IRVING, Texas – The New York Giants have made themselves at home at Jerry Jones’ $1.2 billion football palace.
The Giants are 3-0 at Cowboys Stadium, which they opened with a come-from-behind win, after which Eli Manning signed the wall of the visitors’ locker room. Manning has thrown for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns in his three trips to the Giants’ home away from home.
Yet the Cowboys insist that the Giants’ success at JerryWorld won’t be a rallying cry this week as they prepare to play host to the defending Super Bowl champions.
“It won’t even be on my mind at all,” Pro Bowl outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. “I don’t care that they’ve won every single time here at our stadium. We’ve just got to find some way to beat them and win the game. We have an opportunity to do that this week.”
It’s not as if the Cowboys should need any additional motivational fodder for such a critical game.
A win would pull the Cowboys within a game of the Giants in the NFC East standings and give Dallas the season sweep and tiebreaker. A loss would pretty much kill any realistic hope the Cowboys have of winning the division, putting them three games behind the Giants.
Plus, the Cowboys still have painful memories of their playoff hopes dying at the hands of the Giants on New Year’s Day. The season-opening win at MetLife Stadium didn’t wash away that bitter taste.
“Just the Giants, period – you guys know how it is,” defensive end Jason Hatcher said. “Those guys, period, just get you ready to play.”
Added coach Jason Garrett: “Again, it’s the Giants. They’re the world champs. They’re our next opponent. We have great respect for them. Cowboys Stadium, MetLife Stadium, the Meadowlands, the parking lot or on the moon, we’ve just got to go play our best football.”