IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Drew Bledsoe stood grim-faced on the
sideline, his fingers locked inside the collar of his jersey, a
visor pulled over his eyes. The New York Giants already had their
way with him -- and now they were doing the same to his backup.

Scouts Inc.'s Take

The Giants played with a greater sense of urgency and more intensity than the Cowboys and are now in first place in the NFC East. They dominated on both sides of the ball; their defense put constant pressure on Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe with inside gut pressure and a relentless pass rush by defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. In relief of Bledsoe in the second half, Tony Romo flashed what type of quarterback he could be given time and a full week of preparation -- even though he was inconsistent with his decision making. The Cowboys' vaunted run defense was shredded by Tiki Barber, who gained most of his yards off second effort.

After Bledsoe's sack-filled first half performance ended in an
interception, Tony Romo trotted in to start the second, when he was
greeted by a standing ovation and chants of his last name.

Then, on his first snap, Romo threw an interception.

While Romo sparked the offense at times with more mobility than
Bledsoe ever had, the mistakes he made with his arm overshadowed
anything he did with his feet.

Michael Strahan and the Giants finished with six sacks, four
interceptions and a 36-22 victory Monday night that leaves them
firmly in control of the supposedly tough NFC East.

"I thought after the last few weeks, and the way we rushed the
passer, they would've protected a little bit more than they did in
the first half. I'm glad they didn't," said Strahan, who had only
one sack coming in.

Elias Says
Barber Tiki Barber has led the Giants in rushing yards for 70 consecutive games, a streak that began with the 2002 season opener. That's the longest streak of that kind in NFL history. The old record was held by Barry Sanders, who led the Lions in rushing in each of 68 straight games from 1994 to 1998. • For more Elias Says, click here

Eli Manning got New York (4-2) rolling with a 50-yard touchdown
pass to Plaxico Burress on just the fifth play and rookie Kevin
Dockery sealed the victory by returning the final of four
interceptions 96 yards for a touchdown with 2:38 left. In between,
the Giants made plenty of other big plays while avoiding the
mistakes that doomed Dallas (3-3).

Among the highlights were two sacks by Strahan, tying Lawrence
Taylor's club career record; a safety by LaVar Arrington; 114 yards
rushing by Tiki Barber and a 3-yard touchdown run by his backup,
Brandon Jacobs, which he celebrated with a T.O.-like dance on the
Cowboys' star logo in the end zone.

"I'm ashamed to put a team out there playing like that,"
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said. "They out-everything-ed us. It
was a very poor performance."

Parcells also made sure the Bledsoe-Romo debate lingers for at
least a few more days, saying he doesn't know what he's going to
do, noting that he doesn't have to decide until Sunday.

"I have to think that over," Parcells said.

Tension is already thick between the quarterbacks. Romo said he
never heard a word from Bledsoe, and the 14-year veteran was the
first one off the field, then left the locker room quickly.

It fits his career-long pattern: He wasn't exactly chummy with
Tom Brady after losing his job to him in New England. Then Buffalo
traded Bledsoe to Dallas because he believed he should still be a
starter, and wasn't interested in grooming J.P. Losman.

"Whoever is back there, we have to ride with it," Terrell
Owens said.

The Cowboys should've known what was coming. New York sacked
Michael Vick seven times the previous week.

Bledsoe's undoing actually was his only turnover, when Sam
Madison picked off a potential go-ahead pass into the end zone late
in the second quarter.

While Romo avoided pressure and threw some pretty passes, his
miscues were too much to overcome. He started with Dallas down only
five and rallied them back to within 11, but couldn't get the job
done. He threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton after
his third pickoff, but it was too little, too late.

"I don't feel very good about the situation right now," Romo
said. "I definitely would have liked to have performed better.
Hopefully next week that will change."

New York should be happy now that it has beaten each division
foe -- Dallas (3-3), Washington and Philadelphia -- and gets to play
its next three games at home.

However, the Giants also come away facing two serious injuries:
Arrington tore his left Achilles tendon and is likely out for the
season, and defensive end Osi Umenyiora missed most of the second
half with a strained hip.

Manning was 12-of-26 for 189 yards and two touchdowns, with an
interception. Tiki Barber retained his NFL rushing lead by gaining
114 yards on 27 carries, but also had a fumble in the second
quarter.

Bledsoe was 7-of-12 for 111 yards. Romo, whose only experience
in four NFL seasons was going 2-for-2 at the end of last week's
lopsided win over Houston, was 14-of-25 for 227 yards with two
touchdowns.

New York jumped ahead 12-0 behind the deep pass to Burress,
Arrington's safety and a field goal after a 44-yarder to Burress.
Dallas made it 12-7 on a drive that featured several big plays by
Terrell Owens, and a tough 1-yard TD run by Bledsoe to finish it
off.

Barber's fumble followed and the Cowboys were driving for the
go-ahead score when Bledsoe threw a terrible pass aimed at Terry
Glenn that Madison read the entire way and easily picked off.

Romo flashed his mobility in his first play to open the second
half, rolling out to his right. But Strahan followed close enough
to swat the pass high into the air and linebacker Antonio Pierce
caught it at the Dallas 14. Three plays later, Manning hit Jeremy
Shockey for a touchdown.

Romo's next drive was better -- and might've led to points -- if
Owens hadn't dropped a pass on fourth-and-2 at the New York 32.
T.O. was so wide open that he probably was thinking more about the
run than making sure he had the catch.

Manning answered with a drive that soaked up half the quarter,
ending with Jacobs' TD run.

Romo threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Owens on the next drive,
capping it with a keeper to run in the 2-point conversion. Then the
Dallas defense forced a quick punt and things got interesting
again.

But after moving the Cowboys to the Giants' 30, Romo was sacked,
then double-clutched an ugly short pass that was easily intercepted
by lineman Fred Robbins on the next play. Jay Feely followed with a
32-yard field goal, his second of the game, and New York was up by
14 with 3:58 left.

Romo's attempt at a Brett Favre-like scrambling rally fizzled
when Dockery, a rookie playing his fourth game, caught a pass
intended for Crayton and ran it all the way back, with Romo the
last one he beat.

Game notes
The Giants also played the second half without cornerback
Frank Walker, who strained a hamstring. ... Bledsoe has two rushing
TDs this season, 10 in his career. ... Before the game, Hank
Williams Jr. got out of an oversized pickup truck and hollered his
signature line, "Are you ready for some football?" He then went
to the Dallas sideline and shook hands with Parcells, Bledsoe and
Owens.