The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants share an intense rivalry dating back to the '60s. In 116 meetings, the Cowboys have won 68 games while the Giants have only taken 46, with two draws between the teams.
These two historic franchises of the NFC East have put together some incredible games with their own amazing moments.
Let's take a trip down memory lane to relive four of the best.
4. Party Spoiler
On September 20, 2009, placekicker Lawrence Tynes completed a 37-yard field goal as the game clock expired to give the Giants a tight 33–31 victory. The win spoiled the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium, which hosted a record-breaking attendance of over 105,121 people.
After the game, Giants quarterback Eli Manning signed the wall of the visiting locker room and famously wrote “'33–31. First win in the new stadium” next to his name.
3. Catch of the Year
On November 23, 2014, rookie Odell Beckham Jr. caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning early in the second quarter of a Week 12 Sunday night game against the Cowboys.
Cornerback Brandon Carr was called for a pass interference penalty which didn't stop Beckham from fully extending out his right hand to catch the pass. In fact, close up photos have shown that the receiver only used three fingers to snag the rock in the air.
While the jaw-dropping play made it 14-3 in favor of the Giants, the Cowboys rallied back, winning the game via Romo's 13-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant with 1:01 to go in the fourth quarter. The play secured a come-from-behind 31-28 win for the Cowboys en route to a season sweep of the series.
Beckham's one-handed touchdown reception was eventually hailed as the “catch of the year”, which became the defining moment of his career up to this day.
2. Monday Night Brawl
The full bitterness of the rivalry played out on November 7, 1994. The Cowboys hosted the Giants at the old Texas Stadium on Monday Night Football. The game wasn't in question as the Cowboys were the better team during that era. The Boys entered the game boasting a 7-1 record while the Giants were on a 3-5 slump.
On the final play of the first half, Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman launched a cannon to wide receiver Alvin Harper in the endzone. The receiver was hammered in mid-air by Giants safety Tito Wooten and suffered a sprained left knee.
Things started to get chippy when Cowboys receivers coach Hubbard Alexander attacked Jarvis Williams of the Giants. Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin also punched Williams with a helmet. Cowboys safety James Washington grabbed a tripod from a photographer and was yelling for Giants players to take him on. Irvin was fined $12,000 and Washington $10,000 by the league.
When play resumed, the Cowboys then flipped the Giants on several rushing touchdowns en route to a lopsided 38–10 win.
1. Smith to the Rescue
In the final game of the 1993 season, both teams faced off with an identical 11–4 record and competed for the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
Cowboys star running back Emmitt Smith suffered a separated right shoulder in the first half but continued to play in pain. He rushed 168 yards, including 41 on the game-winning drive, as Dallas won 16–13 in overtime. Smith also bagged the NFL rushing title after his gritty performance.
The loss dropped the Giants to the fourth seed, while the win gave the Cowboys the first seed and a bye in the playoffs. The extra days off gave Smith time to heal, and would go on to lead the Cowboys throughout the playoffs.
His heroics lifted his team over the Buffalo Bills and eventually won the MVP honors in Super Bowl XXVIII.
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