Giants' defense solid in first half
Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys is pressured by Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants. (Jan. 1, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
In the ultimate statement game, Tom Coughlin may have been looking to make a statement Sunday night even before the opening kickoff.
With a playoff berth on the line, the Giants' coach elected to give Dallas the ball even though the Giants won the opening coin toss. It's a move more suited to Rex Ryan than Coughlin, but it worked beautifully as the Giants' defense dominated early en route to an NFC East-clinching 31-14 victory over the Cowboys at rainy MetLife Stadium.
Buoyed by the return of Osi Umenyiora (two sacks) from an ankle injury, the Giants took a 21-0 halftime lead and sacked Tony Romo six times. "It was hurting a little bit," Umenyiora said. "But they were going to have to kill me to get me out of there. I wasn't coming out."
The tone was set early. The Giants forced a three-and-out on the Cowboys' initial possession and sacked Romo on each of the next three. In the first half, Dallas managed only six first downs to the Giants' 15 and 96 yards of offense to the Giants' 277.
"Coach put it on our shoulders to go out there and pretty much make the statement for the team,'' Aaron Ross said. "We came out and had a great defensive stance and the offense fed off of it and the story is what it is now."
Umenyiora returned as a third-down specialist on the left side -- a side he hadn't played on since 2004 -- so the Giants could keep Jason Pierre-Paul on the right, with Justin Tuck sliding inside.
On Dallas' second possession, Pierre-Paul sacked Romo for a 12-yard loss on second down. Then Umenyiora, who had missed four games, looped inside on a stunt with Tuck and sacked Romo on a third-and-4 from the Dallas 24. Linebacker Jacquian Williams had a sack on the Cowboys' first drive of the second quarter.
Lawrence Tynes missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt with 7:41 left in the first half, and Romo hit three consecutive passes as Dallas entered Giants territory for the first time.
But the pass rush got to him again -- indirectly -- on third-and-6 from the Giants' 39. Romo executed a series of spins and jukes to get out of harm's way before completing a 22-yard pass to Dez Bryant. But Romo was a good two yards over the line of scrimmage when he threw; the Cowboys punted after the loss-of-down penalty.
Umenyiora, Tuck and Chris Canty had sacks in the second half. The Giants gave up some points, but Dallas never got closer than 21-14. That was thanks in part to a timely interception by Antrel Rolle in the third quarter and a fourth-and-1 stop by Pierre-Paul and Michael Boley on Romo's sneak early in the fourth.
