On This Date in Sports November 2, 1986: Breaking the Cowboys
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The New York Giants record a big win in their efforts to win their first division title in 23 years, beating the Dallas Cowboys 17-14 at Giants Stadium to improve to 7-2 on the season. The Giants did not just beat the Cowboys; they broke the Cowboys, as Danny White suffered a broken wrist and was lost for the season after a sack by Carl Banks. The Giants would finish 14-2 and won Super Bowl XXI, while the Cowboys won just one of their final eight games and finished 7-9, suffering their first losing season since 1964.
As November began, there was a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East. The New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins were all 6-2 at the season's midway point. The Cowboys opened the season with a 31-28 victory over the Giants, as Herschel Walker scored the game-winning touchdown in his NFL debut. The Giants were unbeaten in divisional play, having lost to Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos. They had beaten Washington in Week 6 and looked to be still in line to win the NFC East as they looked to complete a season sweep against the Giants. The Giants had recovered from their season-opening loss and won five straight before being beaten by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7. As fans kept won eye on the New York Mets winning the World Series in Game 7, the Giants beat the Redskins 27-20 on Monday Night Football to set up the showdown against Dallas with the division on the line.
Bill Parcells had the Giants play mind games, as the Giants wore white at home to put the Cowboys in their hated blue uniforms. The Cowboys had won the previous three meetings against New York and looked to get another season sweep. The Giants' defense came out hungry as Carl Banks crushed Danny White in the first quarter for a sack. On the play, White broke his wrist and was lost for the season, as the Giants took an early 3-0 lead with a 25-yard field goal by Raul Allegre. Dallas took a 7-3 lead in the second quarter as Mike Renfro caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Steve Pelluer. The Giants answered and led 10-7 at the half as Joe Morris scored the first of two touchdowns with an eight-yard run.
In the fourth quarter, Joe Morris added a six-yard run to extend the Giants lead to 17-7. The Cowboys would not go down quietly as Tony Dorsett had a 23-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys had the ball late in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie or take the lead. However, George Martin recorded a sack that sealed the win for the Giants. Morris had a big game for the Giants, rushing for 181 yards on 29 carries, as Phil Simms had a miserable afternoon completing 6-of-18 passes for 67 yards, with an interception.
Steve Pelleur played well in place of Danny White, passing for 339 yards. However, he would struggle the rest of the season as the Cowboys won just one of their final seven games and finished 7-9. It was the first time since 1964 that the Cowboys had posted a losing record. The Giants, meanwhile, did not lose another game in 1986, posting a record of 14-2 as Lawrence Taylor was named MVP. The Giants would go on to beat the Denver Broncos 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI.