After months of anticipation and preparation, the Dallas Cowboys kicked off the 2012 NFL season with a win against the defending champion New York Giants 24-17 on Wednesday night.
Before the game the Giants were honored for their Super Bowl win, but if one thing is clear, it's not last season anymore.
"Take a bite out of humble pie, that's basically what it is," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said according to the Associated Press. "It brings you right back down to earth."
It's a statement win for the Cowboys, who were looking to erase the memories of last year, when the Giants scored a combined 68 points against the team in two games.
The game started off slow, but the Cowboys were able to move the ball against the Giants defense, which was hobbled by a number of injuries to the secondary. With starter Terrell Thomas lost for the year and Prince Amukamara sitting out due to an ankle sprain, the Giants relied heavily on Michael Coe until he had to leave the game in the third due to a hamstring issue.
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo had three touchdowns and passed for over 300 yards, while running back DeMarco Murray had 129 yards rushing. Murray had a number of explosive plays in the game, including a 48 yard run after it appeared the Giants had stopped him in the backfield for a loss.
The real star of the night was Dallas wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, who had 8 receptions for 114 yards and his first two career touchdowns. The receiver, who grew up in Queens, outshined star receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant and made the Giants' secondary look pedestrian.
"A huge emphasis for us was big plays," said Ogletree, according to the Associated Press. "I don't want the focus to be on me too much, but I am very, very humbled and appreciative of how we played today."
The Giants had little success running the ball, although their first touchdown came on a 10-yard run from starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw. On that drive receiver Domenik Hixon made a great catch down the field for a 40 yard gain that put the Giants in scoring position.
Eli Manning had the Giants in Dallas territory early in the game, but the team turned the ball over after rookie David Wilson fumbled. The turnover led to a three-and-out by the Cowboys, but it put the defending champions on notice early on.
New York linebacker Michael Boley had a 51-yard interception return that he took to the 2-yard line, but the Giants couldn't convert a touchdown and had to settle for a field goal.
The Giants never seemed to be able to get in a groove and wide receiver Victor Cruz, a breakout star from last year's team, had a number drops that could have helped change the makeup of the game.
Manning had little protection from his offensive line and was sacked twice by Dallas star DeMarcus Ware.
"We let them know where we are as a defense, and that we'll play that way every week," said Ware according to the Associated Press.
Down two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, Manning connected with former Dallas tight end Martellus Bennett for a 9-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 24-17.
After a holding call against Dallas tight end Jason Witten the Giants had a chance to make a defensive stop on a third-and-10, but the Cowboys converted. It was their last chance to force a punt and possibly tie it, but Romo was able to find Ogletree for a 13 yard gain. Dallas was able to run out the clock.
The game featured replacement officials working their first regular season game. Flags seemed to be flying after every play, with Dallas getting 13 penalties for 86 yards.
Cruz led the Giants with six catches for 58 yards, while Hakeem Nicks had four catches in his first regular season game since breaking his foot in May.
While the Giants had hoped to start the season with a win, they did also lose their first game last season against the Redskins before eventually winning the Super Bowl.
Dallas will next play the Seattle Seahawks on the road Sept. 16, while the Giants will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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