Giants vs. Cowboys: Jaxson Dart Makes History as John Harbaugh's Giants Bully Dallas on Sunday Night

Some coaches spend an entire offseason talking about beating Dallas. John Harbaugh needed exactly one Sunday night to cash the check. The New York Giants beat the Cowboys 28-20 at MetLife Stadium, never trailed for a single snap, and spent the second half playing keep-away like the oldest cousin at a family cookout.

Jaxson Dart ran the show: 23 of 29 for 230 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, plus 54 rushing yards. Isaiah Likely caught two of those scores, Cam Skattebo bulldozed his way back from a brutal leg injury, and Harbaugh walked off with the 194th win of his head coaching career. Not a bad first night at the new office.

Four Quarters, Four Touchdowns

The Giants scored a touchdown in every quarter, which is a deeply rude thing to do to a division rival on national television.

It started on their first possession, a 10-play, 83-yard march that ended with Skattebo jogging into the end zone untouched from 3 yards out and busting out his signature celebration. Dallas eventually answered with an 85-yard drive of its own, capped by Dak Prescott's 1-yard toss to CeeDee Lamb, and it was 7-7.

Then the second quarter got chaotic. The Giants drove deep into Dallas territory before Tyrone Tracy Jr. put the ball on the turf, and the Cowboys recovered. New York got the momentum right back when Jevon Holland picked off Prescott in the final minute of the half. Dart needed six plays and 29 seconds to go 55 yards, hitting Likely for a 15-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half. 14-7.

The third quarter was a clinic in clock management. The Giants opened with a 12-play, 74-yard drive that ate 8:01, and Dart flipped a 2-yard score to Likely for a 21-7 lead. Dallas responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive of its own, finished by Javonte Williams' 1-yard run with 37 seconds left in the quarter.

So the Giants did it again. Thirteen plays, 65 yards, 8:11 off the clock, and a 9-yard Dart touchdown pass to Devin Singletary for a 28-14 lead with 7:26 to play. Prescott hit Williams for a 17-yard score two minutes later, but a taunting flag on Williams backed up the extra point and Brandon Aubrey missed it. 28-20, 5:21 left.

The Cowboys never touched the ball again. A face mask penalty on Donovan Ezeiruaku kept the final drive humming, Skattebo needed seven yards after the two-minute warning and got eight, and Dart took three knees to finish a 12-play, 47-yard march that killed the last 5:21.

Dart's Masterclass, Likely's Perfect Night

Dart's line belongs in a museum: 23 of 29, 230 yards, three scores, a 134.2 passer rating and 54 rushing yards on 11 carries. According to the Giants, he is the first quarterback in NFL history to open a season with at least three passing touchdowns, 50 rushing yards and a passer rating of 130. He even slid like a guy who finally read the memo on self-preservation.

Malik Nabers, playing for the first time since tearing his right ACL 350 days earlier, caught six passes for 69 yards and sounded like a hype man afterward.

"He was not backing down. He was not going to lose, and I was right behind him," Nabers said of his quarterback.

Dart returned the love, saying that with Nabers, "you have all the confidence in the world that he's going to make a play."

Likely was flawless in his New York debut after following Harbaugh from Baltimore: eight catches on eight targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns. The Giants say he's the first tight end to catch two touchdown passes in his first game with the franchise. Skattebo, in his first game since breaking his right fibula and dislocating his right ankle more than 10 months ago, ran for 81 yards and a score on 18 carries.

For Dallas, Prescott went 22 of 34 for 175 yards with two touchdowns and the costly pick, and Williams scored twice.

The 29 Seconds That Broke Dallas

If you want the exact moment this game tilted, it's Holland's interception and the two-minute drill that followed. Dallas was less than a minute from heading into the locker room tied. Instead it trailed by seven, then watched the Giants open the third quarter with an eight-minute drive. The Cowboys had just two possessions in the entire second half. Per NFL Research, as cited by the Giants, Dallas is one of only two teams in the last 20 seasons to have that few.

Brian Schottenheimer didn't sugarcoat it. "It comes down to discipline, and we had some self-inflicted wounds," he said. "I own that, and they own that."

The Receipts

• 9 for 11: The Giants on third down. Dallas could not get off the field.
• 4 for 4: Giants red zone trips that ended in touchdowns.
• 36:40: New York's time of possession.
• 9 for 90: Dallas penalties, including the taunting flag that pushed back a missed extra point.
• 133: Nabers' career receptions through 20 games, second only to Odell Beckham Jr.'s 141 over that span, per the Giants.

What It Means for Both Sides of the Rivalry

For New York, the early returns on the Harbaugh era are loud. The Giants ran for 165 yards, held the ball for more than half the night and looked like the more physical team. Win No. 194 moved Harbaugh into a tie for 12th on the all-time coaching wins list.

For Dallas, the alarm bells are familiar. The Cowboys allowed the most points in the league last season at 30.1 per game, and despite a new coordinator, giving up 28 points and 394 yards was not exactly a glow-up.

"This is a humbling business, and we got humbled," Schottenheimer said.

The injury news adds to the headache: safety Malik Hooker hurt a forearm, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown left with a hamstring injury. Dallas hosts Washington next Sunday. The Giants head west to face the Rams on Monday, Sept. 21.

On Their Way

Harbaugh kept it measured, which is exactly what a coach should do after Week 1. "We took steps in that direction," he said. "I think we’re on our way." Fair. But if this was the pilot episode, Big Blue just got renewed for a full season.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes as reported by the Associated Press and Giants.com.