The 2012 NFL draft is just a day away and I can’t wait to see who my New York Giants are going to draft. The Giants have some immediate needs that could use some tending to. A new TE is a must. We could also use some more help in the secondary. The O-line is also suspect so picking up an offensive lineman is key. And let’s not forget to grab a RB and a WR. We need depth in those positions.

Here are five players that I think can help fill those voids:

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford - I don’t know if this guy will be available at the 32 spot in round one but I’m crossing my fingers. Fleener would be a great addition for the New York Giants, especially since their other two TE’s are most likely going to start the 2012 season on the PUP list. And you can forget about Martellus Bennett. What did he do as a Dallas Cowboy? Nothing.

Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia -

The Giants could use this guy in their backfield. He’s fast, has good recovery speed and I like the way he fights for the ball. He’s easily one of my favorite CB’s in this draft. I’m not sold on our secondary. Yeah, we have a great D-line, but our secondary last year got burned too many times. Boykin could be a great asset moving forward.

Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn -

Our offensive line last year was not that great. If it weren’t for Eli’s mobility last year could’ve been a disaster. I like Mosley. I like the way he finishes a play and I like his mobility. He’s also a good run blocker and could be instrumental in helping the Giants get back to some of that smash mouth football.

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple - I hate our running back depth. The loss of Brandon Jacobs kind of stings a little. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all if the Giants could land Pierce. Pierce is a good runner who can run inside and outside and has the ability to make the first guy miss. Not only that but he’s a patient runner. An attribute that is almost a necessity in today’s NFL.

Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas - This is more of a depth issue than anything. The loss of Mario Manningham really hurt the New York Giants WR depth. And I’m not that wild about any of the other receivers on the Giants roster. We need a quality number three WR. Adams could be a nice compliment to Cruz and Nicks. Adams has a great first step and has the ability to blow past defenders. I really like this guy and I think he could make a immediate impact on our receiving core.

Dylan Davis is an avid fan of the New York Giants and has been since birth. His love for Big Blue is only rivaled by his hate for the Dallas Cowboys and the other teams in the NFC East.

Sources:

NFL.com News

CBS Sports.com

The New York Jets have been the talk of the town in the Big Apple since trading for Tim Tebow, but New York football fans haven’t forgotten that the New York Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
wikimedia commons

While the NFL has already released its official 2012-13 season matchups, the exact game dates won’t be announced until April.

Since we already know which teams the Giants will be up against this year, including their home and away opponents, it’s time to make some predictions for the upcoming NFL season:

Here’s a look at how I see the season shaping out for the Giants:

Home Games

The New York Giants are slated to host the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in the season ahead.

Two of the Redskins’ five victories last season came against the Giants, but I don’t see any way that they’ll be able to repeat that performance in 2012. They have question marks all over the field, and will likely have a young quarterback taking the snaps in Robert Griffin III.

I’ll mark the G-Men down for a ‘W’ against Washington, and a lopsided win over the hapless Cleveland Browns, who earned just four victories last year. Tampa Bay is also coming off a 4-12 season, and got smoked, 24-0, when they last played the Giants in 2009. I’ll give the Giants the victory over Tampa Bay, and a split in the Cowboys-Eagles contests.

The NFL did not do the Giants any favors by matching them up against the Saints, Packers and Steelers at home. Historically, the Giants struggle against each of those teams and I don’t see them getting by any of them. That would leave the Giants with a 4-4 overall record at home for 2012-13.

Away Games

The Giants hit the road for away games against the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

The only safe-bet victory of that bunch is the tilt in Washington, as Cincinnati is much-improved and Carolina might even be a playoff team this year with Cam Newton’s continued development. Nevertheless, I would have to bet that the Giants will come away victorious in each of those three battles.

Much like their home contests, I would expect the games against the Cowboys and Eagles to be highly-competitive and evenly matched, with another split that could go either way. That would leave the Giants at 4-1, with away games remaining against San Francisco, Atlanta and Baltimore.

