The Giants’ record now stands at 7-5, but their two most satisfying wins have both come at the expense of the Cowboys: a last-second field goal in September to spoil the grand opening of Jerry Jones’s shiny new stadium, and yesterday’s 31-24 win at the Meadowlands to keep themselves in the playoff hunt.
For a team that hasn’t had much to celebrate over the past two months, the Giants did a lot of things right yesterday. They twice answered a Dallas touchdown with one of their own within two minutes. (There would be more memorable plays in the second half, but capitalizing on the first-half fumble caused by Mathias Kiwanuka was a huge boost.) Noted Cowboys-hater Brandon Jacobs not only contributed, but did so with two touchdowns, including the biggest play of his career (statistically, at least). And though we’re still not sure how he wasn’t tackled, Domenik Hixon’s punt return for a score — the Giants’ first in four years — provided a pretty exciting nail in the coffin.
Yet the most welcome sight was something that happened in the fourth quarter, after the Giants kicked a field goal to give them a 24-17 lead. The defense — which has struggled so much, particularly late in games — forced Tony Romo and company to go three-and-out on a very impressive defensive series. (Hixon’s return would happen on the ensuing punt.) This on the same week that defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan used three new starters, desperate to find a fix. For one week at least, he found one. A little desperation never hurt anyone.