ARLINGTON, Texas — Dak Prescott was told his Dallas Cowboys had just beaten the New York Giants by 72 points combined in the two meetings of the NFC East rivals this season.
“Yeah,” the star quarterback said, “I was about to say that’s gotta be a record.”
Yeah, it was.
Prescott threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns while running for another score Sunday in a 49-17 rout that extended the Cowboys’ home winning streak to 12.
The Cowboys (6-3) won 40-0 in the opener in New Jersey, and the 72-point margin was their largest in a sweep of an NFC East opponent, topping their 66-point edge against Philadelphia in 1969.
“That’s unfathomable,” Dallas owner/general manager Jerry Jones said.
The Giants (2-8) were outgained 368-27 in the first half with Tommy DeVito as the first undrafted rookie to start for them at quarterback in the common draft era, save for a strike-replacement game in 1987.
DeVito, who replaced Daniel Jones last week when the franchise QB sustained a season-ending knee injury, was 14 of 27 for 86 yards with two TDs and an interception.
“Not something that we’re trying to make sure we do this,” Prescott said of the margin that wiped out the previous high of 55 against the Giants - in 1966. “Obviously, we wanted to handle them for the second time this season. Just happened to be in that manner with that many points. Unfortunate circumstances for them at quarterback, but he made some plays at times. Good for us.”
The Cowboys - whose 640 total yards were 12 shy of the franchise record - had a 54-0 combined first-half margin in the two games, this time without any help from defense or special teams after those units scored a TD apiece early in the first rout.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb scored on a 14-yard run before Prescott’s touchdown tosses to Jake Ferguson (1 yard) and Brandin Cooks (10 yards). Prescott made it 28-0 with a 10-yard run 16 seconds before the break.
“We’re hitting our stride,” Lamb said. “I’m happy with it. This past month, as you can tell, we’ve been on a roll. We’ve just got to keep it going, stay consistent, stay clean and let the rest fall into place.”
After DeVito’s 19-yard scramble sparked a New York scoring drive in the third quarter, including his second career TD pass, Prescott connected with Michael Gallup on a 41-yard touchdown for a 35-7 lead.
Lamb had a spectacular one-handed grab among 11 catches for 151 yards as he became the first NFL receiver with at least 10 catches for at least 150 yards in three consecutive games.
Cooks had his first 100-yard game since joining Dallas in an offseason trade, finishing 13 off his career high with 173.
Not only did the Cowboys secure their longest home winning streak since an 18-victory run at old Texas Stadium from 1979-81, but Prescott beat the Giants for a 12th consecutive time since losing to them twice as a rookie in 2016.
Dallas has won the past six and 13 of the past 14 in the series and just posted the second-most yards allowed in the 97-year history of the Giants.
“Just getting beat by anybody like that sucks,” said Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who downplayed having to get a previously injured ankle retaped in the second half. “I don’t think there’s more or less because it’s the Dallas Cowboys.”
Prescott finished 26 of 35 and set a franchise record with his third game of at least 400 yards passing and four TDs - all in the first three quarters - while throwing an interception that set up New York at the Dallas 12-yard line when the Cowboys’ lead was just 7-0.
But Barkley and coach Brian Daboll had a testy exchange - one of several among Giants players and coaches on a frustrating day - after a failed fourth-down try from the 4 when the star running back was stuffed for no gain.
The Cowboys promptly went 96 yards the other direction, capped by the run from Lamb, who also had a punctuating 12-yard scoring catch late in third quarter.
“He’s a better player than he was last year, a better player than he was the year before,” Jones said. “He’s got great ability, got some attributes that you can’t coach. Then, he’s really improved on all of them.”
INJURIES
Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (concussion) and CB Cor’Dale Flott (shoulder) didn’t return after leaving with their injuries. … Cowboys KR/WR KaVontae Turpin was inactive after injuring his ribs in last week’s 28-23 loss at Philadelphia.
UP NEXT
Giants: At Washington next Sunday in the last of three consecutive road games.
Cowboys: At Carolina next Sunday.
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