Giants Fall Short Against Cowboys

Giants Fall Short Against Cowboys

So what now? After embarking on a franchise-setting six-game winning streak, the New York Giants dropped the one their fans were clamoring for most on Sunday, a 31-20 loss to the much despised Dallas Cowboys.

But there were more than just bragging rights at stake here. The loss assured Dallas (8-1) of a season-sweep and left them two full games ahead of the G-Men (6-3) in the NFC East. And, perhaps even more troubling, it reignited questions about fourth-year quarterback Eli Manning's mental makeup in handling the big game.

Manning completed 24 of 34 passes for 236 yards, but was slow to pull the trigger on a number of key plays. He was sacked five times and called for an astounding three delay of games penalties. In head-to-head showdowns with fellow upstart signal-caller Tony Romo, he now stands at 0-3.

On Sunday, Romo was good for 247 yards through the air and four touchdowns, including a pair covering 75-yards to Pro Bowl wideout Terrell Owens. And yet, the Giants were somehow able to forge a 17-17 halftime tie before becoming completely unraveled during the second half.

“The second half wasn't good enough, we were our own worst enemy,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin told the NYC Daily News. “Our tempo has to improve. I'm disappointed, there's no doubt about that.”

And there now seems little doubt that the Giants are not on the Boys' level. In the end, penalties and missed assignments doomed the G-Men fortunes as much anything, raising questions about their mental toughness in such critical settings.

“We have to finish what we start,” said tight end Jeremy Shockey, who hauled in a career-high 12 catches. “It seems the opportunities are out there, we have to execute the plays. We'll come in, study hard and get ready for next week.”

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