Jaxson Dart threw two touchdown passes to Isaiah Likely in the Giants' 21-7 lead over the Cowboys at halftime on Sunday night, with the tight end finishing the first half with six catches for 61 yards in his New York debut.
The second score came after Jevon Holland intercepted Dak Prescott. The Giants safety slid in bounds to make the pick, with Kayvon Thibodeaux pressuring Prescott throughout the play. NFL+ noted Likely was 8.8 yards from the nearest defender when the ball arrived on his first touchdown, a blown coverage that left the tight end wide open in the end zone.
The Giants opened the scoring first. Dart hit Malik Nabers on a third and nine, putting the ball over Ezeiruaku's head to reach the receiver by the sideline. Nabers finished the opening drive with two catches for 29 yards. The Cowboys answered with a Dak Prescott touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb in the corner of the end zone, tying the game at 7-7 with 5:44 left in the half.
The touchdown stood after review, but Lamb's celebration nearly cost Dallas. Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported an official started pulling a flag from his pocket to call taunting on Lamb after the score, then put it back. Lamb had also gotten away with a push-off on Deonte Banks earlier in the play.
The Cowboys had two pass interference penalties against the Giants on the drive, one on Greg Newsome II for early contact with George Pickens on a deep shot from Prescott, and another against Dru Phillips that Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post called ticky-tack. The penalties gained Dallas 57 yards total.
Brian Burns got to Prescott for a hit, but the Cowboys quarterback still launched the deep ball to Pickens. The Giants pass rush struggled to get home consistently in the first half, a concern given the pressure they applied in the preseason.
Dart's first half was a study in resilience. After Holland's interception, the quarterback went 4-for-4, including the touchdown to Likely. Nick Falato of Giants Country noted the recovery came after a rough stretch that included a fumble recovered by Jon Runyan when Dart failed to recognize a blitz from his right and double-clutched the ball.
The Giants also survived a Likely fumble on their second drive. The tight end shook free for a gain, but Ezeiruaku punched the ball out. Patrick Ricard recovered for New York.
Dallas committed six penalties in the first half to the Giants' one, with Terence Steele called for illegal hands to the face that knocked Abdul Carter's helmet off. The Giants tried a trick play on fourth and one at their own 44, but Runyan was called for a false start. They went for it anyway and failed to convert, with a missed facemask call on Cam Skattebo drawing criticism from WFAN's Lori Rubinson.
The Giants started the second half with the ball after winning the coin toss and deferring. They came out running, with Skattebo picking up five and seven yards on consecutive carries before a nine-yard pass to Johnson and another seven-yard run from Skattebo. Dart looked like a point guard, per Ryan Dunleavy, taking easy completions.
Nabers asked out and was stretched on the sideline before returning to the game. He made two catches for 29 yards on the opening drive of the second half, with Jordan Raanan of ESPN noting he was starting to look like himself.
The Giants' second touchdown came on a play-action pass to Likely. Matt Nagy brought Braxton Berrios in motion and came back to the tight end, with Skattebo in the flat clearing out the coverage. Connor Hughes of SNY called it a great, great play design. The score made it 21-7 and forced the Cowboys into a chase position against a Giants team that had already taken the ball away once.
Dart's second touchdown pass to Likely came after the Giants capitalized on Prescott's interception. The quarterback finished the first half completing passes to Likely, Nabers, and Johnson, spreading the ball around while the running game churned behind Skattebo. The Giants stuck with the ground game coming out of the half, a sign of confidence in their offensive line against a Cowboys front that had been flagged repeatedly.
According to Yahoo Sports.