Dak Prescott can’t lose to the Giants, even when the Cowboys aren’t at their best.
The Cowboys let the Giants hang around and gave them a chance to win at the end, but Thursday’s game between the NFC East rivals ended as the previous 12 did with Prescott as the starting quarterback. Prescott posted his 13th consecutive victory over the Giants with a hard-fought 20-15 battle marred by too many penalties and too many field goals.
The Cowboys ended a two-game losing streak to get to 2-2, while the Giants fell to 1-3.
The Cowboys, who entered 32nd in rush defense and 30th in points allowed, had to hold on after Brandon Abrey missed his first career field goal of 50-plus yards. Aubrey, who made a 60-yarder earlier in the game, was wide right on a 51-yard attempt, leaving the Giants 28 seconds.
The Giants, though, couldn’t do what they hadn’t done all night: They couldn’t get in the end zone. Greg Joseph kicked field goals of 52, 41, 38, 22 and 42 yards. The Giants’ scoring drives ended at the Dallas 34, 22, 20, 3 and 24.
Prescott went 22-of-27 for 221 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 15-yard scoring toss to Rico Dowdle and a 55-yard touchdown throw to CeeDee Lamb, who seven catches for 98 yards and three runs for 8 yards.
The Cowboys held the Giants to only 26 rushing yards after the Saints and Ravens ran all over them in back-to-back games, and the Giants averaged 1.1 yards per carry.
Daniel Jones carried them, throwing for 281 yards in completing 29 of 40 passes. He threw an interception to Amani Oruwariye with five seconds left. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers caught 12 passes for 115 yards but left with a concussion after an incompletion on fourth down with 3:21 remaining.
The Cowboys lost defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons to injuries.
Dallas had 11 accepted penalties for 89 yards and the Giants four for 35, including a 15-yard facemask that should have gone against Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.