CeeDee Lamb's one-handed touchdown catch lifts Cowboys to win over Giants
East Rutherford, New Jersey - Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush now boasts a 3-0 record as a starter after doing enough to help his side defeat the New York Giants 23-16 on Monday night.
Rush, who is starting in the place of injured franchise star Dak Prescott, upset the Cincinnati Bengals last week in the second start of his NFL career after also defeating the Minnesota Vikings in his 2021 debut.
Against the Giants, he had another clean game, completing 21 of 31 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown, finishing with no turnovers and no sacks allowed.
With the game tied at 13-13 in the fourth quarter – after earlier touchdowns from Giants running back Saquon Barkley and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott – Rush completed a two-yard goal-line fade to top receiver CeeDee Lamb, which he pulled down with one hand in the back corner of the endzone.
In doing so, Rush became the first quarterback since the 1970 merger to lead game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in each of his first three starts, per ESPN.
While it was Elliott who got the rushing touchdown for the Cowboys, it was teammate Tony Pollard who was the more impressive runner on the day, finishing with 13 carries for 105 yards, while Elliott posted 15 carries for 73 yards.
Lamb was the best receiver from either team, catching eight of 12 targets for 87 yards and a touchdown, and it could have been an even bigger day if he did not drop a wide-open 50-yard pass in the first half.
Defensively, Cowboys edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence was the star of the show with three sacks, while Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs snagged the game-sealing interception on the final drive.
Cover photo: REUTERS