IRVING, Texas -- Amid plenty of smiles after Tony Romo's winning touchdown pass to Jason Witten in the final seconds of the opener against the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys were aware of a simple reality.
They can't expect to win giving away 17 points on turnovers, particularly now that All-Pro receiver Dez Bryant is expected to miss at least a month with a broken right foot.
"I don't want to temper the win," owner Jerry Jones said after a 27-26 come-from-behind victory Sunday night that pushed the defending NFC East champion Cowboys to 8-0 in openers against their division rival. "Too many people worked too hard to win this game. We can play a lot better and will play a lot better."
The Cowboys ended up on top, but they might have benefited from questionable strategy and time management by the Giants in the final two minutes.
New York led 23-20 with a first and goal at the Dallas 4 after a third-down catch by Odell Beckham.
The Giants' strategy -- which involved two running plays, an incomplete pass and a 19-yard field goal -- became a bigger issue Monday when running back Rashad Jennings said he was instructed not to score on the two plays before quarterback Eli Manning's third-down incompletion, apparently in an attempt to run additional time off the clock -- a strategy nullified by the clock-stopping incomplete pass.
Jennings ran twice without reaching the end zone, and Dallas used its final two timeouts after the plays.
"On the first-down play, I was told, 'Rashad, don't score,' " Jennings told ESPN, according to Newsday. "On second down, 'Rashad, don't score.' I was tempted to say, 'Forget it,' and go score because I could. But I didn't want to be that guy. But definitely, I was asked not to score."
Manning said on Monday he had told Jennings not to score.
"I informed Rashad, 'If they let you score, go down at the 1-inch line and don't score,' " he said. "It's my mistake. It did not come from the sideline."
Manning also said he was confused about the number of timeouts the Cowboys had because of two they were given back after defensive penalties stopped the clock.
Manning threw incomplete on third and goal at the Cowboys' 1, stopping the clock when the Cowboys were out of timeouts. Josh Brown's 19-yard field goal gave the Giants a 26-20 lead with 1:34 left, but Romo had approximately 40 more seconds than he would have if Manning had been sacked or simply taken a knee.
They also received decent field position at the 28 after the Giants kicked off.
"The game should have been handled in a different way right there at the end. In all of those situations," Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said afterward. " am very, very reluctant to do anything but score. Sometimes people get out of the way and allow you to [score], I'm taking the points most of the time. I understand all about the clock and everything, but ... obviously, a touchdown puts you back up 10."
Dallas' first two big mistakes gave the Giants 10 points in the final minute of the first half, starting with a 57-yard fumble return by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie after receiver Cole Beasley fumbled after making a catch. On the next snap, Romo threw behind Witten, who tipped the ball to linebacker Uani Unga for an interception that led to a field goal.
New York went up 23-13 with 8 minutes remaining when Trumaine McBride returned an interception to the Dallas 1, setting up the other touchdown for the Giants.
The Cowboys overcame the errors when Romo led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, the last in just 1:27 that was capped by the 11-yard touchdown pass to Witten, who also scored the earlier touchdown. Romo was 11-of-12 passing for 148 yards on the last two drives and 36 of 45 for 356 yards for the game.
"When you do a lot of positive things, but you give the ball up three times in your own area and you give them 17 points, that's an issue," Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett said. "That's a problem, and we've got to address it."
Bryant missed both of the late scoring drives after getting injured early in the fourth quarter. Last year's NFL leader in receiving touchdowns is unlikely to return before Dallas' bye in mid-October.
The Cowboys waived tackle Jordan Mills a week after claiming him from Chicago, clearing a roster spot that Garrett said was likely to be filled by a receiver.
"The spirit that he plays with, the energy, the passion, it's really contagious. You miss all of those things," Garrett said. "There aren't Dez Bryants waiting out there on the street."
Third-year player Terrance Williams is the most accomplished receiver after Bryant, followed by Beasley and second-year man Devin Street, who was involved in Romo's second interception when safety Brandon Meriweather knocked the ball loose from him and into McBride's arms.
"We obviously have to do a better job. I have to do a better job," said Beasley, who set up Witten's first touchdown with another nice catch and run to the New York 1. "We can't do that and win football games."
Sports on 09/15/2015