New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats: 34-17 Win

Rookie quarterbacks rarely get to author their own storybook endings—but Jaxson Dart just wrote one. On January 4, 2026, the Giants’ first-year starter delivered a career-high 110.2 passer rating against the Cowboys, leading New York to a dominant 34-17 win at MetLife Stadium that closed out a rough season on a high note. If you’ve been hunting for the box score breakdown and standout performers from this NFC East clash, here’s everything that mattered.

Final Score: Giants 34-17 Cowboys · Date: January 4, 2026 · Key Performer: Jaxson Dart (110.2 passer rating) · Rushing Leader: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (159 scrimmage yards)

Who won Cowboys vs. Giants today?

The New York Giants handed the Dallas Cowboys a 34-17 defeat in the 2025 season finale at MetLife Stadium. It was New York’s second consecutive win to close out a campaign that started far differently than it finished. Dallas entered Week 18 with a 7-9-1 record and failed to build any sustained momentum against a Giants squad that had little left to play for in the standings—but played like it did.

Game Summary

The Giants controlled this one from the second quarter onward. After Jaydon Blue’s 14-yard touchdown run gave Dallas an early 7-0 lead, New York answered with a Ben Sauls 23-yard field goal and never looked back. Daniel Bellinger’s 29-yard touchdown reception just before halftime put the Giants ahead 10-7, and they never trailed again. Jaxson Dart’s precision passing—22 of 32 for 230 yards—kept chains moving against a Cowboys defense that couldn’t get off the field when it mattered most.

Scoring Plays

The full scoring sequence tells the story of a game that got away from Dallas.

• 14:32 1Q: Jaydon Blue 14-yard rushing TD (Cowboys 7-0)
• 5:15 2Q: Ben Sauls 23-yard field goal (Giants 7-3)
• 14:40 2Q: Daniel Bellinger 29-yard TD reception (Giants 10-7)
• 3Q: Jaxson Dart 13-yard TD pass to Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Giants 17-7)
• Final: Giants 34, Cowboys 17

This was Jaxson Dart’s 15th touchdown pass of the 2025 season, per NFL.com (official league coverage).

What QB has never lost to the Cowboys?

No quarterback in NFL history has faced the Dallas Cowboys as many times as Tom Brady without losing. Brady went 7-0 against Dallas during his career with the Patriots and Buccaneers combined, making the Cowboys one of his favorite opponents to dissect. His career numbers against Dallas included multiple fourth-quarter comebacks and a passer rating that consistently climbed above 100 in those matchups.

Tom Brady Record

Brady’s dominance over the Cowboys wasn’t about a single great game—it was about consistency across nearly two decades of matchups. His record against Dallas stands as a testament to his ability to exploit a defense that, more often than not, had no answer for his precision timing and pre-snap reads. Every time the Cowboys thought they had closed the gap, Brady found another way to extend his winning streak against them.

Other QBs vs Cowboys

Beyond Brady, several quarterbacks have posted impressive streaks against Dallas, though none matched his volume of success. Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Joe Montana each had periods of dominance over the Cowboys during their respective eras. The common thread: these quarterbacks exploited Dallas’s occasional lapses in pass coverage and made them pay with surgical efficiency through the air.

Who are the best players on the NY Giants?

The Giants’ 34-17 win over the Cowboys put two players squarely in the spotlight: quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. Both delivered performances that will define their rookie seasons—and signal what Giants fans have to look forward to as this team rebuilds around its young core.

Top Performers in Win

Jaxson Dart completed 22 of 32 passes for 230 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions, good for a 110.2 passer rating—a career best for the rookie. According to Giants.com (official team coverage), his performance helped New York rack up 380 total yards against a Cowboys defense that surrendered 219 passing yards alone.

• Jaxson Dart (QB): 22/32, 230 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 110.2 rating, 13-yard rushing gain
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB): 18 carries, 103 rushing yards; 8 receptions, 56 receiving yards; 159 scrimmage yards, 1 TD
• Gabriel Olszewski (WR): 8 receptions, 102 receiving yards
• Daniel Bellinger (TE): 2 receptions, 38 yards, 1 TD (29-yard TD)
• Bobby Okereke (LB): Forced multiple turnovers

Giants Top 100

Tyrone Tracy Jr. deserves special mention for what he accomplished beyond a single game. Per Giants.com, the fifth-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft became just the third Giant to post 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first two professional seasons. That places him in elite company and validates the Giants’ evaluation staff for identifying him late in the draft.

What QB has beaten all 32 teams?

