NFC Divisional Playoff: Giants 21, Cowboys 17

We're getting ready, eventually, for the final playoff game of the weekend from Texas Stadium with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman for Fox.

Cowboys will kick off as soon as that sideline cameraman is done taking shots of Pam Oliver's ass. Seriously, what was he shooting while she gave her pregame report? Giants fake a reverse on the kick return; Hixon returns to the 23. Brandon Jacobs cuts back and gains 5. Stretch handoff left to Jacobs for 9. Eli back to pass with a LB blitzing up the middle; he throws it long and incomplete. 2nd-10. Jacobs works outside and right for 4. Pass broken up on the sideline, but what looked like a super jump by Demarcus Ware was called an offsides penalty. 3rd-and-1. Manning tries to sneak for the 1st and probably has it. Cowboys then fall asleep on 1st down, fatally. Toomer ran a hook and made Anthony Henry look silly, then spun away from about three guys and shot up the sideline for a 52-yard TD.

Giants lead 7-0.

Stone Cold Miles Austin returns the kick to the 23 to give Dallas the ball for the first time.

Oh great, it's Eyebrow Guy again.

Facemask by Mitchell on Barber on the opening play will put Dallas at their 38. NY blitzes, Romo double-pumps and fires one through TO's hands on the sideline. 2nd-10. Stretch handoff left to Barber gains nothing. Giants blitz two and force a wacky throw from Romo that falls incomplete. McBriar's punt is downed at the 9, and this game is going perfectly for the Giants so far.

Peter Morelli is the last of the eight mostly-mediocre referees to get playoff assignments this year.

Manning hits Toomer at the 20, and Henry looks mostly helpless against the old, slow, #2 WR. Stretch handoff left to Jacobs is shut down by Ware with authority. Jacobs cracks the next run open up the middle for 9. Giants line up Bradshaw behind Hedgecock, then put Bradshaw in motion and hit him with a quick hitch for 6. 1st down. Bradshaw knifes it up inside for a 12-yard gain. Cowboys defense is showing me nothing so far. Bomb for Burress is just incomplete. Bradshaw surges for 8 to the Dallas 45. 3rd-and-2, they run outside and Dallas holds Bradshaw short. Giants will punt. Really question the selection of run play there, given how well they were running up the gut. Feagles' punt is fielded by Giant gunner David Tyree at the 2. That is an awesome freaking special teams play.

From apparently the 4, Barber cuts back up the middle for 6. Corey Webster has TO perfectly covered up the sideline but Romo throws a perfect pass for 13. Quick hitch to Crayton loses three thanks to Aaron Ross. Big run by Barber into Giant territory, just running through a bunch of arm tackles before hitting the open field for 36. Romo hits Crayton for 12, and the smack is really flying between the teams. Barber gets a gigantic hole up the middle for 11. Cowboys no-huddle and go 4-wide. TE flinches, though. 1st-15 from the NY24. Barber bounces outside and gets down to the 3 behind drive blocking from TO. They beat a blitz there and Umenyiora overplaying. Giants stuff Barber on first-and-goal for a loss as the first quarter ends.

=======Giants 7, Cowboys 0 after 1=======

Jumper: the movie for people who think they just aren't paying enough to watch Heroes.

Back from the break, Romo floats a fade for TO, who I'm not so sure actually gained possession in bounds for an apparent TD. Coughlin challenges, and I don't blame him. Aikman is so pro-Cowboy in his commentary as to be worthless. TO's catch here is not obvious at all, and he's already whined about a couple of non-calls that didn't go the Cowboys' way.

The TD stands, though, and we're tied at 7.

Hixon picks his way out to the 32 with the return. Eli calls an audible and hits Burress for 5. Dallas shuts down Jacobs to force 3rd-and-5. Toomer dropped a pass wide open over the middle, but it looks like Greg Ellis jumped. Second time Dallas has tried to time the snap. 1st down NY at their 42. Jacobs saves Eli from getting killed by a blitzing Ayodele, but Ayodele trips Eli by his shoestrings after a 2-yard scramble. Maybe one more for Jacobs off the left side. 3rd-and-7, Eli is brought down for a sack by Chris Canty, who took advantage of a double-team on Ware. Holding during the punt will push Dallas back inside their 10.

Dallas from their 9. Barber gains 8-9 around right end, running right over and through Ross. The Rams NEVER get Steven Jackson that open on a sweep. Barber's inches short on 2nd down. Ross is down on the play and has to come off. Barber bounces outside for the first. Romo dodges a sack and slides for 6. Romo took a pretty late hit there. Julius Jones up the middle for about 2. 3rd-and-1, Barber runs right over Antonio Pierce for 5. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for from Steven Jackson. Play action screen to Barber. They benefit from the drop; the play would have lost yardage. 2nd-10. 2 for Barber leads to 3rd-and-8. Quick comeback to Terry Glenn, who makes a nifty jump cut and gains 11-12. From the Dallas 49, play action deep ball for TO is well out of bounds. Barber goes up the middle for about 3. Romo escapes the rush and hits TO on the sideline for another first down. Big play here: Play action, and Terry Glenn fell, but Webster miffed the EASY pick. IDIOT. 2nd-10 Dallas. Barber's hauled down from behind for maybe a yard. As Troy's mentioning, the Giants are blitzing a ton today. Maybe the only team we've seen do it this weekend. 3rd down, Romo's got ALL DAY and hits TO open over the middle for 20. Jones up the middle for 4. This first half is really moving; we're hitting the 2:00 warning already with Dallas at the Giant 17.

