NFL

Cowboys surge to victory with dominant second half against Giants

By Sports Desk November 24, 2022

The Dallas Cowboys' defense woke up at half-time and took over the game against the New York Giants, carrying their side to a 28-20 victory on Thanksgiving.

Playing on the road, it was the Giants who led early, with two field goals and a Saquon Barkley goal-line touchdown giving the visitors a 13-7 lead at the long break.

What was a competitive contest in the first half turned into one-way traffic in the third quarter, with Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz punctuating back-to-back drives with touchdown catches to jump ahead 21-13 heading into the fourth.

The last quarter was more of the same, adding another touchdown with a hand-off to backup tight end Peyton Hendershot from the two-yard line to complete the rout.

New York only had four possessions after half-time, resulting in a punt and two turnovers-on-downs, before a consolation touchdown in the final seconds with the game well-and-truly decided, as the Cowboys showed why many are picking them as the best defensive team in the NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year favourite Micah Parsons collected two of the Cowboys' three sacks on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, taking his tally for the season to 12, trailing only Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots (13).

The Cowboys' two-pronged rushing attack also delivered, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combining for 152 yards and a touchdown from 34 carries, while CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with six catches for 106 yards. Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes with two interceptions on 21-of-30 passing for 261 yards.

The result breaks the tie between the two sides in the NFC East, with the Cowboys now owning sole possession of second place in the NFC East at 8-3, while the Giants slipped to 7-4.

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    Roje Stona, Jamaica’s Olympic discus champion who created history in Paris this summer with a record-breaking throw of 70m, is contemplating a surprising career shift to the NFL. The 25-year-old, who became the first Jamaican to win Olympic gold in the shot put, is exploring the possibility of trying his hand in American football, a sport he has little experience in but significant curiosity about.

    Prior to the Paris Olympic Games, the former Ruseas and St Jago High School student and Clemson University and University of Arkansas alumnus took part in NFL rookie training camps with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints. Though unfamiliar with the game—he donned a football helmet for the first time during these sessions—Stona is intrigued by the opportunity to translate his athletic prowess to the football field. "If there’s like a 99 percent chance that I’ll make a team, then, obviously, I’ll go for it,” Stona shared in an interview with CNN Sport, acknowledging the risk to his athletics career, "but if it’s like one or two, though, I got to be realistic."

    Having initially been inspired by Usain Bolt's Olympic gold at Beijing 2008, Stona gravitated toward athletics after a youth spent exploring various sports, including soccer, his first love. It wasn’t until high school that he found his true calling in track and field, particularly the discus throw. "I yanked it, it just dropped right out of 20 meters," he recalled of his first experience with the discipline.

    Stona’s path to Olympic glory was further shaped by his collegiate career in the United States. At Clemson and later at the University of Arkansas, he was mentored by Ryan Crouser, a three-time Olympic shot put champion. Crouser’s guidance during Stona’s final year of collegiate eligibility instilled in him the confidence to push his limits, ultimately leading to his standout performance in Paris.

    While his NFL aspirations remain in the exploratory stage, Stona is taking a calculated approach. With the NFL season already underway, he plans to prioritize rest and recovery after a demanding athletics season but admits his interest is piqued. "Everywhere I go, people don’t ask, ‘Hey, you’re a discus thrower?’ No, people don’t ask that!" Stona joked. “Especially in the States, they ask, ‘Do you play football?’”

    Stona’s next steps will involve discussions with agents and coaches to assess the feasibility of an NFL career. "As soon as I get advice from agents and coaches, that will put me in a better position to make a very important decision or just be more decisive if it’s worth it or not,” he said. “If that part leads me there, then I’m going to give it my all because it’s kind of now or never. I’m curious as to what I can do on the field, and if I end up playing in the NFL, that would be a part of my legacy – I’d love to do that.”

  • Cowboys owner Jones backing McCarthy despite recent home woes Cowboys owner Jones backing McCarthy despite recent home woes

    Dallas Cowboys suffered their worst home defeat during Jerry Jones' time as owner and general manager, but he says he has no intention of changing his coach.

    Mike McCarthy has started the season with a 3-3 record, with all three of their losses coming at the AT&T Stadium, including their 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

    It was their worst defeat in 36 years, while the 38-point deficit was the Cowboys' largest at home since a 43-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Texas Stadium in 1988.

    McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, but even with the poor start on home soil, Jones says he is going to stick with his coach.

    "Oh, I haven't even considered that," Jones said of a potential change. "I'm not considering that. Just so you're clear, I'm not considering that."

    When reminded of an in-season coaching change he made back in 2010, replacing Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett, Jones doubled down on his backing of McCarthy.

    "That would be a hypothetical," he added. "In that matter, do you think I'm an idiot? Do you?

    "OK. Well, I'm not going to be hypothetical with you about would I consider a coaching change in light of the timing we're sitting here with. I'm not. At all."

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    Including last season's play-off loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys have now trailed by 15 or more points at half-time in four consecutive home games.

    "Well, we're disappointed that we're 3-3," Jones said. "The three-loss side of it, I don't necessarily totally blame on McCarthy.

    "The players will tell you they had something to do with it, too. His other parts of the staff will tell you. And the owner sure will tell you he had something to do with it, so it's not all on him."

    The Cowboys now have a bye week before they resume action against the San Francisco 49ers on October 27. 

  • Prescott: Cowboys cannot get 'overexcited' after Giants win Prescott: Cowboys cannot get 'overexcited' after Giants win

    Dak Prescott has called on the Dallas Cowboys to remain grounded following Thursday's victory over the New York Giants, saying their offense can improve after a poor second half.

    The Cowboys were under pressure ahead of their trip to MetLife Stadium after back-to-back losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, but they got back to winning ways.

    Two touchdown passes from Prescott in the first two quarters set them on their way to a 20-15 success, with the Dallas quarterback finishing 22 of 27 for 221 passing yards.

    CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle took in touchdown passes from Prescott, who has now won on 13 successive starts against the Giants.

    But with another tough test awaiting Dallas next time out versus the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, Prescott is refusing to get carried away.

    "At the end of the day, as I said even after those two losses the past two weeks, it's a process," Prescott said. 

    "So, we're not going to get complacent, we're not going to get overexcited about what we've done tonight. 

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    A pair of Brandon Aubrey field goals were the only points the Cowboys managed after halftime, with Amani Oruwariye intercepting a Daniel Jones pass to seal the victory in the fourth quarter.

    The Cowboys' average of 330.8 yards per game this season is only the 11th-best figure in the league, while seven teams have bettered their 24.3 points per game.

    Prescott was frustrated that the Dallas offense was unable to see things out in comfort, saying: "It didn't finish the way we wanted to, not to our standard. 

    "We left it in the hands of our defense. Credit to those guys for finishing getting it done, not allowing any touchdowns. 

    "But we're an offense that can finish better and score more touchdowns than we did tonight. So, we've got to look at ourselves in the mirror and go get that done."

    Meanwhile, the Cowboys saw rusher Micah Parsons exit the game with an ankle injury in the closing stages, and he will now undergo an MRI to ascertain the full extent of the problem.

    "Right now, I just iced it," Parsons said, sitting in the locker room after the win. "I know very little. I've got an MRI Friday, and I'm going to try to get back next week."

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