The exclusive club of quarterbacks who have defeated every NFL team at least once is remarkably small. Only a handful of signal-callers have accomplished this feat, and it requires not just longevity but consistent excellence across a career spanning multiple franchises or sustained success with one team against divisional rivals.

NFL QB Records

Peyton Manning holds the most complete record, having beaten all 32 teams during his career with the Colts and Broncos. Drew Brees also achieved this milestone, using his time in New Orleans and San Diego (now Los Angeles) to work through every franchise. Tom Brady came close but never faced certain teams repeatedly due to scheduling quirks in his era. Brett Favre’s three-team career path gave him access to beat every opponent at least once before he retired.

Relevance to Rivalry

For young quarterbacks like Jaxson Dart, the path to joining this club runs through consistent excellence year after year—and for now, it starts with divisional games. The Cowboys are one of the three teams the Giants face twice annually, giving Dart two annual chances to add to his win column against Dallas. If he remains the Giants’ starter for the next decade, beating all 32 teams becomes a realistic possibility rather than a fantasy.

What is the most hated rivalry in the NFL?

NFL rivalries run deep, but few match the visceral intensity of the Cowboys-Giants matchup. These two franchises have been battling since the 1960s, and their games consistently draw some of the highest ratings of any regular-season matchups in the league. Whether it’s the media narratives, the Super Bowl implications, or simply the geographic proximity, Cowboys-Giants games mean something to fans on both coasts.

Cowboys-Giants Rivalry

The Giants-Cowboys rivalry ranks among the oldest and most storied in professional football. From the “Miracle at the Meadowlands” to recent playoff battles, these teams have delivered iconic moments that transcend any single season. The intensity escalated when both franchises were competing for Super Bowls in the 1980s and 2000s, creating generational fan bases that genuinely despise losing to each other.

Historical Context

What makes this rivalry endure is the parity both teams have shown over decades. The Cowboys have “America’s Team” branding and five Super Bowls; the Giants have four and a reputation for producing legendary defensive moments against Dallas. When either team wins, the celebration in that city lasts for weeks. When they lose, the offseason questioning begins immediately.

• Giants vs. Cowboys head-to-head: Historic series leans Cowboys overall, but Giants have won crucial postseason battles
• Key moments: “Miracle at the Meadowlands” (1978), 2007 NFC Championship, multiple Week 17 deciders
• Fan intensity: Both fanbases rank among top 5 in merchandise sales and attendance loyalty

The January 4 game continued this tradition—not because it was a playoff thriller, but because it showed the Giants still have the capability to dominate the Cowboys when everything clicks. For Giants fans, that’s worth more than the 4-13 record suggests.

Complete Team Statistics Comparison

Five key categories separated the two teams on January 4, with New York winning in every metric that matters.

The Giants outgained the Cowboys by 94 total yards and generated six more first downs, per USA Today Sportsdata (comprehensive NFL statistics). Dallas’s passing attack was particularly stifled, managed by a rotating quarterback quartet that combined for just 143 yards through the air.

Player Statistics Breakdown

Beyond the box score leaders, here is how both rosters performed across positions during the season finale.

This data comes from Fox Sports (official NFL box scores) and Giants.com.

Game Timeline

The sequence of scoring plays shows how the Giants took control and never relinquished it after halftime.

Per FootballDB (detailed scoring timeline), the game turned decisively on Bellinger’s second-quarter touchdown—marking the first time New York led and the last time Dallas held any advantage.

Expert Perspectives

Rookie Jaxson Dart had a career-high 110.2 passer rating, Tyrone Tracy Jr. posted a personal-best 159 yards from scrimmage.

Dan Salomone, Senior Managing Editor, Giants.com

Hoping to finish strong, the Cowboys instead bring a forgettable season to a frustrating end with a 34-17 loss to the Giants.

DallasCowboys.com Staff, DallasCowboys.com

The contrast between these two takes tells you everything about the divergent trajectories these franchises face. For the Giants, a 4-13 record contains a silver lining in their young offense. For the Cowboys, a 7-9-1 mark represents a fall from relevance that owner Jerry Jones will spend the offseason attempting to reverse. The Giants enter the 2026 season with their rookie quarterback showing exactly why the front office invested draft capital in him. The Cowboys will spend the offseason asking hard questions about a roster that finished below .500 despite preseason Super Bowl buzz. For Dallas fans, the choice is clear: rebuild around Dak Prescott and actual playmakers, or continue coasting on past glories that grow more distant with each passing season.