Dottino: Bradshaw, Brown Take Home Game Balls In Giants' Win Over The 'Boys
By Paul Dottino
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The lead was 23-0, but it was not enough.
And Tom Coughlin's team needed some help from video replay in the closing moments, too, but more on that in our gassers segment.
Let's get to our review:
GAME BALLS
Offense - RB Ahmad Bradshaw: It does not matter that his final numbers were 22 carries for a modest 78 yards -- and a long of just 12. He ran hard despite working on a sore foot, and was especially strong during the Giants' final scoring drive. In the fourth, he ran consecutively for 9, 10, 0 and 2 yards during a six-play drive that set up Tynes' 32-yard field goal to make it 29-24 with 3:31 left.
Defense - SS Stevie Brown: WOW. The guy has hands like a magnet. Mark him down for two interceptions and a fumble recovery -- with two of his three turnovers coming in the fourth quarter. With less than seven minutes left, he tried to scoop up a Felix Jones fumble before falling on it near midfield with the Giants up 26-24. After a Tynes field goal, Brown ended the Cowboys' next drive, intercepting a fourth-down pass at the Giants' 17 with 1:03 to play. In the first quarter, Brown's interception set up a Tynes field goal for a 6-0 lead.
Special Teams - K Lawrence Tynes: He went 5-for-5 on field goals, including two in the fourth quarter. He also put all eight of his kickoffs into the end zone (with two touchbacks), leaving the Cowboys with an average start at their own 21.
GASSERS
Offense - WR Domenik Hixon: We're going to make an instinctive call on this one, because this is being made without immediate knowledge of the plays called. But Hixon was short on two potential third-down conversions that led to Tynes' two fourth-quarter field goals. Hixon caught a 3-yard pass on third-and-5 at the Dallas 28 and then a 5-yard pass on third-and-7 at the Dallas 24. We're assuming either he was short on his routes, OR he may be blamed for not coming up with the needed yards after the catch.
Defense - CBs Corey Webster and Michael Coe: With 16 seconds left, they allowed WR Dez Bryant to get behind them and make a leaping catch in the back of the end zone that would have won the game had Bryant's right hand not touched down on the backline.
Special Teams - KOR David Wilson: This is strictly because the rookie already set a very high standard for himself, and four returns for a 21.5-yard average does not meet that standard.
Who gets your game balls for this past Sunday? Who are your gassers? Let us know in the comments section below...
