The Cowboys had not had a running back with a 100-yard game since Tony Pollard ran for 122 yards against the Cardinals on Sept. 24, 2023. Rico Dowdle finally broke the franchise-record 25-game drought Thursday.
Dowdle ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in leading the Cowboys to a 27-20 win over the Giants.
The Cowboys’ second consecutive victory improved their record to 5-7, while the Giants lost their seventh consecutive game to fall to 2-10. It’s the ninth time in 11 years the Giants have lost double-digit games.
Injuries, penalties and miscues ruined the Giants’ upset bid. They lost defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence (elbow) and Rakeem Nunez-Roches (stinger) to injuries; they committed 13 penalties for 98 yards; and they had two turnovers that the Cowboys used for two of their three touchdowns.
The Giants did close to within a touchdown on Drew Lock’s 8-yard run with 2:18 left, but the Giants never saw the ball again. The Cowboys faced a third-and-2 at their own 38 at the 2-minute warning, and Cooper Rush threw a 3-yard pass to Brandin Cooks.
That allowed the Cowboys to finish in victory formation.
The Cowboys sacked Lock six times, including 1.5 by Micah Parsons, and forced the quarterback into two turnovers. Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown had a 23-yard pick-six, tipping Lock’s pass to himself and outrunning Devin Singletary to the end zone. Overshown also recovered Lock’s fumble that was forced by Eric Kendricks at the Giants 38.
The Cowboys outgained the Giants 317 to 247, with Cooper Rush going 21-of-36 for 195 yards with a touchdown. KaVontae Turpin had four catches for 53 yards, and Cooks, playing his first game since Week 4, had three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown.
CeeDee Lamb finished the game on the sideline, and though the Cowboys didn’t provide an injury update, it appeared the wide receiver aggravated his shoulder injury in the second half.
Lock ran for 57 yards on four carries and completed 21 of 32 passes for 178 yards and an interception. Malik Nabers caught eight passes for 69 yards.
