NFC East Rivalry: A look back at the top five memorable Tony Romo vs Eli Manning matchups
By Ali Jawad
3. 2008 NFC Divisional round: A Giant Upset
The Cowboys, led by Tony Romo coming off a Pro Bowl season and at the time a franchise record setting season with 36 passing touchdowns, had swept Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the regular season and were heavy favorites to win this game and reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1995 season.
No game in this rivalry held higher stakes and more pressure than the one on Sunday, January 13, 2008. The heavily favored 13-3 Dallas Cowboys, which featured an NFL record 13 Pro Bowlers on the roster, would host the NFC divisional playoff matchup at Texas Stadium against the heavy underdog 10-6 New York Giants.
Led by Manning, the Giants scored on their opening possession as Manning connected with wide receiver Amani Toomer on a 52-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys would respond with touchdowns from the late running back Marion Barber and Hall-of-Fame wide receiver, Terrell Owens.
With the Cowboys up 14-7 and milking out most of the clock in the second quarter, Manning would lead the Giants on a seven-play drive that lasted 46 seconds as he would connect again with Toomer to tie the game 14-14 at the half.
The Giants would re-take the lead in the 4th quarter on a Brandon Jacobs one-yard touchdown, and New York's feared pass rush led by future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan would pressure Romo in the second half. The game came down to a 4th and 11 play in which R.W. McQuarters picked off Romo in the endzone to seal the game 21-17.
This marked the first, and as of today, the lone playoff matchup between the Giants and Cowboys. In the end, Manning and the Giants would stun Romo and the Cowboys en route to winning Super Bowl 42.
Romo and Witten would never return to Cabo before a playoff game.