FanPost

Cowboys vs Giants Recap

For starters, the cowboys played a crappy first half, but a championship caliber second half to win over the New York Giants 24-17. I am popping my head in happiness as I type. My night could not have been any better. Read on for stats, recap, and reaction.

Recap: To start things off, the game was VERY exciting. It wasn't exactly what I predicted (33-26, cowboys win by holding off td) but it was just as satisfying. I have blue blood in my veins right now, that's how psyched i am. and romo played so well....if he came to my house and told me to drink the gas out of my dads car then kiss the garage floor, I would do it. Because he is Tony Freaking Romo.

1st Quarter

The first quarter got the game off to a slow start. The teams were pretty back and forth, and the Rob Ryan defense looked to be off to a good start. After forcing a 3 and out on the first Giants drive, they forced a fumble (Rookie RB David Wilson) and had a takeaway. At the time, the Giants were set up to make a great score, but were stopped because Sean Lee played like All-Pro and knocked the ball loose. (Oh and just to rub it in...David Wilson cried on the sideline after the fumble as he talked with coach Coughlin. And it was only Wilson second carry of the day. The Cowboys got off to a good start to hating a player they should hate for a few years to come. To make a long story short, no offense got anything done and it went into the second quarter scoreless.

2nd Quarter

The first half of the second quarter was pretty boring as well. It was about halfway in that anything happened. The giants were stopped and punted it away, resulting in a touchback. After a couple snaps, Romo got pressured and threw a pick to Michael Boley, who was able to return it all the way inside the Cowboys 5 yard line and set up a first and goal. The Giants crowd was suddenly ready for the first td of the game...but it wasnt meant to be. Dallas played great, stopping the Giants rush twice in a row, followed by an incompletion to Victor Cruz (who had a couple drops that game, surprising.......along with Martellus Bennett who dropped what would have been a 3rd down conversion. Of course that was completely UNsurprising.) To cap off the great goal line stand, the cowboys forced a field goal as the first half began to wind down. Dallas got the ball back and drove withing scoring distance. With just over a minute left, Romo was pressured, but managed to escape and found a td target for the first td of the game. Who was that target? It was the games pleasant surprise. Take a guess. That's right, Kevin Ogletree was the first player on the cowboys to make a recieving td this year. The giants go the ball back, but after a sack by Ware, the giants ran out the clock and the game went into halftime, Cowboys leading a defensive game 7-3.

3rd Quarter

The third quarter started off hot, with the Cowboys returning the ball and going straight for the gold as tony romo threw his second td pass to.....Ogletree again. Romo scrambled, Ogletree made a quick cut around Corey Webster, Webster never had a chance and Romo found Ogletree for a 34 td pass to take a strong 14-3 lead. However, the giants immediately answered, as they took a quick drive down to cap it with a Bradshaw td run to make the game 14-3. The cowboys got the ball back, and almost scored to ogletree again, but it was broken up and the cowboys went for a field goal to end the third 17-10.

4th Quarter

This is wear the game got REALLY interesting. Last year, the cowboys were unable to hold a big 4th quarter lead at home,and no one expected them to hold a smaller one, with less time, playing in New Jersey. The giants had the ball and the power to prove that Eli would usurp the cowboys again. But on the first drive, the giants had to punt it away. The cowboys followed up with a great drive. But it started to melt, as the cowboys got into the redzone, but penalties forced them out and set up a 1st and 30, right outside field goal range. Romo set up a 3rd and ten. A completion would mean burning more time, not getting the first down would mean a field goal. Romo looked, found Miles Austin, who made an incredible catch, then took it to the house for a td, and a cowboys 24-10 lead with just under 6 minutes left. Cowboys nation went crazy. Eli got the ball and managed to drive all the way down into the redzone. The cowboys dodged a major bullet as Eli manning made a bad pass to Hixon which would have been a td. However, he overcame the mistake and threw his only td of the game to yet another surprise. This player was also a disappoinment for dallas the last few seasons....it was Martellus Bennett. He scored for the first time in 4 years, but it didnt mean anything yet as the giants were still down 24-17, with 2:26 to go and two timeouts remaining. The cowboys got the ball ans set up a 3rd and 2, with the two minute warning just about to come up. The giatns were out of timeout. But panalties forces them back and it was eventually 3rd and 10. A conversion would mean a cowboys win, a stop would mean chance for the Giants to send it into OT. Romo snapped....made his reads...threw the ball....and guess who made the catch for a first down? You got it. Ogletree again. He just managed to get past the first down marker, allowing the cowboys to kneel out the clock and be the first team to beat the defending super bowl champs in the season opener!

Reaction: I was very happy with the game outcome. Romo played elite, delivered when it mattered, and was overall the most clutch player on the field that night. With the Cowboys 1-0 and facinf the seahawks and bucs the next two weeks, we shoudl see the cowboys resting at 3-0 before they take on the bears. I am predicting a 10-6 record at the worst and a playoff spot in the wild card round. Kevin Ogletree really surprised me. I wanted him to win the number 3 reciever job, and he sealed the deal on wednesday night, hauling in 8 catches and two tds and was the leading receiever of the game. With all the good news, I was disappointed with Tyron Smith. Theere were some playes where he wiffed a block and he also had some penalties that i groaned at. Despite that, the team played very well. Well enough, that I wont be surprised to see a record like 11-5 or even 12-4.

Key Player Stats:

Romo: 22/29 307 yards 3 int 1 td

Murray: 20 rush, 131 yards 6.6 avg

Ogletree: 8 rec, 114 yards, 2 td

Bryant: 4 rec, 85 yards

Austin: 4 rec, 73 yards, td

Ware: 2 sacks, 5 tackles

Lee: 12 tackles, 1 FF

manning: 21/32 213 yards, 1 td

Bradshaw: 17 rush, 78 yards, td

Wilson: 2 rush, 4 yards, fumble

Cruz: 6 rec, 58 yards

Hixon: 3 rec, 55 yards

Bennett: 4 rec, 40 yards, td

Boley: 1 tackle, 1 int

Cowboys 1-0!!!!!! Celebrate!!!!

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