MX23RW : Thursday, March 28 22:09:16| >> :600:16856586:16856586:
Nov 24, 2013 at 9.25pm UK at ​MetLife Stadium
Dallas Cowboys
24-21
New York Giants
FT
Heath (4:17)
7
Q1
0
Witten (9:37)
7
Q2
6
Witten (6:54)
7
Q3
7
Myers (4:33)
3
Q4
8
Murphy Jr. (4:45)

Live Commentary: Dallas Cowboys 24-21 New York Giants - as it happened

Relive our coverage of the Dallas Cowboys' trip to the MetLife Stadium to face NFC East rivals the New York Giants.
2

Dan Bailey kicked a late field goal to give the Dallas Cowboys a 24-21 win over the New York Giants.

A defensive touchdown from Jeff Heath and two scores from Jason Witten helped the visitors to a 15-point lead.

However, efforts from Brandon Myers and Louis Murphy Jr allowed the Giants to level the scores, but Bailey was able to add a decisive three points in the final four seconds of the game.

Read how all the action unfolded below:


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Good evening, it's around half an hour until kickoff at the MetLife Stadium, where the 5-5 Dallas Cowboys will be looking for their second win over the New York Giants, who are 4-6, this season. Let's take a look at the inactives for both teams...

GIANTS INACTIVES: Nassib, Webster, Hillis, Reynolds, Kuhn, Robinson, Nicks

COWBOYS INACTIVES: Lee, Durant, Holloman, Weems, Dawkins, Hamilton, Smith

There are some notable absentees for both teams. Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks misses out with an abdominal injury, while running back Peyton Hillis is also sidelined. For the Cowboys, linebacker Sean Lee continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, but it optimistic of playing on Thursday.

When the sides met in the first week of the 2013 season, it was a turnover-fest, with both sides making numerous errors, but it was the Cowboys that came out on top, winning 36-31. However, they've won just one of their five games away from home this season, beating the Philadelphia Eagles.

Looking at both sides statistics so far this season, they should be well matched. The Cowboys have averaged just seven more offensive yards per game, and both have heavily favoured passing the ball to rushing. Tony Romo has just 95 more passing yards than Giants quarterback Eli Manning, but crucially, Manning has nine fewer touchdown passes than his Cowboys counterpart.

Wide receiver Dez Bryant, who had been a pre-season tip for this year's MVP award, has featured heavily for the Cowboys with 749 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, but he has struggled in recent weeks with a back injury, while also rowing on the sideline with his teammates.

Victor Cruz has led the receiver for the Giants this year with 824 yards, while Rueben Randle has proved a red zone threat, scoring six touchdowns. However, the Giants have struggled for consistency with their running game, with Andre Brown and David Wilson both sustaining injuries, forcing the team to bring in free agents Brandon Jacobs and Peyton Hillis. However, Brown has made a strong return from a broken leg, adding 181 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first two games.

While neither team has a winning record at the moment, both are still in the playoff race, as NFC East leaders the Philadelphia Eagles are 6-5 this season. The NFC East currently has the least wins of any division in the NFL.

PREDICTION! With kickoff almost upon us, it's time for the prediction. Losing to the Cowboys in week one put the Giants on a six-game slide, and that will surely encourage the home side to seek revenge. Now on a four-game winning streak, I think the Giants should be good for the win this evening. I can see the hosts winning by five points.

KICKOFF! Josh Brown gets the game underway, with the Cowboys receiving first.

SACK! The Cowboys make a bright start, as Tony Romo finds Dez Bryant on the first play of the game for an 11-yard gain. However, he misses the wide receiver, before Joseph and Kiwanuka jointly bring down the quarterback for a loss of two yards before an incompletion brings out punter Chris Jones. A mixed start by the visitors.

Eli Manning and the Giants offense come onto the field for their first drive of the game. Andre Brown gets an early carry but it up-ended short of the first down by Claiborne. After picking up the first down, Manning attempts his first pass of the game but it's too short for Pascoe.

Needing five yards on this down, Manning tries a deep pass to Jernigan, but it's incomplete. As Weatherspoon comes on to punt, the Giants are penalised for a false start, moving the punter back five yards, but strong winds at the MetLife Stadium carries his punt a massive 68 yards, forcing the Cowboys to start their drive from their own 10-yard line.

DeMarco Murray picks up a big gain with a run down the sideline, before dancing his way through the gaps in the Giants defense for a gain of four. Romo looks for tight end Jason Witten for the first time today, but it's incomplete, before Terrell Thomas covers Beasley well to prevent Dallas from picking up the first down, so Jones will punt again.

