ARLINGTON, Texas -- Nothing has been pretty for the Dallas Cowboys (5-7) this season, but their efforts looked a lot cleaner against the struggling New York Giants (2-10). They emerged victorious by a score of 27-20 on Thanksgiving Day to beat the Giants for an eighth time in a row as well as the 15th time in 16 games.
The win marked Dallas' first win at home in 334 days, their first since a 20-19 win in Week 17 last season against the Detroit Lions. That night the Cowboys inducted Hall of Fame head coach Jimmy Johnson into their Ring of Honor and escaped with a victory after controversy surrounding the Lions' attempts at a game-winning two-point conversion. Dallas had lost five consecutive home games, including the postseason, following a 16-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys also got a huge game from Rico Dowdle, who rushed for a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys had gone a franchise-record 25 games without a player rushing for 100 yards. The last Cowboys back with a 100-yard game was Tony Pollard against the Cardinals on Sept. 24, 2023.
On the defensive side of the ball, Dallas bullied New York's offensive line all night long, registering six sacks. Three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons applied constant pressure and finished with one-and-a-half sacks, but the biggest plays were made by Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. He showcased his high level athleticism by deflecting Giants quarterback Drew Lock's play-action screen pass high into the air and then catching it to run it all the way back for a 23-yard interception return touchdown, the first score of his career. That allowed Dallas to regain the lead and go up six, 13-7, with 11:29 left in the first half.
Let's take a look at what went down in Dallas on Thanksgiving:
Points off or from turnovers. This wasn't some offensive shootout, but Cooper Rush did take advantage of the opportunities his defense created for him. Early in the second quarter, Overshown had a pick six of Lock, and on the Giants' first drive of the third quarter, Eric Kendricks forced a Lock fumble that was recovered by Overshown at the Giants' 38-yard line.
The Cowboys used that favorable field position to score points, as Rush hit Brandin Cooks for a 2-yard touchdown to extend Dallas' lead to double digits. The Cowboys offense was the superior unit here in Week 13, but Giants turnovers were the difference.
Some believed Lock could spark the offense in ways Tommy DeVito could not, and while he made some plays with his legs, the Giants really struggled. Lock did engineer a 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on New York's first possession of the game, but after that came just one field goal until the fourth quarter.
The Giants offensive line struggled to protect Lock, who was sacked six times, while the offense didn't reach 200 total yards until the fourth quarter, and converted just three of 12 third downs. Penalties were also an issue, as multiple holding calls negated big plays. New York did pull within seven points with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter thanks to a Lock rushing touchdown, but this unit was disappointing on Thursday.
Down three points to begin the second half, the Giants had a chance to get something going on offense. Instead, Lock fumbled the ball, and the Cowboys recovered. What came next was a six-play, 38-yard drive that resulted in a Cooks touchdown to extend Dallas' lead to 10 points.
DeMarvion Overshown! He was arguably the player of the game. The Texas product missed his entire rookie season due to injury, but he's making an impact for this Cowboys defense in 2024. He scored his first career touchdown after tipping up a screen pass in the air, and then catching it and taking it 23 yards to the house in the second quarter.
The Cowboys, winners of two in a row, essentially have a mini-bye since they don't play again until Dec. 9 on "Monday Night Football" versus the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14. The Giants, losers of seven in a row and 2-10 for the first time since 2019, return home to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 14.
Dallas gets the football back up seven, 27-20, with 2:18 left to play. The Giants essentially have three timeouts with two actual timeouts and the two-minute warning.
This time, Dallas interior defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa gets home for the takedown of Lock. New York punts the football 41 yards to the Cowboys 39. Dallas leads 27-13 with 6:59 left to play.
New York's drive stalled after Drew Lock was sacked for a loss of seven yards by Dallas edge rusher Micah Parsons and Dallas defensive tackle Mazi Smith. They trail by 14, 27-13, with 13:34 left to play.
Even though it's still the third quarter, the Cowboys may have just dealt the Giants a death blow. They now lead by 17, 27-10, with 4:23 left to play.
