Giants vs. Cowboys: Dallas dominates rivalry game in primetime

The Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football in Week 2 with the entire football world watching. Highlights, recap from the game.

The annual matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football as set to take place during Week 2 with both teams trying to avoid going 0-2 to start the season while playing in the tough NFC East.

The Cowboys entered this one off an eight-point loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. Meanwhile, the Giants lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars by five points in Week 1. Neither team played well for all four quarters, as both teams didn’t score touchdowns in those season-openers until the fourth quarter.

That was not the case this week, however, at least in terms of Dallas’ offense. Dak Prescott and America’s Team came out of the locker room apparently looking to make a statement, which they did. The third-year quarterback dialed up a deep ball down the left sideline to Tavon Austin and the speedy new addition hauled it in and ran the rest of the way for a 64-yard score and a 7-0 lead.

It was then the Cowboys defense that stepped up. Whether it was stifling the success of Saquon Barkley on the ground or getting pressure on Eli Manning from Demarcus Lawrence and Taco Charlton, they were harassing the Giants offense all night long. Thus, after an early Brett Maher field goal, they took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

Despite Dallas’ defense still showing up big in the second half, New York began to move the ball well enough, but couldn’t finish drives. All they could muster in the third quarter was a field goal, but Maher and the Boys were able to match that in the same period to take a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott started to go to work. Both men used their legs behind a stout Dallas offensive line performance to keep moving the chains down the field. Then, when they got in close, Elliott was able to muscle in another touchdown to make the lead 20-3 with under six minutes left.

After being so stout all game, Manning and the Giants started to move the ball on the Dallas defense late. They orchestrated a long drive down the field, which resulted in a touchdown pass to Evan Engram. Then, after recovering an onside kick, started to move down the field once again with time dwindling, resulting in a field goal with 11 seconds left.

The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, though, effectively ending the game and giving the Cowboys an emphatic rivalry win.

Highlights

Following their struggles on offense one week ago, the Cowboys found lightning early in this one as Prescott connected with Austin down the left sideline for a 64-yard touchdown.

With only a field goal having been scored by Dallas after the opening touchdown, the defenses were largely in control of this one. The home team then got another big play to set up another field goal with a Damien Wilson strip sack.

Down in the red zone, Eli Manning tried to juke Jaylon Smith for extra yardage — this was a highly ineffective choice by the Giants quarterback.

Elliott then started to really get to eating in the fourth quarter with Dallas looking to put this one away.

He capped that drive off with a tough run into the end zone to get the lead to 20-3.

Late in the game with things almost out of reach, New York came alive with this touchdown throw to Engram.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1041523389498707968

And then recovering the ensuing onside kick.

Regardless of how these teams got here, Week 2 is a huge matchup for both the Cowboys and Giants. When you then throw in the rivalry, this was a big one on Sunday Night Football.