As I said earlier, the NFL didn’t do the Giants any favors with its scheduling, as the team faces some of the toughest challenges on the road of any squad in the league. San Francisco will be hungry to avenge its playoff ouster by the Giants in the 2011 NFC Championship Game, and they will be a true force this season.

I don’t see any scenario where the Giants get by the 49ers, Falcons or Ravens on the road, and that would leave the G-Men with a 4-4 record in away games. Overall, that would leave them at 8-8, and a .500 mark in a stacked division that features several early Super Bowl favorites may not be good enough for a playoff berth.

Will the New York Giants make another deep run into the playoffs in the 2012-13 season? Let me know in the comments.

Eric Holden is a lifelong resident and supporter of both New York-area football teams. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

By
Erik Matuszewski
-

Wed Mar 14 20:44:08 GMT 2012

The New York Giants signed former
Dallas Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett, who may help them
fill the void left at the position when Jake Ballard and Travis
Beckum tore knee ligaments in the Super Bowl.

Bennett, 25, was a backup to All-Pro tight end Jason Witten
in Dallas, where he totaled 85 receptions for 846 yards over
four National Football League seasons.

A second-round draft pick in 2008, Bennett received a one-
year contract worth $2.5 million from the Giants, ESPN reported.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Erik Matuszewski in New York at
matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will be hosting the NFL season-opener at MetLife Stadium, albeit on a different night. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement earlier today.

The NFL will move up the season-opener to Wednesday, Sept. 5 (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) to avoid a conflict with President Barack Obama’s speech on Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention. There has not been an opponent named for the Giants yet. NFL Kickoff 2012 will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The date change means that this will mark the first time the season-opener will be played before a Thursday since 2002. The Giants vs. an opponent to be named later will also be the first NFL game on a Wednesday since the Rams and Lions played Sept. 22, 1948 (via NJ.com).

The eight possible opponents are the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

For more coverage of the Giants, visit our blog Big Blue View.

I missed the Feb. 16 episode of TNA Impact Wrestling so count me surprised when I tuned in for the Feb. 23 episode and found out that New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs was part of the show for both weeks. I was even more surprised that Jacobs was well spoken and seemed somewhat intelligent, which shocked me to no end.

Brandon Jacobs
Wikimedia Commons

This is the same Brandon Jacobs who says some of the dumbest, most disrespectful things I have ever heard from a football player when he opens his mouth. One comment I cannot get out of my head is when Jacobs said he doesn’t hate Dallas Cowboys’ fans because they like the Cowboys. He hates Cowboys fans because of how they act in regular everyday life.

That’s alright Jacobs. I can speak from experience when I say that Dallas’ fans feel the exact same way about you. But comments like that might make him perfect for the world of professional wrestling.

However, here is Jacobs, at a show filmed in Florida, and somehow TNA Impact Wrestling has him booked as a good guy. What is even more ironic is that he is helping his buddy, a good guy who’s nickname is “The Cowboy.” How ironic is that?

For those out of the loop, Jacobs was at ringside on the previous week’s episode watching the matches. Cowboy James Storm and Bully Ray (the former Bubba Ray Dudley) were fighting for the right to fight for the world championship. After Storm won the match, he went over to celebrate with Jacobs, and as a result, Bully Ray spit in Jacobs’ face.

This week, Jacobs came to the ring and cut a promo, calling out Bully Ray. It was a great promo. He knew exactly how to talk to come across right and he really does have “the look.” He chased Bully Ray off when the bad guy refused to fight but got involved in a match later in the show when he choke slammed Bully Ray through a table.

Somehow, Brandon Jacobs made me smile with his performance. That has to mean something since I am a Dallas Cowboys’ fan and hate him with every bit of my fiber. How can you explain that?

Author Shawn S. Lealos has been a professional wrestling fan since the rock and roll days of the 80s. Shawn watched all the promotions, but held an affinity for the more rugged ones in the Mid South and Dallas focused World Class regions. He still watches wrestling today, enjoying the WWE, TNA and ROH, watching all three on television weekly.

Source: TNA Impact

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday is now behind the Dallas Cowboys and now it is time to look ahead to the New York Giants. The Eagles loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things but the Giants game will mean everything.

