Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants Match Player Stats (Sep 14, 2025)

Brandon Aubrey kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired in overtime after a tying 64-yarder to end regulation, and the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants 40-37 on September 14, 2025. Aubrey became the first kicker in NFL history to make field goals as time ran out in both regulation and overtime in the same game. The sixth lead change of the fourth quarter and overtime tied an NFL record. First-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer earned his first career victory. Dallas extended its winning streak against New York to nine games, the longest active streak in the NFL among division opponents.

Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards, the Giants gained 506 total yards and averaged 7.8 per play. None of it mattered. New York committed 14 penalties for 160 yards and scored one touchdown in five red zone trips.

“Told him that game was the epitome of him and his coaching staff, just the resiliency he has,” Dak Prescott said after the game. “He deserved that first win. Tough one to get. Fun one to get. Very fun one to get. I know he’ll never forget it.”

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 40, New York Giants 37 (OT)
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Attendance: 92,781

Key Takeaways

• Brandon Aubrey became first kicker in NFL history to make field goals as time expired in both regulation and overtime in the same game
• Giants committed 14 penalties for 160 yards, their most penalty yardage since 1947
• Russell Wilson threw for career-high 450 yards in losing effort
• Dak Prescott extended winning streak against Giants to 14 consecutive games
• Brian Schottenheimer earned first career victory as head coach

Wilson’s Career Best Ends in Defeat

Wilson’s 450 passing yards broke his previous career high of 452. Completing 30 of 41 attempts with three touchdowns and one interception, his 73.2% completion rate matched Prescott’s 73.1% almost exactly. Their approaches, however, differed completely.

Wilson’s 235 first-half passing yards marked the most by a Giants quarterback since Eli Manning threw for 236 against Philadelphia on November 25, 2018. This performance came one week after Wilson completed just 45.9% of his passes with a 59.3 passer rating in a 21-6 loss to Washington, where the Giants became just the second NFL team to go three consecutive season openers without scoring a touchdown.

Pro Football Focus assigned Wilson an 88.2 overall grade with an 85.6 passing grade. Their charting credited him with six “Big-Time Throws” but also two “Turnover-Worthy Plays.” The second came in overtime on a deep shot to Malik Nabers. Donovan Wilson jumped the route, intercepted at the Dallas 30, and sealed New York’s fate.

“I love watching boxing,” Wilson said. “We’re in a 17-round fight and we battled the first round and second round and got more to do. So I was really proud, to be able to answer the way that we did. I’ve been part of a lot of crazy games. I don’t know if I’ve been a part of one that crazy and that much grit.”

Wilson averaged 11.0 yards per attempt. Prescott averaged 6.9. Wilson threw bombs. Prescott managed possessions.

Quarterback Comparison

Prescott’s 38 completions on 52 attempts kept Dallas ahead in time of possession. His performance moved him past Tony Romo into second place on the Cowboys’ all-time completions list with 2,830 career completions. According to Fox Sports, he managed the game clock perfectly.

Prescott’s 14-game winning streak against the Giants ties Tom Brady for the second-longest streak by any quarterback over a single opponent in NFL history. Brady won 13 straight over Buffalo from 2003 to 2010. Bob Griese holds the record with 17 consecutive wins over the Bills from 1968 to 1979.

Nabers and Robinson: Elite Production, Poor Support

Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson combined for 309 of Wilson’s 450 passing yards. Catching 17 of his 30 completions, they scored all three touchdowns. The rest of the Giants receiving corps contributed 141 yards on 13 catches with zero scores.

Top Receivers

Robinson earned an 87.3 PFF grade, highest among all Giants skill players. His 142 receiving yards marked a career high. Nabers posted an 85.7 grade, converting both contested catch attempts. He finished 4 yards short of his career high with 167 yards, hauling in receptions of 48 and 50 yards. The 48-yarder came on a touchdown with 25 seconds left that gave New York a 37-34 lead.

Robinson’s 32-yard scoring catch came on fourth down in the fourth quarter at 2:44, putting the Giants ahead 30-27.

CeeDee Lamb recorded his fourth consecutive 100-yard game dating back to last season, finishing with 112 yards while making two contested catches in critical fourth-quarter moments. Ferguson caught nine passes for 78 yards. George Pickens caught the go-ahead touchdown with 52 seconds remaining, a 6-yard grab that briefly gave Dallas a 34-30 lead before Nabers answered.

The Giants now sit at 0-2 with Kansas City visiting MetLife Stadium for Sunday Night Football next week.

