Sunday night’s Giants victory over Dallas was huge, so big in fact it ranks among the Giants’ 10 biggest wins over the Cowboys in the history of this storied rivalry. Here’s a look at the Giants’ 10 biggest wins over America’s Team (If you’re looking for the Odell catch, Emmitt Smith or the Monday Night Brawl, they’re not here — those were all Cowboys victories).
*The NFL has blocked playback on some of these videos so you’ll have to click through to YouTube to watch them. Sorry. Blame them, not us.
1. Jan. 13, 2008: Giants 21, Cowboys 17
The only playoff meeting in the history of the rivalry turned out to be a classic. Three weeks before they shocked the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, the Giants knocked off the 13-3 and top-seeded Cowboys in the divisional round at Texas Stadium.
Eli Manning threw a pair of TD passes to Amani Toomer but future Jet Nick Folk kicked a 34-yard field goal to put Dallas ahead, 17-14, in the third quarter. R.W. McQuarters returned a punt 25 yards to set up Brandon Jacob’s 1-yard TD run five plays later. McQuarters later iced the game by picking off a Tony Romo fourth-down pass into the end zone as time expired.
2. Dec. 19, 1981: Giants 13, Cowboys 10 (OT)
Joe Danelo kicks Giants to playoffs vs. Cowboys from Andrew Rudy on Vimeo.
The Giants ended a 17-season playoff drought in the toughest way imaginable, by beating a 12-3 America’s Team in the season finale. The Giants came in at 8-7, needing a win to make the playoffs for the first time since 1963. The Giants held the Cowboys to a season-low-tying 10 points and Joe Danelo, who had already missed three field goals at the icy Meadowlands, nailed a 40-yarder with 30 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. He then hit a 35-yarder in the extra period to send Big Blue to the playoffs.
3. Dec. 11, 2011: Giants 37, Cowboys 34
The visiting Giants rally from a 34-22 deficit with 5:41 to play when Eli Manning throws an 8-yard TD pass to Jake Ballard and Brandon Jacobs scores on a 1-yard run with 46 seconds to play as desperate Big Blue stops a four-game skid to improve to 7-6. The victory is not sealed until Jason Pierre-Paul blocked Dallas kicker Dan Bailey’s game-tying field goal with 6 seconds remaining. Bailey actually made the field goal on his first try but Tom Coughlin called a timeout just before the snap.
4. Nov. 2, 1986: Giants 17, Cowboys 14
The Giants get revenge over the only NFC team to beat them in 1986 in a game that marks the beginning of the end for America’s Team under Tom Landry. The battle of 6-2 teams is a slugfest with Carl Banks delivering the key blow when he knocks Cowboys QB Danny White out of the game. Joe Morris rushes for 181 yards and two TDs, and Dallas’ Rafael Septien is just short on a 63-yard field goal try on the final play.
5. Jan. 1, 2012: Giants 31, Cowboys 14
A winner-take-all season finale at MetLife Stadium ended with the Giants as NFC East champs ready to start another Super Bowl run. Two Eli Manning TD passes helped the Giants build a 21-0 first-half lead. Tony Romo rallied the Cowboys to within 21-14 with 10:15 to play but the Giants answered as Victor Cruz made a 44-yard third-down reception that helped set up a Lawrence Tynes field goal and the Giants were on their way to the division crown.
6. Dec. 11, 2016: Giants 10, Cowboys 7
The longest winning streak in the storied history of the Dallas Cowboys comes to an end at 11 games thanks to a stellar effort from the Giants’ defense, led by Janoris Jenkins, in shutting down Dallas’ two super rookies, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Odell Beckham provides the winning points on electrifying 61-yard TD catch and run.
7. Sept. 20, 2009: Giants 33, Cowboys 31
Giants spoil the opening of the Jerry Dome before a record-breaking 105,121 people as Lawrence Tynes boots the winning 37-yard field goal as time expires. Eli Manning throws for 330 yards and two TDs then signs wall in visiting locker room to mark the occasion of the first victory in the new building.
8. Dec. 17, 2000: Giants 17, Cowboys 13
Giants improve to 11-4 and clinch NFC East with victory at Texas Stadium. Giants erase 13-0 deficit in the final 18 minutes behind a Kerry Collins 33-yard TD pass to Amani Toomer and Tiki Barber’s 13-yard run, set up by an interception by Emmanuel McDaniel. The Cowboys mount a final drive but Giants’ Cedric Jones stops Michael Wiley for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play. The win is Giants’ fourth straight since coach Jim Fassel makes playoff guarantee.
9. Jan. 2, 2005: Giants 28, Cowboys 24
Tom Coughlin turned the team over to Eli Manning after nine games despite a 5-4 record behind Kurt Warner. The heralded rookie lost his first six games before Bill Parcells’ Cowboys came into Giants Stadium for the season finale. Manning threw three TD passes, and with 1:44 to play and the Giants trailing 24-21, he drove Big Blue to the Dallas 3, audibled to a run and handed to Tiki Barber for a game-winning TD. Barber breaks Joe Morris’ single-season team rushing record on the winning score.
10. Nov. 8, 1970: Giants 23, Cowboys 20
What’s this? A big game in the Fran Tarkenton era? Believe it or not, there was one, and this was it. The Giants trailed the star-studded Cowboys 20-9 in the third quarter at Yankee Stadium before getting two Ron Johnson TDs — a 4-yard run and then a 13-yard pass from Tarkenton that gave the Giants the victory and a first-place tie in the NFC East with Dallas at 5-3. The division race went down to the final Sunday. A Giant victory over the Rams in the finale would have given Big Blue the division but the Giants laid a 31-3 egg at the Stadium and missed the playoffs while Dallas went on to reach Super Bowl V.