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is the first Dallas Cowboys player with a pick six and a fumble recovery in the same game since 2002, back when Roy Williams did so in Week 17 at Washington, per CBS Sports Research.
Rush kept poised in the pocket, and he hit wide receiver Brandin Cooks for a two-yard touchdown in his first game back from a Week 4 knee injury. Dallas leads 20-10 with 11:37 left in the third quarter.
A replay review overturned Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush's fumble, so the Cowboys have a third-and-goal at the two.
DeMarvion Overshown is taking over this football game. The Dallas linebacker recovered Giants quarterback Drew Lock's fumble following a strip-sack by Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks. A pick-six in the first half and a fumble recovery on the opening drive of the second half. Dallas takes over on the Giants 38 up 13-10.
A Cowboys three-and-out gives the Giants a chance to double up and score points at the end of the half and at the start of the third quarter. New York starts at their own 11 and with 1:11 left in the half down three, 13-10.
They begin what is likely their final drive of the first half on their own 34 and a three-point, 13-10, with 1:36 left to play following the Giants punt.
Cooper Rush's first two throws of the drive were incompletions to Dallas' trade deadline acquisition wide receiver. Head coach Mike McCarthy waved the white flag on the drive with a third-and-long handoff to fullback Hunter Luepke that went for a two-yard gain.
New York's run, run, pass play-calling sequence was unable to pick a single first down on the drive, so they settled for a 46-yard field goal to trim the Cowboys lead to three, 13-10, with 3:21 left to play.
Giants return man Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned the Dallas punt to the 29 after a 22-yard gain. The Cowboys lead 13-7 with 5:22 left in the first half.
Micah Parsons' running into the kicker penalty cost the Cowboys offense valuable field position. Instead of a touchback and the ball at the 20, New York pinned Dallas down at their own one on the re-kick. Cowboys lead 13-7 with 6:19 left in the half.
Instead of handing the football to running back Rico Dowdle, who is averaging 6.3 yards per carry, Dallas calls a fullback dive to Hunter Luepke. It got stuffed for no gain and a turnover on downs. The Cowboys lead 13-7 with 7:15 left in the half.
Dallas safety Donovan Wilson blitzed off the edge, and he took down Giants quarterback Drew Lock for a loss of 12 on third-and-8. New York's went 48 yards down to the Cowboys 14. Dallas take over up 13-7 with 8:59 left in the half.
Dallas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown showcased his high level athleticism by deflecting Drew Lock's play-action screen pass high into the air and then catching it to run it all the way back for a 23-yard interception return touchdown. The Cowboys regained the lead and are up six, 13-7, with 11:29 left in the half.
The Dallas defensive back suffered an apparent leg injury on kickoff coverage after the Cowboys second field goal of the day. He was carted off the field.
Dallas' second drive looked a lot like its first in that it fizzled out in the red zone. The Cowboys trimmed the Giants lead to one, 7-6, after All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey drilled a 33-yard field goal with 11:44 left in the half.
New York hadn't held a lead at any point since their last win back in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks, but after Giants running back Tyrone Tracy found the end zone for a one-yard touchdown, they're now up 7-3.
Quarterback Drew Lock got the Giants down to one with his 28-yard scramble on third down, and Tyron Tracy put New York into the end zone on the very next play with a one-yard score. The Giants lead 7-3 with 3:09 left in the first quarter.
The middle of the field parted like the red sea on Lock's third-and-6 scramble, and he sprinted all the way down to the one. That's the biggest play of the day thus far for the Giants as it set up first and goal. It was initially ruled a touchdown and then revered upon replay review.
Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy bounced outside for a relatively easy six yards to move the chains and keep New York's opening drive alive.
A week after sixth overall pick wide receiver Malik Nabers didn't have a first half target, New York went to him on their first pass of the day. Nabers caught a checkdown pass for two yards from quarterback Drew Lock.
Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush's third-and-goal pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks went just out of reach of his outstretched hands. All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey connected on a 23-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 3-0 lead with 9:43 left in the opening quarter. The Giants will have their first offensive possession next. Rush was a relatively efficient six for nine passing on the opening drive for 56 yards.
