Giants vs. Cowboys: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

The New York Giants scored touchdowns while the Dallas Cowboys consistently settled for field goals on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which resulted in a 20-19 victory for Eli Manning's team.

Even though the Cowboys kicked four field goals and only found the end zone one time, they still could have won the game with a fifth on the final drive. However, Terrance Williams didn't run out of bounds to stop the clock on the final play, so time expired before Dallas could get another snap off inside New York territory. 

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman and ESPN's Trey Wingo were flabbergasted by the gaffe:

Despite the heartbreaking loss, there was a silver lining for Dallas. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott filled in admirably for the injured Tony Romo, throwing for 227 yards and zero turnovers. Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott tallied 51 rushing yards and scored the Cowboys' lone touchdown, but he only averaged a mere 2.5 yards per carry against a stout Giants defense. 

On the other side, Manning threw for 207 yards and three scores, the last of which went to Victor Cruz in the fourth quarter to give the G-Men a lead that they wouldn't relinquish.

The Cowboys started the game with the ball, which meant the home fans received an early look at the rookie offensive playmakers, Prescott and Elliott. They led Dallas inside the Giants' 10-yard line but ultimately had to settle for a field goal after Cole Beasley couldn't haul in a catchable pass that may have gone for a touchdown. It was Prescott's only incompletion in seven attempts on the first drive.

Prescott again drove Dallas into scoring position on its second possession, and Dan Bailey blasted a 56-yard field goal to give his team a 6-0 advantage early in the second quarter.

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post noted the Giants defense was not sticking to the script against Prescott, as the Mississippi State product continued to find open receivers:

However, settling for field goals proved costly for Dallas, as the New York offense responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-6 lead. Manning found Larry Donnell for a 15-yard score after hitting Odell Beckham for a 45-yard strike to get inside the red zone. Pro Football Reference pointed out it was business as usual for Beckham to break free against opposing secondaries:

It appeared as though Prescott responded with the first regular-season touchdown pass of his career to Dez Bryant in the corner of the end zone, but Bryant couldn't complete the process of the catch. (He finished with just one reception for eight yards). It brought back shades of when a marquee catch from Bryant was overturned during Dallas' playoff loss against the Green Bay Packers two years ago, which did not go unnoticed on social media:

The result was yet another Bailey field goal and a 9-7 lead, but the Cowboys left plenty of early points on the table. The Giants made them pay for those missed chances when rookie wide receiver Sterling Shepard made an incredible catch for his first career touchdown right before the end of the half:

Randy Bullock missed the ensuing extra point, but the Giants still took a 13-9 lead into halftime even though Dallas held the ball for 22 minutes and four seconds in the first half, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. 

The Cowboys extended their time-of-possession advantage when Brandon Carr picked off a Manning pass on the first drive of the second half. Dallas converted the opportunity into a touchdown instead of a field goal when Elliott scored from eight yards out. 

The NFL reacted to the rookie's first regular-season score:

The defenses settled in after Elliott's touchdown, and Dallas took a 16-13 lead into the fourth quarter. It wasn't all good news for the Cowboys, however, as three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tyron Smith left with an injury. Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News said it appeared as if Smith was being checked for a "stinger," which he also dealt with during the preseason.

Even with Smith on the sidelines, the Cowboys added to their lead early in the fourth when Bailey drilled a 54-yard field goal, his fourth of the game. Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News reflected on the head-turning performance:

Smith returned for the Cowboys' next possession, but a solid punt return from Dwayne Harris put the Giants in favorable field position. They responded with a go-ahead touchdown drive to take a 20-19 lead with 6:13 remaining in the game. Shane Vereen ran New York inside the 5-yard line, and Manning finished the drive with a three-yard strike to Cruz.

It was Cruz's first game since the 2014 campaign, and he earned the right to bust out the salsa dance:

Prescott had the chance to be a hero in his first regular-season game, but Dallas was forced to punt after a costly holding penalty. The New York defense put some pressure on the rookie, and he missed some chances to move the ball down the field on the critical drive.

Rashad Jennings ran some time off the clock for the Giants, but the Dallas defense did give Prescott the ball back at the 20-yard line with 1:05 left and no timeouts. He found Lance Dunbar and Beasley for two first downs during the drive, moving to Dallas' 46-yard line.

That's when he threw it Williams, who elected to cut it upfield instead of running out of bounds. While Williams gained 14 yards on the play, the clock ran out before Dallas could line up again since it had no timeouts.

Just like that, Prescott's first NFL game ended in a stunning loss.

What's Next?

The Giants come home for their next two games against the New Orleans Saints and Washington. They have a golden opportunity to get out to a fast start against a Saints team that lost to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and finished 7-9 last year.

After that, New York's divisional home game against Washington gives it a chance to create some early separation in the division following Sunday's victory over Dallas. Two quick wins against two of its primary competitors in the NFC East would be an ideal way to start for Manning's squad.

As for the Cowboys, they travel to Washington next before playing two winnable games against the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively. The Bears lost to the Houston Texans on Sunday and were an abysmal 6-10 in 2015, while the 49ers were even worse at 5-11 last year.

Still, a loss to Washington before those contests could prove devastating. That would put the Cowboys in an early hole, jeopardizing their ability to remain within playoff contention until Romo returns.

Postgame Reaction

Dallas coach Jason Garrett was not pleased with Williams’ decision, per Schwartz: “What he had to do there was simply run out of bounds.”

Elliott reflected on his first game and his team’s failure to convert on a number of scoring chances, per Machota: “They ran what we thought they were gonna run. We just gotta execute better. We didn’t finish when we got in the red zone.”

There was at least some good news for Dallas, as Smith said he will be alright for the next game, per George.

On the other side, Giants coach Ben McAdoo said, “We found a path to victory,” per Schwartz.

Cruz commented on his first game back and ability to find the end zone, via the Giants: “It was good to score for my team…It felt great.”

Manning was pleased Cruz scored as well, via the Giants: “I was excited for him…It’s good for [us] that he’s back and able to make plays.”

If he continues to make plays alongside Beckham and Shepard, the Giants’ aerial assault will prove fruitful throughout the season.