Play action rollout to Witten gets Dallas down to the 2. McQuarters jams TO perfectly to avoid the fade pass TD on 1st-and-goal. Barber grinds down to the 1. The next play is the twentieth of this drive. 3rd-and-goal, Barber appears to power in for the TD, and he does. 14-7, Dallas.

Bradshaw returns the kickoff to the 29 with :45 left in the half. 1st down pass bounces to Toomer. 2nd down. Deep lob to Steve Smith at midfield for 22. The Giants use their second timeout. They'd lost one on the challenged TO TD earlier. 11 to Smith at the sideline. :28 left and the Giants get big help from Reeves with a face mask penalty. They're at the Dallas 23. Eli steps out of the rush but throws way too high for Plax in the end zone. Canty slaps down the 2nd-down pass. Sweet pass to Kevin Boss at the 4. :11 left. TD pass to Toomer again, in front of Ken Hamlin, as a skirmish breaks out back upfield. Some confusion in the secondary before the snap. Stupidly, they're in zone coverage with both feet in the end zone. Super, super drive by Eli and the G-men. 14-14.

Cowboys return the squib out almost to the forty but there's just :01 left. Dallas kneels and we're going to halftime.

=======Cowboys 14, Giants 14 after 2=======

Both teams seem to be doing whatever they want on offense, which I think is playing into Dallas' favor in the second half. They have a big time of possession advantage on the Giants and are wearing them down. Both pass rushes have to do a better job of keeping the QBs in the pocket. New York has to stop Barber early in some of these drives or they're probably done. It's ridiculous how badly Dallas is letting Toomer beat them, which is obscuring the good job they're doing against Burress. We'll see what kind of adjustment they make for the 2nd half there.

Dallas opens the 2nd half at their 22. Barber up the middle for a couple. Giants show blitz; Barber picks it up and Romo hits Witten for 8 and a 1st. Barber bangs for 3. Romo hits Fasano in the flat for 5. It's 3rd and a long 2. I thought the fullback, actually Witten, jumped, but Barber just barely dodges a big loss in the backfield and gains about 10 to midfield. Barber again, bouncing outside left for 5. That was a Marshall-Faulk-like reversal of field. Pitch right to Barber loses a couple. 3rd-and-7. Romo steps up and hits Glenn up the sideline between 2 DBs at the 28. Sweet pass. The Giants once again are failing to get Dallas off the field. Jones jumps inside for a couple. Romo now breaks a couple of tackles and scrambles upfield for 11. 1st-10 at the NY14. Barber for 3 around right end. Ross has gamely tried to keep playing but has to come off due to his shoulder again. Play action pass to Fasano at the goal line broken up nicely by Gibril Wilson. Huge play here for the Giants. False start, Flozell. 3rd-12 from the 16. With the pocket quickly collapsing, Romo wobbles one way over TO's head and incomplete. Big stop for the Giants. Nick Folk hits from 34 to give Dallas a 17-14 lead. Eight minute drive for the Cowboys; Giants need to answer with at least a score, a time-consuming score would be perfect.

Hixon has a convoy in front of him and brings the kickoff back nearly to midfield. Jacobs busts off left tackle for 8. Running high, Jacobs hits through the middle for 4. Eli drops back to pass but Ware ENGULFS him for a 9-yard loss. Ware completely outquicked Kareem McKenzie. Jacobs around left end for only a couple. 3rd-17. Screen to Jacobs doesn't gain much; Ellis tripped him. Dallas is screwed up on who's supposed to be on the field and burns a timeout on the punt. Ouch. Feagles does a Donnie Jones and the punt rolls into the end zone.

Dallas from their 20. Barber fights for 3. Romo wings it to Witten at the sideline for 10, but a late hit on Leonard Davis will bring it back. Big break for the Giants. 2nd-18 from the 11. Screen to Witten for about 5. Romo makes a great play to buy time, rolling right, and sidearms one to Patrick Crayton, who DROPS a sure first down. Cowboys are punting now. Pretty short punt by McBriar, and McQuarters returns it 25 yards, breaking a couple of tackles. Giants will start at the Dallas 37. Golden opportunity here.

Toomer's WIDE OPEN AGAIN for the first down and gains 12. Anthony Henry is as bad a DB as I've seen all year. Eli goes to the end zone for Boss, but Roy Williams covers it well and doesn't horse collar anybody, for an incompletion. About a 4-yard catch by Steve Smith as the 3rd quarter ends.

