Giants-Cowboys: Big Blue Dominated By 'Boys in Big D

The Giants sure aren't saying that they miss Plaxico Burress publicly, but when you watch this offense, you realize that's not the case. In an extremely uninspiring effort last night, the New York Giants were soundly beaten 20-8 by the Dallas Cowboys and failed to put away a division foe when they had the chance.

After a week of controversy and bickering, T.O., Witten, and Romo put their differences aside, and the team came together to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Dallas's defense was ferocious from the get-go. On the first play of the football game for NY, DeMarcus Ware, who had three sacks in this game to move his NFL-leading total to 19, raced around LT David Diehl and destroyed Manning. It was a sign of things to come.

Eli, without much in the way of a running game (Jacobs was out), and without a go-to receiver, held onto the ball for an extra second or two, and that was all that Dallas needed to get to the QB. The defense finished with eight sacks, the highest total allowed by NY in over two seasons.

This was also the second week that NY failed to score an offensive TD outside of the garbage time TD they managed vs. the Eagles at the end of the game last week.

On the other side of the ball, the Giants got after Romo. At one point, after a sack in the second quarter, it appeared that Romo might have to come out of the game because his back was giving him problems.

However, on the next series, after a sack on the first play, he led his team down the field and capped off the four-play, 58-yard drive with a 34-yard TD to Patrick Crayton after he broke containment to get out of the pocket and hit the receiver on the run.

It became a bit interesting towards the end of the game, after NY sacked Romo for a safety and then followed up with a FG to put the score at 14-8, but with five minutes left in the game, Romo hit Witten on a key third down play after the Giants had used their final TO—that first down essentially ended the day.

On the next play, RB Tashard Choice raced up the middle for a 38-yard TD untouched and cemented the victory, 20-8.

The Cowboys move to 9-5 on the season, and their playoff hopes are very much alive. They currently sit as the fifth seed in the NFC but know that they must beat the Ravens at home next week and then the Eagles in Philly to have any realistic shot at the playoffs.

The Giants, on the other hand, fall to 11-3 and head home now to face the 11-3 Carolina Panthers in a game that will decide the top seed in the NFC. Carolina is coming in playing their best ball of the season, and the Giants will need to make offensive adjustments if they are going to get back into the win column.