Three months into cancer treatment, John Mara needed a win. His New York Giants delivered one he won’t forget.
The Giants demolished the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 at MetLife Stadium on January 4, ending a nine-game losing streak to their division rivals that dated back to 2021. But the final score only tells part of the story. In an emotional postgame scene, players presented Mara with the game ball, a gesture that resonated throughout a locker room that had endured a brutal 4-13 season.
“He mentioned he’s jogging to his treatments now because of this,” tight end Daniel Bellinger said. “He’s got to be the toughest guy in the locker room, regardless of what everybody else is going through.”
Table of Contents
How the Giants Controlled From Start to Finish
New York dominated the Week 18 finale from the opening kickoff, building a 20-0 halftime lead while Dallas treated the game like a preseason exhibition. The Cowboys pulled quarterback Dak Prescott after two quarters, handing the reins to backup Joe Milton III for the second half.
The Giants scored in three different ways: Ben Sauls kicked four field goals, Jaxson Dart threw touchdown passes to Bellinger and Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary punched in a short rushing score. Dallas managed two rushing touchdowns from Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, but never threatened after falling behind early.
Tensions boiled over in the third quarter when Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku ripped off Greg Van Roten’s helmet during a skirmish, earning an ejection. The Giants converted the ensuing two-point try to extend their lead to 26-0.
Dart Validates Front Office Faith
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart continues proving the Giants made the right call. In his 12th professional start, Dart completed 22 of 32 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. He added 32 rushing yards on five carries, finishing his rookie campaign with impressive dual-threat production.
“Jaxson Dart’s going to be here—he’ll be here for a long time,” veteran receiver Darius Slayton said. “He’s talented. He’s young. I think any coach that would come here would be wise to invest in him and try to bring him along because he has all the potential in the world.”
Across the field, Prescott’s abbreviated performance reflected Dallas’s approach. The veteran completed seven of 11 passes for 70 yards before exiting. Milton struggled after taking over, throwing an interception to Bobby Okereke and finishing 7-of-13 for 73 yards.
“It’s one of the first seasons where I can’t directly correlate my play to the wins or losses,” Prescott said afterward. “That makes it frustrating.”
Complete Passing Statistics
| Player | Team | C/ATT | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxson Dart | NYG | 22/32 | 230 | 2 | 0 | 4-11 | 110.2 |
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 7/11 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 81.6 |
| Joe Milton III | DAL | 7/13 | 73 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 38.3 |
| Gunner Olszewski | NYG | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 39.6 |
Ground Game Breakdown
Tracy led all rushers with 103 yards on 18 carries, consistently breaking tackles and picking up chunks of yardage. The Giants accumulated 161 rushing yards as a team, controlling possession for 33:07 compared to Dallas’s 26:53.
Complete Rushing Statistics
New York Giants
| Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 18 | 103 | 5.7 | 0 | 20 |
| Jaxson Dart | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 0 | 13 |
| Devin Singletary | 9 | 26 | 2.9 | 1 | 13 |
| Team Total | 32 | 161 | 5.0 | 1 | 20 |
Dallas Cowboys
| Player | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaydon Blue | 16 | 64 | 4.0 | 1 | 27 |
| Joe Milton III | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 0 | 23 |
| Phil Mafah | 5 | 18 | 3.6 | 1 | 8 |
| Hunter Luepke | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 9 |
| KaVontae Turpin | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Dak Prescott | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Team Total | 30 | 143 | 4.8 | 2 | 27 |
Receiving Leaders and Full Stats
Gunner Olszewski led all receivers with 102 yards on eight catches, while Tracy hauled in eight passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Bellinger’s 29-yard touchdown reception highlighted his two-catch, 38-yard performance.
Complete Receiving Statistics
New York Giants
| Player | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunner Olszewski | 8 | 102 | 12.8 | 0 | 28 | 9 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | 8 | 56 | 7.0 | 1 | 14 | 9 |
| Daniel Bellinger | 2 | 38 | 19.0 | 1 | 29 | 2 |
| Darius Slayton | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 0 | 17 | 9 |
| Chris Manhertz | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Isaiah Hodgins | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Team Total | 22 | 230 | 10.5 | 2 | 29 | 32 |
Dallas Cowboys
| Player | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Flournoy | 5 | 68 | 13.6 | 0 | 33 | 7 |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 0 | 23 | 3 |
| Luke Schoonmaker | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Phil Mafah | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| George Pickens | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| Jake Ferguson | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Hunter Luepke | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| KaVontae Turpin | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Tolbert | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonathan Mingo | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Team Total | 14 | 143 | 10.2 | 0 | 33 | 23 |
Defensive Standouts
Jadeveon Clowney dominated for Dallas despite the lopsided score, recording three sacks and four tackles for loss in a losing effort. Dane Belton led the Giants defense with 13 total tackles (eight solo), while Okereke added six tackles and the game’s only interception.
Top Defensive Performers
New York Giants
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane Belton | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rico Payton | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Raheem Layne | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Darius Alexander | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dallas Cowboys
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shemar James | 13 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sam Williams | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Logan Wilson | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jadeveon Clowney | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Reddy Steward | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Team Statistics and Box Score
| Category | Dallas | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 17 | 34 |
| Total Yards | 286 | 380 |
| Passing Yards | 143 | 219 |
| Rushing Yards | 143 | 161 |
| First Downs | 18 | 25 |
| Third Down Conversions | 2-8 | 8-14 |
| Fourth Down Conversions | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 2-4 | 2-5 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties | 9-94 | 7-63 |
| Time of Possession | 26:53 | 33:07 |
Special Teams Summary
Kicking
| Player | Team | FG | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Sauls | NYG | 4/4 | 45 | 2/2 | 14 |
| Brandon Aubrey | DAL | 1/2 | 22 | 2/2 | 5 |
Returns
| Player | Team | Type | Returns | Yards | Avg | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KaVontae Turpin | DAL | Kick | 7 | 215 | 30.7 | 84 |
| Deonte Banks | NYG | Kick | 2 | 64 | 32.0 | 37 |
| Gunner Olszewski | NYG | Punt | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 21 |
Draft Position and Coaching Questions
The victory cost the Giants a chance at the second overall pick. Combined with other Week 18 results, New York dropped to the fifth selection while the Las Vegas Raiders locked up the top spot. Some fans wanted the loss for draft positioning, but players prioritized sending Mara off with a win.
Dallas finished 7-9-1 under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who is expected to return. However, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus faces an uncertain future after the Cowboys defense allowed 30-plus points repeatedly down the stretch.
For the Giants, a coaching search begins with general manager Joe Schoen’s role still under evaluation. Whoever takes over will inherit a young quarterback who finished strong and a roster that showed fight when it mattered most.
What This Game Represents
Beyond the statistics and final score, this game symbolized something bigger for the Giants organization. Mara jogging to his treatments. A rookie quarterback validating the front office’s faith. A team that could have mailed it in instead fighting for their owner.
The season ended at 4-13, but these final two wins—especially this thorough dismantling of Dallas—provided a foundation. Dart showed he can lead this offense. The defense played with intensity. And when their owner needed them most, they delivered.
That game ball means more than any statistic ever could.