Dallas Controls Possession Through Rushing

The Cowboys rushed for 135 yards on 28 carries while New York managed 84 yards on 21 attempts. More importantly, those rushing yards sustained drives that kept Wilson on the sideline.

Rushing Leaders

Team Totals:

• Dallas: 28 carries, 135 yards, 4.8 avg, 2 TDs
• New York: 21 carries, 84 yards, 4.0 avg, 1 TD

Williams’ 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter at 7:20 gave Dallas its first lead of the game at 17-13. Skattebo scored his first career touchdown on a 1-yard plunge at 12:07 in the fourth quarter, temporarily giving New York a 23-20 lead.

Dallas held possession for 37:21 compared to New York’s 32:39. Those extra four minutes and 42 seconds translated directly into fewer opportunities for Wilson’s explosive passing attack.

For more on how Dallas has controlled possession in division games this season, check out their approach against Philadelphia in Week 1.

Penalties and Offensive Line Catastrophe

New York committed 14 accepted penalties for 160 yards, their most penalty yardage since getting 175 against the Boston Yankees in 1947. Giants.com confirmed that starting left tackle Andrew Thomas missed the game with a foot injury that has sidelined him since October 13, 2024. His replacement, James Hudson III, drew four penalties on the opening possession in Dallas and held back an otherwise promising drive.

You could sense the frustration building on the Giants sideline as the flags kept coming on that opening possession. Hudson’s performance ranks among the worst by any offensive lineman in recent NFL history. According to Sports Illustrated’s PFF analysis, he received a 17.2 overall grade. Fifth-round rookie Marcus Mbow replaced Hudson on the Giants’ second drive, which began with a false start penalty on tight end Daniel Bellinger.

Center John Michael Schmitz Jr. earned a 43.6 overall grade with zone blocking (45.3) and run blocking (55.8) marks that explain why the Giants couldn’t convert short-yardage situations.

Penalty Breakdown

The Giants’ first drive began with a negated 67-yard kickoff return by Gunner Olszewski due to a holding penalty on linebacker Swayze Bozeman. The drive covered 110 yards but ended in a field goal thanks to 60 yards in penalties on six flags. In total, the opening possession spanned 16 plays for 60 net yards in just under nine minutes.

The second quarter produced one of the most confusing sequences of the season. On third-and-nine from the Giants 10-yard line, Prescott’s pass to CeeDee Lamb fell incomplete with multiple flags thrown. Four simultaneous penalties were called: defensive pass interference on the Giants, too many men on the field for the Giants, roughing the passer on the Giants, and unsportsmanlike conduct on Lamb. All four penalties offset, forcing a replay of third down.

New York reached the Dallas 20-yard line five times but scored just one touchdown. When your left tackle grades at 17.2 and your center can’t generate interior push, execution collapses in tight spaces where precision matters most.

Brian Daboll’s coaching staff faces a crisis at left tackle. Hudson cannot start next week against Kansas City. Thomas must return or the Giants need to sign a veteran immediately.

Rookie Quarterback Makes NFL Debut

Jaxson Dart made his NFL debut with 12:51 remaining in the game and Dallas leading 20-16. From the Cowboys 25, Dart handed to Skattebo, who burst straight up the middle for 24 yards to the goal line. The fellow rookie punched it in on the next play as the Giants regained a three-point lead. Dart returned for two more plays on the Giants’ next drive, handing to Tracy for a first down before losing three yards on a run himself.

Defense and Special Teams

Both defenses generated three sacks, but the Giants defense faced 83 Dallas plays while their offense ran just 65.

Defensive Stats Comparison

Paulson Adebo led the Giants with 13 total tackles (11 solo, 1 PD). Dru Phillips recorded 11 total tackles (8 solo), the Giants’ only interception, and two pass deflections. Bobby Okereke added 10 total tackles (4 solo, 1 PD, 1 QB hit). For Dallas, Kaiir Elam led with 9 total tackles (6 solo), Jack Sanborn contributed 8 (4 solo), and Kenneth Murray Jr. posted 7 (5 solo, 2 TFLs).

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and Elijah Garcia each recorded sacks for New York. Burns now has three sacks through the first two games. Kenny Clark and James Houston got sacks for Dallas. Dexter Lawrence II earned an 87.0 PFF grade despite not recording a sack, generating three quarterback hurries and three defensive stops. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott broke up two passes and made a critical play at the end of the first half, keeping tight end Jake Ferguson inbounds with the clock winding down.

Some Giants defenders struggled. Cornerback Deonte Banks posted a 39.1 overall grade while outside linebacker Abdul Carter graded at 44.8.

