure at least one week's worth of locker-room harmony.
"It was just something we had to deal with," said Owens, no stranger to controversy. "We just stuck together. We knew what was important, and that was the game today."
While the soap-opera offense receives all the attention, the defense is doing much of the work in keeping the Cowboys (9-5) in the playoff hunt.
DeMarcus Ware sacked Eli Manning on New York's first snap, and the pressure never stopped. Ware finished with three sacks, upping his NFL-leading total to 19, and Dallas rang up a season-high eight. It was the unit's third straight game with at least five.
Cornerback Terence Newman, involved in his own tiff this week, intercepted two passes, and the Cowboys kept New York (11-3) without a touchdown for the first time since November 2004.
The Giants locked up the NFC East title last Sunday, but they have lost consecutive games for the first time since starting 0-2 last season. Both losses have come since star wide receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg and was lost for the season. Yet New York can flush it all away by winning its next game, at home Sunday night against Carolina in a matchup that will decide the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
"I'm disappointed, a little frustrated, but not concerned," said Manning, who was 18-of-34 passing for 191 yards with two interceptions. "We have to get back to playing good football. We'll have our hands full. The defense is playing well, but offensively, we're not doing our part."
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