The most important thing for the Cowboys, and this is especially true of the Eagles loss, is to come into the Giants’ matchup at 100-percent. That means that losing to the Eagles, because they rested Tony Romo and Felix Jones, was exactly the right decision. Dallas also has to hope that defensive players, like cornerback Mike Jenkins and linebackers Sean Lee and DeMarcus Ware are also ready to go.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo injured his hand on this second pass attempt of the Eagles’ game when he knocked it against the helmet of a rushing Jason Babin. It was really the closest that Babin, the NFL sack leader, got to a Dallas quarterback in the game, which says great things about that maligned offensive line.

X-rays were negative and the hand bruised and swelled. It is thought to be broken vessels in the hand but it should be healed and ready to go for the big Giants’ game. The hope is that there is no soreness in the hand. Romo has not thrown an interception since Week 12 against Miami and he has eight touchdown passes since that game.

Felix Jones

Felix Jones had back-to-back 100-yard games heading into the Eagles matchup. However, early in the week he showed up on the injury report with a tight hamstring. When this started is unknown, but once Romo left the game and Dallas learned the Giants won, they pulled Jones out to allow him to rest his leg. There should be no worries here as Jones averaged 6-yards a carry before leaving the game.

Mike Jenkins

Mike Jenkins has been battling injuries all season but Dallas needs him in the lineup against the Giants. With the playmakers that New York has, and Eli Manning able to throw the ball all over the field, the Cowboys secondary needs all the help it can get.

DeMarcus Ware

You can’t get Ware out of the lineup. Even after Dallas learned that the Giants won, and the Eagles game meant nothing, he remained in the game and finished with two more sacks, moving his total to 18 on the season. He has been dealing with a neck injury but has not missed a game. He needs two more sacks to tie his own personal best.

Sean Lee

Sean Lee injured his hand in the first game with Philadelphia. He missed one week and has been playing with a cast ever since. In this game, he injured his hamstring. He says he could have come back into the game but didn’t because of the Giants win. He finished with five tackles before leaving the game. He says he will be ready for the Giants.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The New York Giants and the New York Jets may share a home, but there’s no brotherly love between the two teams. The G-men battle Fireman Ed and Co. on a Saturday night game that will have a huge impact on whether either team makes it into the playoffs.

The Giants (7-7) battle the Jets (8-6) at the Meadowlands at 1 p.m. on FOX for an afternoon Christmas Eve showdown. The Giants desperately need a win to take over the Dallas Cowboys (8-6) who currently sit atop the NFC East. The Jets are also second in their division to one of the most-winning teams in the NFL, the New England Patriots (11-3).

If the Jets stand any chance of making it to the playoffs, they’ll need to sneak into a wildcard game by winning a large majority of their remaining games. Though the crosstown game is big for the Giants, the Dallas Cowboys have failed to clinch a playoff seed so far. That means that the game is a little less dire for the Giants.

Both teams face are battling injuries on their roster and will need second-line teammates to step up. The Jets offense is banged up. Jets players Plaxico Burress (WR), Santonio Holmes (WR), Mark Sanchez (QB), Shonn Greene (RB)  are all listed as probably for the game and are forced to shake off a variety of injuries.

The Giants face less injuries, but more serious ones. Giants’ players Osi Umenyiora (DE) has been out for several weeks, which has weakened the defensive pressure the Giants have been able to put on their opponents. In addition to Umenyiora’s absence, Mario Manningham (WR) is listed as doubtful with a knee injury. Two running backs on the team are injured, too. Ahmad Bradshaw, the power back is listed as probably with a foot injury. Danny Ware, the more agile back, is injured with knee issues and is listed as probable.

The showdown in the Meadowlands is sure to be full of fireworks. With these to New York teams on the ropes, they’ll likely pull out all the stops to sneak into the playoffs. If either team makes it, whether they’re actually able to compete is an entirely different story. 

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:

Christmas 2011 is going to be merrier for one faction of Tri-State area football fans than the other, because the New York Giants (7-7) and New York Jets (8-6) will play a game on Christmas Eve that has playoff ramifications for both teams.