Special Teams Impact

Brandon Aubrey converted all four field goal attempts (51, 44, 64, and 46 yards) and all four extra points, contributing 16 total points. That 64-yard kick as time expired forced overtime, coming just one yard short of Justin Tucker’s NFL record of 65 yards. According to CBS Sports, Aubrey became the first kicker in NFL history to make field goals as time expired in both regulation and overtime in the same game.

Graham Gano made all three field goal attempts (38, 33, and 38 yards) for New York. Bryan Anger averaged 47.8 yards on four punts for Dallas, pinning New York inside the 20 twice. Tyrone Tracy Jr. averaged 26.4 yards on five kickoff returns for New York. KaVontae Turpin averaged 25.0 yards on four returns for Dallas before leaving with a neck injury in the third quarter.

Overtime: Wilson’s Aggressive Choice Backfires

New York won the coin toss and elected to play defense first. Both teams punted on their opening possessions. Then Wilson targeted Nabers deep down the left sideline on second-and-14 from the Giants 30.

The Giants just needed a field goal to win when Wilson threw an ill-advised deep ball with pressure. Donovan Wilson jumped the route, intercepted at the Dallas 30 with 2:00 remaining in overtime, and returned to the same spot.

That turnover counted as one of Wilson’s two turnover-worthy plays according to PFF’s charting. On a day where he posted an 88.2 overall grade and made six big-time throws, forcing a deep ball on second down instead of working methodically into field goal range ended the game.

Dallas moved into chip-shot range for Aubrey on a 14-yard scramble from Prescott. “Told you I could run,” Prescott said after the game. “Rehab went well, man. Felt good. Felt good.” He missed the final nine games of last season with a torn hamstring.

Aubrey drilled the 46-yarder as time expired, giving Schottenheimer his first victory as a head coach. “Cool way to win your first game,” Schottenheimer said. “The words that Dak and the players said to me after the game is why it’s so special. I expect the first of many, but I’ll remember this one forever because of the fight of these guys.”

The decision to defer possession in overtime deserves scrutiny. The Giants possessed an explosive passing offense built for quick strikes. Taking the ball first would have allowed them to attack immediately.

Fourth Quarter Chaos: Seven Lead Changes

The fourth quarter produced 41 combined points across seven scoring plays:

14:13 Aubrey 44-yard FG (DAL 20, NYG 16)
12:07 Skattebo 1-yard TD run (NYG 23, DAL 20)
6:14 Sanders 4-yard TD run (DAL 27, NYG 23)
2:44 Robinson 32-yard TD catch (NYG 30, DAL 27)
0:52 Pickens 6-yard TD catch (DAL 34, NYG 30)
0:25 Nabers 48-yard TD catch (NYG 37, DAL 34)
0:00 Aubrey 64-yard FG (37-37, tied)

Five consecutive go-ahead touchdowns occurred in the final 12 minutes. Three lead changes happened in the final minute of regulation alone. The sixth lead change of the fourth quarter and overtime tied an NFL record.

Complete Statistical Breakdown

Dallas scored touchdowns on all three red zone trips. New York converted once in five attempts.

Injuries and What’s Next

Injuries: Linebacker Darius Muasau (concussion) and linebacker Chris Board (chest) left the game for New York. Wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (neck) and center Cooper Beebe (ankle) went out for Dallas.

Dallas improves to 1-1 heading into a road game at Chicago next Sunday. Schottenheimer, son of the late Marty Schottenheimer (a 200-game winner as an NFL coach), now needs 199 to catch his dad after spending a quarter-century as an NFL assistant.

New York falls to 0-2, matching their worst start since 2021. Kansas City visits MetLife Stadium for Sunday Night Football next week. The Chiefs lost their season opener to the Los Angeles Chargers and will face the Giants before the Chargers visit in Week 4.

The talent exists at skill positions: Wilson graded at 88.2, Robinson at 87.3, Nabers at 85.7, and Lawrence at 87.0 on defense. That elite production gets undermined by catastrophic offensive line performance (Hudson 17.2, Schmitz 43.6) and inconsistent secondary play (Banks 39.1).

The Giants showed similar execution failures in their earlier matchup against Baltimore, where offensive explosiveness couldn’t overcome red zone struggles.

Final Assessment

Wilson threw for 450 yards and the Giants averaged 7.8 yards per play. They lost because 160 penalty yards and 20% red zone conversion outweigh explosive plays between the 20s. Dallas won with 5.8 yards per play because they executed 83 plays, controlled possession for 37:21, scored on every red zone trip, and employed a kicker who drills 64-yarders in pressure moments. Execution beats statistics.