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Giants 20, Cowboys 17

By TOM CANAVAN AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Not only are the old men of the Dallas Cowboys sputtering on offense, now they're giving away games, too.

Tito Wooten returned the first of his two interceptions against Troy Aikman 61 yards for the go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, leading the New York Giants to a 20-17 win in a game in which time literally ran out on the Cowboys.

A 32-yard pass from Troy Aikman to tight end Eric Bjornson got the Cowboys (3-2) to the Giants 17 in the waning seconds, but Dallas had no timeouts.

Tackle Erik Williams could not sprint upfield and get set before the ball was snapped, a penalty that caused the clock to expire and prevented Richie Cunningham from trying a game-tying field goal.

Charles Way scored on a 3-yard run and the Giants (3-3) limited Dallas to a late touchdown and three field goals in winning their second straight. New York has given up just two TDs in its last three games.

"I am disappointed in the way we played," said Cowboys coach Barry Switzer, whose team outgained New York 428-166 and rallied from a 20-9 deficit to make it close. "Obviously we had more to do with losing than they did in winning it. We beat ourselves today. It was evident in the way we played in the second half."

The play that turned the game was Wooten's interception with Dallas leading 9-6 and driving in New York territory.

On a second-and-1 from the Giants 43, Wooten cut in front of Michael Irvin, caught the ball and sped down the sideline, scoring without being touched.

"Whenever they put him (Irvin) in the slot, we know they like to go to him, so we had inside and outside coverage on him," said Wooten, who intercepted two passes in his first three years in the league. "I had the inside and when he ran that little curl I broke on the ball and I was there.

Aikman, who completed 34 of 52 passes for 317 yards, never saw Wooten.

"That wound up being the difference in the ballgame," Aikman said, who had to endure a week of hearing what's wrong with the Cowboys offense after it gained 180 yards last week against Chicago.

"It was frustrating," Aikman added. "I take full responsibility for that play and how if affected the outcome of the ballgame."

A 37-yard punt return by Amani Toomer and a 26-yard pass interference call against Kevin Smith set up Way's TD that made it 20-9 with 6:18 to play.

However, the Cowboys didn't die. Aikman drove them 75 yards in 14 plays, capping the march with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller and a 2-point conversion pass to Bjornson, pulling them within three with 1:54 left.

David Patten of the Giants fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and at least two Cowboys failed to recover the fumble before Tyrone Wheatley of New York fell on the ball at the 14.

After holding on downs, the Cowboys got the ball back at their 36 with 48 seconds to play, and they came up a play - and perhaps a second - short.

Aikman tried to spike the ball, but Williams was not lined up properly. The Giants were offsides on the play, but it did not matter because Dallas was not set when the ball was snapped.

Under the rules, a team that isn't set when a ball is spiked in the last two minutes of a half loses 10 seconds off the clock.

"We just ran out of time," said Williams, a 6-foot-6, 328-pounder who had hurt his ankle earlier in the fourth quarter. "That's all it was."

It was a fitting end to a frustrating day for the Dallas offense, which again struggled inside the 20, scoring on just one of four trips. Dallas was ranked No. 27 in red zone offense coming into the game.

"We did a good job inside the 20, but they are also very predictable," Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn said. "If you know their tendencies, you can take things away from them."

The Giants scored all their points after quarterback Dave Brown was sidelined late in the second quarter after aggravating a bruised chest.

Brad Daluiso's second field goal tied the game at 6 early in the third quarter. Cunningham kicked a 27-yard field goal to give Dallas its final lead at 9-6 with 7:36 left in the third quarter.

Then Wooten made his big play.

Brown completed two of seven passes for 8 yards before aggravating a sore chest muscle. Kanell finished 10-of-17 for 101 yards and no interceptions.