Notes and statistics from the Giants' 37-34 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
*The Giants broke their four-game losing streak and improved to 7-6 and moved into a first-place tie with Dallas atop the NFC East. Because of the victory, the Giants own the tiebreaker. The Giants and Cowboys will meet in the season finale in MetLife Stadium on Jan. 1.
*The Giants improved to 3-0 in Cowboys Stadium, which opened in 2009. They won the three games by scores of 33-31, 41-35 and 37-34, an average of 37 points a game.
*This was the sixth consecutive season the Giants game in Dallas was played in prime time. The Giants are 4-2 in those games.
*The Giants finished 2-1 in NFC East road games, winning in Philadelphia and Dallas, but losing in Washington.
*The game featured eight lead changes, tying the highest total in a Giants game since the 1970 merger. The other game was also in Cowboys Stadium. On Sept. 20, 2009, in the first regular season game ever in the stadium, the lead was traded eight times before the Giants prevailed, 33-31.
*The Giants trailed, 34-22, before Eli Manning led the Giants to two touchdowns in the final 3:14 – a franchise-record sixth time this season the Giants won a game in which they trailed or were tied in the fourth quarter. Manning now has 20 such games in his career.
*Brandon Jacobs scored the game-winning touchdown on a one-yard run with 46 seconds remaining. It was the second time this season the Giants scored a touchdown in the final minute to erase a deficit and win a game. On Nov. 6 at New England, Manning threw a touchdown pass to Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left to beat the Patriots, 24-20.
*The Giants had 510 total yards, their highest total since they gained 512 yards vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 13, 2009 and their highest total in a victory since they had 523 yards vs. Seattle on Oct. 6, 2008. It was the 13th time in 1,206 regular season games that the Giants gained at least 500 yards.
*The Giants had 400 net passing yards (also gross passing yards, because Manning was never sacked). It was the fifth-highest passing yardage total in Giants history and the highest since Oct. 13, 1985, when they threw for 443 yards at Cincinnati. It was the Giants' highest passing yardage total in a victory since Oct. 28, 1962 when they threw for a team-record 505 yards vs. Washington.
*This was the third game this season in which the Giants allowed no sacks (also Buffalo and Miami). The Giants are 3-0 in those games. They have won their last six games in which they did not give up a sack, dating back to last season.
*The Giants' 28 first downs were one shy of their season high, set on Nov. 28 in New Orleans.
*The Giants trailed at halftime, 17-15. It was the second time this season they won a game when trailing after two quarters. On Oct. 30, a 14-10 deficit became a 20-17 victory over Miami. The Giants had since lost four games in a row in which they trailed at the half.
*The Giants scored their first points when Jason Pierre-Pierre Paul sacked Tony Romo, who stumbled into the end zone, where the quarterback's knee hit the ground. It was the first Giants' safety since Dec. 14, 2008 – also in Dallas (Texas Stadium) and also involving Romo, who was forced out of the end zone by Mathias Kiwanuka.
*Tom Coughlin moved into the top 20 in NFL history on two important victory lists. The win was his 140th in the regular season, breaking a tie with Tony Dungy and moving him into sole possession of 20th place on the career list. Jeff Fisher is 19th with 142 regular season triumphs. With his eight postseason victories, Coughlin has 148 total triumphs. That broke a tie with Fisher for the 20th spot and moved him into a tie with Dungy at No. 19. Former Giants Coach Steve Owen, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is 18th with 153 combined wins.
*Despite saying all week the Cowboys Stadium roof would be open, it was closed and the game was played indoors. The Giants won for the fourth time in their last five indoor games. They are 10-4 under Coughlin in regular season dome games and 28-16 overall.
*The Giants improved to 16-21-1 on Sunday night, including 9-10-1 on the road.
*Manning started his 116th consecutive regular season game to tie former Philadelphia quarterback Ron Jaworski for third among quarterbacks in NFL history. Only Brett Favre (297) and Peyton Manning (208) have started more consecutive regular season games.
*Manning has thrown 14 fourth-quarter touchdown passes this season, tying the NFL record set by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas in 1959 and tied by Peyton Manning in 2002.
Offensively, Manning completed 27 of 47 passes for an even 400 yards, touchdowns to Ballard and Mario Manningham and an interception. Jacobs, getting extensive work in part because Ahmad Bradshaw sat out the first half for violating an unspecified team rule, ran for a season-high 101 yards and two scores. Hakeem Nicks gained 163 yards on eight receptions.
*Manning's 400-yard game was his third this season – and the third of his career. But this was the first time the Giants won when he threw for 400 yards. They lost when he passed for 420 yards vs. Seattle and 406 at New Orleans. This season, Manning has three of the eight highest-passing yardage games by a quarterback in Giants history.
*The 400 yards increased Manning's season total to a career-high and team-record 4,105 yards. The old record of 4,073 yards was set by Kerry Collins in 2002. Manning's previous career-high was 4,021 yards in 2009. This is his third 4,000-yard season; he passed for 4,002 yards in 2010.
