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The Top 10 Moments Between the Giants and Cowboys
The 2012 NFL regular season kicks off Wednesday night with the latest installment of one of the league's most storied rivalries: The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants taking on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys and Giants have been involved in some memorable clashes over the last 52 years, and with that in mind, Elliot Harrison counts down the top 10 moments of the rivalry.
![Eli Manning throws three touchdowns against the visiting Cowboys to get his first career win as starter in the NFL. (AP Photo/David Drapkin)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/kofnwflcbir5oezwpzfj.jpg)
Eli Manning throws three touchdowns against the visiting Cowboys to get his first career win as starter in the NFL. (AP Photo/David Drapkin)
![Drew Bledsoe's abysmal first-half performance in Week 7 prodded Bill Parcells to start Tony Romo in the second half. Romo threw three picks in the loss, but he went on to lead the 3-3 Cowboys to a 9-7 finish and a playoff berth. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/lzkdqjfsrmhp1o8u8bdj.jpg)
Drew Bledsoe's abysmal first-half performance in Week 7 prodded Bill Parcells to start Tony Romo in the second half. Romo threw three picks in the loss, but he went on to lead the 3-3 Cowboys to a 9-7 finish and a playoff berth. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
![Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson was a member of the NFL's All-Decade team of the 1970s, garnering a reputation as one of the most clutch late-game performers the NFL has ever seen. But Pearson pulled a Bill Grammatica against -- you guessed it -- the rival Giants.
After catching his third touchdown pass of the game, the veteran receiver got overly excited ... executing a leaping spike but failing to stick the landing. The anti-Kerri Strug twisted his knee and ultimately missed his first career game the following week. Roger Staubach's favorite target played the rest of the season hurt. The Cowboys could've used their best receiver at 100 percent, as they fell to the underdog Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoffs, 21-19. Pearson caught just three passes for 61 yards in the loss. (AP Photo)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/hgnxglk2vw0wptjzupn8.jpg)
Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson was a member of the NFL's All-Decade team of the 1970s, garnering a reputation as one of the most clutch late-game performers the NFL has ever seen. But Pearson pulled a Bill Grammatica against -- you guessed it -- the rival Giants. After catching his third touchdown pass of the game, the veteran receiver got overly excited ... executing a leaping spike but failing to stick the landing. The anti-Kerri Strug twisted his knee and ultimately missed his first career game the following week. Roger Staubach's favorite target played the rest of the season hurt. The Cowboys could've used their best receiver at 100 percent, as they fell to the underdog Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoffs, 21-19. Pearson caught just three passes for 61 yards in the loss. (AP Photo)
![The Cowboys beat the Giants 28-21 in a game in which the Giants knocked out both Danny White and backup quarterback Gary Hogeboom. That only left the Cowboys with third-stringer Steve Pelluer in a game with the NFC East title on the line. Pelluer delivered in the clutch, hitting fellow backup Karl Powe for a key 28-yard third-down completion. It pays to have depth. (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/cqlgmoydx48n4zfki4qw.jpg)
The Cowboys beat the Giants 28-21 in a game in which the Giants knocked out both Danny White and backup quarterback Gary Hogeboom. That only left the Cowboys with third-stringer Steve Pelluer in a game with the NFC East title on the line. Pelluer delivered in the clutch, hitting fellow backup Karl Powe for a key 28-yard third-down completion. It pays to have depth. (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine)
![Miles Austin loses the ball in the lights, a play that changed the season. In one of the most exciting games of 2011, Jason Pierre-Paul's blocked field goal sealed an improbable win and kept the future Super Bowls Champion's playoff hopes alive (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/lkmcvtowq3yz1oh8xvxu.jpg)
