5 stars from the Cowboys 20-15 win vs. Giants

If only for a moment, Cowboys Nation can breathe a sigh of relief. Facing a dreaded 1-3 start to begin the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys escaped from MetLife Stadium with a close 20-15 win Thursday night over the New York Giants. Even before the night began, the Cowboys were scrambling for healthy bodies to suit up in their secondary. Having played a physical Baltimore Ravens team only four days ago, Dallas was without Caelen Carson and Markquese Bell. The injuries only piled up from there.

As the game wore on, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence left the game with injuries, and you could only hope that Dallas could survive the night. Without two of their integral stars on defense, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s unit was able to hold the Giants’ offense at bay for the much-needed win. Here are the stars who shined when the team needed it most.

CeeDee Lamb
Throughout the week, there was a lot of discussion on CeeDee Lamb and how he vented his frustrations on the sidelines during Dallas’ loss last week. Lamb owned up to his behavior, reaffirming that his relationship with Dak Prescott is as strong as ever. That was true during Thursday’s game. The Cowboys wasted no time implementing Lamb into the game plan and peppering him with targets early and for much of the contest. Per usual, Lamb lined up in several areas in different formations, making it difficult for the Giants to account for him. He made several touch catches with the defense draped all over him on tightly contested passes over the middle.

The highlight of his night was beating Giants cornerback Deonte Banks Burns for a 55-yard touchdown to claim an early 14-6 lead. Lamb was targeted eight times and caught seven passes for 98 yards.

Though Lamb will occasionally get frustrated, there’s an underlying passion of a competitor who wants to win and contribute while doing so. Lamb demanded the ball, and he delivered when given the opportunity. When his number was called, he answered and is a big reason why the Cowboys are back at .500

Mazi Smith
Following their last two losses against the Saints and Ravens, the media challenged the Cowboys. In both of their previous games, they were annihilated on the ground and were gushing rushing yards to opposing offenses. It’s almost as if the defense took the critiques personally because they played as if they had heard enough and made a statement against New York. The Cowboys stifled the Giants’ rushing attack and held them to a paltry 26 yards on 24 attempts (1.1 yards per carry). For that to happen, a special tip of the cap goes to the interior defensive line, who has come under fire, especially Mazi Smith. Smith made several flash plays to stack offensive linemen and allow his teammates to make the tackle. He also contributed a few tackles of his own including a tackle for loss.

Eric Kendricks & DeMarvion Overshown
Directly benefitting from the efforts of the interior defensive line were Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion Overshown. Kendricks was all over the Giants ball-carriers and had a game-high 13 tackles. Meanwhile, Overshown continues to impress when given a more prominent role. His long arms and incredible speed feel like a cheat code when defending the short to the intermediate area of the field. On one play, he chased Devin Singletary to the outside to minimize what would have been a sizeable gain midway through the second quarter. He also made several tackles in space to limit bigger gains, including a terrific touchdown-saving tackle on Wan’Dale Robinson deep in the red zone.

Amani Oruwariye
Amani Oruwariye is certainly as unlikely a hero as you could imagine. Oruwariye was called to the active roster because of injuries but only saw significant snaps after replacing Andrew Booth Jr., who was benched to begin the second half. Oruwariye is a fifth-year journeyman who didn’t let his early struggles define his night. After the Cowboys risked a long field goal attempt from Brandon Aubrey that was no good from 51 yards; the Cowboys needed to make one last stand to secure the victory. At this time, Parsons and Lawrence could only look on from the sidelines. As Daniel Jones attempted a desperate heave at the end zone down the right sideline, Oruwariye didn’t panic while the ball was in flight and made a leaping grab to pull the ball away from the waiting arms of Giants receiver Jaylin Hyatt. His interception effectively ended the game and sent Cowboys fans home happy.