Manning throws for 3 TDs in 35-14 win over Cowboys

[November 03, 2008]  EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- With injured quarterback Tony Romo watching from the sidelines, the New York Giants had no problem burying the Dallas Cowboys in more ways than one.

Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, Brandon Jacobs rushed for 117 yards and a score and the Giants defense took advantage of Romo's absence to intercept three passes in a 35-14 victory on Sunday.

The win was the fifth straight at home for the Giants (7-1) and it allowed the Super Bowl champions to open a three-game lead over the defending NFC East champion Cowboys (5-4) in the division.

The loss was the third in four games for Dallas, which fell into last place in the division behind Washington (6-2) and Philadelphia (5-3), not something anyone expected from the team many considered the favorite to win the NFC.

Manning threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Kevin Boss, 5 to Steve Smith and 11 to Amani Toomer, with the scores by Smith and Toomer being set up by Corey Webster's interceptions of Brad Johnson, Romo's replacement.

Jacobs scored on a 12-yard run two plays after James Butler picked off Brooks Bollinger's first pass in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Derrick Ward added a 17-yard touchdown run to ice the game in the fourth quarter.

Dallas showed little on offense without Romo, who missed his third straight game with a broken right pinkie. The Cowboys turned the ball over four times, with Terrell Owens adding a rare fumble in the second quarter at the Giants 10-yard line.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins scored Dallas' first touchdown with a 23-yard, second-quarter interception on a play that Manning and Plaxico Burress were not on the same page.

Bollinger, whose entrance into the game in the second half only helped the Giants add to their lead, added an 8-yard touchdown pass to Owens in the fourth quarter, a drive set up by a questionable roughing the passer call against Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, who had 2 1/2 of the Giants four sacks.

Steve Spagnuolo's pressure defense limited the Cowboys to 183 total yards, with 75 of those coming on the drive in which Tuck was penalized.

The game between the two long-time rivals wasn't much of a contest.

The Giants took the opening kickoff and went 75 yards in 11 plays with Manning (16-of-27 for 147 yards) hitting Boss in the corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Dallas had a chance to get right back in the game in the quarter when Johnson hit Roy Williams with a 28-yard pass for a first down at the Giants 25.

On the next play, Owens ran a look-in pattern and Johnson lead him too much with the pass. Webster caught the ball and returned it 57 yards to the Dallas 27. Manning found Smith in the middle of the field on a third-and-3 from the Dallas 5 for the touchdown.

Jenkins put Dallas on the board, catching a pass alone in the right flat and walking into the end zone. It came on the series following the Owens' fumble, his first since 2004.

Webster helped restore the 14-point lead late in the quarter picking off a poorly thrown ball by Johnson at the Giants 47 and returning it a yard.

Jacobs ran for 25 yards on first down and Manning eventually capped the drive with his TD pass to Toomer.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips lifted Johnson after intermission and Bollinger made the move backfire throwing an interception right to Butler on his first pass.

Jacobs blew through a big hole to open a 28-7 lead and the game was never in doubt after that.

[Associated Press; By TOM CANAVAN]

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