When we last saw the Cowboys defense, they were watching members of the Saints run by and around them on the way to 625 yards and 40 first downs in a 49-17 loss before their Week 11 bye.
What a difference two weeks makes. The Cowboys held the Giants to 195 yards and scored a touchdown off a Victor Cruz fumble on the way to a 14-6 halftime lead in a game that the Cowboys need to pull into a tie atop the NFC East. The Cowboys have given up most of those yards on the ground, but Eli Manning is 11-of-16 for 95 yards and the Giants have earned boos from the home crowd for their play calling and inability to execute in the red zone.
The Cowboys only made it to the outskirts of the red zone in the first half, but it turned out well as Tony Romo hit Jason Witten for a 20-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Romo was sacked three times and threw an interception when a ball went off Dez Bryant’s hands during an uneven half, but DeMarco Murray had 80 total yards to provide some sparks against a game Giants defense.
That defense was a big driver of the four-game winning streak that the Giants bring into Sunday’s game. It has held up well, but the questions about whether the offense will ever find itself remain firmly in place.