*Manning now has 21 300-yard games, tying him with Phil Simms for the Giants record. The Giants are 10-11 in those games.
*Manning's 27 completions increased his season total to 303. It is his fourth 300-completion season, breaking a tie with Collins for the most in Giants history.
*Manning threw 47 passes and was not sacked. That is his second-highest number of passes without a sack in his career. On Nov. 14, 2010, he threw 48 passes without a sack – also against Dallas.
*Manning has eight touchdown passes in the Giants' three games in Cowboys Stadium. He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of his last six games vs. Dallas.
*Hakeem Nicks caught eight passes for 163 yards, his third 100-yard game of the season and the ninth of his career. The Giants are 6-3 when Nicks has at least 100 receiving yards.
*Nicks increased his season total to 1,023 yards. He joins Victor Cruz (1,150) to give the Giants two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season for the first time in their 87-year history.
*Cruz had six receptions for 74 yards in Dallas. His 1,150 yards is the seventh-highest single-season total in Giants history. Cruz needs 194 yards in the final three games to top Amani Toomer's franchise record of 1,343 yards, set in 2002.
*Brandon Jacobs rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, a 5.3-yard average. It was his first 100-yard game since Dec. 13, 2010, when he ran for 116 yards in a victory over Minnesota in Detroit. It was his 12th career 100-game game. The Giants are 11-1 in those games. Under Coughlin, they are 36-10 when one or two backs rush for at least 100 yards.
*Jacobs' 12th 100-yard game broke a tie with Eddie Price and moved him into fourth place on the Giants' career list. Rodney Hampton is third with 17.
*Jacobs became the first Giant to rush for at least two touchdowns in a game since Ahmad Bradshaw ran for three scores vs. Buffalo on Oct. 16.
*Jacobs' two rushing touchdowns increased his career total to 56, breaking Tiki Barber's franchise record of 55.
*Jacobs also has four receiving touchdowns, one this season. His 60 total touchdowns move him past Toomer (58) and into sole possession of fourth place on the Giants' career list. Joe Morrison is third with 65.
*In Jacobs and Nicks, the Giants had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in the same game for the first time since…their last visit to Dallas. On Oct. 25, 2010, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 126 yards and Nicks (108 yards) and Steve Smith (101) each topped the century mark in receiving yards.
*For Dallas, Felix Jones rushed for 106 yards and Laurent Robinson had 137 receiving yards, the first pair of Giants opponents to exceed 100 yards since Nov. 21, 2010, when Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy ran for 111 yards and Jeremy Maclin had 120 receiving yards.
*Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals and three extra points. The nine points increased his Giants career total to 421. That moved him past Barber and into fifth place on the franchise's career list. Joe Danelo is fourth with 482 points.
*Tynes extended his consecutive extra points streak to 150 in a row.
*Tynes' two field goal attempts increased his Giants total to 101. He has made 85 of them (84.2 percent).
*Jason Pierre-Paul led the Giants with eight tackles (six solo), including two sacks, one of which resulted in the safety. He also forced a fumble and secured the victory by blocking Dan Bailey's 47-yard field goal attempt with one second left. If good, the kick would have tied the score and sent the game into overtime.
*Pierre-Paul has 12.5 sacks this season, the highest total by a Giant since Osi Umenyiora had 13.0 in 2007.
*Pierre-Paul's block was the first by a Giant since Terrell Thomas blocked a David Akers' attempt at Philadelphia on Nov. 21, 2010.
*The Giants succeeded on a two-point conversion attempt for the second week in a row and once again D.J. Ware ran the ball in for the points.
*Ahmad Bradshaw was held out of the game the entire first half because he violated a team rule. Ware made his first career start at running back.
*Chris Canty's sack of Romo was his second of the season.
*Romo and Robinson hooked up for a 74-yard pass, the longest allowed by the Giants this season. The previous long was a 68-yarder from St. Louis' Sam Bradford to Donario Alexander on Sept. 19. It was not, however, the longest play surrendered by the Giants this season; Buffalo's Fred Jackson had an 80-yard run on Oct. 16.
*The Giants' inactive players were safety Kenny Phillips (knee), defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee), center David Baas (neck/intense headaches), linebackers Mark Herzlich (ankle) and Spencer Paysinger (hamstring), wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan and offensive lineman Tony Ugoh, who was signed last week.
Phillips had started 28 consecutive games since returning in 2010 following his knee surgery the previous year. Deon Grant started for Phillips and had three tackles and a fumble recovery.
*Umenyiora missed his second game in a row and his fifth this season. Pierre-Paul took his place in the starting lineup.
Baas missed his second game in a row and fourth of the season. With Baas absent, Kevin Boothe played center and Mitch Petrus started for the second time at left guard.
Herzlich sat out for the second week in a row and Paysinger missed his first game of the season.
Chase Blackburn, playing in his second game since being re-signed, started at middle linebacker and had one tackle. Rookie Jacquian Williams started for Michael Boley at weakside backer and had six tackles (four solo).
*Dallas' Tony Romo threw four touchdown passes, the third opposing quarterback to do that against the Giants in as many weeks. The others were Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.
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