Giants Upset Top-Seeded Cowboys
New York Rallies, Advances to NFC Championship Against Green Bay
R.W. McQuarters returned a punt 25 yards to set up what proved to be the deciding touchdown and picked off Tony Romo in the end zone to preserve New York’s 21-17 upset victory over Dallas on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants stunning triumph, their ninth straight on the road, made Dallas the first NFC top seed to lose in the divisional round since 1990 and avenged the Cowboys' regular-season sweep of fifth-seeded New York.
Brandon Jacobs capped New York’s 37-yard drive after McQuarters’ crucial return with a 1-yard TD plunge on the third play of the fourth quarter, advancing the Giants to an NFC Championship contest at Green Bay at 5:30 p.m. central time Jan. 20.
New York’s defense, especially ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, harassed Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, especially in the second half, which helped the depleted Giants secondary.
The hosts forced New York to punt twice, giving the usually explosive Cowboys one last chance to pull it out with a first down at the Giants 48 just after the two-minute warning.
The clock ticked off after a scramble for a loose ball, but Romo bought time and flipped it to Jason Witten for 18 yards and a first down at the 22. The clock stopped with an injury to the Giants’ Jason Tuck with 31 seconds left and a false start pushed Dallas back 5 yards. A short pass to Witten forced Dallas to call its final timeout with 26 ticks left. Two incompletions, including one intended for Patrick Crayton in the end zone, made it fourth down with 16 seconds left.
McQuarters then intercepted the embattled Romo in the end zone with nine seconds left on an attempt to hit Terry Glenn down the middle, leaving Romo (0-2) and Dallas coach Wade Phillips (0-4) winless in the postseason and the Cowboys without a playoff victory in 11 years.
Terrell Owens, not at 100 percent from a sprained ankle, had torched the Giants for four touchdowns, two in each meeting, but wasn’t a major factor with four catches for 49 yards.
Meanwhile, New York quarterback Eli Manning continued his wonderful play, connecting with veteran wide receiver Amani Toomer for 52- and 4-yard TD passes while completing 12 of 18 attempts for 163 yards. Their big hookup ended a six-play, 77-yard opening drive for a 7-0 lead.
Dallas bounced back behind Pro Bowl halfback Marion Barber, who finished with 129 yards on 27 carries, although only 28 came after the intermission.
An exchange of punts benefited the Giants as Jeff Feagles’ boot pinned the Cowboys at their 4-yard line to begin their second possession. Barber’s 36-yard burst up the middle and 20-yard scamper around left end keyed a 96-yard journey that ended with Owens’ 5-yard catch in the right corner of the end zone to lift Dallas into a 7-all deadlock.
Glenn’s first reception of the year helped the Cowboys march from their 10 to the New York 49. Glenn later fell down and Giants’ cornerback Corey Webster dropped an interception at the New York 20 that he could have returned a long way if not for a TD. Romo found Owens wide open down the middle for 20 yards two plays later, and Barber crashed in from a yard out to complete a 20-play drive that consumed 10:28 and helped give the hosts a 14-7 margin.
Manning, who took over with 47 seconds showing before halftime, hit a leaping Steve Smith for 22 yards and then connected with the rookie wide receiver again for 11 more. A facemask penalty added 15 yards and put the Giants at the Dallas 23. Peyton Manning’s little brother then hooked up with tight end Michael Boss for 19 yards and Eli and Toomer collaborated for a TD with only seven ticks left to complete the 71-yard march.
In the third quarter, Dallas moved 62 yards, including an 11-yard Romo scramble and 21 more from Barber, to set up Nick Folk’s 34-yard field goal and a 17-14 lead.
Romo finished 18 of 36 for 201 yards and outgained New York, 336-230, but the Cowboys are the ones who’ll be taking a long vacation.