Miles Austin loses the ball in the lights, a play that changed the season. In one of the most exciting games of 2011, Jason Pierre-Paul's blocked field goal sealed an improbable win and kept the future Super Bowls Champion's playoff hopes alive (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
![Giants linebacker Carl Banks broke Danny White's wrist on a monster hit early in a midseason showdown with their NFC East rivals. The Cowboys were the top offense in the NFC at the time, and White the top-rated quarterback in the NFL with a 97.9 QB rating. Both clubs went into the Week 9 clash with 6-2 records. But Banks' hit cost White the rest of his season, and backup Steve Pelluer took over the reins of the Cowboys' offense. Dallas lost the game 17-14 and went 1-6 the rest of the way. Giants, on the other hand, won out all the way to a matchup against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. The Giants beat the Broncos 39-20 to finish the season with 12 straight wins. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/gurir0ooqp5nfktm1eb2.jpg)
Giants linebacker Carl Banks broke Danny White's wrist on a monster hit early in a midseason showdown with their NFC East rivals. The Cowboys were the top offense in the NFC at the time, and White the top-rated quarterback in the NFL with a 97.9 QB rating. Both clubs went into the Week 9 clash with 6-2 records. But Banks' hit cost White the rest of his season, and backup Steve Pelluer took over the reins of the Cowboys' offense. Dallas lost the game 17-14 and went 1-6 the rest of the way. Giants, on the other hand, won out all the way to a matchup against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. The Giants beat the Broncos 39-20 to finish the season with 12 straight wins. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
![The Giants beat the Cowboys (who were 12-3 at the time) in overtime to earn a playoff berth for first time since 1963. Joe Danelo hit the game winner from 35 yards out to send the surprise 9-7 Giants to a playoff showdown with the Eagles the next week. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/yuryg7opnqzjoxlxy6t9.jpg)
The Giants beat the Cowboys (who were 12-3 at the time) in overtime to earn a playoff berth for first time since 1963. Joe Danelo hit the game winner from 35 yards out to send the surprise 9-7 Giants to a playoff showdown with the Eagles the next week. (AP Photo/Mike Derer)
![Tom Landry finally stopped losing. Dallas was 0-10 but managed to tie one of the strongest teams of the era, the New York Giants. Ironically the head coach of the expansion Cowboys was Big Blue's Defensive Coordinator before taking the job in Dallas. (AP Photo)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/nqpv5mobg24nihdcsnws.jpg)
Tom Landry finally stopped losing. Dallas was 0-10 but managed to tie one of the strongest teams of the era, the New York Giants. Ironically the head coach of the expansion Cowboys was Big Blue's Defensive Coordinator before taking the job in Dallas. (AP Photo)
![The Giants beat the Cowboys in the 2007 divisional playoff at Texas Stadium en route to upsetting the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Dallas was the NFC's top seed, while New York was merely a wild card. Many league observers feel the Cowboys organization still hasn't recovered from this loss. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/rz1vtbzr0xcpmvwmyspz.jpg)
The Giants beat the Cowboys in the 2007 divisional playoff at Texas Stadium en route to upsetting the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Dallas was the NFC's top seed, while New York was merely a wild card. Many league observers feel the Cowboys organization still hasn't recovered from this loss. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
![The Separated Shoulder Game. Emmitt Smith gained 229 yards from scrimmage in a game in which his shoulder was separated by Giants safety Greg Jackson in the first half. The NFL MVP's courageous performance lifted the Cowboys to a 16-13 win in OT. The Dallas victory also clinched the NFC East title and home-field throughout the playoffs in a winner-take-all game at the Meadowlands. (AP Photo/Linda Kaye)](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/league/pj8riqtb66x66f14omz1.jpg)
The Separated Shoulder Game. Emmitt Smith gained 229 yards from scrimmage in a game in which his shoulder was separated by Giants safety Greg Jackson in the first half. The NFL MVP's courageous performance lifted the Cowboys to a 16-13 win in OT. The Dallas victory also clinched the NFC East title and home-field throughout the playoffs in a winner-take-all game at the Meadowlands. (AP Photo/Linda Kaye)