SACK! Manning gets the ball to Brandon Myers, but the tight end drops it. The Giants are penalised for delay of game on the next play before Hatcher gets to the Giants quarterback, sacking him just short of the end zone for a loss of eight yards.

INTERCEPTION! Lance Dunbar picks up a 19-yard rush following some solid blocking by Witten to move the Cowboys to the Giants 35. However, Dez Bryant can't get hold of a pass on the next play, swatting it away, allowing Antrel Rolle to claim it for the interception. As Bryant tried to tackle the cornerback, he appears to have picked up an injury, and has to be helped off the field. He would be a huge loss for Dallas is he can't continue.

TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 7-0 Giants (Heath)

What a bizarre couple of minutes! Andre Brown gets back-to-back first downs for the Giants, before Manning turns to Victor Cruz, but Scandrick forces the wide receiver to fumble before rookie safety Jeff Heath recovers and returns it 50 yards for his first NFL touchdown.

With Manning struggling the find his passing rhythm, he turns back to the running backs, but Jacobs fails to pick up a gain. The quarterback finds some form though, picking out Randle for a 21-yard gain, moving the Giants inside Dallas territory. Manning looks for the wide receiver again on third down, and he gets the catch before sprinting out wide and gaining a further 22 yards.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: Dallas Cowboys 7-0 New York Giants

Manning continues to target Randle, launching it towards the end zone for the wide receiver, but he tangles with Claiborne, who is penalised for pass interference.

Short gains from Myers and Brown move the Giants closer to the end zone before the home side take their first timeout. So far, Randle has 43 receiving yards from two receptions, while Brown has also made a strong start, rushing for 45 yards.

The Cowboys defense manage to hold up Andre Brown short of the end zone, so Josh Brown will come on for a field goal attempt.

FIELD GOAL! Cowboys 7-3 Giants (Brown)

Even with the strong winds, the 21-yard attempt is easy for the Giants kicker, as he gets the home side off the mark.

In the first 17 minutes of this game, the Giants' offense has spent over twice as long on the field as the Cowboys, but they've only once been in the red zone.

Murray starts with a four-yard rush before a 14-yard reception and a 30-yard dash into Giants territory. This is looking like a promising start to this drive for the visitors.

TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 14-3 Giants (Witten)

Dunbar replaces Murray at running back to pick up 17 yards, before Romo looks to the end zone, where Jason Witten shakes off his defender in order to haul in a 20-yard touchdown pass from the quarterback before Dan Bailey adds the extra point.

Neither side's offense has made the strongest start to this game, but that last Cowboys drive really was very impressive. With Bryant struggling with an injury, the running backs stepped up in stunning fashion, while Witten proved as reliable as ever in the red zone.

The Cowboys think that they have a turnover off the first play of the Giants' drive when Andre Brown fumbles, allowing Hayden to make the recovery. However, the play was nullified before of an illegal contact penalty called on Brandon Carr after he tangled with Randle off the ball. Brown immediately recovers, picking up 11 yards for a first down on the next play.

Jacobs takes over the running duties, rushing for nine yards before finding space for a 37-yard dash, coming up just short of the end zone. That's the first time that the Giants have had a rushing play of more than 20 yards this season.

On third down, Brown returns needing 10 yards for the touchdown, but the Cowboys defense is ready for his run and holds him up at the five-yard line, so Brown will attempt another short field goal.

FIELD GOAL! Cowboys 14-6 Giants (Brown)

The Giants kicker easily makes the 23-yard field goal attempt. The Giants fans weren't happy with the team's decision to run the ball rather than try a pass on third down, booing as the team are forced to settle for the field goal. The running game has looked stronger than at any point this season today, but it did seem an unusual call, particularly with Brown coming up short earlier in the quarter.

As Brown kicks the ball back to the Cowboys, Lawrence is penalised for an illegal block above the waste, resulting in a bit of pushing and shoving among players from both sides.

SACK! Dez Bryant is back on the field for the Cowboys, and he manages to get a 24-yard gain. However, Romo takes too long waiting for a receiver to get free on the next play, allowing Cullen Jenkins to drag him down for a 10-yard loss.

On third down, Romo looks for Witten, but the tight end can't quite reach the ball, forcing the Cowboys to punt. The Cowboys quarterback has now been sacked 23 times this season.