“We’ll play hard,” Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka told Yahoo! Contributor Network after New York fell to the Washington Redkins 23-10 this past Sunday. “We know [the Jets are] going to come out good, but we know our offense is going to be fully ready to go. We got to be able to come out as a defense and just get stops.”

“Bragging rights,” a phrase you’ll hear ad nauseam as game day approaches, is of infinitesimal importance when juxtaposed to an inexorable truth about this game: Should the Giants lose and Dallas Cowboys (8-6) defeat the Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) this weekend, their season is over.

“The significance is, for us to achieve our goal—which is winning the Super Bowl—we have to win this game,” Kiwanuka said. “That’s it.”

“They’re a good football team,” defensive end Chris Canty said. “You are what you are in this league. And with their record, they’re a good football team. We know their brand of football. They play defense, they want to run the football.

“We’re gonna have to put them under a microscope and try to familiarize ourselves as much as we can with what they’re doing,” he added, “and try to give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful on Saturday.”

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis will likely split time defending Big Blue’s top two receivers, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Given how immensely talented each of the three are, watching Revis defend either play-maker should be one of the more entertaining aspects of Saturday’s New York-New York showdown.

“Always looking forward for a challenge,” Nicks told YCN. “They’re a good football team. They’re a good, strong, solid football team. [They] play defense well, play offense well. We got to go out there and play.”


Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

MetLife Stadium was left lifeless Sunday afternoon once Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan sacked New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning on fourth down with roughly 9 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. New York (7-7) was down 23-3 at the time and eventually lost 23-10, falling to second place in the NFC East behind the Dallas Cowboys (8-6).

There were hardly any fans in the building when time expired, most having departed after Kerrigan’s sack of Manning earlier in the quarter. The Giants have witnessed this kind of scene at home quite often this season, previously coming up short vs. the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles.

“It’s a huge letdown,” Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka told Yahoo! Contributor Network following New York’s fifth loss in six games. “It’s disappointing, it’s shocking. … We’ll give them credit; they came out, they played, they did what they were supposed to do. But we … we’re not supposed to play like that.

“It’s games in the division,” he continued. “It’s an important game. It’s man on man; you got to be able to go out there and hit them harder than they hit you. There’s not going to be a whole lot of surprises. You just got to be able to play and outplay the man in front of you.”

From Manning throwing three interceptions, rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara getting beaten for a touchdown by Santana Moss and receiver Hakeem Nicks dropping a first-quarter pass that should have resulted in six points, the signs of Big Blue’s inevitable defeat were present throughout. Cornerback Corey Webster and safety Kenny Phillips each had an interception in the first quarter, but the Giants failed to turn either turnover into points. This was mainly because Washington (5-9) had a 7-minute, 4-second edge in time of possession in the first quarter.

Kicker Lawrence Tynes’ 40-yard field goal late in the second quarter would account for New York’s offense in the first half—and that came only after Washington had jumped out to a 17-0 lead.

“I don’t want to say too much, but it’s definitely frustrating,” safety Antrel Rolle, speaking to YCN, said. “It’s definitely frustrating, and I feel that we are the better team. They (Washington) beat us twice [this season], so clearly they’re the better team … at this moment. We gotta get better.”

“It’s definitely a bad one to digest,” Amukamara said of the loss. “But, like coach (Tom Coughlin) said, we just have to worry about these next two games and just take it one step at a time. Our goal is still there to be division champs, so we just got to take one game at a time.”

The Giants must beat the New York Jets (8-6) this Saturday to assure themselves a chance to win the division in Week 17, which is when they face Dallas at home.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—One week removed from overcoming a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Dallas Cowboys (8-6), the New York Giants (7-7) laid an egg vs. the last-place Washington Redskins (5-9), losing 23-10 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Eli Manning channeled his 25-interception 2010 self, throwing three picks in the Giants’ second loss to Washington this season. Worse yet for New York, the Cowboys, 31-15 winners over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, come out of Week 15 atop the NFC East by one game.

