EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Make no bones about it, it was a game the ĂŰĚŇTV needed to treat as a must-win, despite their primetime matchup against the New York Giants being a Week 4 affair. Despite both clubs entering the battle with a 1-2 record, it was the Cowboys who were under a gargantuan amount of pressure to get the job done.
That was due in large part to their two losses occurring at home, one of which being a blowout loss, while the Giants avoided an 0-3 start to the year by defeating the very same Cleveland Browns that fell to the Cowboys in Week 1 at Huntington Bank Field.
There was plenty of talk about details and accountability by the Cowboys leading into Thursday Night Football, and things were closer than what Dallas would've liked.
But one thing is for certain, and it's that the following players left it all on the field in New York.
[This list is unranked.]
CeeDee Lamb, WR
It's evident Lamb had a score to settle this week, even if it was simply with himself. The First-Team All-Pro caught heat last week for his behavior during the Cowboys' loss to the Ravens and vowed he would "get better" and that things were about to get "fun", and he was right. He and Prescott scorched the earth beneath the Giants' defense in the first half alone, Lamb having six catches on six targets for 94 yards (104 yards from scrimmage) and a 55-yard receiving touchdown. I don't know about you, but it looks like his prediction was spot-on.
Dak Prescott, QB
As for being spot on, Prescott was exactly that — surgical, even. One need look no further than his production in the first half to see he was on a mission to keep the momentum of three touchdowns in the fourth quarter against the Ravens going against the Giants, and so he did. The All-Pro quarterback had 164 passing yards on 14-of-16 passing and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a passer rating of 149.0. The hot start helped set the tone for most of the contest.
Jake Ferguson, TE
Having returned last week from a mild MCL sprain that cost him the Week 2 contest against the New Orleans Saints, it took three quarters for the Pro Bowl tight end to get going in that matchup, but he hit the ground running against Big Blue. In being one of Prescott's key targets, he grabbed the one reception he needed to join Jason Witten in becoming the only two tight ends in the history of the Cowboys' franchise to deliver 100 receptions in their first 36 career games; and then he added more grabs onto that tally — to say the least.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB
It was the regular season opener all over again as it relates to Overshown. That is to say the de facto rookie linebacker was a heat-seeking missile against the Giants, much like he was against the Browns, fully unleashed this week by Mike Zimmer. Overshown was critical in stopping not only one, but several near-conversions by Daniel Jones and in both run defense and in coverage as well. The hit against Nabers on the Giants' first drive of the second quarter tells the tale of his evening, and he was everything, everywhere, all at once.
Brandon Aubrey, K
It's four weeks of football and Aubrey is officially a mainstay on my Gamebreakers column, given the fact he's been the most lethal offensive weapon the Cowboys have had throughout the month of September. He continued that dominance against the Giants, thankfully not needing as many field goal attempts as in the previous three games but, when he was called upon to boot the football, he made it a show. His 60-yarder, outdoors, with wind, at MetLife Stadium is added evidence that though the Color Rush uniforms had him looking icy, you can't ever really freeze Butter. He'd miss his first of the season late in the fourth, but all things considered, it's OK when it ends in a win and considering how much he's done for the Cowboys' struggling offense.
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
Entering the matchup on Thursday night, Lawrence had eight career sacks against Jones and was looking to add to that tally in Week 4. He'd do exactly that on the third Giants' drive of the night, on 3rd-and-4, to stall one of the many lengthy drives by New York and force one of their several field goals. Despite leaving for medical evaluation on his foot, he'd reemerge moments later from the locker room to continue his leadership from the field and not the sidelines.
Mazi Smith, DL
Having sat on this one for a while, I believe I'm comfortable saying this might have served as at least the beginning of the potential coming out party for the former first-round pick. Don't expect the numbers to wow you, as it usually doesn't for nose tackles not named Aaron Donald, but I plead with you to go back and watch the film on what Smith did against the Giants. He was on demon time with both his technique and his motor, and his tackle for loss was a master class of how to move bodies to clear a lane for a linebacker (Eric Kendricks, in this case) and then shed the man and blow into the backfield to destroy the ballcarrier. For five consecutive quarters in a row, Smith looks like it's clicked for him, and he just needs to keep building on that.
Hunter Luepke, FB
There was more action had by Luepke in Week 3 than in the previous two weeks combined, and the Cowboys kept those good times rolling in Week 4. His stat line won't light anyone's eyes on fire, granted, but he was critical with the timing of when he was targeted or given the handoff out of the backfield. His 11-yard gain on third down helped propel the Cowboys not only to a conversion on 3rd-and-4, but it kept a drive alive the resulted in Dallas' first touchdown of the day, and there's little reason to find ways to feed him more and more as the season rolls on.
Amani Oruwariye, CB
It was a tough go for Oruwariye, as he was targeted often throughout the game but, you know what, when you seal the game with the only interception of the game for Dallas, you make the list. Period.
