Cowboys ride defense to Thanksgiving win over Giants

ARLINGTON, Texas — For the Dallas Cowboys, Thanksgiving offered a speck of a chance that they could still salvage their season. For the New York Giants, it was more of the same in a lost season.

The Cowboys won a home game for the first time in 334 days, beating the Giants 27-20 at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys avoided their third 0-6 start to a home season, which would have matched the two worst teams in franchise history, 1960 and 1989. The Cowboys’ last home win had come Dec. 30, 2023, against the Detroit Lions, but since then they had lost six straight at AT&T Stadium, including playoffs, and trailed by at least 20 points in all those games, an NFL record.

At 5-7, the Cowboys can’t be considered playoff contenders just yet, but their next two games are against the Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) and Carolina Panthers (3-8). Dallas has won consecutive games for the second time this season.

In the third quarter, the Cowboys had their first double-digit home lead at any point since Week 14 last season against the Philadelphia Eagles. That might not seem like much until you consider that the Cowboys went undefeated at AT&T Stadium in 2023.

Here’s what to know for both teams:

Pivotal play: DeMarvion Overshown changed the tenor of the game in the second quarter one play after the Cowboys cut the Giants’ lead to 7-6 on a field goal. Blitzing from Drew Lock’s right, Overshown blew up Devin Singletary, then tipped Lock’s throw to the running back. Without missing a stride, Overshown returned the interception 23 yards for the Cowboys’ first defensive touchdown of the season and gave them a lead they would not relinquish. The Giants did not sniff the end zone until late in the fourth quarter, as Overshown’s play seemed to invigorate the defense.

Promising trend: Since making Rico Dowdle the unquestioned lead back, the Cowboys’ run game has improved. He became the first Cowboys running back with 100 yards in a game since Tony Pollard in Week 3, ending a franchise-long 26 game streak. A 17-yard run in the fourth quarter put Dowdle over the century mark for the first time in his career. He also had his first rushing touchdown of the season and a season-long 22-yard gain. And he did all this without two starters on the offensive line for most of the game (Zack Martin, Tyler Guyton). This came four days after an 86-yard outing against the Washington Commanders.

Most surprising performance: CeeDee Lamb, who entered as the NFL leader in receptions, had more drops than catches in the first half. He became the first Cowboy pass catcher with at least three drops in a half in the past 15 years, according to ESPN Research. He had two catches for 39 yards in the first half. Lamb saw his NFL record of 44 consecutive games with at least four receptions come to an end. Lamb had four drops in the first 11 games combined this season. — Todd Archer

Next game: vs. Bengals (8:15 p.m. ET, Dec. 9)

Somehow, things keep finding a way to get worse for the Giants. They were defeated for a second consecutive week, only this time it was on national TV during Thanksgiving dinner for the entire nation to see against the division-rival Cowboys.

New York’s offense still struggled badly with Drew Lock, the team’s third starting quarterback in three games. The Giants also lost star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II to an elbow injury.

Owner John Mara might have given a vote of confidence to coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen a little over a month ago, but the Giants haven’t won since and have now dropped seven straight games. The coach and GM seats are hot.

QB breakdown: Does it really matter who is at quarterback? It was Lock’s turn on Thanksgiving to take a beating. Lock finished 21-of-32 passing for 172 yards, along with a fumble and interception returned for a touchdown, and had 57 rushing yards and a TD on the ground. He also took 13 QB hits and six sacks behind a pair of backup tackles. Much like the previous Giants quarterbacks, he didn’t stand much of a chance.

Prediction for next week: Tommy DeVito returns as the starting quarterback. He underwent an MRI on his forearm Wednesday and it came back clean, according to a source. DeVito had a bad bruise. Now, with 10 days until they play again against the Saints, he has a realistic chance to be back for their next game. After the beating Lock took on Thanksgiving, the Giants might need DeVito.

Eye-popping stat: The Giants had their first lead in 371:57. New York hadn’t led since beating the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 6. That is six full games and almost a quarter that they went without leading until Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter put them ahead 7-3. It didn’t last long. The Giants led for 6:22 on Thursday before Dallas regained the advantage for the remainder of the contest.

Troubling trend: The Giants’ tackling. Putrid right from the start. They missed five tackles on the opening drive alone, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. They had 11 missed tackles in the first half. This isn’t an isolated case, either. It has been a problem for New York all season. –Jordan Raanan

Next game: vs. Saints (1 p.m. ET, Dec. 8)