TWO MINUTE WARNING! Manning finds Myers for a first down on the opening play of the drive, before Randle takes an eight-yard catch. However, Beatty is penalised for offensive holding, chalking off the gain and bringing up the two-minute warning.

Manning ends up heading backwards before getting the ball to Brown, leaving the Giants 30 yards from a first down. The quarterback sticks with the running back on third down, but he can only gain 11, so the Cowboys will get a chance to extend their lead before half time.

SACK! It's a three and out for the Cowboys, as Romo tosses incompletions in the direction of Murray and Bryant before the quarterback is sacked by Justin Tuck for a loss of 10.

Manning finds Jernigan to move the Giants to the Dallas 47. He goes deep with the final play before time expires, but none of his receivers can get their hands to it.

END OF SECOND QUARTER: Dallas Cowboys 14-6 New York Giants

The Dallas Cowboys score two touchdowns in the opening half to claim an eight-point lead at half time. A fumble returned for a touchdown put the visitors ahead, before Jason Witten extended their advantage in the second quarter. If they can maintain their lead after the break, Dallas will be in line for just their second away win of the season.

There have been two big differences between the two sides so far - Dallas' defense has made several big plays, and the offense has been able to get its passing game working, while the Giants have had to rely on the run. Three Cowboys defensive players have five tackles from the first half, while Scandrick has a forced fumble and Hatcher gained a sack.

Romo has completed eight of his 12 passes so far for 127 yards and a touchdown, but he's also thrown an interception. Manning has 97 yards from 11 completions. The Cowboys quarterback has been sacked twice, while Manning has been brought down just once.

The players are back out ready for the start of the third quarter, with the Giants receiving the kickoff.

KICKOFF! Bailey gets the game back underway.

The Giants are continuing to look to Brown, as he gets back-to-back first downs. Manning tries a deep pass the Victor Cruz for a touchdown, but the wide receiver can only get his fingertips to the ball. After failing to find Jernigan on third down, the Giants decide to keep their offense on the field, needing just six for a fresh set of downs, but his pass for Cruz is incomplete.

Dunbar continues to see plenty of action on offense for the Cowboys, gaining nine yards running after the catch from a short pass, before Witten gets the yardage needed for a first down. Murray takes over at running back and combines two carries for another first down. This has been a patient start to the third quarter by the Cowboys, and they're starting to get themselves into a strong field position.

The Giants believe that they have recovered a Cowboys fumble, but Kiwanuka is penalised for a late hit on Romo, ruling out the turnover, and clearly angering Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. The penalty gives Dallas a first down at the New York 22.

Coughlin throws his challenge flag, but after speaking with the officials, he decides not to contest the ruling.

Antrel Rolle now catches the eye of the officials after hitting DeMarco Murray out of bounds. The running back headed out of bounds at the six-yard line, leaving the Cowboys in a strong position to score their third touchdown of the game.

TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 21-6 Giants (Witten)

The Cowboys tight end makes it look easy as he calmly takes his second touchdown reception of the day. Beason had been covering Witten, but he got distracted watching Romo for the two-yard pass, allowing Witten to get himself into space. Bailey easily adds the extra point.

The Giants now trail by more than two touchdowns. They really need to find the end zone on this drive if they're to stand a chance of getting back into this contest.

After a good kick return by Cox, Brown has a 12-yard run, before Randle moves the home side into Dallas territory, gaining 21. The wide receiver has really stepped up in Hakeem Nicks' absence today.

On second down, Jacobs rushes for seven, to leave the Giants needing three yards on third down. Knowing that they need to halt the drive, the Cowboys call a time out to prepare themselves to stop their hosts from getting the first down.

TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 21-13 Giants (Myers)

After a mix-up between Manning and Jernigan, the Giants are forced to go for it on fourth down. The quarterback gets the ball to Myers, who gets the yardage needed for the first down, hitting the turf while taking the catch, but as he hadn't been tackled, he was able to get back to his feet and make his way into the end zone. It's a school boy error by the Cowboys defense that has allowed the home side to give themselves a chance in this game. Brown adds the extra point.

Once again there's a bit of a skirmish between the two teams as Brown calls for a fair catch from the kickoff. He initially muffs the catch, which leads to Will Hill attempting to claim the ball, but the officials rule that the receiver should still have been given a chance to take the catch. The Cowboys aren't happy at Hill's hit and there's some pushing and shoving after the play. Dallas will start their drive from their own 27-yard line.

Romo gets a short pass to Bryant before Terrance Williams hauls in a reception for a first down. Meanwhile, Kiwanuka is penalised for a personal foul for some shoving after the play, moving the Cowboys 15 yards up the field.

