Cowboys at Giants: Passing offense explodes in thrilling win

The Dallas Cowboys passing attack came to life against the New York Giants in Week 17 but it still took some last minute heroics to put away the G-Men.

Talk about a role reversal. The Dallas Cowboys are known for possessing one of the top defenses in the NFL this season. And the Cowboys’ passing offense has been the team’s weakest link. Sunday must have been opposite day in the Big Apple.

While the Cowboys offense exploded through the air, with quarterback Dak Prescott throwing for a whopping 387 yards and four touchdowns, Dallas’ defense allowed their NFC East foes to rack up 35 points in a contest that came down to the wire.

In the end, the Cowboys were able to do just enough through the air to pull-out a last minute 36-35 victory over the G-Men at MetLife Stadium. The victory allows Dallas to roll into the playoffs riding high off the thrilling outcome.

Dallas was able to win despite not having running back Ezekiel Elliott in the lineup. Zeke was placed on the inactives list prior to the game in order to rest him for the playoffs. As a result, Dallas struggled to establish a consistent rushing attack putting the Cowboys’ defense on the field more than their accustomed to.

The real hero of the day for Dallas was Blake Jarwin. The second-year tight end posted an incredible seven receptions for 119 yards and three scores in the divisional win. Jarwin hadn’t scored a single touchdown in the NFL prior to Sunday’s game.

If you are handing out medals, slot receiver Cole Beasley likely deserves one as well. The veteran wideout recorded six catches for 94 yards and the go-ahead score, a leaping catch near the back of the endzone with 1:19 left in the game.

Defensively, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie would record his first interception of the season against Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence recorded the lone sack for Dallas in the game, bringing his season total up to 11.5 sacks. And safety Jeff Heath would lead the team with eight total tackles.

Next up for the 10-6 Dallas Cowboys is a postseason matchup against either the Seattle Seahawks or the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the playoffs next weekend.