Staple: Giants can't stop Cowboys' big plays

It wasn't just the Cowboys who looked like a very different team from the one that had seemingly given up three weeks ago, when Michael Boley broke Tony Romo's collarbone in Dallas. The Giants, who had been attacking quarterbacks with a terrific pass rush and a secondary that sealed off big plays, did neither of those things well at all yesterday.

Coming in as the second-ranked defense against the pass, the Giants' secondary was full of holes. With the Cowboys in a "max protect" blocking scheme for most of their 23 passing plays - keeping two tight ends in to block, plus a running back to chip any Giants pass rushers who found some room - it was up to the Giants' cornerbacks and safeties to contain what sometimes was only two Dallas receivers running routes.

They were not up to the challenge.

It started with Dez Bryant blowing by Terrell Thomas at the line for a 45-yard completion late in the first quarter and finished with Miles Austin finding all kinds of room on a post route for a 24-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

There were seven Cowboys completions of more than 20 yards and four of more than 40 yards against a Giants defense that came into the game having given up a league-low 14 pass plays of 20 or more yards.

"We've got to make those plays," Thomas said. "Our secondary is top of the league right now and we didn't play that way. We were always in position to make plays and we didn't. That's all on my part, I take full responsibility. I usually make those plays. I've got to make those plays."

Thomas got burned twice on deep corner routes, one early by Bryant - Antrel Rolle was a few steps late with help over the top - and once by Roy Williams on a third-and-22, right before Jon Kitna found Austin to make it 33-13.

Kitna turned the ball over at an alarming rate the previous two weeks, with six interceptions in the losses to Green Bay and Jacksonville that preceded Wade Phillips' firing.

With offensive coordinator Jason Garrett in charge, Kitna had a couple three-step drops early and the max-protect calls to give him time to find his talented, tall receivers.

"They put some different wrinkles in there and hit us at the right time," cornerback Corey Webster said. "Nothing where it's panic mode for us, start pointing fingers over. We have to use this, see what they did, and make adjustments from it. Teams are going to do this to us in the future, so it's good to see it now. We'd like to make corrections off a 'W,' but you can't do it."

Webster had full view of Austin's touchdown, on which the Cowboys receiver put about four moves on before turning toward the inside.

The key to the play was Kenny Phillips and Deon Grant both biting on underneath routes by backup tight end Scott Chandler and running back Felix Jones, leaving the middle of the field wide open.

Webster and Thomas both said they were playing up on the Dallas receivers for most plays, but the Cowboys used motion for their receivers and lined up off the ball on occasion to keep the physical play at the line to a minimum.

"We're going to continue to be physical, get our hands on every receiver we see," Webster said. "It's nothing to panic over. We just need to make the adjustments, because teams are going to keep trying to do this to us with the way we've been playing."