“We didn’t have enough fight throughout the entire game,” Giants safety Antrel Rolle told reporters in the locker room after the game. “This is football, man. If you don’t have enough fight, you don’t even need to be on the field. That’s the bottom line. We got to get that together, we got to get that fixed as a team.”

Washington went up 3-0 on kicker Graham Gano’s 36-yard field goal in the first quarter, then took a 10-0 lead after receiver Santana Moss caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Rex Grossman early in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, the Redskins’ advantage increased to 17-0 on Darrel Young’s 6-yard TD run.

With just over 1 minute remaining in the half, Washington decided to go for the jugular, taking a chance on fourth and 1 at New York’s 32-yard line, but Grossman’s throw to Donte Stallworth in the end zone sailed out of bounds. The Giants took over, drove 46 yards on six plays and Lawrence Tynes kicked a 40-yard field goal.

On New York’s second possession in the fourth quarter—when it trailed 23-3—apparent touchdown receptions by D.J. Ware and Hakeem Nicks were wiped out. Ware, initially credited with a 4-yard TD, didn’t have full control of the ball as he crossed the goal line, as replays clearly illustrated. Officials reviewed the play and Ware was ruled down at the 2-yard line, where he had actually gained control before being brought down. Manning targeted Nicks on the next play, completing a 2-yard pass for the score—but a holding penalty was called on left tackle David Diehl.

The Giants’ hopes of coming back died shortly after when Manning was sacked on fourth down. Fans unsurprisingly began pouring out of the stadium, likely fearing Big Blue will miss the playoffs for a third straight season.

In order for the Giants to guarantee themselves a shot at the NFC East title, they will have to defeat the New York Jets on Christmas Eve.

“We better [win against the Jets]. It’s either that or we go home,” Rolle warned.

“We have to find a way to get it done,” he added. “Everyone needs to get on the same page—coaches and players. And we have to come up with a better plan. Obviously, right now what we’re doing is not good enough.”

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Tony Romo threw for three touchdowns
and ran for another as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers 31-15 and moved past the New York Giants into first
place in the NFC East Division.

The Cowboys avoided their third straight National Football
League loss with the win at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa,
Florida, while the Buccaneers lost their eighth straight game to
fall to 4-10 after getting off to a 4-2 start to the season.

Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson each caught
touchdown passes from Romo, who completed 23-of-30 passes for
249 yards in the game.

With the win, the Cowboys moved into first in their
division at 8-6, one game ahead of the New York Giants, who will
face the Washington Redskins tomorrow.

Last week, the Cowboys squandered a 12-point lead with less
than four minutes remaining in the game in a 37-34 loss to the
Giants. A week earlier, Dallas lost 19-13 to the Arizona
Cardinals in overtime after holding a seven-point lead in the
fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay’s last win came on Oct. 16 in a 26-20 victory of
the New Orleans Saints.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Michael Buteau in Atlanta at
mbuteau@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

The Dallas Cowboys lost DeMarco Murray for the season in their loss to the New York Giants, one of many injury losses for the Cowboys’ team in Week 14.

The most serious injury was to Murray, who was a large part of the team’s four-game winning streak that led them to the top of the NFC East division rankings. Without Murray, the chance of regaining their composure and knocking off the Giants at the end of the season is slim.

Dallas signed Sammy Morris on Dec. 13 to take Murray’s place in the lineup and he will back up Felix Jones for the rest of the season. Morris is not expected to do too much in the game plan except give Jones some rest to help preserve him for the playoff run. The 11-year veteran played in 16 games for New England in 2010 and only finished the season with 56 rushing yards and 77 through the air.

Even more distressing is the injuries to defensive players, including Mike Jenkins and Barry Church. With Terrance Newman starting to give up big plays in the secondary once again, these are huge losses for Dallas. Jenkins missed four games in a row, ironically the four-game winning streak for Dallas, before returning in Week 13. Jenkins has only 19 tackles on the season and one interception but provides needed depth in the secondary.

