Dallas Cowboys top New York Giants 24-20 in Week 1

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - The Dallas Cowboys erased a 10-point first-quarter deficit, scored 21 points in the third quarter and then converted a late third down to close out a 24-20 Week 1 victory over the New York Giants.

New York controlled the scoring early. Dominic Zvada opened the game with a 47-yard field goal with 3:33 remaining in the first quarter, and Jaxson Dart connected with Malik Nabers for a 2-yard touchdown with one second left in the period. The two scores sent the Giants into the second quarter with a 10-0 advantage.

Dallas did not reach the end zone in the first half, but Brandon Aubrey’s 25-yard field goal with 2:26 remaining in the second quarter cut the Giants’ lead to 10-3.

The game changed dramatically after halftime.

Jalen Thompson tied the score at 10 when he intercepted Dart and returned the ball 43 yards for a touchdown with 9:19 remaining in the third quarter. Dallas then moved in front when Dak Prescott scored on a 13-yard run at the 6:42 mark.

New York answered. Dart found Cam Skattebo for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 5:28 remaining in the quarter, pulling the Giants even at 17.

Dallas responded again before the period ended, with Malik Davis scoring on a 1-yard run with 1:36 left in the third. The touchdown completed a 21-point quarter for the Cowboys and sent them into the fourth with a 24-17 lead.

Prescott finished 21 of 31 for 187 yards. He did not throw a touchdown and was intercepted twice, finishing with a 56.7 passer rating, but his 13-yard rushing touchdown accounted for one of Dallas’ three trips to the end zone.

“The interceptions are right there, and I’m not going to pretend they aren’t,” Prescott said. “But after being down 10-0, we kept playing. Getting into the end zone with my legs helped us get something going, and we did enough to finish it.”

Javonte Williams handled most of the Cowboys’ work on the ground, rushing 18 times for 72 yards. He was also Prescott’s most frequent receiving option, catching eight passes for 50 yards. Jake Ferguson led Dallas in receiving yardage with five receptions for 75 yards, including a 31-yard gain.

Dallas finished with 267 offensive yards and 19 first downs, compared with 237 yards and 17 first downs for New York. The Cowboys also held an 86-50 advantage in rushing yards and converted 4 of 9 third downs.

For the Giants, Dart completed 25 of 36 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Both of those scores came through the air - the 2-yard touchdown to Nabers at the end of the first quarter and the 1-yard score to Skattebo in the third - but Dart was also intercepted twice.

Nabers was his primary target throughout the game, catching 12 passes for 80 yards and the touchdown. Skattebo contributed four receptions for 33 yards and a score while adding 40 yards on 10 rushing attempts.

“There were two touchdown passes, but there were also two interceptions,” Dart said. “That’s part of the game we have to own. We had ourselves in position late, but Dallas finished the game.”

Dallas’ defense produced three sacks and two interceptions. Thompson’s pick was the most costly for New York because the Cowboys safety took it 43 yards for a touchdown, turning a defensive takeaway directly into seven points. DeMarvion Overshown recorded Dallas’ other interception and returned it 24 yards.

“We knew we needed something from the defense,” Thompson said. “Once I had the ball, there was space in front of me and I wanted to get as much as I could. Getting all the way in and putting points on the board was huge for us.”

The Giants still had a chance in the closing minutes.

With just over four minutes remaining, Dart converted a third-and-1 by hitting Skattebo for 14 yards to the Dallas 19. The drive stalled from there. Skattebo lost three yards on the next play, a pass to Nabers went for minus-1, and Dart’s third-down throw intended for Theo Johnson fell incomplete.

Zvada’s field goal with 3:01 remaining trimmed Dallas’ lead to 24-20, giving the Giants a chance if their defense could get the ball back.

They never did.

KaVontae Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards, and Dallas turned to Williams as it tried to drain the remaining clock. Williams followed a pair of runs with a 9-yard reception from Prescott, but a loss on the next rushing attempt left Dallas facing third-and-2 at the New York 36 with 1:57 remaining.

That was the play the Cowboys needed to finish the game.

Prescott found Ferguson for 5 yards and a first down, allowing Dallas to keep possession. By 1:14, Prescott was taking a knee at the Giants’ 31.

“We knew what the situation was,” Prescott said. “On third-and-2, the only thing that mattered was getting the first down. Jake got open, we moved the chains, and after that we were able to finish it.”

The final sequence completed a comeback that began with Dallas trailing 10-0 after the first quarter. The Cowboys scored three times in the third - Thompson’s interception return, Prescott’s 13-yard run and Davis’ 1-yard touchdown - and then kept the Giants from getting one final possession.

For New York, the two Dart touchdown passes and Zvada’s two field goals produced 20 points, but Dallas’ defensive touchdown proved especially significant in a game decided by four.

The Cowboys leave East Rutherford with a 24-20 Week 1 victory, their first win of Season 36 secured by a third-quarter surge and a final third-down conversion that allowed Prescott to end the night in victory formation.