SACK! Cullen Jenkins brings down Romo for the second time today, sacking the Cowboys quarterback for a loss of eight on third down, forcing the visitors to bring on their punter.

SACK! This time it's Jason Hatcher getting his second sack of the game as he gets to Eli Manning on second down for a loss of 12 yards.

END OF THIRD QUARTER: Dallas Cowboys 21-13 Dallas Cowboys

When Jason Witten added his second touchdown of the game, the Dallas Cowboys were threatening to run away with this tie, but a Brandon Myers score has got the home side back into the game, before the Giants' defense managed to stop Cowboys drive for no score. This will be a tense final quarter coming up.

Carr makes sure that the Cowboys maintain their advantage for now, as he stops Pascoe well short of the first down to bring Weatherford on for the punt.

A poor snap from rookie center Travis Frederick leaves Romo scrambling behind the line of scrimmage. He manage to recover, but can't get the ball to Bryant. Will Hill manages to force a fumble from the wide receiver on the next play, but he can't recover it in bounds.

The Cowboys need 30 yards on third down. Murray gets the carry, and manages a 12-yard gain, but it leaves Dallas well short and outside field goal range, so it will be another punt. Both teams have started to let a few more errors creep in.

Manning continues to look to Brown, but the Cowboys are expecting the move, and have no problems holding up the running back. It's a quick three and out for the Giants. However, Webb commits an illegal block as Weatherford punt the ball back to the Cowboys.

Romo comes under pressure in the pocket while looking for a pass to Bryant. He manages to get the ball away in time to avoid the sack, but his pass is too short for the wide receiver. He looks for Miles Austin on third down, but Rolle has got the receiver well covered and prevents him from taking the catch for force a Cowboys three and out for the first time today.

Brown continued his strong rushing performance today with two carries for 17 yards, before Jacobs comes into the lineup and immediately runs for a first down. On third down, Manning completes a perfectly-placed 22-yard pass to Victor Cruz, who has just his second reception of the game.

TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 21-21 Giants (Murphy)

Manning is spoilt for choice with Victor Cruz and Louis Murphy both open in the end zone, but he goes for the latter, connecting with the wideout for a four-yard touchdown. The offense stays on the field to go for a two-point conversion, and Manning hands it off to Brown, who smashes his way through the Cowboys' defense to tie the scores.

After a couple of short gains, Romo connects with Bryant for a 19-yard gain and a first down. With the wide receiver struggling with a back injury, the Cowboys have used him sparingly throughout this game, but now that they need a potentially game-winning score, he's a vital part of their offense.

TWO MINUTE WARNING! Bryant continues to be Romo's go-to receiver as he finds him with an eight-yard pass for another third-down conversion, which also moves the Cowboys into New York territory. Romo looks to be pretty composed on this vital drive.

Miles Austin continues to look for his first reception of the game, as Romo tosses a short pass in his direction, but he can only get his fingertips to it. However, he makes amends on the next play, picking up a 16-yard gain for a first down. The catch also moves the Cowboys into the field-goal range of kicker Dan Bailey.

Romo goes for a deep pass to Bryant, but the officials call the catch incomplete. It's a contentious call as the wide receiver had his knee down before he lost the ball, but it probably wouldn't have be overturned if the Cowboys had called for a review as he was still on his way down when it popped out.

Romo lets the game clock run down before the Cowboys call their final timeout with four seconds left in the fourth quarter. Bailey will come on for the field goal attempt.

FIELD GOAL! Cowboys 24-21 Giants (Bailey)

END OF FOURTH QUARTER: Dallas Cowboys 24-21 New York Giants

Dan Bailey has been pretty reliable all season and he makes no mistake from 34 yards to seal the win for the Dallas Cowboys. The result, who is just their second road win of the season, gives them the same 6-5 record as the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tony Romo managed the game clock superbly on the final drive, ensuring that he got his team in a position to clinch the win without leaving time for the Giants to get back on level terms. The home side fought well to get back into the game, having trailed by 15 point midway through the third quarter, but too many missed opportunities earlier in the game proved costly.

Well that's all from the MetLife Stadium this evening, but stick around for coverage of the Denver Broncos' visit to the Gilette Stadium to face the New England Patriots coming up shortly, as well as reports from all of tonight's NFL games. Thanks for joining me this evening, goodbye.

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Dallas kicker Dan Bailey leaves the field after a game with New York Giants on December 11, 2011
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