By Saad Yousuf, Jon Machota and Charlotte Carroll

After giving up a total of 72 points in their last two games, the Dallas Cowboys overtook the New York Giants with a narrow 20-15 victory on “Thursday Night Football.” Both teams are awaiting the status of two key players who had to leave the game in the final minutes due to injury.

The Cowboys’ star pass rusher Micah Parsons was carted to the locker room in the fourth quarter with his left shoe removed. Parsons was helped off the field after curling up while trying to rush Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.

The Giants’ standout rookie Malik Nabers left the game late in the fourth quarter with a concussion and did not return. Nabers was placed in the concussion protocol after he was left on the ground following an incompletion error on the Giants’ sideline on fourth down.

Parsons’ exit marred one of Dallas’ best defensive performances this season, as the Cowboys limited the Giants to five field goals and just 1.1 yards per rush attempt.

Dallas’ defense is stepping up

The Cowboys defense played well enough to stop the bleeding from the last two weeks. At one point, the Cowboys were without their top three outside cornerbacks when Trevon Diggs was sidelined due to dehydration. Although Andrew Booth and Amani Oruwariye got more playing time, the Giants were unable to take advantage of the Cowboys through the air. It helped that Nabers left late in the fourth quarter and didn’t return for the Giants’ final offensive attack that could have won the game with a touchdown.

Oruwariye served the dagger with an interception in that last gasp. The injuries on defense are concerning, but the Cowboys still have a few days until their next game in Pittsburgh. — Saad Yousuf, Cowboys beat writer

The @dallascowboys Seal victory with the INT! pic.twitter.com/jDf4bk38iN

– NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2024

Prescott has an efficient night

Dak Prescott had a very successful career with the Giants. So it’s no surprise that he helped the Cowboys get back on the winning list with a very efficient 22-of-27 passing performance on Thursday night. Prescott wasn’t outstanding in Dallas’ first three games. This was clearly his best performance as he posted a passer rating above 100 for the first time this season.

The defense is definitely still struggling, so this is the type of Prescott the Cowboys need and frankly, the reason they made him the highest-paid player in the NFL. He and CeeDee Lamb were on the same page for most of the evening, recovering from Sunday’s ugly performance. However, Lamb is still waiting for his first 100-yard game of the season. — Jon Machota, the Cowboys beat writer

CEEDEE TEEDEE 55 METERS#DALvsNYG on Prime Video
Will continue to stream #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aBmOaHVpme

– NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2024

Potential setbacks for Cowboys

The Cowboys’ victory did not come without potentially significant setbacks. Their top two edge rushers, Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, both left the game with injuries and did not return.

Parsons appeared to have a notable lower leg injury. Lawrence left with a foot injury. He returned to the sidelines but never got back into the game.

For a defense that already has a lot of problems, losing for an extended period of time would be a huge blow. — Machota

Nabers continues to shine

Nabers’ big day in prime time ended in the worst possible way for the young Giants star when he left the game late in the fourth quarter. Nabers went to the ground and tried to block a fourth-down throw from Jones on the Giants sideline. He tiptoed to the ground but was quickly surrounded by training staff. It was a brutal end for the rookie who had a productive day.

As Giants defensive end Brian Burns conducted his postgame interview, he yelled across the locker room and asked Nabers if he was OK. Nabers replied, “No,” implying that he has a concussion.

Here is a video of the interaction with Brian Burns checking out Malik Nabers.

Brian Daboll and many teammates check on him during the open locker room #Giants #maliknabers https://t.co/BV4q1iP6J7 pic.twitter.com/6Ab2RXVpwv

– Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) September 27, 2024

He didn’t have any flashy, acrobatic catches like last week. But Nabers really showed his speed and agility with his 12 balls tonight.

Nabers did a great job of breaking tackles, and the best example of his skills may have been a 39-yard reception in which he tricked Booth into touching the grass. Nabers was a focal point of attack for the Giants all season and stayed that way, with Jones consistently targeting him. He finished the season with 115 receiving yards, for a season total of 386 yards. — Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writer

The Giants offensive line continues to impress

So much has changed for the Giants’ offensive line since the loss in the 2023 season opener. After an offseason full of changes with new players and a new coach, the group had a relatively reliable start to the year. They may not be at the top of the league, but they did their job, and that’s a big step in the right direction for New York.

After holding off Myles Garrett and the Browns last week, the line limited Parsons’ impact on Thursday. According to TruMedia, Parsons only had two exposures. The Cowboys have had 20 sacks in their last four games against the Giants. They only had one tonight. — Carroll

Required reading

(Photo: Robert Deutsch / Imagn Images)