Giants-Cowboys final score: Giants lose, 37-34, in final seconds

Despite scoring a season-high 34 points, the New York Giants fell, 37-34, to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium Sunday afternoon. New York dropped to 0-5 on the season the Cowboys improved to 2-3.

With the score tied at 34, Dallas got the ball back with just under a minute left in the game. Andy Dalton completed a 19-yard pass to Michael Gallup on the sideline to put the Cowboys in field goal territory. Greg Zuerlein converted a 34-yard field goal to give Dallas the victory.

“They just made a big play. He’s [Gallup] a good receiver, [Cowboys QB] Andy [Dalton] made a great pass, we were in a good position defensively and they made a play. That’s it,” head coach Joe Judge said. “They’ve got good players on their team, and they take enough shots downfield and they’ve been making those plays all year. Look, you’ve got to give credit where credit’s due.”

After having scored just three touchdowns all season, the Giants found the end zone twice in the first quarter alone to take an early 14-3 lead. Both teams would trade scores back and forth throughout the first half, but the Cowboys took a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

With the Cowboys leading 24-23 at about six minutes left in the third quarter, Dak Prescott went down with a devastating right ankle injury. He was carted off the field and replaced by Dalton.

Both teams would continue to trade scores in what turned out to be an evenly-matched game. The Giants got the ball with just under two minutes left to play and the score knotted at 34, but they were unable to reach field goal territory. Dallas, meanwhile, drove down the field on the following possession and converted a field goal as time expired to secure the win.

The end of the touchdown slump

After a big pass breakup by Darnay Holmes to hold the Cowboys to a field goal, the Giants managed to create some momentum for themselves. Freeman came out of the gates running, grabbing nine yards on the Giants’ first offensive play.

Freeman would keep running on this drive, recording 20 yards on three carries. An impressive 17-yard catch by Darius Slayton in which he managed to keep both toes in bounds on the sideline gave the Giants the ball on the Cowboys 21-yard line.

Freeman switched it up on the next play and picked up 18 yards on a catch up the middle. Then, Jones connected with Evan Engram for a 3-yard touchdown, ending the streak of 21 drives since the Giants last found the endzone.

Before this score, the Giants had no opening-drive points this season and only thee first-quarter points. Their last touchdown score was in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears in Week 2.

Interception - by the Giants!

After it took the Giants 142 minutes to score one touchdown, they somehow managed to pick up another right away - resulting in two scores in 65 seconds.

Kyle Fackrell intercepted a pass intended for Ezekiel Elliott and returned it 46 yards for the touchdown, giving the Giants an early 14-3 lead. It marked the first time Prescot threw a pick in a home game against the Giants.

Dallas entered the game with the worst turnover margin in the league and Fackrell took full advantage.

Don’t get too excited...

After a seven-minute, 14-play drive by the Cowboys that made it 17-10 at 6:34 in the second quarter, the Giants got the ball back.

But the same problems emerged as Jones was sacked at the Giants 27-yard line by DeMarcus Lawrence who punched the ball out to force a fumble. Anthony Brown recovered the ball and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. It was Jones’ 14th career lost fumble.

On their next possession, the Giants appeared to be set up for a 50-yard field goal. But instead Joe Judge pulled a fast one and the Giants ran a fake field goal that ended with a touchdown pass from Riley Dixon to Engram...but there was an illegal shift call on the play. Judge appeared to lose his mind on the sideline and New York settled for a field goal.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys ran a trick play of their own on their next possession as Cedrick Wilson threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Prescott, allowing Dallas to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

Losing touchdowns on penalties

After the fake-field-goal-turned-touchdown was taken off the board due to a penalty, the Giants lost yet another touchdown due to a penalty at the beginning of the third quarter.

Jones completed a deep touchdown pass to Slayton for 31 yards, but it was overturned due to an offensive pass interference call on Damion Ratley.

That penalty obviously overturned the touchdown but only a penalty on the Cowboys of too many men on the field gave the Giants enough yardage to be able to kick a field goal and come out of the drive with some points.

Giants fans have to be thinking of what the score could have been if the two touchdowns counted.

Dak Prescott injury

The Cowboys were leading 24-23 with about six minutes left in the third quarter when Prescott suffered a gruesome right ankle injury.

Prescott’s ankle appeared to be twisted in the wrong direction and he had to be carted off the field. Jason Garrett came over from the Giants sideline to check on Prescott and Giants players wished Prescott well as he was carted into the locker room with tears streaming down his face.

Backup QB Andy Dalton entered the game to replace Prescott.

The Cowboys eventually announced that Prescott was taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

Stat Stuff

The Giants scored 20 points in the first half after scoring just 18 points in the past two games combined.

Jones finished the game with 20 completions in 33 attempts and did not record an interception.

Darius Slayton recorded eight receptions for 129 yards in the game.

Injury Info

Linebacker Lorenzo Carter left the game with an Achilles injury in the first quarter and did not return. [Full story]

What’s next?

The Giants will return home to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 18th to host the division-rival Washington Football Team at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FOX.