Church, used mainly in the nickel defense, ended up on the injured reserve on Dec. 13. He separated his shoulder against the Giants and Dallas felt it was better to find a replacement. Church finished the year with 28 tackles and no turnovers. Dallas signed Mana Silva from the Buffalo practice squad to replace Church on the roster, although he won’t see much playing time.

Center Phil Costa left the game with a concussion and since Dallas uses the shotgun regularly, that might be a loss to watch carefully. Rookie Kevin Kowalski replaced him in the Giants’ game.

Finally, the big scare was when DeMarcus Ware continued to come off the field late in the Giants’ comeback. Ware came into the game limited with a stinger and had to continue to come out to remain at full strength for the rest of the game. Ware finished the Giants’ game with four tackles and no sacks and looks to bounce back in Week 15 against Tampa Bay.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

ELI MANNING AND the New York Giants finally have something to show for all their hard work – first place in the NFC East.

On the verge of being knocked to the edge of the playoff chase, Manning led the Giants to two touchdowns in the final 3 minutes, 14 seconds and Jason Pierre-Paul blocked a field goal as time expired, giving New York a 37-34 victory over the Dallas Cowboys last night in Cowboys Stadium.

“Good to get that winning feeling again,” said Manning, whose Giants lost in the waning seconds last week to Green Bay.

New York ended a frustrating four-game losing streak filled mostly with narrow losses to division leaders. The Giants (7-6) appeared headed to another setback when they were trailing by 34-22 with 5:41 left, but a series of clutch plays on their part and meltdowns by Dallas reshaped the division race.

With 3 weeks left, these clubs are tied atop the NFC East. New York has the inside track and will host Dallas in a season-ending rematch on New Year’s Day. The Eagles are two games behind them, with three games left.

The Cowboys lost their second straight, both in dramatic, frustrating fashion that involved missed kicks by rookie Dan Bailey, who had been so good for so long this season. The really bad news for Dallas was running back DeMarco Murray suffereing a broken right ankle and high ankle sprain, ending his record-setting rookie season.

Manning was 27-for-47 for 400 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted once, on a tipped pass late in the fourth quarter, and it led to a touchdown that appeared to put the game away for Dallas.

But Manning came back with a pair of touchdown drives. The first went 80 yards in eight plays, capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ballard.

The New York defense had allowed Tony Romo to throw touchdown passes on the two previous possessions, but it forced a punt, and it was a short one. Then the Dallas defense had two penalties that helped scoot along a drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs, with D.J. Ware adding a two-point conversion.

Romo hit Miles Austin for a pair of long gains that gave Bailey a chance to force overtime. He made a 47-yarder that ended up not counting because New York coach Tom Coughlin had called a timeout. His second try was denied by Pierre-Paul, who already had contributed an early sack for a safety.

“Guys stepped up and made some big plays,” Manning said. “I knew we had time to try to get the big play. If it was there, we’d take it.”

One of those guys was Pierre-Paul. “He’s a playmaker,” Manning said. “When he gets on the field, he makes things happen.”

In another NFC East game:

 * At Landover, Md., Tom Brady threw for 357 yards and three TDs, and Rob Gronkowski set an NFL single-season record for most touchdown catches by a tight end as New England won its fifth straight, 34-27 over the Washington Redskins (4-9).

Gronkowski snagged his 14th and 15th scoring receptions, moving him past Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis. Gates had 13 in 2004, and Davis matched that total in 2009.

The Patriots (10-3) again overcame their bend-but-don’t-break defense. The Redskins drove to the New England 5-yard line late before Rex Grossman’s pass went off Santana Moss’ hands and was intercepted by Jerod Mayo with 22 seconds to play.

With the Patriots leading by seven, Brady tried to find Tiquan Underwood at the back of the end zone and was instead picked off by Josh Wilson with 6:30 left. The Redskins then began their doomed march that could have sent the game to overtime – even as Brady exchanged words with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

“I threw a pretty bad interception, so he wasn’t happy about it,” Brady said. “And there was probably a long line of coaches and players that were pretty [upset] at me after that, but Billy got to me first. He let me have it; I deserved it.”