The Giants’ 10-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium Sunday night was a signature win for a team that has a slight and tenuous lead over its pursuers for one of the two wildcard playoff spots. The division winners receive an automatic bid and the remaining two teams with the best records will secure the wildcard berths.
The Giants are 9-4 and will host the NFC North division leading Detroit Lions, who are also 9-4, this Sunday at (1 p.m.). They currently hold the top wildcard position, with the 8-5 Tampa Buccaneers, 7-5-1 Washington and the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, both at 7-6, close behind with three games left for each team in the regular season. The Giants’ final two games will be against the Philadelphia Eagles Dec. 22 (8:25 p.m.) and Washington on New Year’s Day.
The Giants have defeated the Cowboys twice this season, the only opponent to best the 11-2 NFC East front-runners, on the strength of a defense that is in the top third of the NFL. They shut down the Cowboys’ superlative rookie tandem of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, forcing the QB into an uncharacteristic two interceptions and keeping Elliott, the league’s top ground gainer, who entered the game having scored 12 touchdowns, out of the end zone.
“Talk about us winning, the defense, holding the game down against clearly one of the best teams in the league,” said Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. “They got two young guys over there doing their thing and one of the best receivers in the league [in Dez Bryant], and they found a way to hold them to seven points. That’s really the story.”
And the defense will likely be the story again if the Giants are to notch another win this Sunday against the Lions and their supremely talented quarterback Matthew Stafford, a principal candidate for league MVP honors this season as Eli Manning and the offense continue to sputter.