MANHATTAN — There would be no December collapse for Tom Coughlin's team this year.
Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, including one to breakout star Victor Cruz, to lead the New York Giants to a convincing 34-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The win earned the Giants the NFC East division crown and a trip back to the playoffs for the first time since winning the Super Bowl in 2008.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and down, but when our team needed it most we responded,” Cruz told reporters after the game.
The Giants won three of their last four games to end speculation about coach Coughlin's future with the team.
Cruz finished a record-breaking season for the Giants with 178 yards and a 74-yard touchdown catch to put the Giants up 7-0 early in the first quarter. The wide receiver set a team record with 1,536 yards receiving on the year.
New York's defense sacked Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo five times and held Dallas to 49 yards rushing.
The Giants (9-7) will host the Atlanta Falcons (10-6) on Sunday in the NFC wild-card game.
