Cowboys who stood firm against NYG

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Make no bones about it, it was a game the Dallas Cowboys had to consider a must-win, even though their primetime matchup against the New York Giants was a Week 4 affair. Although both clubs entered the contest with a 1-2 record, it was the Cowboys who were under immense pressure to get the job done.

That was due in large part to the two home losses, one of which was an outright rout, while the Giants avoided an 0-3 start to the year by beating the very Cleveland Browns who lost to the Cowboys in Week 1 had Huntington Bank Field.

There was a lot of talk leading up to Thursday Night Football about details and accountability for the Cowboys, and things were tighter than Dallas would have liked.

But one thing is certain: the following players gave their best in New York.

It’s obvious that Lamb had a score to settle this week, even if it was just with himself. The first-team All-Pro came under fire last week over his behavior during the Cowboys’ loss to the Ravens, promising that he was “getting better” and that things would soon get “fun,” and he was right. He and Prescott scorched the Giants’ defense in the first half alone, with Lamb having six catches on six targets for 94 yards (104 yards from scrimmage) and a 55-yard receiving touchdown. I don’t know about you, but it looks like his prediction was spot on.

As far as accuracy goes, Prescott was just that — surgical, even. You only have to look at his first-half performance to see that he was on a mission to keep the momentum of three fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Ravens against the Giants, and he did. The All-Pro quarterback had 164 yards on 14 of 16 passing and two touchdowns with no interceptions, for a passer rating of 149.0. The hot start set the tone for most of the contest.

After returning last week from a mild MCL sprain that cost him the Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints, it took three quarters for the Pro Bowl tight end to get back into the swing of things in this game, but He was able to get started immediately against Big Blue. One of Prescott’s primary goals, he secured the one reception he needed to join Jason Witten as the only two tight ends in Cowboys franchise history to record 100 receptions in their first 36 career games; and then he added more handles to that tally – to say the least.

It was once again the start of the regular season as far as Overshown is concerned. That said, the de facto rookie linebacker was a heat-seeking missile against the Giants, much like he was against the Browns, fully unleashed by Mike Zimmer this week. Overshown was crucial in stopping not one, but several near-conversions from Daniel Jones, both in run defense and in coverage. The hit on Nabers on the Giants’ first drive of the second quarter tells the story of his night, and it was everything, everywhere, all at once.

It’s four weeks of football and Aubrey is officially a mainstay in my Gamebreakers column considering he was the deadliest offensive weapon the Cowboys had in September. He maintained that dominance against the Giants and luckily didn’t require as many field goal attempts as he had in the previous three games, but when called upon to start the football, he performed impressively. His 60-yard outdoor run in the wind at MetLife Stadium is further proof that you can never really freeze butter, even if the Color Rush uniforms made him look icy. He would miss his first game of the season late in the fourth, but all in all if it ends in a win it’s fine considering how much he did for the Cowboys’ struggling offense.

Entering Thursday night’s matchup, Lawrence had eight career sacks against Jones and was looking to increase that tally in Week 4. That’s exactly what he would do on the third Giants drive of the night, on 3rd and 4, stopping one of New York’s many long drives and forcing one of their several field goals. Although he went for a medical checkup about his foot, he emerged from the locker room moments later to continue his leadership on the field rather than on the sidelines.

In Week 3, Luepke saw more action than the previous two weeks combined, and the Cowboys kept that good streak going into Week 4. Granted, his stats won’t jump out at anyone, but he was critical with the timing of when he was targeted or received the handoff out of the backfield. His 11-yard gain on third down not only helped the Cowboys convert on 3rd-and-4, but it also kept the drive alive and led to Dallas’ first touchdown of the day, and there’s little reason to give up Find ways to feed him more and more as the season progresses.

It was a difficult task for Oruwariye as he was targeted many times throughout the game, but sealing the game with the only interception for Dallas lands you on the list. Period.