Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Monday Night Football Halftime Report: Cowboys 6, Giants 3
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys exchanged field goals in the first half of their matchup at MetLife Stadium, the Cowboys taking a 6-3 lead at the half on Monday Night Football.
The Giants got into something of a rhythm on their opening drive, but three straight incomplete passes saw them go to kicker Graham Gano for a 47-yard field goal attempt. Cowboys' Dorance Armstrong managed to get a hand on it and blocked the kick following a jailbreak on the right side against Ben Bredeson and Evan Neal.
On their second drive, the Cowboys drove 55 yards on ten plays, but a holding penalty drawn by Giants edge Azeez Ojulari and then a pass breakup by Jihad Ward forced the Cowboys to settle for a 46-yard field goal by kicker Brett Maher with 2:09 left in the first quarter.
The Giants responded with a 14-play, 51-yard drive that stalled at the 24-yard line. This time, Gano's attempt from 42 yards went through the uprights, tying the game at 3-3 with 11:17 left in the half.
Maher made it a 6-3 lead when the Cowboys, unable to capitalize on a 46-yard run by Tony Pollard, came up short of the end zone. The Cowboys also blew a golden opportunity for a possible touchdown when a wide-open CeeDee Lamb had an ugly drop deep in Giants territory on a first-down play.
Both kickers had failed field goal attempts, the 47-yarder by Gano that was blocked and Maher's 59-yard attempt to close the first half, which sailed wide left.
The Giants offensive line struggled to give quarterback Daniel Jones time to work with. In 19 drop-backs, Jones was sacked three times and hit six times., finishing the half 11 of 19 for 111 yards.
The Giants are looking to start 3-0 for the first time since 2009, when they won their first five.
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