Riding a dominant defense and special teams, the Dallas Cowboys embarrassed the New York Giants 40-0 in Sunday night’s season opener in East Rutherford, N.J.
Under a driving rainfall, the Cowboys (1-0) returned a blocked field goal and an interception for touchdowns during the first quarter alone. Tony Pollard ran for 70 yards and two touchdowns as Dallas recorded the largest shutout win in franchise history and beat the Giants (0-1) for the 12th time in 13 meetings.
The Cowboys held Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to 15-for-28 passing for 104 yards, sacking him seven times and intercepting him twice. It was Jones’ first game since signing a four-year, $160 million contract this past offseason.
Osa Odighizuwa and Dorance Armstrong each had two sacks and Trevon Diggs had a key pass breakup and a forced fumble. The swarming Dallas defense was so dominant that Dak Prescott only had to provide 143 yards on 13-of-24 passing in the demolition.
Amid the wet conditions, the Giants fumbled five times, losing one. The Cowboys fumbled once but recovered it.
The Cowboys’ party started after the Giants advanced to the Dallas 8-yard line on their opening drive.
After a false-start penalty and a low snap cost the Giants 19 yards, Graham Gano’s field goal was blocked. Juanyeh Thomas bounded through untouched to make the block, and Noah Igbinoghene returned it 58 yards to pay dirt. New Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey missed the extra point.
The Cowboys forced a three-and-out and Aubrey made a 21-yard field goal at the end of their first possession for a 9-0 lead. Three plays later, Jones found Saquon Barkley in the flat, but Diggs landed a big hit to jar the ball into the air and DaRon Bland snagged it for a 22-yard pick-6.
Aubrey made a 38-yard field goal with 10:55 left in the half, and on the very next play from scrimmage, veteran corner Stephon Gilmore celebrated his Dallas debut by making a diving interception. That set the Cowboys up at the Giants 38, and Pollard later capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 26-0.
Dallas carried that lead into halftime and opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard drive culminating in Pollard sweeping right for a 1-yard score.
Wide receiver KaVontae Turpin took a pitch left on third-and-goal from the 7 for his first career touchdown to make it 40-0 with 11:31 remaining in the game.
Jones completed a pass to Isaiah Hodgins on the next play; Hodgins gained 24 yards before Diggs stripped him from behind and Dallas recovered.
–Field Level Media