=======Dallas 17, Giants 14 after 3=======

Giants have a 3rd-and-6 to open the 4th. Eli finds Smith again, at the 9. 1st and goal, Bradshaw sweeps right, leaps and gets clocked by Roy Williams, who didn't horse-collar anybody, down at the 1. Jacobs powers in from the 1 to give the Giants a 21-17 lead. Giants have the lead with 13:29 left.

Penalty on the kick return pushes Dallas back to the 13. Barber loses yardage on 1st down. Pass to Crayton in traffic is dropped. 3rd-and-11, Romo's hit and throws a jump hook to Witten for 14. Huge play by Romo; you see why they make the Favre comparisons. Bomb up the sideline appears to be just tipped by Webster and is incomplete. Leaping catch on the sideline by Crayton for 15. Barber up the middle for a couple. 2nd-8, Romo can't scramble away from a huge Giants blitz and gets taken down for a 5-yard loss. I don't think any of four Giants were blocked on that play. Giants bring almost the same blitz on 3rd down and force a crossfield incompletion off his back foot. Bobby Carpenter downs McBriar's 58-yard punt at the NY2.

Jacobs rumbles for 6 or 7 to give the G-Men some room. Couple more for Jacobs on 2nd. 3rd-and-2; big play here. Toss to Jacobs left, and Henry does a nice job to shoulder him short on the ground. Big stand by the Dallas D. Crayton muffs the punt but recovers at the Dallas 44. 7:00 left in the game.

Cutback by Barber for 4. 2nd down pass is incomplete but Crayton was hauled down downfield. Holding on McQuarters. 1st-10 from the N47. Giants blow up a screen and Romo is hauled down for a GIGANTIC loss, FOURTEEN yards. We complain about Bulger around here, but Romo is really stupid about throwing the ball away. So then Romo hits Witten for 20 to set up 3rd-and-4. Romo spears Witten again for the first down at the 30. Illegal formation on Dallas makes it 3rd-and-9. Romo goes deep for TO from the 47 but Webster breaks it up. HUGE penalty, though, as Webster hit TO in the face on the jam. 1st-10 from the 41. Romo throws it away with no one open, but he's not out of the pocket this time and gets a delayed flag for grounding. 2nd-20 from the Dallas 49. The 3rd down throw is wacky and out of bounds, as Romo was hit. 3rd-20, Dallas has to use a timeout to prevent a delay-of-game. They go 4-wide and Romo bombs for the end zone but the throw is short. I imagine Dallas has to punt here, but we'll see. Giants take over at their 12 with 3:46 left.

Bradshaw up the middle for 4. The Cowboys bottle him up on 2nd down for 1. 3rd-and-5. Manning attempts to scramble under pressure but is sacked by TANK JOHNSON. The Giants will punt when we come back from the 2:00 warning.

Crayton brings the punt back to the Giant 47. Dallas has 1:50 and needs a TD. Dumpoff to Barber, who breaks a tackle and gains 9. Inside handoff to Barber gains squat. 3rd-and-2. :52 left. Romo scrambles all over the place and underhands it to Witten for a big first down, down to the 20. Also big, Justin Tuck is injured and the clock has to stop for him. 31 seconds left and Dallas still has a timeout. Ball's at the 22. RT Colombo jumped. 1st-15 at the 27. Witten can't really get out of bounds at the 24 or so and Dallas has to blow their last timeout at 0:26. 2nd-11 at the 23. Good tackle by the Giants that last play kept the clock moving and forced the timeout. Romo wings it out of bounds as Umenyiora hits him. 3rd-11. Overthrown for Crayton in the end zone. Man, I question these deep throws on 3rd and 4th down down the stretch. Here's the ball game. I think Romo was looking for Glenn in the end zone, but he was double covered and RW McQuarters picked it off. The Giants have won their second straight road playoff game and will go to Green Bay next week. Dallas' playoff losing streak continues.

Do the Giants have enough players left in the secondary to survive Green Bay next week, though? I doubt that, and I also doubt they'll be able to do a thing against the Packer running game, either, though they did stop the Dallas running game in the 2nd half. Since the Giants can run the ball, they should give the Packers a lot better challenge than Seattle did yesterday, but the Super Bowl looks like it's going to be Favre vs. Brady to me.

Once again I'm hard-pressed to name a single player of the game. I'm inclined to go with Corey Webster, because TO contributed just about nothing, Corey broke up some big plays to him, and he was about the only regular left in their secondary by the end of the game.

Tony Soprano's offensive line wasn't very impressive for the Cowboys in the 2nd half, certainly not to the point where he ought to be anointed for a HC job like he apparently is by Parcells in Miami. But there probably wasn't anything wrong with Dallas today that a little better health wouldn't fix. They need WR depth, o-line depth, but especially need an alternative to the awful Anthony Henry in their secondary.

I think the Patriots will roll next Sunday, but the NFC game has a chance to be a good one.